🔄 Last checked 2 Jul 2026 · details and hours can change — check the venue before you go
Ask anyone from Phuket which home-style restaurant has been part of the town the longest, and the name "Chuan Chim" comes up almost every time. This restaurant has been open for more than 70 years, standing on Montri Road in Phuket Old Town's Talat Yai district, a neighbourhood packed with Sino-Portuguese shophouses and time-worn Hokkien-Chinese eateries. Today the second generation runs the restaurant, and they still stand by the same style of cooking that has kept generations of Phuket locals coming back: made-to-order Thai-Chinese dishes, stir-fried fresh wok by wok, plate by plate, with nothing pre-cooked and left waiting to be scooped up. That consistency is exactly what's kept the MICHELIN Guide listing this restaurant continuously since 2019, now moving up to Bib Gourmand in the 2026 guide, with MICHELIN inspectors specifically praising the wok skills and the fresh seafood cooked hot and sent straight to the table.
The two dishes MICHELIN singles out for praise are the seafood tom yum, which brings together the island's freshest catch in a single pot, and the deep-fried squid with garlic and pepper, fragrant with crispy fried garlic well before the plate even reaches the table. Regulars typically add three more dishes, almost like a set formula for the round table: chicken stir-fried with cashew nuts, stir-fried sataw beans with just the right pungent kick that southern Thais can't do without, and crab stir-fried with young green peppercorns, hot on the tip of the tongue. All of it comes with hot steamed rice, at the price level MICHELIN marks as ฿฿ — a full seafood spread split among a group works out to roughly 500–1,000 THB per person, a different world entirely compared to the beachfront seafood restaurants over in Patong.
Another part of Chuan Chim's charm is its unpolished atmosphere. The restaurant is still a shophouse eatery that looks exactly like what it is: a place that's been standing for decades. The customers are a mix of Phuket families who've been eating here since their grandfathers' generation, tourists following their MICHELIN guide, and office workers from around Old Town dropping in for lunch. Anyone already planning to walk Thalang Road, try o-aew, or photograph the old buildings of Phuket Old Town can easily walk here too — this is one of the meals that ties the island's food history to its present in the most satisfying way.
Chuan Chim
Chuan Chim sits on Montri Road, near the Pearl Hotel, right in the middle of Phuket Old Town, an easy walk on from Thalang Road and the Sino-Portuguese shophouse district. Open Monday–Saturday, split into two sittings: lunch 11:30–13:30 and dinner 17:00–22:00, closed every Sunday. There's no table reservation system — walk-in only — but you can call ahead to check at +66 76 215 825. Budget for a full seafood spread runs around 500–1,000 THB per person, and the restaurant takes cash only, so bring enough bills.
Good to know before you go: dishes are stir-fried fresh wok by wok, so food coming out slower during peak times is normal — if you don't want to wait long, come right as the restaurant opens, especially for the lunch sitting, which runs just 2 hours. Miss it and you'll need to wait until 5pm. The dishes worth having on the table are the MICHELIN-praised seafood tom yum and deep-fried squid with garlic and pepper, plus stir-fried sataw beans and crab with young green peppercorns if you're a bigger group. Dress is casual.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| MICHELIN award 2026 | 🍽️ Bib Gourmand |
| Province | Phuket |
| Cuisine | Made-to-order Thai-Chinese / seafood |
| Approx. price | ~500–1,000 THB/person for a full seafood spread (Wongnai; MICHELIN ฿฿) |
| Booking | No online booking — walk-in |
| Hours | Mon–Sat 11:30–13:30 and 17:00–22:00 (closed Sundays) |
| Landmark / getting there | Montri Road, near the Pearl Hotel, Phuket Old Town |
| Area | Phuket Old Town (Talat Yai) |
Before you go
Call +66 76 215 825 — cash only (per MICHELIN) · Dishes are stir-fried fresh wok by wok — several reviews mention long waits for food during peak times, so allow extra time or come right as the restaurant opens; the lunch sitting runs just 2 hours
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