Phuket Restaurants
When does a chef take over a restaurant with his personality?
Where are the cheap eats? Is Thai food always mouth burning?
Is Patong the only place in Phuket to look for haute cuisine?
Find out with our monthly restaurant reviews.
This Month's Restaurant Reviews in Samui
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| The role of concept in dining out is more important than a lot of people realise. Promoting a restaurant as a 'tranquil oasis of peacefulness' when it's kerbside, downtown isn't the best of ideas but when a restaurant gets its concept right the wow factor really kicks in. Such a restaurant is View Phangan in the Melati Beach Resort & Spa. Beachside, fantastic views, gentle sea breezes and stunning décor – View Phangan has all of these factors and knows how to make the best of them.
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Heading down through the grounds of Baan Haad Ngam boutique resort, the closer we get to the sea the more attractive things become. Taking an al fresco table by the infinity pool in Olivio, the resort's restaurant, it's striking just how beautiful this little spot is.
The far-reaching vista out over Chaweng Bay is framed by palms swaying in the warm evening breeze while one by one, the first stars of the night appear in the sky like silver flecks on indigo velvet. Read more... |
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Past Month's Restaurant Reviews - By Area
Patong Beach Restaurants
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| There are very few restaurants that emit romance, mode and sophistication in the same breath, yet at the same time deliver world-class cuisine. Naturally, one tends to think in clichés in this select department: New York, Paris, London, even Buenos Aires and Tokyo – and one certainly envisages a severely damaged wallet after dining out at one of these venues. Read more... |
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| The Swiss are known worldwide for their knack of getting details right. Orson Welles’ famous caustic comment about Switzerland producing only cuckoo clocks in the last 500 years was somewhat off the mark, considering the Swiss’s far-ranging achievements in the fields of medicine and psychoanalysis, let alone watch making. Read more... |
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Sala Bua roughly
translates as ‘Lotus Pavillion’
in English and indeed, the flower is the
leitmotif running through Impiana Cabana
Resort in Patong, home of Sala Bua. You’ll
find lotuses placed discretely in the lobby,
rooms and restaurants at the resort. It’s
a pity that lotuses aren’t edible because
it’s a sure bet that Sala Bua’s
award-winning Filipino executive chef Ronnie
Macuja would rustle something delicious
up with them.
Read more... |
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There’s
something intrinsically different about
family run restaurants. Could it be a heightened
sense of unity among staff members or a
fluidity of service that a “normal”
business lacks? Whatever it may be, S&G
in Patong possesses this mysterious quality,
perhaps without even knowing it. Unobtrusive,
easy to pass by on a busy walking street,
but ultimately delivering the goods, S&G
epitomizes the best of middle-range Patong
eateries.
Read more... |
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| A legend in
its own lifetime already, Sea Hag is not
only the flagship gay restaurant in Patong,
but it stands on its own as a culinary landmark
after 15 years on the scene. Owner Khun
Kenya, has shown impeccable taste in décor
and atmosphere and with this combination
of good food and discernment it’s hard
to find a better intimate dining location.
Read
more... |
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I bet you’re
wondering what Kaab Gluay means. Well, it
means “banana trunk”. And if you’re
further into entomology, the word Patong,
(where the restaurant itself is located)
means “banana grove.”
So now you know. Still, Kaab Gluay is a
restaurant that has more to do with seafood
than bananas.
Read more... |
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Patong
doesn’t boast too many top-of-the-class
eateries. With an underlit bar (which
seems to be all the rage these days),
discreet lighting, a spacious interior
and a well-turned-out staff, Flavors
has the edge over its neighbouring,
more middle-ranged competitors.
Read more... |
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| Whereas
it’s really TV chef Keith Floyd,
stomping around, making sure things
are just right for his culinary audience
tonight. Floyd creates a gastronomic
buzz wherever he breezes through.
Recently, he helped open a restaurant
at Burasari and has been the object
of much media attention in Phuket
ever since. Read
more... |
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Patong's side
streets are a world of their own and teem
with interesting little bars, cafes and
restaurants. Soi Dr. Wattana, off Beach
Road, is a good example of Patong's diversity
and right at the end of this cul de sac
is a busy restaurant called Lair Lay Tong.
Read more... |
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| Baan Yin Dee
is a gem. With a view to die for, in a location
that only the privileged could dream about,
and an execution of service that rivals
the best, Baan Yin Dee, a 21-room boutique
hotel with a tastefully fitted-out restaurant,
fits into a welcome slot in the island’s
culinary kaleidoscope. Read
more... |
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Italian restaurants
abound in Phuket – and nowhere more
so than in Patong. One or two are astounding
in their innovatory skills yet most stick
to traditional food preparation and a dependable
atmosphere. La Casa Pizzeria e Ristorante,
part of Patong Bay Garden Resort, is smack-bang
in the heart of Patong’s action and
is a popular tourist eating spot.
Read more... |
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| Much of the
pleasure of living or visiting Phuket is
choosing from the wonderful selection of
restaurants whose international executive
chefs present foods that are hard to find
anywhere else in the world. Though many
of the tasty ingredients found on the menus
of the island’s five star resorts are
imported from Europe or Australia, a lot
is fresh from the surrounding Andaman Sea
or grown in organic gardens sprinkled around
the region. Read
more... |
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Inside the
Holiday Inn Phuket is where Sam’s Steaks
and Grill is located. Sam’s is a byword
for great steaks in Phuket and many an expatriate
is to be seen there chomping down a top-quality
cut and enjoying a good bottle of wine with
it. Sam’s had a complete makeover three
years back and the décor nowadays
is slicker than olive oil on aluminum foil.
Read more... |
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Generally speaking,
there are three types of newly-opened restaurants
in Phuket. The first type is timid in nature;
it watches its budget closely and is a touch-and-go
affair. The second is brash, boastful and
promises the earth and also charges too
much, once the dust from the opening party
is settled. The third is a well-thought
out project that aims for the long run.
Read more... |
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Kata & Karon Beach Restaurants
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Phuket is forever
changing. New developments spring up continually
that range from the tasteful to the hideous.
Mali (meaning “jasmine” in Thai)
Seafood, in Kata, is the flagship restaurant
of the recently completed Malisa Sugar Palm
resort – and in itself a tasteful architectural
achievement. With impeccable design and
an experienced chef on board, Mali has what
it takes to deliver an impressive dining
experience.
Read more... |
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On the Rock
is one of the oldest established restaurants
in Phuket and is rightly regarded as an
institution on the island – a place
where families, lovers and friends can count
on eating spanking-fresh seafood in a great
setting. As the name suggests, the restaurant
is at the end of a rocky promontory in the
grounds of Marina Phuket Resort, which feted
its 20th anniversary in 2005.
Read more... |
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Perched high
up above Kata, Ratri Jazztaurant has a wonderful
view of the whole of Kata Bay and out to
the Andaman Sea and is subsequently one
of the best sunset-watching locations in
Phuket. Located on Kata's "upper"
road - Patak Road - turn up the hill by
the Big One supermarket. Be prepared for
an exceptionally steep climb/drive up for
a few hundred meters.
Read more... |
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| It seems there
are two types of people in Thailand’s
catering world: Those who believe that quality
domestic beef is a real possibility and
those who don’t and import it at cost.
The Dining Room in Karon Beach’s Pacific
Club & Spa, however, swings both ways
and does so successfully. The restaurant’s
philosophy is simple; create great dishes
at minimal price. And who in their right
mind can argue with that? Read
more... |
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‘Capannina’
translates into English as ‘small hut’
but in reality, this Italian restaurant
in Kata Beach is a much bigger affair than
that. Italian restaurants are known to build
up a regular clientele – perhaps because
of the Italians’ love of family and
children or perhaps because Italian food
is so universally loved.
Read more... |
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If you had
to choose just one thing that Phuket is
famous for, many people would opt for its
sensationally fresh seafood. Phuket’s
surrounding waters teem with the sort of
marine life that would leave Jacques Cousteau
dancing the calypso and wise visitors make
sure that they benefit from this abundance.
Read more... |
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Every once
in a while the perfect dining experience
crosses your path. All you have to do is
go with the flow and let it happen. Location
and décor are definitely important
but these two key factors without good food
just don't work. That's why Mom Tri's Kitchen
Royale at Villa Royale in Kata Noi Beach
is such a clever act: it balances the three
factors perfectly and invites the diner
simply to appreciate and enjoy some fabulous
cuisine in a divine setting.
Read more... |
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Chalong, Nai Harn & Panwa Restaurants
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| Tin plays such
an important part of Phuket’s history
and the island has a stronger Chinese presence
than any other Thai province due to the
influx of Chinese labour over 100 years
ago. One of the results of the tin boom
is an impressive collection of colonial-style
tin mogul mansions dotted throughout the
island, in various stages of disrepair or
recondition. Read
more... |
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Chalong boasts
two Kan Eangs, and both are on choice seafront
land, both serve fresh seafood, and both
are large affairs. Kan Eang@Pier (KEP),
however, has recently had a major overhaul
and oozes class, tasteful design and dining
comfort. Oh, by the way, kan eang roughly
translates as ‘easy going’.
Read more... |
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| One of the
healthier aspects of Phuket’s vibrant
culinary scene is that it is decentralised.
No matter where you go in Phuket, neighbourhood
eateries abound, from street stall level
to fashionable cafes to high-class dining.
A good example of this indigenous movement
is Rum Jungle, a bistro in Nai Harn, at
the foot of the island. Read
more... |
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La Favola d’Orfeo
was one of the earliest works recognised
as an opera and was composed by Claudio
Monteverdi in 1607. But what’s this
got to do with Phuket.Com’s food review?
Well, one of the restaurants we choose to
review this month is, in fact L’Orféo
in Nai Harn.
Read more... |
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Surin, Kamala & Bangtao Beach Restaurants
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A room with
a view may be what some require for a romantic
interlude but for others there's no beating
a super-chic restaurant and a mind-blowing
view. This is exactly what 360 Degrees restaurant
near Layan Beach delivers, with its hilltop
vista of Phuket's lush greenery along with
a generous swathe of the Andaman Sea.
Read more... |
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| It's a truth
that many successful restaurants are family
run affairs and Charoen Seafood in Kamala
is no exception. Khun Charoen's personal
touch has meant good dining here for over
20 years. Charoen is part of the eighteen-room
Kamala
Dreams boutique hotel on Kamala's beach
road, on the right as you arrive from the
north. Read
more... |
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Laem Singh
Beach features seven restaurants in high
season and three in the low season but Da
Ali is the capo di tutti capi of these beachside
affairs. You can tell from the name that
there is a strong Italian influence on this
beach and indeed several beach workers speak
the language, as well as pretty good English.
Read more... |
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When a restaurant
has the vision to name itself Silk, you
can pretty much bet that dining there automatically
results in a smooth, soft and luxurious
evening. Yet for us the evening got off
to a bad start. Just as we parked at the
glitzy Surin Plaza where Silk is located,
Mother Nature contrived to ruin it all;
Read
more... |
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Phi Phi Islands Restaurants
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| Tonsai Bay
is a bustling and colourful place at most
times of day. But when the sun sinks into
the Andaman Sea and the lights go up along
the coastline there is a tangible sense
of magic in the air. Tonsai Seafood is right
in the heart of all this fairylike seaside
sorcery and, like a fairy’s magic wand,
the restaurant glistens and glitters with
bright lights. Read
more... |
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Mama’s
restaurant has been open for some 20 years
now and this has got to be some sort of
a record for Phi Phi Island. And if not,
it should be. Owner, Angelo Rasami from
Tours in France, has been in Thailand for
21 years and he’s managed to make his
eatery one of the most popular and reputable
around.
Read more... |
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Phuket Town Restaurants
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If you enter
the front room at 20 Thalang Road in Phuket
you may be tempted to sit down in the lovely
red sofa there and stare in wonder at the
beautiful Chinese artifacts, figurines,
lacquer work, textiles and fabrics…
but don’t. This is because the sofa,
a ‘Thairalia’ seasoned hardwood
goose and duck feather-filled marvel, is
for sale.
Read more... |
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| Tamachart Restaurant
in Phuket City has got to be the most unusual,
out-of-the-ordinary eatery this side of
Bangkok. It’s been going for 15 years
now and is a tremendously popular spot for
expats and locals alike. The word ‘Tamachart’
translates into English as ‘Natural’
and many people in Phuket use the English
word when discussing this oddly fitted out
Thai-Chinese eating place. Read
more... |
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Watermark is
known as one of Phuket's classiest restaurants
and rightly deserves the reputation. It's
Phuket's in-place to be on Friday evenings
when the young and beautiful as well as
the not-so-young and the used-to-be-beautiful
get together for happy hour and more.
Read more... |
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| La Gaetana
enjoys a formidable reputation in Phuket
as a small, family-run Italian restaurant
with an eye for details. Giovanni Ferrara
('Gianni') and his Thai wife Chonchita are
the hospitable owners of La Gaetana and
excel in making diners feel comfortable
and ensuring that a gourmet meal is enjoyed
here. Read more... |
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| Previously
very successful in Patong, Salvatore Cossu
moved to quieter Phuket some seven years
ago and has since stamped his inimitable
culinary style in the heart of the town
in the shape of a tasteful trattoria. Originally
from Sardinia, Salvatore is something of
a polyglot and uses his wide knowledge of
languages with the many nationalities that
come to dine in his restaurant. Salvatore's
is well-known amongst the many expatriates
who have made Phuket their home as they
appreciate this talented chef's blend of
friendliness and professionalism. Read
more... |
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Restaurants Nearby Phuket Island
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| If anyone could
explain just exactly what it is that makes
a successful restaurant they’d be able
to retire a very rich person after writing
a book about the magical ingredients. Some
go for atmosphere, but if you want atmosphere
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