Southern Thai Culinary Journey at Royd

In the old town of Phuket, along pastel-lined Dibuk Road, Royd stands as a quiet homage to the South. Housed in a lovingly restored 1970s Sino-colonial building—once painted soft pink to harmonize with its neighbors—the restaurant feels deeply rooted in place. For Phuket-born Chef Mond Suwijak Kunghae, this is more than a dining room; it is a return to the streets he walked as a child, now transformed into a stage for Southern Thailand’s most expressive flavors.

“Royd,” in the Southern dialect, means both tasty and look cool—a duality that perfectly captures the experience. The cuisine is refined yet grounded, elegant yet deeply familiar. Guided by the South’s natural rhythm—intense summer heat and monsoon rains—the tasting journey follows the seasons with precision and restraint. Ingredients lead. Technique supports. Balance defines.

Across the menu, Chef Mond reinterprets the culinary DNA of Southern Thailand through a contemporary lens. Fermentation lends depth and quiet umami; careful drying and curing intensifies natural flavors; layered spice builds gradually rather than overwhelms. Smoke, salinity, and brightness interplay with unexpected delicacy. Each course feels composed, yet carries the soul of recipes shaped by festivals, rituals, and inherited beliefs that have long guided Southern kitchens.

The experience is intimate and attentive. Plates arrive as finely detailed compositions, often presented on ceramics crafted by regional artisans—another nod to place and preservation.

Recognized as a Michelin Young Chef to Watch 2026, Chef Mond is among the few local Phuket chefs elevating Southern Thai cuisine into the fine-dining realm while keeping its identity intact. Royd is his love letter to the South: a culinary journey that honors memory, respects tradition, and reveals just how refined Southern Thai cuisine can be when expressed with clarity, confidence, and heart.

This experience does not include beverages.