Ta Yong Garden Cafe

Ta Yong Garden (สวนตาหยอง, "Suan Ta Yong") is a rustic little hillside noodle spot and garden cafe in the Patong hills of Kathu, Phuket, tucked into the jungle at the bottom of the trail up to JunJaow. It is a family affair in the best sense: the owner here is the brother of the owner of JunJaow just up the hill, so between the two of them they have this stretch of the Kathu ridge covered with cold drinks, home-cooked food and a proper view.

Like its neighbour, Ta Yong Garden has become a favourite pit stop for the enduro and mountain-bike riders who ride the Kathu and Kamala hill trails, as well as hikers walking the Kathu Waterfall Loop. It sits lower down the hill than JunJaow, so it makes an easy first or last stop of the day: a place to fuel up before the climb or to sit back with a plate of noodles and a beer once the riding is done.

A cook who plays guitar

What sets Ta Yong Garden apart is the owner himself. He is a genuinely good cook, and on some evenings he picks up his guitar and plays for whoever happens to be sitting in the garden. It is completely informal, the kind of thing that either happens or it does not depending on the night and the mood, but when it does you get live music under the fairy lights with the lights of Patong spread out below. If catching a set matters to you, it is worth a quick call ahead to ask whether he is playing.

What to order

The kitchen is a proper made-to-order Thai operation, not a token menu. The signature dish is braised pork noodle soup (kuay teow moo tun), slow-cooked and rich, and it is what most regulars climb the hill for. Beyond that you will find a full spread of Thai favourites at very local prices: pad see ew, rad na, stir-fried holy basil (pad krapow) over rice, fried rice in several styles, glass-noodle salads (yum woon sen), larb moo, and simple comfort plates like an omelette over rice. There are snacks to share such as fried chicken rolls, meatball skewers and fries, plus soft drinks, fresh limeade soda, water and cold beer. Most dishes sit in the fifty to one hundred baht range, so it is easy on the wallet after a long ride.

The garden and the view

The setting is pure Phuket hillside: a hand-built timber and bamboo deck perched on the slope, plastic chairs under a canopy, banana palms all around, and an open outlook straight across the Patong valley to the hills beyond. It is unpolished and charming rather than smart, and that is exactly why people like it. By day it is a shady, breezy spot to escape the heat of town, and in the evening it turns into one of the more relaxed places on the hill to eat, drink and listen to a bit of music.

Getting there

Ta Yong Garden is up the hill roads above Patong and Kathu, at the foot of the JunJaow access track. Most people arrive on a motorbike, scooter or trail bike, on foot as part of a hill hike, or by a capable car in dry conditions. The final stretch is a steep concrete lane that turns to rougher track higher up, so take it steady, especially after rain when the surface gets slippery. If you are combining it with JunJaow, Ta Yong Garden is the lower of the two, so many riders stop here on the way down.

Good to know

This is a small, family-run local business, so treat opening hours as flexible rather than fixed, and call ahead on 081 569 7119 before making the trip, particularly if you want to check the kitchen is open or whether there is live music that night. Bring cash, as it is a cash-first spot well away from any ATM. It is best enjoyed unhurried, so give yourself time to sit, eat properly and take in the view rather than rushing back down. Come hungry, come curious, and you will see why this humble Ta Yong Garden cafe has earned its place on the Phuket enduro circuit alongside its sibling up the hill.