Great seafood at Ko Ang Restaurant
Ko Ang Seafood is a local restaurant serving excellent seafood on the east side of Phuket Town. Ko Ang has been around for a long time and started as a modest shop with no decoration and a zinc roof. But seafood lovers always find the right places (and maybe we recommended it a lot too), and Ko Ang Seafood is now a bright restaurant and even added Chinese decoration. It still feels local, but it looks a lot nicer. They also have a room with air conditioning if you are not used to the high-season heat.
Beyond the fact that the chef and his team have cooked exceptionally well and with an equal passion for many years, what makes Ko Ang unique and popular is the fantastic choice of seafood you can order. You will find some shells that are difficult to find elsewhere. Some will even look strange and weird to visitors if they have never seen a horseshoe crab or a sea cicada before.
Prices might seem slightly higher than usual, but locals find it justified for the freshness and the chef’s skills. It’s a treat and an excellent experience if you are new to Phuket. Just remember that if you forget to specify, some dishes can be very spicy! Even for us who love it spicy!
What to order
We have been to Ko Ang many times, and since Phuket is famous for some dishes, we often go for those. Some of them might be too ‘ethnic ‘for first-timers, but you can order more traditional seafood like fish or prawns.
Chef’s recommendations:
Gaeng Som Nuea Pla Yod Maprao (แกงส้มเนื้อปลายอดมะพร้าว): fish fillet sour soup with coconut shoots
Pla Mor Lhee Nung See Ew (ปลาหมอหลีนึ่งซีอิ๊ว): Steamed fish with soy sauce
Goong Kapi Sator (กุ้งกะปิสะตอ): stir-fried shrimp with fermented shrimp paste and ‘stinky beans’
Gaeng Som Nuea Pla Yod Maprao Phuket style
We like Gaeng Som Nuea Pla Yod Maprao, a pungent sour and super spicy fish curry with pieces of coconut and typical orange. It’s delicious once you get used to it.
Yum Kai Mangda Talay
Yum Kai Mangda Talay (ยำไข่แมงดาทะเล) is our second weird favourite: a spicy mango salad using the eggs of the strange-looking horseshoe crab (see the photo and ask yourself if you would order that).
Nam Prik Goong Siab (น้ำพริกกุ้งเสียบ)
Nam Prik Goong Siab is a chilli paste popular in Phuket, served with a mix of raw and boiled vegetables (eggplants, cauliflowers, cucumbers, long green beans) and local herbs.
For the less daring, the prawns with garlic and the fried fish are delicious.
If you are brave, look at the fish display in front of the restaurant, you will see things you may never have seen before, such as the red ants’ eggs and fat palm tree grubs we haven’t yet tasted. We will have to, so at least we will know something new!
The team at Ko Ang is also very nice and friendly; even though they are always super busy, they are friendly and smiling, trying to help as much as possible. Just be ready to wait as there is often a long list of orders before yours.
Photos of Ko Ang Seafood
Ko Ang Seafood Info
Location: Phuket Town
Address: 226/2 Phuket Road, Phuket Town, Phuket 83000 (on the way to Sapan Hin)
Open: 6 pm – 12 am
Phone: 076 221 460
Price: Moderate
Speciality: Phuket seafood and local Thai food
Distances from Patong: 14 km, from Phuket Town: 0 km, from Kata: 16 km, from Bang Tao: 23 km