With colorful, vintage Japanese prints lining its walls, hanging red lanterns and upturned beer crates for seats, EKO Izakaya certainly boasts a cheerful atmosphere—just perfect if you're looking for a fun, unfussy spot to kickstart your night.

Located along Chanacharoen Road in Phuket Town, this could well be Phuket's first ever izakaya (Japanese-style tavern) and the menu reads like a greatest hits of casual Japanese cuisine: expertly charred delicacies from the grill (think salmon teriyaki), good ol' fried stuff (chicken karaage) and fresh sashimi.

The place's self-anointed signature dishes are the bowls of donburi—like the mixed raw fish topped with their secret spicy sauce (B258)—and flavorful sushi bites like the salmon aburi (B218)

Wash down your meal with some beer, which comes in three sizes: Samurai (355ml), Shogun (640ml) and Emperor (1,200ml).