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Fantastic Food Search Food with a sense of place

In 2019,  and  launched FantasticFoodSearch—a spontaneous idea that came to Chris: FSS, eat well. Our goal was to avoid ...
24/08/2024

In 2019, and launched FantasticFoodSearch—a spontaneous idea that came to Chris: FSS, eat well. Our goal was to avoid “best of” lists and instead focus on local spots that cook with love and offer food with a true sense of place. We managed to cover a good chunk of Thailand, a side of Macau, a helping of Penang and a soupçon of Luang Prabang. Many of you have shared that our recommendations became the highlights of your culinary adventures.

As Covid spread across the globe we hibernated as well, offering recipes to remind users of what was out there beyond the lockdowns. It was difficult to know if venues survived, but in Thailand at least most of the great, classic, must-try, standbys managed to hold on. Despite our benign neglect, the website continued to serve adventurous eaters.

And yet the website truly did need a technical overall and the all the venues needed to be cross checked. Austin moved Lisbon, Chris moved to Phuket and each of us have new paths to follow and interests to develop.

So, it is with sadness that we announce the closure of www.fantasticfoodsearch.com.

The instagram account will linger on for a bit at least. There are still amazing places to discover!

Our old listings can still be filtered using a basic hash tag search —

Try it!














Still as delicious as ever BUT a few dishes that were unique to the restaurant using fermented tofu disappeared off the ...
21/08/2024

Still as delicious as ever BUT a few dishes that were unique to the restaurant using fermented tofu disappeared off the menu. Why? The supplier located a few doors down retired with no one to take over. Tae Hieng Iew might suffer the same fate so go eat if you have the chance!

End of summer SALE! Get ‘‘em while there’s still beach time left. Our graphic Thai t-shirts: KHAO SOI, SOM TAM, KAPROW, ...
06/08/2024

End of summer SALE! Get ‘‘em while there’s still beach time left. Our graphic Thai t-shirts: KHAO SOI, SOM TAM, KAPROW, NEVER COLONIZED are on sale. And our SABAI DEE tropical shirts. -—$22 with shipping 🌞 —
Link in bio.

Must call and make order 1-hour in advance. One cook does it all. (Sworn to secrecy ;-)
22/07/2024

Must call and make order 1-hour in advance. One cook does it all. (Sworn to secrecy ;-)

One of our favorite restaurants in Bangkok closed three years ago. Sad. But the  writer phoning it in from wherever put ...
28/04/2024

One of our favorite restaurants in Bangkok closed three years ago. Sad. But the writer phoning it in from wherever put it on his list of places to eat now! Shows the downside of not hiring locally. (Or not having fact checkers.) Check the link in our bio for a sweet little film we made about the demise of Muslim Restaurant.

Soon to be more popular than a Chang beer t-shirt. • fresh-market scale t-shirt​ •THAI BRANDS: From fresh markets to bac...
25/04/2024

Soon to be more popular than a Chang beer t-shirt. • fresh-market scale t-shirt​ •

THAI BRANDS: From fresh markets to back alleys, drugstores and mom & pop shops. Old school only.

Link in bio direct to OMG market. Currently shipping to USA and EU. More brands to come!!

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Thailand has fierce pride as the only country in Southeast Asia that was never colonized.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Its uncolonized histor...
22/03/2024

Thailand has fierce pride as the only country in Southeast Asia that was never colonized.
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Its uncolonized history runs deep, with roots in centuries of fierce independence and cultural identity. This shirt shouts defiance: “I won’t be conquered, no matter what!”
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OMG! The Outstanding Market Goods website is full of new stuff and ready for your orders. We have graphic t-shirts, Northern Thai Farmers’ Shirts and Sabai Dee Tropical Shirts, with more products and styles to come.
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We ship globally, with fair rates from Thai Post included in the price. If you’re in Thailand, contact us directly for discounted shipping.
Outstanding Market Goods — Link in bio and stories.

At the seaside Barahom community, in the southern Thai province of Pattani, artisans using a wax resist technique, print...
18/03/2024

At the seaside Barahom community, in the southern Thai province of Pattani, artisans using a wax resist technique, print fabric using hand-carved blocks, then dye the cloth in rich colors. They’re one of only a handful of people in southern Thailand who continue to make batik the old way. Barahom is a settlement that goes back to the middle of the Ayutthaya period when Pattani was once an important sea trading port on the Malay Peninsula.

These large-sized, medium-weight napkins, hand-stamped and dyed, come in sets of 4.
SHOP LINK IN BIO.

Origin: Barahom Community
Materials: 100% cotton
Dimensions: 45x45cm / 17¾x17¾

Do you have the mind bending skill to open one of these!? Our new t-shirts with the quirky sayings, objects and methods ...
02/03/2024

Do you have the mind bending skill to open one of these!? Our new t-shirts with the quirky sayings, objects and methods that can only happen in 🇹🇭 (if you know, you know)!

Link in bio direct to OMG market. Currently shipping to USA and EU. More madness to

❤️ Thailand?! Show it with out our new t-shirts (and Thai farmers’ shirts) with the quirky sayings, objects and methods ...
25/02/2024

❤️ Thailand?! Show it with out our new t-shirts (and Thai farmers’ shirts) with the quirky sayings, objects and methods that can only happen in 🇹🇭(if you know, you know); graphic icons, marks and logos that are quintessentially Thai; some photographs of Thai lifestyle… And of course, Thai food banging with some heavy metal vibes!

Link in bio direct to OMG market. Currently shipping to USA and EU. More madness to come!!

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Noodles forever!You know how to make them perfect ;-)THAILAND ONLY (for the moment.) •khruang phrung – เดรื่องปรุง t-shi...
26/01/2024

Noodles forever!
You know how to make them perfect ;-)

THAILAND ONLY (for the moment.)

•khruang phrung – เดรื่องปรุง t-shirt•

Lightweight 100% cotton, heather-gray

M Chest 36”, Length 27” —600thb
L Chest 40”, Length 29” —600thb
XL Chest 44”, Length 31” —600thb
2XL Chest 48”, Length 32” —750thb
3XL Chest 52”, Length 33” —750thb

DM to order.

Always enjoy reading TABLES FOR TWO in , but when there’s an effusive description of a Thai dish with its origin disguis...
20/01/2024

Always enjoy reading TABLES FOR TWO in , but when there’s an effusive description of a Thai dish with its origin disguised by the restaurant; the writer NEVER knows the source. Khao Kluk Kapi (ข้าวคลุกกะปิ)

Hand-forged knives made by local blacksmiths are found in villages in Thailand’s north. Made from discarded car leaf spr...
12/01/2024

Hand-forged knives made by local blacksmiths are found in villages in Thailand’s north. Made from discarded car leaf springs or railroad castoffs versions are used to cut brush or mince meat for laab.

The knives pictured are also made from leaf-spring steel, but have a level of craftsmanship that’s stunning. With several creative handles and finishes these were commissioned for a fine dining restaurant — as their steak knives!

They can also work as a bar knife or anywhere you want to show some special cutlery.

Please get in touch by DM or email if you’d like know more or commission a version (or more.)

Adapted design by .market.goods

Time for holiday shopping! A new offering — long sleeve Farmers' shirts! Light cotton, indigo-dyed shirt which buttons v...
21/09/2023

Time for holiday shopping! A new offering — long sleeve Farmers' shirts! Light cotton, indigo-dyed shirt which buttons via a uniquely Thai knot-and-loop system – the perfect garment for an autumn hike or splitting firewood for the wood stove. (And looks great with our rainbow Pa Khao Ma scarf.) shop .market.goods

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Last minute breakfast before flying. Fortunately, Pa Mai doesn’t run out at 9am like most kanom jeen shops. Best part is...
07/09/2023

Last minute breakfast before flying. Fortunately, Pa Mai doesn’t run out at 9am like most kanom jeen shops. Best part is all the toppings and condiments (oh, and fried chicken.)

Whose tastebuds are bored!?Fiery as a thousand suns. A sensory frenzy of heat and tang. Devoured with reckless abandon –...
20/08/2023

Whose tastebuds are bored!?

Fiery as a thousand suns. A sensory frenzy of heat and tang. Devoured with reckless abandon – mouth ablaze, eyes watering, sweat dripping – you relish the addictive spicy explosion in every bite. This t-shirt is papaya salad incarnate, an infernal masterpiece.
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OMG! The Outstanding Market Goods website is back, full of new stuff and ready for your orders. We have graphic t-shirts, Northern Thai Farmers' Shirts and Sabai Dee Tropical Shirts, with more products and styles to come.
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We ship globally, with fair rates from Thai Post included in the price. ❗️If you’re in Thailand, contact us directly for discounted shipping.❗️ And if you’re in Phuket Town, we have a physical shop with noodles, snacks and one-of-a-kind goods.
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Outstanding Market Goods — Link in bio and stories.
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Behind Phuket Town’s municipal market is a virtual Little Yangon, an alley lined with Burmese tea shops and small restau...
13/08/2023

Behind Phuket Town’s municipal market is a virtual Little Yangon, an alley lined with Burmese tea shops and small restaurants. The latest addition to this strip is a Burmese-style curry shop. Eight or so curries, soups and stir-fries are on display on a daily basis; order whatever looks tasty over a plate of rice or in dishes to share. (Unless you speak Burmese a lot of friendly gestures are required – barely any Thai or English is spoken.) Everything we tried at Friend’s Shop is fresh, tasty, and cooked to perfection. Some dishes are spicy and tart (a stir-fry of sour bamboo shoots, eggplant and onion), others predominantly sour (a curry of marinated fish filets), and some sweet (a curry of braised pork), while all are pleasantly oily, as is the norm in Myanmar. An order comes with a tiny bowl of ngapi yay, a funky, salty, spicy, tart dipping sauce made from fermented fish and herbs, served with fresh vegetables. Charmingly, the eponymous buddies have put the same attention to detail in their food as in the decor, and it’s the only place on the strip that makes any effort at interior decoration. Afterwards, you can browse the nearby Burmese dry-goods shops and pretend you’re strolling in a peaceful, pre-coup Myanmar.
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((FFS, don’t miss: curries with rice))
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Friend’s Shop
Behind the Phuket Town Central Market
Soi Talat Sot, Phuket Town, Phuket, Thailand
8:30am-8pm
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Use our hashtags to find fantastic food: /
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Our Northern Thai Farmers’ Shirts are dyed with natural indigo — perfect attire for quaffing natural wine. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀...
19/07/2023

Our Northern Thai Farmers’ Shirts are dyed with natural indigo — perfect attire for quaffing natural wine.
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ALERT: We've just sourced 2 extra sizes for the wine-barrel chested among you — see size chart and check the store.
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OMG it's Summer! Our farmers’ shirts are just the thing for fixing up the house, barbecue duty or simply kicking back wi...
13/07/2023

OMG it's Summer! Our farmers’ shirts are just the thing for fixing up the house, barbecue duty or simply kicking back with a cold one.
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Now 15% discount. Use discount code: OMGSUMMER
Only one week to jump on this!
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Online shop in bio and .market.goods
>At check out >Have a promo coupon?
>Redeem your coupon
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🌞ORDER NOW and you’ll be able to get goods for your August’s dog days ! 🌞
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We have 3 custom laap knives available from our archive.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀❗️DM to reserve: US$55 includes global shipping ❗️⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀...
12/07/2023

We have 3 custom laap knives available from our archive.
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❗️DM to reserve: US$55 includes global shipping ❗️
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We’ve tweaked the design slightly here: shortening the blade a bit for home cooks, kept a bit of the carbon texture on the blade and opted for a beautifully unvarnished handle made from Burma padauk wood.
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Northern Thais insist that laap, the region’s dish of chopped meat, dried spices and herbs must be finely minced – much finer than your supermarket or butcher is willing or able to do – and they also insist that the only way to do this is via a special tool. Designed especially for chopping laap (they also work well as a small cleaver or even for chopping kindling), these knives feature a long, wide, relatively heavy, flat-tipped hard carbon steel blade, hammered out from car leaf springs, that lets the length and heft do the hard work.
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We tend to explore old school places in Phuket Old Town, but if you are ever up in Choeng Thale district and need to esc...
12/07/2023

We tend to explore old school places in Phuket Old Town, but if you are ever up in Choeng Thale district and need to escape the hotel buffet you'll be able to get fresh Southern Thai flavors in a lovely dining room at Laad. Chefs and and team provide some tasty bites. (Great desserts too!)
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OMG it's Summer! Our goods — t-shirts, scarves, tropical shirts and short sleeve farmers’ shirts — are paradise for the ...
09/07/2023

OMG it's Summer! Our goods — t-shirts, scarves, tropical shirts and short sleeve farmers’ shirts — are paradise for the beach, fixing up the house, back yard barbecues or simply kicking back with a cold one.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Use discount code: OMGSUMMER to get 15% discount.
Only one week to jump on this!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
>At check out >Have a promo coupon?
>Redeem your coupon
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🌞ORDER NOW and you’ll be able to get goods for your August vacation! 🌞
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Long after you've left Thailand, it’s likely that your taste buds still blaze from that perfect bowl of khao soi. A tast...
08/07/2023

Long after you've left Thailand, it’s likely that your taste buds still blaze from that perfect bowl of khao soi. A taste that lingers like a fever dream, a psychedelic journey through the jungles of flavor – it’s all here in this trippy t.
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OMG! The Outstanding Market Goods website is back, full of new stuff and ready for your orders. We have graphic t-shirts, Northern Thai Farmers' Shirts and Sabai Dee Tropical Shirts, with more products and styles to come.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We ship globally, with fair rates from Thai Post included in the price. If you’re in Thailand, contact us directly for discounted shipping. And if you’re in Phuket Town, we have a physical shop with noodles, snacks and one-of-a-kind goods.
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Outstanding Market Goods — Link in bio and stories.

Kaprow — aka; krapao, kaphrao, gaprao, grapow. No matter how you think Thai holy basil should be spelled, the fiery chao...
07/07/2023

Kaprow — aka; krapao, kaphrao, gaprao, grapow. No matter how you think Thai holy basil should be spelled, the fiery chaos of chilies and holy basil collide to blast your taste buds into another dimension – the explosive essence we’re aiming for with this shirt.
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OMG! The Outstanding Market Goods website is back, full of new stuff and ready for your orders. We have graphic t-shirts, Northern Thai Farmers' Shirts and Sabai Dee Tropical Shirts, with more products and styles to come.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We ship globally, with fair rates from Thai Post included in the price. If you’re in Thailand, contact us directly for discounted shipping. And if you’re in Phuket Town, we have a physical shop with noodles, snacks and one-of-a-kind goods.
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Outstanding Market Goods — Link in bio and stories.

The pha khao ma is the traditional multi-purpose cloth of Thailand’s rural northeast. Woven from lightweight cotton, Tha...
06/07/2023

The pha khao ma is the traditional multi-purpose cloth of Thailand’s rural northeast. Woven from lightweight cotton, Thai farmers use it as a towel, turban, belt or even pyjamas. We like to use it as a beach wrap, an insouciant scarf or the ideal photojournalist’s accessory for wiping away dust and sweat. The vibrant rainbow stripes serve as a nod to Pride Month, but the pha khao ma’s vibe transcends seasons.
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OMG! The Outstanding Market Goods website is back, full of new stuff and ready for your orders. We have graphic t-shirts, Northern Thai Farmers' Shirts and Sabai Dee Tropical Shirts, with more products and styles to come.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We ship globally, with fair rates from Thai Post included in the price. If you’re in Thailand, contact us directly for discounted shipping. And if you’re in Phuket Town, we have a physical shop with noodles, snacks and one-of-a-kind goods.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Outstanding Market Goods — Link in bio and stories.
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