Tunk-ka Cafe — Restaurant in Wichit

Not an expert in Thai food, let alone the regional differences between northern, central and southern Thai.

But as a lover of food, this restaurant was a delightful recommendation.

The น้ำพริกกุ้งเสียบ (Smoke-dried Shrimp Chilli Paste Served With Fresh Vegetables) Was spicy but very tasty and briny because of the shrimps. Vegetables and accompanying herbs were fresh, crunchy and paired well with the dip.

The ส้มตำสาหร่ายทะเล (Sea Grapes Served With Raw Shrimp Somtam) was also delightful with the briny flavours of the sea, and had a good crunch to it. It paired well with the Somtam giving it an added flavour dimension.

The หมูฮ้อง (Thai Braised Pork) was lovely. Savoury with a hint of sweetness likely from brown sugar. Went extremely well with rice. Meat was not overly fatty and was well balanced with the lean parts. There were also quails eggs that were part of the stew. Simply delightful.

As huge fans of vegetables, we tried ผักกูด/ ผักเหลียงผัดไข่ (Stir-fried "Pak Good"/ "Pak Liang" With Egg) without knowing, and still not knowing what it was. Slightly herbaceous, a little chewy like sweet potato leaves, and all-in-all a really delicious vegetable dish.

The แกงเนื้อปูสดใบชะพลู (Crab Meat & Herb "Bai Chaploo" In Coconut Milk Curry) has large pieces of real crab meat in it. The curry leaned towards being a little more sweet, and helped cut the sourness and spiciness of the other dishes.

The ปลาทอดราดกะปิ สูตรโกเหลียง (Deep Tried Fish With Shrimp Paste And Chilli Sauce (Ko Liang's Recipe) was deep-fried well and most of the external fins became a nice crisp to munch on. Though it was a freshwater fish, likely a Tilapia, there wasn’t the usual earthiness that accompanies most fresh water fishes. Sauce was shrimp-y and savoury, and rather well balanced without one over-powering the other.

Finally, the หมึกนึ่งมะนาว (Steamed Squid With Lemon And Chilli Sauce) was a lovely dish of squid topped with a mix of garlic, lime and green chilli, then steamed. The squid was not tough and chewy, and the sauce was light and tangy. Excellent!

A lovely meal indeed and would return if ever in...

I almost ended up in the hospital because of these idiots. This incident occurred a few years ago but I feel it necessary to bring it to other people's attention. I am allergic to seafood, my wife who is a Thai National made it very clear to our server that I am allergic to Seafood. Whenever we dine at restaurants where Seafood is predominant on the menu I always play things safe and order something very simple and basic that nothing could end up in my dish accidentally. That evening I ordered chicken fried rice. While the rest of our cable indulged in Thai Cuisine I settled in with my simple plate of chicken fried rice. Within a few bites I knew something was not correct. I was tasting Seafood. I very casually ask my wife to try some and she said impossible chicken fried rice, she tried it and said no she does not taste anything Seafood. Perhaps they used a little bit extra fish sauce. Again a few more bites in and I was determined that it had Seafood. Another person at the table took a serving and said yes I think their Seafood in this. We alerted the waitress and she confirmed no chicken fried rice. At this point I asked the waitress to confirm with the chef that this was only chicken fried rice because I was starting to feel the effects of seafood poisoning. The idiot chef thought it was a good idea to throw crab into my chicken fried rice. Fortunately Bangkok international hospital is only minutes away. On route I discharged all of my crab laiden chicken fried rice and averted an...

Tung Ka has four house wines; Red and white Australian Cabernet Sauvignon and red and white Chilean Cono Sur Tocornal – both labels hold their own but maybe it’s a good idea to ask for the bottle to be chilled in ice as ‘room’ temperature in Thailand isn’t exactly the same as in the west. There are lots of cocktails to choose from and inventive fruit juice mixes such as ‘Phuket apple-pine shake’, rambutan juice and lychee. This is pretty much a full-on Thai experience and all the typical flavoursome nuances are there to appreciate. If you’re feeling adventurous here’s your chance to try out some inventive Thai desserts such as water chestnuts in coconut cream, black sesame dumplings in ginger tea, sticky rice with durian ice cream and red bean paste with ice and syrup. You can’t miss Rang Hill. At 140 metres high, it’s not exactly Mount Everest but it’s still a pretty big hill. There are two easily accessed ways to drive to the summit; one by Vachira Hospital on Yaowarat Road, the other around the corner on Mae Luang Road. Tung Ka is right on the top of the hill and has ample car parking space. Allow plenty of time if coming from Patong as rush-hour traffic in Phuket can be...