Great Seafood at Ko Ang Restaurant
30,848 viewsBy Willy Thuan
Content
show
Ko Ang Seafood (โกอ่างซีฟู้ด) is a long-running local restaurant serving Phuket-style seafood and southern Thai food on the east side of Phuket Town, on the way to Sapan Hin. The restaurant is listed in the Michelin Guide and is famous for fresh seafood, old-school southern Thai recipes and a chef-owner who still cooks most dishes himself. I have been eating here for more than 20 years, through every version of the place.
Ko Ang started as a small shop with a zinc roof and no decoration. Over the years it grew, added Chinese touches to the interior, opened an air-conditioned back room and kept expanding as the reputation spread. The place still feels local, but it looks a lot nicer than it used to. The open kitchen at the front has not changed. You can still watch the chef work while you wait for your table.
Why Ko Ang is Special
What makes Ko Ang stand out is the range of seafood on the ice display at the front. You will find shellfish and sea creatures that are hard to find on other Phuket restaurant menus. Some look strange if you have never seen a horseshoe crab, a sea cicada or red ants’ eggs before. This is southern Thai food at its most authentic, and the kitchen does not water down the flavours for visitors. Ko Ang himself is known for being particular. He goes to five different markets every morning to pick the freshest catch of the day. The menu changes with what comes in. If you see something unusual on the display, it means it was good at the market that morning.What to Order at Ko Ang
I have been to Ko Ang many times, and since Phuket has some signature dishes you will not find everywhere, I tend to order those. Some of them are strong in flavour and not for first-timers, but there are plenty of safer options too.Chef’s recommendations
Gaeng Som Nuea Pla Yod Maprao (แกงส้มเนื้อปลายอดมะพร้าว): fish fillet sour soup with coconut shoots Pla Mor Lhee Nung See Ew (ปลาหมอหลีนึ่งซีอิ๊ว): steamed fish with soy sauce Goong Kapi Sator (กุ้งกะปิสะตอ): stir-fried shrimp with fermented shrimp paste and stinky beansGaeng Som Nuea Pla Yod Maprao
Yum Kai Mangda Talay
Nam Prik Goong Siab
Easier Choices
For the less adventurous, the prawns with garlic and the fried fish are excellent. The seafood yellow curry (gaeng leuang) and the steamed mussels are also reliable orders. The Phuket-style Hokkien mee with crab curry on the side is another one I come back for.
Atmosphere and Service
The team is friendly and keeps smiling through the busy service. On weekends and in high season the place fills up fast, so expect to wait for your food. The open-air front section is where most regulars sit. The air-conditioned back room is the backup for hot nights or larger groups. The place is casual. No dress code, no frills. One thing worth knowing: the restaurant opens at 6 pm and not a minute earlier. If you arrive early you wait outside. This is part of the Ko Ang way and everyone respects it.Photos of Ko Ang Seafood
Insider Tips
- Book ahead or arrive at 6 pm sharp. The place fills within 30 minutes of opening, and walk-ins after 7 pm often have to wait or eat elsewhere.
- Ask the staff to bring you to the ice display before ordering. Half the menu is not on the paper menu. Pointing at what looks good is the Ko Ang way.
- Tell them how spicy you want it. The default level is southern Thai spicy, which is several notches above what most restaurants serve tourists. Say “mai phet” if you want it toned down.
- Order the Phuket signatures, not the generic seafood. Stir-fried prawns exist everywhere. Nam prik goong siab and gaeng som pla yod maprao are why people come here.
- The air-conditioned back room is better for groups of four or more. The open front is more atmospheric for a couple or a solo meal.
- Parking is on the road in front. Tight on weekends. Grab or taxi is easier.
- Combine dinner here with a walk on Sapan Hin afterwards. The park is a 3-minute drive away and runs along the water.
Ko Ang Seafood Through the Years
Ko Ang Seafood has been running for over 25 years. It started as a small open-front shop with a zinc roof on Phuket Road, cooking southern Thai seafood for locals who knew their food. Ko Ang himself learned to cook as a child, built the menu over years of trial and error, and never handed the wok over. He still cooks the key dishes today, with his son helping in the kitchen. The restaurant expanded step by step. An air-conditioned back room was added as the crowd grew. A second air-conditioned section with music came later. The open kitchen at the front stayed where it has always been. Michelin recognition landed in the Phuket guide from 2025. For Ko Ang the recognition did not change much. He still goes to five markets every morning to pick his ingredients, and he still refuses to open one minute before 6 pm. The menu has grown but the original Phuket dishes are still the stars. In a part of Phuket Town where old family restaurants have closed one after the other, Ko Ang is one of the last of its kind.Ko Ang Seafood Info
Location: Phuket Town Address: 226/2 Phuket Road, Phuket Town, Phuket 83000 (on the way to Sapan Hin) Open: 6 pm – 12 am Phone: 076 221 460 Price: Moderate Speciality: Phuket seafood and southern Thai food Distances from Patong: 14 km, from Phuket Town: 0 km, from Kata: 16 km, from Bang Tao: 23 km
Ko Ang Seafood Map
More Restaurants in Phuket Town
Your Phuket Town Travel Guide
