In a lovingly restored Sino-Portuguese townhouse in Phuket Old Town, The Charm Dining Gallery balances nostalgia with a refined take on Southern Thai cuisine. Owner and Chef Arnon Phucharoen is adamant that rice deserves the same care as the curries and seafood it accompanies: ‘If you cook the dishes perfectly but choose the wrong rice, it is a waste – and it needs to be piping hot,’ he says. For him, Khao Hom Mali is the indispensable companion – soft, fragrant, and capable of tempering the fire of Southern chilies without ever losing its character.
The kitchen here treats rice with reverence, pairing it with recipes drawn from generations of family cooking. Expect bold Southern signatures – turmeric-stained curries, stir-fries bristling with herbs and seafood fresh from the Andaman – all anchored by rice chosen with the same care as the ingredients themselves. The result is a dining room where every detail feels deliberate, from the historic architecture to the very grain on your plate.
The Charm Dining Gallery. Southern Thai. Set menus from B1,290. 93 Dibuk Road, Talad Nue, Phuket Old Town Phuket. Open 11am–9pm. Closed Wed.