Gitano, Phuket Heroines
Open: 11am to 10pm daily, except Wednesdays. Takeaways available.
Telephone: 076 350118 or Lin 081 8922419
Address: A little over one kilometre east from the Heroines' Monument
Style: Thai and Mexican cuisine
Price range: Excellent value. Quesadilla (130 baht) cheese nachos (95 baht) chili con carne (130 baht) thai-mex rice (95 baht) grilled fish and mango salsa (155 baht) chimichangas (130/155 baht) guacamole (40 baht) som tam moo grob (95 baht) moo manao (125 baht) jim jum talay (225 baht) tod mun goong ta krai (95 baht) gai manao (95 baht) pla salmon (175 baht) satay gai/ satay moo (95 baht) garden salad with fresh prawns (145 baht) larb moo/larb gai (95 baht) mas sa mum nue roti (135 baht) gaeng som goong (125 baht) kai yud sai goong gai (125 baht) spring rolls (75 baht) vegetarian geen curry with roti (95 baht) cheese omelette (125 baht) okay dokay breakfast (95 baht) little seafood pizza (115 baht) tuna sandwich (75 baht) french fries (55 baht) icecream banana split (95 baht) mango lemon cheese pie (75 baht) apple and strawberry crumble (75 baht) coke (35 baht) carrot, apple (70 baht) decaf (60 baht) heineken, singha (70 baht).
Specialties: Local southern food, Mexican treats.
What Phuketwan says:
Gitano was once a bar for grownups in Phuket Town. These days, the freshly-located born-again venue is more about childhoods, first or second. Feel free to celebrate yours here, under the Barbie dolls swinging from the ceiling or the large, wholesome breasts. Walking in to this restaurant is like entering a coloring book where the crayons have all been used up by the other kids. Color and stimulation is what Gitano is all about. That and great taste, to match the fun of squiggly patterns on the walls and upside down umbrellas. The fact that an excellent restaurant can now be found east of the Heroines' Monument is also a sign that Patong and Phuket City (and one or two other places) are no longer the only spots to go for a feast. Lunch here was a delight, a chance to swap spicy Thai flavors for tangy Mexican ones, and then bounce back again. Start with the Quesadilla (grilled totilla stuffed with chicken, golden fried onions and Thai cilantro) and you'll probably finish up grinning the way you did after that redhead pecked you on the cheek during playtime in Grade Three. Although there's a special room for children to hang out and have fun, Gitano welcomes all generations. Dinners are probably even more special, and parties too. We're looking forward to a third childhood at Gitano sometime very soon. How to find it: Head towards Paklok from the Heroines' Monument in central Phuket and Gitano is just over a kilometre out, on your right.
Parking: A few spots in the row of shop houses.
Phuketwan reviewers pay for their own meals. If we don't, we tell you.
The best mexican restaurant I ever been to is Salamexicali in Rawai. How can this kindergarden mexican restaurant Gitano even pretend to be Phuket tastiest, or even in the same league as this superb restaurant, who only uses the most expensive ingredients, and are still cheaper than other mexican food restaurants.
I wish Gitano good luck, but if you want a real mexican treat, try Salamexicali.
Posted by joy on June 24, 2011 06:13