I have always been a fan of the Thai Catering Restaurant on the 3rd floor of the Phuket Airport Domestic Terminal (landside). I particularly enjoy their Khao Pad Prik Gaeng Tai Pla Heng, served with a medley of locally-sourced Southern Thai vegetables like makhuea muang...(purple dwarf eggplant) and yord mui (tiny fern-like shoots) It was a delightful surprise to find that the TG Royal Silk Lounge in the domestic terminal of Phuket airport had been temporarily merged into the restaurant space for the month of January before moving into a new space airside (past-security and near the departure gates) next month. They have a great selection of complimentary Phuket-style as well as more common Thai dishes available for ordering a la carte, including my favorite, the quintessentially Phuket-style Khao Pad Nam Prik Goong Seab (fried rice with dried shrimp chili paste) served with garnishes including the famous Yord Mui and Bai Bua Bok (Asiatic Pennywort shoots/greens). Service by restaurant manager Khun Kachin and waitress Ja was excellent as usual - very warm and generous. Khun Kachin even offered me a plate of the Phuket-style stir-fried yellow noodles with seafood and egg (Mee Leung Phad Hokkien Sai Khai) which has its origins as the famous Hokkien-style noodles beloved all over Southeast Asia. The coconut ice cream is also highly recommended Quite a new year's treat to find two of my favorite spaces at Phuket's domestic terminal merged into one, if only for a month. Going forward, even when the new TG lounge opens airside, I will still stop by the Thai Catering Restaurant for their Khao Pad Prik Gaeng Tai Pla Heng, a true taste of Ahaan Tai, the cuisine of Phuket and Southern ThailandMore