CS have always wanted to try kayaking. He refused to believe me when I told him it takes more than a pair of strong arms to manuevre a kayak. Speaking from real life experience, my friends and I were once, had to be ‘rescued’ when the boat we rowed stuck in the middle of lake. At that time, we were young, so we easily laughed it off. At this (now) age, I certainly do not want to be a laughing stock in Phuket. After a long debate, CS finally gave in as he pulled the car into Ban Rong pier. Hire someone to row for us, it is.
Ban Rong Seafood is an un-named restaurant, also serves as an agro-tourism office that offers kayaks for rent. Our timing could not be worse. We arrived in noon, the exact time when sun was burning above our heads. Basically the recommended time to kayak is from 4 pm onwards, but we decided to kayak first as we were not craving for lunch yet.
CS tried to take over from our rower, but failed. We ended up going around in circle. Finally he understood what I meant.
I never thought we’ll come across swordfish, but one nearly jumped onto our kayak.
Ban Rong Seafood is a very unpretentious restaurant. The place is so simple and secluded that you won’t find it unless you are looking for it.
Tomyam Kung. Being a tomyam devotee inevitably make me super fussy when it comes to this dish. It’s a good tomyam alright, just not one of the best I had tried. So far nothing have ever beaten the tomyam at Danang Seafood, which unfortunately, had ended its business.
Squid fried with batter.
Thai Style Flower Crab. Thai style turned out to be cooked with fried turmeric that gave this dish a yellowish color. The size of the crabs were a little behind our expectation but they made it up for us with the freshness. The turmeric brought out its sweetness and I actually finished the fried turmerics altogether.
The north east part of Phuket is mostly populated by muslim community so if you’re looking for halal food, this area is your best bet. Ban Rong Seafood is a restaurant owned by a muslim family, so please do not expect to find your usual Singha buddy here.
Note : Strange but to enter the Ban Rong pier area, we’re required to pay an entrance fee of 20 baht per person even though we told them we’re here for food, not exploring the mangroves.
