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Rock Salt at The Nai Harn in safe hands with new chef
Rock Salt at The Nai Harn in safe hands with new chef
As I wave goodbye to middle age and edge ever closer to yet another milestone, I have come to accept that as we get older we inevitably become more resistant to change and have an increasing preference for stability and that warm comfort from the knowledge of continu­ing to enjoy the same routines we have individually established.
Captaining The Boathouse: GM Eric Weber guides the iconic hotel into a new era
Captaining The Boathouse: GM Eric Weber guides the iconic hotel into a new era
When I look back on my working life, which began for real some 35-plus years ago, I have been truly fortunate to hold a variety of both interesting and ultimately rewarding hospitality positions in some of Asia’s extra special destinations.
Up on The 9th Floor: A lofty location with classic cooking that hits the heights
Up on The 9th Floor: A lofty location with classic cooking that hits the heights
As I begin scribing this review of my experience at The 9th Floor Restaurant & Bar, I wish to share a little back­ground. I met Bart Duykers, the proprietor of this restau­rant, almost 25 years ago when I was running a super deluxe boutique hotel in Singapore and he was at the helm of an equally cel­ebrated property in Phuket.
A heavenly stay: Thai tradition meets Finnish hospitality at Villa Angelica
A heavenly stay: Thai tradition meets Finnish hospitality at Villa Angelica
Last month marked 12 months of my writing for The Phuket News, a small, yet for me, significant milestone which unsurprisingly passed un­celebrated by all but myself.
Saturdays at The Surin: Beachside brunch with a focus on quality and sophistication
Saturdays at The Surin: Beachside brunch with a focus on quality and sophistication
We are all aware of the plethora of island brunch offerings available as both hotels and restaurants exhibit their best efforts to strenuously provide us with activi­ties to excite whilst also maximising their revenue opportunities, particularly through this challenging season.
A night at L’Opera: Authentic Italian cuisine sings at Laguna
A night at L’Opera: Authentic Italian cuisine sings at Laguna
L’Opera has recently taken over a prominent position on Tinlay Place at Laguna, joining sever­al other restaurants in what is fast becoming a mini culinary hotspot.
Magic at Mom Tri’s: Lunch and a chance meeting with a Phuket visionary
Magic at Mom Tri’s: Lunch and a chance meeting with a Phuket visionary
I suspect that a number of to­day’s readers travelled here in the ’80s with the intention of making it their home. And I am confident that those who remember the Phuket of almost 40 years ago will agree with me when I say that our island has indeed since changed enormously.
Romance on the rocks: Kata Rocks offers the ultimate destination dining experience
Romance on the rocks: Kata Rocks offers the ultimate destination dining experience
As I prepare to leave my Phuket residence, dressing appropriately for dinner at Kata Rocks, my thoughts drift to how fortunate I am to be invited for yet another dinner at a luxury property.
Imported vs local: Is Thailand finally able to compete with imported food products?
Imported vs local: Is Thailand finally able to compete with imported food products?
Many of you who over the past decade have lived in Phuket, and indeed across Thai­land, cannot fail to have noticed the ever-increasing range of local food products now on offer in our supermarkets and even the upsurge in artisanal grocers.
Plantation Delectation: Heirloom recipes reinvented at The Pavilions’ Plantation Club
Plantation Delectation: Heirloom recipes reinvented at The Pavilions’ Plantation Club
Over the past few years in Phuket, we have been expe­riencing an ever-increasing growth in the luxury hospital­ity sector.
Serene cuisine at SALA Phuket
Serene cuisine at SALA Phuket
I count myself, like many of you reading this article, as extremely fortunate and perhaps slightly privileged to be able to say I am a resident of Phuket.
Smoke and fire at The Nai Harn’s Prime restaurant
Smoke and fire at The Nai Harn’s Prime restaurant
I thought I would begin by wax­ing lyrical about the view from Prime, the latest restaurant from The Nai Harn stable. However, Prime is open for dinner only, so if it’s a breathtaking sunset you are after, you may equally visit Cosmo or Hansha, the hotel’s oth­er restaurants, where the view is argu­ably more impressive due to the added elevation.
Sowing the seeds of change: Seedlings restaurant at Laguna Phuket is authentic in every sense
Sowing the seeds of change: Seedlings restaurant at Laguna Phuket is authentic in every sense
As I make my way to Laguna Phuket and my venue for lunch, Seedlings restaurant, I reflect, like many of us, on getting older and how certain desires take on more importance whilst others dwindle into insignificance. As I reach a certain stage in life, I realise that the accumulation of possessions seems slightly pointless. I am now more concerned with an exercise regime and no longer yearn for a regular gourmet three-star Michelin experience.
Tre at Banyan Tree: Chef Kreaton elevates and innovates with local produce
Tre at Banyan Tree: Chef Kreaton elevates and innovates with local produce
Banyan Tree, located in Laguna, is a truly spectacular resort with several highly- rated restaurants, beach frontage, and surrounding saltwater lakes. Tre, its flagship restaurant, will probably be less known to you and tonight, it’s my destination for dinner.
Hilltop at the Hyatt: Romantic dining with views at the Sunset Grill
Hilltop at the Hyatt: Romantic dining with views at the Sunset Grill
Arriving at the Hyatt Regency in Kamala, I make my way into the spacious lobby and on requesting directions to the Sunset Grill, am advised that buggy transport will arrive shortly.
DeDos – Another decade of dining
DeDos – Another decade of dining
My daily routine begins with sinking into my favourite armchair, macchiato conveniently at my side, reconnecting to the world of online news, social media and print. Yes, to this day I still experience a sense of comforting familiarity when turning the pages of newsprint between my thumb and forefinger.
Sam’s Steaks & Grill @ Holiday Inn Resort
Sam’s Steaks & Grill @ Holiday Inn Resort
Sam’s Steaks and Grill is located in the Holiday Inn Resort, Phuket. As a former globetrotting corporate employee of Intercontinental Hotels Group, the parent company of the Holiday Inn brand, I have almost certainly stayed in more Holiday Inns than most and I am struggling to recall another that offers a premium steakhouse. Sam’s Steaks and Grill is probably unique.
PRU @ Trisara wins Phuket’s first Michelin star
PRU @ Trisara wins Phuket’s first Michelin star
At the glitzy Park Hyatt in Bangkok, the culinary cognoscenti gathered for the gastronomic event of the year; the launch of the 2019 Michelin Guide to Bangkok, Phuket and Phang-Nga.
La Trattoria at Dusit Thani Laguna relaunched
La Trattoria at Dusit Thani Laguna relaunched
’Mamma Mia” literally translated means ‘my mother’, however in Italian slang, it is an expression of exclamation and joy. As I am seated in the recently refurbished La Trattoria, I suspect I am about to enjoy truly authentic Italian cooking.
Sashimi at sunset - Hansha @ The Nai Harn
Sashimi at sunset - Hansha @ The Nai Harn
As I meander along the country lanes through Nai Harn I am reminded on this rather drizzly evening of my homeland, and the spectacular landscape that is the Mull of Kintyre. Arriving at The Nai Harn is an experience in itself; this historic lodging has been refurbished and sympathetically restored to its rightful place as a Phuket icon. Its heritage carefully preserved as a reminder of the golden age of hospitality, whilst also brought up-to-date.