Girls' lunch date @ Mom Tri's Kitchen, Phuket (Thailand)

Last month, my friend and I left the husbands at home and went to Phuket with our kids and nannies for a short holiday. My sweet friend and I were trying to plan this family trip together for at least a year, but unfortunately when the time came to bring this idea to fruition, her husband's boss refused to give him time off work during the summer school break! So we just decided to go ahead with a trip without the men! Thankfully my hubby was pretty good about me taking the kids on a vacation without him - and why would he refuse having five days of peace and good sleep? I was doing him a favour by taking the kids on a trip! My friend and I chose Phuket, somewhere we'd both been to before, so we didn't feel like we had to do and see everything with 7 kids in tow. Yes, we had 7 kids in our travelling party. We did the smart thing and stayed at a resort near the beach with a cool pool and a kid's club, so that there were always things to do with the kids. Travelling with kids is not easy, but my friend and I both share a common love for travelling and refuse to let having kids stop us from travelling.

Travelling to lunch in a tuk tuk:

Though Perth is home for both of us, she also became an expat wife a few years ago on a completely different continent, so we have not been able to meet up in person for years. So during our trip, we had a lunch date together without the kids, and it was so good to connect and just talk, one-on-one without the distraction of kids and husbands and life. I couldn't think of a better place for a date in Phuket than Mom Tri's Kitchen (though that is largely due to a lack of knowledge and experience rather than a lack of options in Phuket). I had a lovely experience at Mom Tri's Kitchen before, six years ago with hubby when our oldest was just a toddler before any siblings came into the picture. The setting was as beautiful as I remembered, the service was as attentive and courteous as before, and the food was delicious. The lunch menu was solely focused on Thai and Asian cuisine, and we enjoyed everything that was served. Great company, beautiful setting, and delicious food - quite the perfect experience!

Our table by the window overlooking the ocean:

My friend's calamari was so good! Fried to perfect crisp without the grease:

The fresh spring rolls were refreshing and contained the right ratio of chewy noodles, crispy vegetables and fresh prawns:

My friend's soft shell crab burger looked so good, I had serious plate envy:

My salmon dish was simple and delicious, and the accompanying papaya salad was awesome! I know this looks healthy, but after a few days of holiday eating, this was just what I wanted:

My friend could not resist ordering the pavlova after spying it on the menu. It was actually not too sweet, like I expected. Look at them beautiful fresh fruits!

Coffee, of course:

Mom Tri's Kitchen
Mom Tri's Villa Royale
12 Kata Noi Road
Kata Noi, Phuket 83100
Thailand
Email: fb@villaroyalephuket.com
Hotel Tel. +66 (0) 76 333 569