Khao tom
Photo: Picklish at English Wikipedia · Public domain

Phuket's comfort bowl: rice boiled soft in clear broth with fish, pork or a Chinese brown herbal soup, eaten for breakfast or supper at old family counters.

Khao tom, rice boiled in broth, came to Phuket with its Chinese settlers and became an all-day comfort food. In Phuket Town family counters serve it from early morning, with fish, pork ribs or a Chinese brown soup of herbs, and some shops trace their recipes to roadside stalls run by an earlier generation. Boiled rice with fish, khao tom pla, is the version most associated with the town's older shophouse kitchens.

2 editor picks for Khao tom in Phuket, ranked by editorial score. All Phuket signature dishes · Khao tom across every city.

Khao Tom Dibuk ★ 4.0

฿Street foodOld Town

Khao Tom Dibuk ladles aromatic khao tom congee and a secret-recipe Chinese brown soup on Phang Nga Road in Phuket, a family Bib Gourmand with kaya sandwiches.

OrderKhao tom (rice congee) with Chinese herbal brown soup

TipGo early; weekend specials add braised pork ribs and chicken with fermented soybeans to the congee menu.

DirectionsView

Krua Kao Kuk ★ 3.9

฿฿Southern ThaiPhuket Town

Krua Kao Kuk carries on a roadside-stall legacy on Phatthana Road in Phuket, its khao tom pla and deep-fried meatballs cooked to the family recipe.

OrderKhao tom pla and deep-fried meatballs

TipOrder the boiled rice with fish and the deep-fried meatballs; the granddaughter still runs the kitchen.

DirectionsView

Learn to cook it, or eat it with a guide

Khao tom makes more sense with someone from Phuket explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.

Taste Khao tom with a local in Phuket

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