I’m back from a whirlwind weekend trip to Patong, Phuket. 3 rejuvenating days of good company, adrenaline pumping activities (think ATV and white water rafting), roadside shopping, and yes – cheap, good food!

And what better way to start the trip than with mookata right in the country where it originated from?

Mookata, which has its roots in Northern Thailand, means “pork skillet”. Think of it as steamboat meets BBQ, with a shallow trough for boiling vegetables, noodles and seafood while strips of meat sizzles away on a dome-shaped skillet lathered with chunky pork lard pieces. Talk about getting the best of both worlds in one meal!

A quick search on TripAdvisor turned up Lhanya BBQ as one of the go-to places for mookata in Patong. As it was monsoon season, we were almost deterred by the heavy downpour – that and the fact that only 2 of us had packed an umbrella for the trip. But as they say, no pain, no gain!

Located along Nanai Road, Lhanya BBQ is a fair walk from the bustling Jungceylon Mall. My first impression, as we walked in, was how massive it was. It was like a large canteen, with rows upon rows of wooden chairs and benches to sit groups of diners. But if you prefer a more intimate setting, there’s also a row of huts with ambient lighting.

With our appetites thoroughly whet from braving the torrential rain, we set about Lhanya’s free flow choices. What I liked immediately about Lhanya was the fact that its options are ala carte – no need to restrict yourself to certain ingredients with any sets! And why should you, really, with options as far as the eye could see?

A meal at Lhanya costs 239 baht for group diners and 350 baht for single diners. That’s practically half the price of regular mookata sets in Singapore! I think it’s safe to say that no food cover was left unturned as we sussed out the tastiest morsels to whip up.

From the chunks of marinated chicken to the thinly sliced strips of bacon, everything tasted so damn good. Combined with a variety of sauces and a broth turned rich by the ingredients we threw into the pot, this was a truly satisfying dinner to kickstart our weekend in Phuket.

For drinks, there’s the usual Iced Milk Tea and soft drinks. I recommend getting the latter, as it comes in a 1.5 litre bottle that you can share. That said, I’m a fan of the milk tea! Well balanced with the red tea and milk, and not overly sweet.

Grills are also available for an additional 179 baht. Salt baked an entire mackerel and it turned out to be the most delicious thing on the table! So juicy and tender.

Service was impeccable, with the lady manager coming up to re-fill our drinks and steamboat throughout the night. The staff also blasted old English pop songs upon finding out we were Singaporean. I was pretty surprised there weren’t more customers on a Friday night, but then again, it’s relatively out of the way and it was raining when we visited.

If you’re in Patong, I highly recommend checking out Lhanya BBQ. Food and service is great, and it’s cleaner than most places. And best of all, it’s open till 4am. Judging from TripAdvisor, it’s best to set Baantonsai Garden Resort on your GPS in order to find the place. 10/10 would visit again!

Address: Nanai Road 1, Patong, Kathu, Phuket

Opening hours: 5pm – 5am daily (TripAdvisor lists 6pm – 4am, so drop by in between those timings to avoid disappointment!)

Contact: +66 81 797 0092

Website (looks like it’s down)/ Facebook/ TripAdvisor page

chueonit.