Phuket has long been called the Peranakan capital of Thailand. Sadly, there is a dearth of restaurants serving authentic Peranakan fare (a cuisine invented by Straits Chinese who lived in merchant cities in the Malayu Peninsula, including Phuket, Malacca, Singapore and, most importantly, Penang). It’s the type of home-cooked cuisine Phuketians of old would eat within their walled rowhouses. The Charm fills in the gap as one of the very few, if not the only, Peranakan restaurant in Phuket town. Set in one of the refurbished rowhouses along Dibuk Road (a historic stretch where tin mining merchants of the past lived), The Charm is—the easiest way to put it—a charming structure brimming with the spirit of old Phuket. Grab a seat near the chimchay, a courtyard that provides ventilation to traditional rowhouses, to better immerse yourself in the way Phuketians used to eat, and to enjoy some of the most authentic tastes of Phuket on the island.
The Charm’s menu isn’t massive, but it has everything you’d expect in a pleasant Peranakan meal. The nam choop yum, or Phuket-style chili paste with fresh diced shrimps served with assorted fresh vegetables, is a popular appetizer, as well as the pad bang kuan or stir-fried seasoned jicama simmered for half a day before served—a rare dish you won’t find elsewhere on the island. Tumis curry, a traditional, rarely found Peranakan curry made with fresh okra is a dish you wouldn’t want to miss