Rum Jungle Café
By
Sam Wilkinson - Photos by Stephan Audiger
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One of the healthier aspects of Phuket’s vibrant culinary
scene is that it is decentralised. Sure, Patong and Phuket
Town are leaders in certain fields, but diners on the island
are certainly not under any obligation to head for the bright
lights in order to eat well.
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.
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Where is it?
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| Rum Jungle Café
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Directly opposite the bright yellow Bank of Ayudhya on Soi Sai
Yuan in Nai Harn. If coming from Chalong, turn right for Nai Harn
Beach at the 7-Eleven junction, carry on past Don’s Mall and
after some 400 metres you’ll see Rum Jungle on your left but
watch out – you’ll miss it if you’re not concentrating.
Coming from Patong/Kata, take a left at the three-road intersection
in Nai Harn and Rum Jungle is 300 metres up the road on the right-hand
side. Easy to miss but worth it once found. There is parking at
the back.
View Rum
Jungle Café location map.
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Décor
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| Jungle style |
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It’s no great mystery why the word ‘jungle’ should
figure in this restaurant’s moniker as the theme here is decidedly
green. There are plenty of exterior and interior plants and rustic
touches such as statuettes and rattan-filtered overhead lights.
A green ‘specials’ board hangs over the end of the bar
and the bistro features a direct adjoining kitchen. Rum Jungle is
small and intimately lit – two factors that can’t help
but add up to a better dining experience. There is a TV in the corner
but for most diners in this sort of atmosphere it is probably surplus
to requirements.
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Atmosphere
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| Local international
restaurant |
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A lot of the area’s professional expatriates wax enthusiastic
about Rum Jungle and one gets the definite impression that it is
more of a ‘local’ than a tourist restaurant. This factor
means that you’re in for an international and somewhat exotic
mélange of accents, languages and culture while dining here.
The bistro is never out-and-out too noisy but the prerecorded music
which started out as laid-back Brazilian rhythms and melodies, ended
up as Techno at the end of the evening, lending a sort of ‘bistrotheque’
impression. Rum Jungle is situated roadside but is elevated and
set back enough to overcome this feature.
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Wine
There is a fair-sized wine list at Rum Jungle and most labels are
reasonably priced from 700 to 900 baht. A very decent red or white
house wine goes for 90 baht a glass and 300 baht for a half-litre
carafe. For vodka martini aficionados, Rum Jungle’s generous
version is a must-try.
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Food
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| Seafood appetizer
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Chef Toni Bruno is the man to see here. Toni has done culinary
stints in Italy, Singapore, Hong Kong and his native Australia and
has now been on the Phuket scene for almost three years. Rum Jungle’s
menu changes weekly according to availability and inspiration and
perhaps this is one of the reasons why the bistro is so popular.
Toni labels his cuisine ‘Italian-Mediterranean-eclectic’.
This is a fair description of what’s on offer; the tuna carpaccio
is beautifully prepared, as is the seafood appetizer, with a lovely
balance of fruits de mer. Pork filets with capers and chicken breast
with eggplant are also well presented and are served with fried
potato chunks. The seafood tagliatelle is just bliss on a plate.
All this comes at prices that won’t break the bank so the
combination of an intimate and well-appointed bistro along with
innovative cuisine at an attractive price is a tempting one.
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Service
As Rum Jungle is relatively small, the team of waitresses is never
far away. Toni lends a personal touch to the bistro’s service.
Rum Jungle: 69/8 Baan Sai Yuan, Rawai. Tel: 076-388153
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