Chillva is one of the popular markets in Phuket with a great mix of dining, shopping and bar options. It is open from Monday to Saturday from 5pm to 11pm. When my husband and I visited, most stalls were properly open for business only around 6.30pm. However, we were thankful we came earlier as we could explore the various offerings without much of a crowd.
It is a medium-sized market where we spent about 1.5 hours leisurely walking around, shopping and eating. It had a vibrant atmosphere that was made even more mesmerizing as the sun started to set!
Alas, I got increasingly distressed the later it got as the bright light bulbs started attracting swarms of moths and flies in large numbers. One of them even buzzed down the back of my t-shirt (argh!).
Anyway, before I was chased out of the market by the presence of those insects, we got the chance to try a whole range of different foods here! First up was a steaming bowl of rice noodle soup with braised chicken (THB50) from one of the larger stalls with seats. My husband enjoyed the flavourful broth and the chicken was so tender that it just fell off the bone (:
One of our favourite things to try at a night market is beef cubes, and the closest thing they had here was grilled beef (THB80 for 100g). Unfortunately, this turned out too chewy and overcooked even though we opted for a medium rare doneness.
Next, we wanted some comfort food so we ordered an omelette (THB40) with a plate of yellow instant noodles (THB10) at another sit-down restaurant. As with most Thai omelettes, this was on the oily side.
After that, we bought ourselves a cup of Thai milk tea to share. The usual price for this drink is THB25 but because we asked for one without ice, it went up to THB50! It was pretty thick and substantial, and would’ve probably been less sweet with the ice in.
Walking past this stall, we were rather fascinated by the way they were cooking these crepe-like things (THB20) in little pots. As there was no English description written anywhere, we weren’t entirely sure what we were eating but it was certainly delicious and the yummiest thing I had all evening! It was crispy along the edges and soft and gooey in the middle, what a treat ❤
Still feeling peckish, I bought some marinated chicken gyoza (THB50 for 5 pieces) to munch on. This was not bad and sufficiently tasty, though the separately packed sauce was super spicy.
Lastly, I was tempted by the waffles on display so I got myself one plain waffle (THB10) and one with a chocolate drizzle (THB10). A pity they tasted overly sweet and had quite a dense texture.
The only retail item we bought all evening was a long-sleeved shirt (THB350) for my husband. We tried to negotiate for a lower price but there was no haggling at this shop.
You can also enjoy live performances here as well! We saw many people buying food and bringing it to the stage area to eat while watching the performances. During our visit, it was a pretty impressive two-man band playing a mix of English and Thai tunes.
My overall rating of the experience: 4 out of 5 stars. I liked the bustling, happening vibes of this market, along with the simple layout that made for easy exploring. There was also a good variety and range of food and merchandise on sale. Most of the food was yummy and affordable, plus there seems to be regular live performances to entertain visitors throughout the evening. The only thing that literally drove me away was the huge swarms of moths and flies that gathered in the later part of the evening. If you’re insect-avoidant like me, I’d recommend coming earlier before it gets dark. Other than that, I’d definitely come back again!
If this post helped you in some way and you’d like to buy me a coffee, I’d be incredibly grateful (:
Dania Experiences 