PHEN Restaurant — Restaurant in Phang-nga Province

The rain had mostly stopped by 6pm, just in time for dinner (this was July in Thailand, so definitely in the "rainy season") .  Dinner was a challenge.  We initially went to BBeen (amazing place), the same restaurant we went to on first night, but they closed because no one came (because of rain).  Then we tried to get a Grab to the Khaolak night market (which had numerous restaurants), but the road was flooded so no driver accepted.  Then we went to lobby and Jume talked to hotel concierge about "Pam" a fancy restaurant.  They mis-heard Jume, because we wanted to go to Phen (located on the North side of the Khaolak Marriott).  So we walked to Phen.  It was so slow... And they mis-heard our request for spring rolls and instead brought us chicken Satay.  We kept the Satay and also reordered our spring rolls.... Turns out the Satay was so much better than the spring rolls which were almost all wrapper.  The peanut sauce for the Satay was "to die for".

While we were enjoying our Satay, a group of Italians came in.  It took forever for them to communicate their need for a table for 13-ish people, because only the initial 5 showed up.  (I gave their leader two thumbs up to signify that it was worth the wait/delay/communication breakdown to eat here.  Once they figured their table needs, the rest of their group showed up, but because of the slowness, their group fractured.  The initial five stayed, but the other two families kinda decided to leave, but they didn't know where to go, so they awkwardly lingered in the entrance area.  There was significant hand waving! I think I heard something like "Italians don't wait" when they left... I don't blame them.

After another LONG wait, we finally flagged down our waitress.  She took our dinner order, fried rice, Thai chicken soup with wide noodles (Akira), chicken with basel (Jume) and chicken laab (Tom).  Tom also ordered two beers (Chang) along the way and Akira had chocolate milkshake (surprisingly good) and Jume had a large bottle of water.

The total bill was 1100 baht, about US $34.  What a deal.  (Last night we spent US $114 for Olive at Marriott and it was no where near the good experience of tonight.)

Only other negative of note were the mosquitoes... They were eating almost as well as we were! (They had bug spray at...

When we first turned up there was no one in the restaurant and I was worried we made a wrong move. Well was I wrong. Before we left the place was full, the atmosphere was great and the smells were fantastic. We ordered a lot for two of us and every single dish was amazing, like absolutely amazing! So much so we went back a few times here, and every time ordered for around 6 people so we could try it all. The menu is huge and has so many options. Deep fried vegetables, vegetable clear soup, Tom yum goon soup, squid on black pepper, pork in black pepper, prawn cocktail, tiger prawns, coconut soup, satay chicken, spicy prawn salad, I recommend them all!! Everything was amazing. The service was incredible and the staff are really nice. They put fans on when you arrive and have mosquito spray if you ask for it. We never got bitten once and we just sprayed mosquito spray in the room before venturing out. We were staying in JW Marriott and it's literally a 3min walk turning right out of the hotel onto the beach front entrance. We always arrived just before 6pm as the dinner time rush can take a while because everything is cooked to order. I really recommend their chocolate shake...

Phen’s restaurant is a true hidden gem in Khao Lak! My husband and I always love supporting local businesses, and we had the absolute pleasure of meeting Phen and her wonderful family during our stay. We ended up eating at her restaurant many times, and every single meal was exceptional.

From the moment we arrived, we were always welcomed with a warm smile and genuine hospitality. The food? Absolutely delicious. Every dish was packed with authentic Thai flavor and clearly made with love. Our favorites were the green curry, papaya salad, pineapple fried rice, and fresh fried vegetables – all perfectly cooked and full of fresh ingredients. We also enjoyed sipping fresh coconut water and a chilled glass of white wine with each meal.

Phen’s passion for cooking and her kind spirit shine through in everything she does. We’re already looking forward to coming back next year! If you’re in Khao Lak, please do yourself a favor and support this amazing local spot. Thank you, Phen and family, for making our meals so...