Phuket flavors
Loba (Peranakan Pork Platter)
Phuket's Hokkien answer to a charcuterie board — five-spiced pork, tofu, tripe, and offal, some deep-fried, sliced and piled with fried taro and a sweet-sour-spicy peanut-and-chilli dipping sauce. A beloved snack of the Old Town markets.
About this dish
Loba (from the Hokkien lor bak) is Phuket's version of a Peranakan grazing platter, a celebration of five-spice and the nose-to-tail thriftiness of Hokkien cooking. The spread centres on pork and pork offal — belly, tongue, tripe, intestine — braised or seasoned with five-spice powder, alongside firm tofu, boiled egg, and sometimes a sausage of minced pork wrapped in bean-curd skin and deep-fried until crackling. Everything is sliced to order and arranged on a plate with wedges of deep-fried taro, then served with a thick, addictive dipping sauce that is simultaneously sweet, sour, and spicy, often thickened with ground peanuts and studded with chilli and garlic. It is communal, snacky food, eaten as a shared starter or a market nibble, and the stalls at Lock Tien and along the Lard Yai Sunday Walking Street are among the best-loved sources.
Allergen information
Preparation methods may vary by restaurant. Always confirm with staff if you have severe allergies.
Where to try
Lock Tien food court (Old Town); Lard Yai Sunday Walking Street stalls