Winner of the Best Street Food! Phuket, Patong, Thailand (LEK)

After taking those amazing photos of the sunset, I took a walk around and just listened to the breeze and little rumble of the waves crashing just a few feet away… How relaxing… So realized if I didn’t want to get eaten alive by the mosquitoes that I should start my way through the side streets! It was time to venture into the unknown food scene of Patong!

Now, on this little adventure, I happen to decide that a foot massage was in order after walking the beach back and forth… I mean come on.. for a 30 minute pit stop how could you say no! Lets just be honest who doesn’t love to sit back in a nice padded chair and have one person rub your feet and another your hands- After 30 minutes of paradise, it was no question time to eat!

So, I started seeing the usual restaurants at first while making my way though the tourist area “Thai-Western Cuisine”… yeah right, sell that to the fools that want to waste their vacation in Thailand eating noodles with Prego! I was on the mission to find something light, yet filling.. and truly THAI!

Side Note: I found that in the majority of Thai towns if you go a block behind a major tourist street you will find the local food.  Most of the Thai people who work in a tourist laden area swing by the street vendors or small restaurants and take their food to go, or “taaaake away” as they say! They bring it back to their place of business to eat, or just grab it and ride home on their motor bike with a cell phone in one hand and a plastic bag full of noodles or whatever in the other! It’s wild, but I love it!

I met the winner of the street cart vendors for this whole entire trip!  I am not sure if it was because of her kindness, delightful smile, food offerings, or just the fact that she had EXACTLY what I was looking for! It was all in that perfect moment!

She made EVERY ingredient herself, from the noodles, to the 3 types of marinated pork, to the duck, to the broths, just simply amazing!!!! So, my new friend Lek (her name) was so gracious to let me take some photos and was so happy to practice her English with me.. it was just great!  So, for starters I ordered a bowl of the Pork Noodle Soup.

It came prepared with scallions, housemade noodles, few veggies, and her 12 hour marinated and sliced pork loin.. oh, just nestled in some natural chicken stock! I love how she was so proud to tell me that she makes her noodles every other day, spends the time to do everything from scratch, it just showed me what great pride she had in serving her food!

The soup was velvety, smooth, and had the perfect balance of flavor all the way through it- I was blown away! I give the greatest kudos to Lek for her accomplishments, if we could only get her quality, care and comfort of her food and passion in America on the street I think the restaurants would be empty!  I wish I could have taken her and her magical touch back home- she would have a line 3 blocks long!

Lek and I (make sure to see her when you go to Patong, and tell her that beyondthekitchen.com sent you!)

After enjoying her AMAZING pork soup, she sat with me briefly and convienced me that I had to try the duck! Well, I thought why not… it would be insulting to her if I didn’t! As full as I was with the magical and harmonious blanace of flavors from the pork soup, I dived into the duck! WOW, it just kept getting better and better!  This duck was no question one of the top 2 if not the best I had ever tasted!

Coming in fighting for first place, Mr. Wok in Plano, TX

(make sure to preorder the duck 24 hours ahead of time)- Tell Jack  (chef/owner) you read about his duck from Beyond The Kitchen!)

The bowl of yummy goodness was 40 baht (just over a dollar), so if there is one lasting food find suggestion I can leave everyone with… go find the local area!

No Responses to “Winner of the Best Street Food! Phuket, Patong, Thailand (LEK)”

1. “Seafood, Bevys, and Nibbles”- Phuket | Beyond The Kitchen says:

   January 12, 2011 at 6:50 pm

   [...] 2010 | 0 comments Paradise all over again!  I went to see my friend Lek remember her from last years post?  I gave her the best street food award of 2009?  Her pork and duck soup was the best I had ever [...]

   Reply