Where to find great Kanom Jeen in Phuket?
Kanom Jeen is, without a doubt, our favourite Thai breakfast on weekends. We’ll never miss a chance to go to ‘Kanom Jeen Saphan Hin‘ or ‘Pa Mai Kanom Jeen Restaurant‘, on Satun Road in Phuket Town, just next to the Blue Elephant restaurant, if we manage to wake up early, of course. Pa Mai Restaurant is open from 5.30 am to 11 am, and ‘Mae Ting’, the relative’s shop just down the same road. Pa Mai Restaurant might not be as famous as the original one, but we like it better. Not only because it’s easier to get parking and there is always a table available, but also because we like the taste of their Kanom Jeen.
What is Kanom Jeen?
Kanom Jeen is a traditional Thai breakfast dish that’s particularly popular in Phuket and southern Thailand. It consists of fresh, thin white rice noodles served cold or at room temperature with a curry of your choice. Common options include fish curry (Nam Ya Pa), beef curry (Kang Nua), chicken curry (Kang Kai), or sweet prawn curry (Kang Nam Prik).
The dish is served with an array of fresh vegetables and condiments: bean sprouts, cucumber, long beans, banana blossoms, morning glory, grated radish, and basil, displayed on the table for you to add. These fresh ingredients add essential crunch and contrasting flavours that balance the soft noodles and rich curry. It’s a customisable, hands-on breakfast experience that locals rarely miss.
Popular Kanom Jeen Restaurants
Kanom Jeen Sapan Hin
| Location: Phuket Town |
Kanom Jeen Saphan Hin is an excellent and peaceful restaurant that runs all day in Saphan Hin, just next to the circle and its iconic sculpture. It’s getting as popular as Pa Mai Restaurant or even more, and it’s perfect for a late and peaceful breakfast.
Address: 66/2 Phuket Rd, Talat Yai, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000
Open: 9 am – 7 pm
Phone: 083 175 5571
Kanom Jeen Pa Mai
| Location: Phuket Town |
Pa Mai is one of the original Kanom Jeen restaurants in Phuket Town. There are, of course, days we can’t make it before 10 am, and we still think Kanom Jeen would be a perfect brunch. The shop is open until noon, but past 10, ingredients become scarce. So for those days, we have a plan B!
Location: Phuket Town
Address: Talat Nuea, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000
Open: 6 am – 12 pm
Price: cheap
Baan Mae Taan
| Location: Phuket Town |
Baan Mae Taan is an excellent local Thai restaurant in Phuket Town. It is slightly away from the old streets of historical Phuket, where the tourist crowd always goes for their selfies and is more geared towards a local clientele, which is a good sign!
Address: No. 52 Luangpohw Rd, Tambon Talat Yai, Mueang
Open: 7 am – 7 pm
Phone: 061 686 7755
Mae Ting Kanom Jeen
| Location: Phuket Town |
Mae Ting Kanom Jeen is one of Phuket Town‘s popular breakfast destinations, serving traditional rice noodles with curry (Kanom Jeen) to locals for decades. This small, discreet, shophouse restaurant has earned its reputation as a must-visit spot for anyone wanting to experience authentic Phuket breakfast culture.
Location: Phuket Town
Address: 63 Satun Rd, Tambon Talat Nuea, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000
Hours: 7 am – 12 pm
Phone: 0951905049
Price: cheap
Pink Boat Restaurant
| Location: Laem Hin (East Coast) |
Pink Boat is a small seaside restaurant on Phuket’s east coast, located just before the well-known Laem Hin Seafood restaurant. This casual spot offers southern Thai kanom jeen noodles with generous portions of fresh veggies and a panoramic sea view, all at wallet-friendly prices. The restaurant sits at the edge of the water in Baan Laem Hin, with simple seating and a laid-back local atmosphere. The restaurant is known for its pink boat-shaped counter, where diners help themselves to trays of fresh vegetables to go with their chosen kanom jeen curry. There’s plenty of seating overlooking the sea, making it a practical spot to enjoy local Phuket flavours while watching the boats.
Location: Laem Hin – Phuket West Coast
Hours: 8 am – 5 pm
Phone: 092 290 5157
Price: very cheap
Nom Jeen Phuket
Nom Jeen Phuket is a new restaurant on the outskirts of Phuket town, set in a beautiful house surrounded by a large garden.
Address: 63/14 Village No. 3, Ruam Pattana Rd., Ratsada, Phuket City 83000
Open: 7 am – 3 pm – Monday closed
Phone: 081 895 9430
Types of Curries
Kanom Jeen is really in the heart of Thai breakfast and consists of cold rice noodles with a sauce of your choice, often curry-based. Unfortunately, the first time I tried, I completely missed the point. I found it too soft and not so great; I wondered what I was missing and never gave it another look.
Shredded fish curry (Nam Ya)
Crab Curry (Kang Poo)
A few years ago, I happened to go there again to give it another chance. I picked another sauce, a beef curry called Kang Nua, and found the secret of a great Kanom Jeen plate: add the many veggies displayed on the table in front of you! These, of course, have to be here for a good reason! So I experimented with a few to start from and found my perfect mix… now I’m an addict too, and I would rarely say no to the idea of breakfast at Pa Mai Restaurant.
My favourite mix is grated radish, lightly boiled and chopped morning glory, some boiled soybeans, but best of all: finely sliced banana flowers! All these fresh ingredients give a gently crunchy consistency that was missing in my first experience.
Try it, and maybe you too might become a Kanom Jeen lover!
How it works:
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Beef curry (Kang Nua)
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Some fish curry (Nam Ya Pa)
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Chicken curry (Kang Kai)
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Sweet prawn curry with nuts (Kang Nam Prik)
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Fresh shrimp paste with lots of chillies (Nam Shoop Yum)
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Fish guts curry (Kang Tai Pla)
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Shredded fish curry (Nam Ya)
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Crab curry (Kang Poo)
Add the condiments you like from the counter or directly at your table, and don’t forget to pick up a fork and spoon. You also can take one of the few side dishes on display, such as Hor Mok or grilled chicken. Order your drinks directly at your table. The staff usually understands drink names in English, but you’ll sound cooler by ordering ‘Cafe Yen’ or ‘Cafe Ron’ (iced coffee or hot coffee), ‘Cha Yen’ or ‘Cha Ron’ (iced tea or hot tea). Coffee and tea come with condensed milk, the way it has always been in traditional restaurants in Thailand.
Kanom Jeen Restaurant Map
Local Thai Restaurants in Phuket
