Cham Cha Market (ตลาดฉำฉา) is a local Thai Chinese street food market in Phuket Town.
Although you’ll find stalls of fresh fruit, produce and cooking supplies, the best thing about this market is that it’s mainly a food court.
It’s a perfect place to dig into some Thai Chinese, specifically Phuket specialties in a friendly and very local environment.
In this post, I’m going to share with you five of the best foods to try when you visit. From Phuket fried noodles to some of the best fried bananas in Thailand, let’s start eating!
Located in the Thai Chinese street food court of Cham Cha Market (ตลาดฉำฉา), Mee Hoon Pa Chang (หมี่หุ้นป้าฉ่าง (จี้ตา) dishes up a delicious bowl of soy sauce fried thin rice vermicelli and a tasty pork bone soup. You’ll notice the big pans of noodles at the front, and as soon as you order, she’ll dish them into a bowl, and top it with a handful of crispy shallots and chives. Feel free to season with chili flakes and vinegar at your table. If you’re going local style, head to Cham Cha Market (ตลาดฉำฉา) for a bowl of soy sauce vermicelli (หมี่หุ้น mee hoon), a couple fresh Teochew spring rolls (ปอเปี๊ยะสด), and finish your meal with a shaved ice O-aew (โอ้วเอ๋ว).
Probably the most popular food stall at Phuket’s Cham Cha Market (ตลาดฉำฉา), Laa Rong Fresh Spring Rolls (ปอเปี๊ยะสดหล่อโรง) serves excellent Chinese Teochew fresh spring rolls (known as popiah ปอเปี๊ยะสด). They are filled with slivers of jicama, bean sprouts, lettuce, and bbq pork, with a generous lathering of sauce that tastes similar to hoisin. If you ask for extra spicy, they’ll hook you up with extra chili sauce. The owners are extremely friendly and welcoming.
Famous as a Thai Chinese snack or meaty meal in Phuket, Lo Bah (โลบะ) is a mix of pig organs and sausage that are marinated and braised, chopped into bite sized pieces, and deep fried as you order. Expect a mix of intestines, lungs, heart, plus a few unidentifiable bits, and some sausage and possibly tofu. Your Lo Bah (โลบะ) is served with a sweet dipping sauce, cucumbers to balance the porkiness, and a skewer to poke your bites. Lo Bah Jee Kuy (โลบะจี๊กุ่ย) is the spot at Cham Cha Market (ตลาดฉำฉา) to get your fix.
After you’re finished with a few bowls of noodles and fresh spring rolls at Cham Cha Market (ตลาดฉำฉา), there’s nothing more refreshing than a cold icy bowl of O-aew (โอ้วเอ๋ว). O-aew (โอ้วเอ๋ว) is Phuket’s very own version of shaved ice that includes soft jelly on the bottom, packed with crushed ice, and drizzled with sweet syrup. O-aew Chamcha Market (โอ้วเอ๋ว ตลาดฉำฉา) is a great stall at the market, and the service is friendly and local.
You’ll find fried bananas all over Thailand, but the small street food stall opposite the Cham Cha Market (ตลาดฉำฉา) in Phuket, is one of the best in Thailand. Their batter has the perfect combination of coconut and sesame seeds, and ratio of crispy batter to sweet banana. On top of delicious Thai fried bananas (กล้วยทอด), during season their deep fried cempedak (jambada tod) is heavenly. Locals line up to eat here, it’s that good!
