Fatty Pig is Comfort in A Bowl

Near Jui Tui Shrine and King Rama IX Park (aka Dinosaur Park) sits one of my favorite mood enhancers: Fatty Pig's wonton soup.

Owner Khun Rapeepong and his young helper simmer up my favorite Chinese-Thai bowl on the island (so far). Think plump dumplings filled with sesame scented pork, greens, tender stewed chicken or perfect crispy pork belly (moo krob), and springy locally made egg noodles. Everything swims in a savory, long-simmered pork broth, so rich with gelatin, it plumps your lips after a few sips. It’s pure, simple comfort in a bowl.

Fatty Pig Phuket (“Moo Ouan”; FB หมูอ้วน ภูเก็ต), which opened in this space in early 2023, is modest–just a handful of tables behind a pair of soup vats and some hanging cuts of red pork and chicken. But the flavors are big and bold. Prices are inexpensive: A bowl of noodles, wet or dry with all the meats, is 60 baht. They sell out quickly, (and I’m obsessed with the soup) so we’ve only been able to try the moo krob and the chicken bowls so far, but there’s also red pork, fried chicken, Hainanese chicken rice and biryani on offer if you get there for an early lunch. (I just added it on here, on GoogleMaps. It’s near the corner of Pattana Road and Pattana Soi 1, when you see the “Topaz Residence” sign, you’re there.)

Chef-owner Rapeepong is originally from the Phra Khanong district in Bangkok. The language barrier between us is still pretty solid (I’m learning to “pood passa Thai” as fast as I can!), but apparently the name of this great little joint doesn't just refer to one of its key dishes...it's also the owner's reference to himself! It seems he lost a significant amount of weight in the past and named the restaurant in honor of his change. (My apologies in advance if elements of this story were lost in translation.)

In any case, Fatty Pork is a giant hug of a restaurant. Go get your own bowl soon and let me know what you think!