Phuket flavors
Tao So (Hokkien Pastry)
Phuket Old Town's signature pastry — a flaky, palm-sized Hokkien bun with a soft filling of sweet mung bean, salted egg yolk, or taro, much like its Filipino cousin hopia. Baked in century-old family shops along Thalang Road and boxed up as the classic souvenir.
About this dish
Tao so is the edible emblem of Phuket Old Town's Hokkien heritage — a small, round, flaky pastry of layered wheat dough wrapped around a sweet or savoury-sweet filling, a close relative of the hopia found across the Hokkien diaspora from Manila to Jakarta. The classic fillings are sweet mung-bean paste and taro, often with a whole salted duck egg yolk buried at the centre for a rich, savoury counterpoint, while modern versions add custard, pandan, and more. What gives Phuket's tao so its aura is provenance: the pastries are still turned out by century-old family bakeries along Thalang Road and the surrounding Sino-Portuguese streets, some using recipes and even ovens passed down for generations. Sold warm and boxed by the dozen, tao so is the souvenir Phuketians and visitors alike carry home, the sweet full stop to a wander through the Old Town.
Allergen information
Preparation methods may vary by restaurant. Always confirm with staff if you have severe allergies.
Where to try
Old family bakeries along Thalang Road, Phuket Old Town; pasalubong shops