DÉCOR
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| A sophisticated
atmosphere in a jaw-dropping location |
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Outstanding. A clean, two-story Oriental design, cleverly using
subtle lighting with broad expanses of different hued wood, attractive
lampshades, hard and soft seating, a back-and-underlit bar with
a music stage to its left, owner Jay Ujjin has spared no expense
in creating a sophisticated atmosphere in a jaw-dropping location.
If a westerly storm blows in the staff will lower giant protective
rain shades within seconds. Modernistic and practical, Ratri encapsulates
the cool chic of Bangkok with the natural beauty of Phuket and that
can't be a bad thing.
ATMOSPHERE
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| Sophisticated and
up market |
|
Sophisticated and up market; smart and cool; laidback yet sharp.
Ratri's atmosphere is really a reflection of the owner's good taste
and many a well-heeled local resident can be spotted dining here
alongside tourists in the know. The broad spaces between the tables
cancel out an overly intimate feel; nevertheless this creates a
greater feeling of privacy at each table.
There is live jazz every night except Tuesdays featuring top names
in Thailand as well as the cream of Phuket's jazz scene. Ratri features
a long wooden bench at the westerly edge of the restaurant where
diners can catch the sea breezes wafting up from Kata or watch the
jazz a floor above them next to the bar.
With the location being so exposed to westerly breezes there is
little or no need for cooling ventilation. Mother Nature does the
job admirably.
WINE
There are French, Australian, Italian, South African, Californian
and Thai labels in Ratri's air-conditioned adjacent wine cellar:
All in all, some 600 bottles featuring 75 labels - from 950 to 14,000
baht. There is a decent house red (Chilean) that goes for 195 baht
a glass, as does the white.
FOOD
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| Thai food with a
twist |
|
Khun Jay designed the menu himself and describes it as, "Thai
food with a twist." Certainly, he is aware that Thailand was
perhaps the first country to feature fusion food in the correct
sense of the word and this is reflected in his restaurant's fare.
Ratri features New Zealand beef in its spicy sirloin salad to good
effect - the beef is accented more than the salad, lending a wholesome
touch to the dish. Penang duck is creamy and piquant while the phad
thai goong is light, with generous portions of prawns and light
years away from the oily mess that some restaurants pass off onto
diners. The salmon sashimi is also a lesson in lightness and it
soon becomes very clear that Ratri is slotting itself effortlessly
into the roster of top restaurants on the island.
The geng massaman is also a good representation of the culinary
level this restaurant has attained in its one year of opening. To
sum up: Ratri is not a cheap evening out but its food is cleanly
presented, tasty and memorable.
SERVICE
Prompt and smart, also with a sense of humour (as is to be expected
in Thailand) the staff is competent but, as with all newer restaurants,
there are still a few teething problems. If you wish to take a leisurely
meal it may be better to stagger your order as the dishes appear
from the kitchen with lightning quickness.
Ratri Jazztaurant
Tel: 076-333538 - Email : info@ratrijazztaurant.com - www.ratrijazztaurant.com
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