Krua Thung Thong (Big Chicken Restaurant)

A favourite local Thai Restaurant in Kathu

Big Chicken Restaurant (Thung Thong Restaurant) is one of our three favourite venues in Kathu. If you drove past the Phuket Country Club in the past twenty years, you certainly saw that massive chicken statue on the side of the road. It’s a simple, affordable, nice and clean restaurant with very friendly service and they even have an air-con room! But the reason it is always full is without a doubt the food. Eating at Krua Tung Thong is also your chance to try some authentic Thai dishes: how often can you eat giant ants’ eggs?

Don’t be shy if you go there: you can always stay in the ‘safe zone’ and order some good old Thai classics, but what’s its fun? Take a chance and go for the specialities. Note that for most, you’ll have to be spicy-proof.

What to Order

Here are some hardcore favourites; all prices are around 40 to 100 baht, and to go with that, what could be better than a beer with ice, the way we like it in Thailand!

• Som Tam Kai: (Grated spicy green papaya with salty eggs) is good, but more fun is Som Tam Poo: Green Papaya with raw black crab.
• Som Tam is great, accompanied by Pla Dook Yang: Barbecued catfish. Don’t let its ugly face discourage you; the meat is delicate and soft.
• Kai Mod Daeng Kua Samunprai: The weird dish of the day: big Red Ants Eggs Salad! It does taste good, loaded with protein, but it looks a bit gross, more like big white ants than eggs, and you can see the tiny eyes. Served with chopped lemongrass and deep-fried basil leaves, and dried chilli.
• Soop Nor-Mai: this is a spicy bamboo salad that smells kind of strong.

If the above list worries you, try their speciality: a delicious barbecued chicken (Kai Yang) and barbecued pork (Moo Yang).

Thung Thong Restaurant Photos

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Kathu, Phuket