Roti Taew Nam

More than seventy years after it first opened, this roti stall at the corner of Thalang and Phuket roads still runs on a single flat iron griddle set over charcoal rather than gas, a detail regulars point to as the reason its roti tastes different from the versions found elsewhere in Old Phuket Town. The Michelin Guide has recognised it every year since 2019, an unusual run of consistency for a shop with barely enough seats to hold a handful of tables at once.

The roti itself comes shredded and layered, crisp on the outside and soft within, and the most popular order pairs two pieces with two fried eggs, their yolks left runny to soak into the bread. From there the menu moves into curry: a beef version cooked thick and rich, noticeably different from the thinner, more citrus forward curries found further south in Thailand, alongside chicken, fish, and a lighter, water based massaman. A sweeter side of the menu stuffs roti with egg and condensed milk, and the drinks list runs from Thai milk tea and coffee through to goat's milk, an uncommon addition on a Phuket breakfast menu. Prices have stayed close to street food levels, a roti with egg running about 20 baht and curries around 50 baht each.

The shop sits near the entrance to the Sunday Walking Street Market, in the older, more tightly packed core of Phuket Town where shophouses from the tin mining era still line the streets. Seating is limited enough that a queue is common by mid morning, and the open flame cooking a few feet from the tables adds a noticeable heat to the small dining area, part of what regulars describe as the shop's unchanged, no frills character despite its growing recognition. Service runs from early morning through midday only, in keeping with its identity as a breakfast institution rather than an all day restaurant.