Here’s where Chef Akorn from Loi Et, and his French wife, Cathy at Flavors Restaurant fit in. If anyone has that je ne sais quoi it’s Akorn. He’s been cooking up a storm; right from the restaurant’s early days some seven years ago in Nai Harn, to Naka Flavors north of Patong to the present location nestled next to Banthai Hotel Beach Resort in Patong.

WHERE IS IT?

As mentioned above, Flavors is in the grounds of Banthai Hotel on Patong’s busy Beach Road. If you are driving, you’ll have to approach the resort from the south, due to Patong’s new one-way system. But make sure you know when to turn in to the hotel’s grounds because if you miss the entrance it’s a long way around Patong to have another go! If you are on foot, it’s a stone’s throw to the south from the beach end of Soi Bangla. View Flavors location map.

DÉCOR

Decorated with taste

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.

Cathy has lent a personal touch to almost every aspect of the eatery with a commendable degree of success. Think air-conditioned high-class New York with a French-Thai touch and you’ll come close to what Flavors offers in terms of decor.

ATMOSPHERE

Spacious interior

Definitely a cut above the rest of the Patong pack. The times this reviewer has eaten there have been imbued with a sense that one is in good company, among food lovers, comfortably cocooned away from the crassness that abounds on the Beach Road. Cathy has carefully selected the background music, which leans towards Sinatra-esque swing and jazz ballads along with selected French artists. The restaurant’s tables are cleverly spaced apart so as to allow maximum privacy for diners. Chef Akorn displays a talent for the flamboyant when he serves his flambees later on in the evening. There is a small but tasteful outside sitting/smoking space with tourist literature and information. As there is hardly any traffic outside this is a particularly attractive option for pre-dinner drinks or for smokers.

WINE

Flavors boasts a very savvy wine list of some 30 labels from all over the globe. You can be sure that a recommendation from Cathy is a solid one or you can just experiment yourself. Prices are reasonable and with two excellent wine suppliers vying for Flavors’ patronage the diner simply can’t go wrong.

The house wine, an Argentine “Pampas” red, is particularly recommendable for its gusto, body and character.

FOOD

The entrance

Chef Akorn is supremely aware of the importance of the visual in serving his cuisine. Some of his dishes can look too good to eat but a man’s got to do what a man’s got to do… His clever mix of herbs, along with his light culinary touch, makes him stand out from chefs who are merely out to impress. As an example, the blue crab ravioli with white wine dill sauce is all the better for having been lightly grilled beforehand, presenting an interesting textural contrast. Flavors’ grilled chicken stuffed with crab and shrimp, lemongrass and mushroom sauce would not be out of place in a top Parisian restaurant and the house salad is an explosion of, well. . . flavours. If there ever was a husband and wife restaurant team in Patong that deserved accolades it is this one.

SERVICE

A smartly turned-out staff, savvy in the ways of foreigners and quick to anticipate their needs, Flavors’ staff will handle all your needs in style.

Flavors: Banthai Beach Resort and Spa on Beach Rd, Patong. Tel: 076-292576. Email: nakarest@phuket.ksc.co.th Open daily from 5pm to midnight.