Inspired by the region’s rich colonial history as a trade route, The Plantation Club’s culinary focus is to reinterpret classic Thai dishes while utilising 100% locally sourced ingredients. The menu exclusively features fresh produce grown only in The Pavilions’ gardens or by local farmers who grow their products ethically.
New additions include Sakon Nakhon wagyu tartar (diced wagyu in authentic northern Thai dressing, lotus root chips and grated duck yolk), moo ping (pork jowl on sugarcane sticks grilled live over burning coals), phed krapoa mi krob (12-hour slow-cooked duck leg with anise smoke and sous-vide duck egg drizzle) and kaeng run juan (shrimp paste sauce with tender Sakon Nakhon wagyu beef flank and fragrant beef broth).
The new dishes join staples such as geang poo bai chaplu (blue swimmer crab chargrilled and marinated with yellow Phuket curry and served with rice noodles and crispy bitter leaves), massaman neua (8-hour braised oxtail, charcoal-grilled wagyu beef flank, potato espuma, charred onions, garlic confit and baby carrots topped with a spicy massaman curry sauce) and coconut surprise (sticky rice, pandan sago, buffalo milk and mango ice cream and fresh seasonal fruits served with kaffir lime and coconut broth).
Guests can sample new additions and old favourites by choosing from the à la carte option or the four- and six-course tasting menus or embarking on the ‘Plantation Journey’ – a nine-course discovery of Thailand’s rich traditional cooking culture.
“We are always looking for new local products to feature on the menu,” explains Chef Rey, a dynamic New Zealander with nearly 20 years of experience in fine dining, including a stint at the award-winning Bracu in New Zealand. “Our own garden and farm is also developing and offering fresh seasonal produce, and through our ongoing relationships with our local farmers, we ensure our guests receive the freshest seasonal produce all year round, while also supporting sustainability within our community.”
Chef Rey’s method starts from understanding the culinary roots and culture of where he is, before sourcing the best local ingredients and combining traditional cooking practices with ultra-modern cooking techniques to prepare each dish. The resulting menu serves as a journey through eras and dynasties, uncovering forgotten flavours for guests to enjoy either indoors as a gentle ocean breeze cools them through French open windows or on the comfortable al fresco wooden deck overlooking the west coast of Phuket and the Andaman Sea.