Regular travellers to Phuket may be familiar with No 6 Restaurant near Bangla Street. But not many would have heard of its new branch located atop a hill at Soi Phabarami. So reclusive is it, that diners still prefer standing in line for a spot in the cramped premises of the original restaurant.
Having heard of the many tourist-targeted scams in Patong, we were initially wary when a non-uniformed staff member approached us with a flyer advertising No 6 Restaurant’s hill top branch (we had stepped into a different restaurant with the No 6 signboard earlier that day and we were not taking any chances). However, reading up on TripAdvisor reviews convinced us otherwise, and it wasn’t long before we hopped on the shuttle bus for our last meal in Phuket.
Oh, by “shuttle bus”, I mean a sheltered lorry. And by “on top of a hill”, I mean up a steep slope with lots of sharp bends and turns. Hold on tight!
10 minutes later, we were transported from Patong’s bustling tourist center to the lush, tranquil bungalow-sized No 6 Restaurant on the hill.
The owners of No 6 Restaurant must have done really well to afford this space, on top of the free shuttle service. Put the two outlets together and you would never suspect that they are from the same franchise – one cooling and spacious, the other cramped and possibly rather hot from the lack of arm and leg room between tables.
Food at No 6 Restaurant is relatively cheap, with prices ranging from 50 to 120 baht. While they serve mostly Thai cuisine, Western breakfast dishes and french fries are also available.
One of No 6 Restaurant’s specialties is their Pineapple Fried Rice, which could be seen at almost all the tables. I’m not a huge fan of sweet and sour dishes, but this was almost good enough to convert my taste buds. Rice richly seasoned with the pineapple and other ingredients, chunks of chicken meat and vegetables – even sliced hot dogs. We enjoyed it so much that we ordered another round.
We also had the Glass Noodles which was served in a deep dish, together with several succulent shrimp. Compared to the Pineapple Fried Rice, this was rather ordinary.
The highlight of our meal was the Pork Neck that we ordered on a whim – simply because there was poster advertising it right next to our table! Hey, what’s a holiday without a little spontaneous choices? 😉
The Pork Neck turned out to be the BEST. DECISION. EVER made on this trip. Those perfectly caramelised strips catapulted us to gastronomic heaven within the first bite. We hardly touched the sauce that was served with it; it was that good. No regrets having another round of this!
Of course, not forgetting the drinks – we chose either Coconut Juice or Iced Milk Tea. The Iced Milk Tea was probably one of the best I had in Phuket – not too sweet, and nicely balanced so I could still taste the tea without being overwhelmed by the milk. The best thirst quencher on a hot day in Phuket!
We ended lunch with dessert – Mango Sticky Rice. Love how sweet the mango was!
If you’re in Patong and craving for decent local cuisine away from the crowds, do yourself a favour and hop on that shuttle to No 6 Restaurant on the hill. The shuttle leaves around every other 10 to 20 minutes, and can seat up to 8 people at a time. And yes, it is available on your return trip to the main district.
Address: 32 Soi Phrabarami 3, Patong, Kathu District
Opening hours: 8.30am – 12am daily
Contact: +66 81 922 4084
chueonit.
Chue On It 