– By Maciek Klimowicz –
Gourmet wine and cheese tastings, whisky dinners, English high teas, personalised campfire beach barbeques, seafood cooked on 500 year old Himalayan salt bricks, and nostalgic home-style Thai cooking – dining at
Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas is more than an experience, it’s an adventure.
The greatest blessing of Phuket? No, not the beaches, as nice as they are. The one thing truly unique a about Thailand’s biggest island is food, and on all levels. From local flavours, unseen anywhere else in Thailand to high end dining experience awaiting at Phuket’s world-class hotels and resorts – Phuket is foodie’s heaven.
And to keep them excited and satisfied, the resorts owners go out of their way to stand out in the crowd that already delivers world-class dining experiences. A shining example of this approach comes from the esteemed Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas.
Aiming to reach new realms of gastronomic delight, the resort recently underwent a wide-ranging revamp of its food and beverage venues, and the results are mouth-watering. New menus, monthly wine and whisky dinners, forgotten recipes brought back to life…and that’ just the beginning of the story.
Perhaps the most intriguing part of the new dining experience at the resorts takes place at its signature Sea.Fire.Salt. beachside restaurant. Yes, the menu has been refreshed, a newly-installed open grill station allows the diners to watch their meals sizzling right in front of their eyes and the new live lobster tank guarantees that seafood is as fresh as it gets. But for a truly unforgettable experience opt for the tableside preparations of meats and seafood. Your dish will be made using superheated 500 years-old Himalayan salt bricks that gently impart salts and other minerals for added depth and flavour. A Salt Guru with a choice of 18 exotic salts is on hand to advise on appropriate seasonings for the various dishes.
Continuing the creative approach to meat dishes is the al fresco dining on the resort’s Beach Lawn, overlooking Mai Khao Beach. There, campfire barbeques are offered twice a week, during which diners select their choice of produce to cook themselves on their own, personal barbeques. To boost the campfire barbeque party atmosphere a fire show takes place on Thursday evenings and each month a Beach Lawn Full Moon dinner brings a refined touch to the renowned atmosphere of lunar celebration.
A lighter but equally memorable experience awaits at The Tree House, the lofty casual bar, famed for its sunset views. A traditional English high tea offering allows the guests to indulge in a choice of teas, accompanied by sandwiches, pastries, scones, jams and cream adornments. A dedicated Chinese tea menu with a selection of classic and sought-after Chinese tea varieties rounds the experience up.
And yes, there is more. A new ice cream service with exclusive hand-made ice creams to cool down sunbathers at the Infinity pool bar on the Beach Lawn, an upcoming series of spectacular Saturday Brunches, a new stock of distinguished fine wines and cheeses at the resorts Tasting Room… yes, beaches in Phuket are lovely, you could even go and see one – that is if you have time to get up form the table.
