Mor Mu Dong Restaurant 🍽️
Mor Mu Dong: Probably the Best Local Thai Restaurants in Phuket
Mor Mu Dong is one of the best local Thai restaurants in all of Phuket. It’s so well-known by Phuket residents and Thai tourists coming especially from Bangkok.
Mor Mu Dong is a rustic and unusual restaurant in Phuket. It’s a great place to enjoy eating local Thai food far from the touristic places. Many Phuket locals drive till here for a great lunch or dinner by the mangrove, enjoying a gentle breeze.
At your arrival you notice that the parking lot is often crowded, surely for a good reason. It’s all about Thai food, Thai food only! The restaurant has a variety of seating options, including the private wooden cabanas without walls, with just a thatched roof built over the mangrove or simply on a concrete table under the trees. Some cabanas have a low table placed on the floor, and take in the views that change with the tide. Despite their popularity, they have plastic chairs and plastic plates for long ago. It’s a wonderful experience if you haven’t tried it yet.
This legendary restaurant is very simple and unique, but the food is excellent. In the open kitchen, tanks of live seafood affirm the freshness of the seafood. Seafood can’t get much fresher than this. The menu of Mor Mu Dong is extensive, serving a mix of a great typical local Thai food and seafood. Many dishes are Phuket specialities, and some dishes you won’t find anywhere else. They have a properly way to make them look delicious. For the local Thai food lovers, Mor Mu Dong is a must-try when you’re in Phuket.
Mor Mu Dong received a ‘Bib Gourmand’ rating in the Phuket Michelin Guide. ‘Bib Gourmand’ is a rating that recognizes friendly establishments that serve good food at affordable prices.
Why Mor Mu Dong and where is located?
Mor Mu Dong takes its name from its owner, Mor, and the Mu Dong Canal, where it is located. The restaurant is located in Chalong area approximately near to the Phuket Zoo, about 36 minute drive from Patong Beach and 17 minute drive from Kata Beach. From Patong beach is a bit a challenge to get the restaurant but it’s worth. It’s surprisingly tucked away in a swampy and silently mangrove forest.
How to Get to Mor Mu Dong
Mor Mu Dong is a hidden restaurant and it’s a challenging to get there but not impossible. Firstly, you need to drive to Chalong. From the Chalong roundabout take Chaofa Road east direction Phuket Town. Drive for 3.5 km and at the traffic light, turn right to the Phuket Zoo. Then continue to drive for 1.7 km, then on your left you will see a signboard of the restaurant. Turn left and drive for almost 1.1 km to find the entrance of the parking lot. Good job, you are arrived! Anyway, at the end of the review I added the map of the restaurant.
What to order at Mor Mu Dong
As written above, the menu is extensive, covering the vast array of local Thai food, Southern Thai food and signature dishes that are divinely great. Below are some the best dishes that I tried at Mor Mu Dong restaurant.
Pla Yut Sai – Spicy Stuffed fish (ปลาทูยัดไส้)
One of the best dish to order is certainly Pla Yut Sai, essentially a spicy stuffed Mackerel fish, the Signature of the restaurant. At the first impact, it seems a simple fish but the surprise is the stuffing. It consists of a large tender Mackerel, with the bones removed. The meat is scraped out and mixed with red curry paste, kaffir lime leaves and then stuffed back inside the fish. It is then deep-fried and served crispy. You can eat easily the entire fish! It’s an excellent dish that taste is salty spicy taste and fragrant of Mackerel meat and curry paste. The staff patiently explained me how they prepare it. It costs 80 Baht/piece.
Jor Poo or Crab Rolls
Jor Poo or Crab Rolls is recommended because it is a Signature of the restaurant. It consist of a 5 sausages of the crab meat perfectly mixed with crispy water chestnut bits. It’s enjoyably chewy and delicious.
Stir Fried Squid in Black ink (หมึกต้มน้ำดำ)
Stir Fried Squid in black ink sauce is another excellent dish. This typical Phuket dish is another Signature of Mor Mu Dong restaurant. The squid is surprisingly tender, and the sauce is both a bit tangy and rich from the black ink. The squid is sprinkled with crunchy shallots making it so delicious. A touch of class from the chef!
At the first impact you would not choose this dish probably of its dark color but it’s truly excellent. I would like to recommend it because it is very unique and some of you will love it. It costs 170 Baht.
Steamed Blue Crabs (Phu Ma)
Blue Crabs, called in Thai Phu Ma, is the most common crab caught in the Andaman Sea. You can easily find Blue Crab in any local Thai restaurants in Phuket. Blue Crabs of Mor Mu Dong are very delicious and fresh because they keep live into the tanks. The dish is best prepared with fresh crabs that are steamed 7-9 minutes or until thoroughly heated. They are served with a wonderfully spicy and sour dipping sauce. It’s such a simple meal, yet so delicious!
Blue Butterfly Pea Flower Rice
Most of Thai restaurants normally serve the classic steamed rice, which is well-known from all of us. But Mor Mu Dong serves also a Blue Rice which takes the blue color from the Butterfly Pea flower. Blue Rice is prepared using Butterfly Pea flower and is commonly consumed in Asia especially in Thailand. But is Butterfly Pea rice healthy? Yes, it is. The blue rice is healthier than other artificially flavored rice that contains harmful food colors. Blue rice contains antioxidants and helps detoxify the body. It also has anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties. Do you know this?
Mor Mu Dong Photos
Contact and info
Location: Chalong
Address: 32/9 Soi Mu Dong, Chao Fah East, Chalong, Phuket
Open: 10:00 am – 9:30 pm
Phone: +66 (0) 88 766 1634
Price: Affordable
Facebook: Mor Mu Dong