Chef’s Signature Dishes – Autumn Season 2024

Has Phuket become South East Asia’s foodie paradise ?

By: Andrew McKenzie

Nothing defines a great holiday more than the food experience that comes with it. We take a tour around Phuket to seek out some high quality, and affordable, plates of food. We are particularly focused in this edition on the eclectic dining options available at the island’s premier shopping mall, Central Phuket.

Long recognised as a popular tourist destination due to its stunning beaches and sophisticated shopping, Phuket has also been making a name for itself in the culinary world. With a diverse range of restaurants offering both local Thai cuisine and international Michelin-standard plates, Phuket has become a haven for food enthusiasts.

Whether you’re seeking a street food adventure or an upscale fine-dining experience, Phuket has something to satisfy every palate.

 Some of the best Wagyu comes from the Japanese Black cow, renowned for its marbling and melt-in-your-mouth texture. Here at Su Va Na  the meat is expertly paired with Nasu Moro Miso, a rich and savoury eggplant miso sauce that adds depth and complexity to each bite. Enhancing this sublime dish are delicate touches of Kizame Wasabi, offering a subtle heat and fresh herbal notes that harmonise beautifully with the Wagyu’s richness. Completing this symphony of flavours is fermented tomato molasses, providing a hint of tanginess and sweetness that balances the umami richness of the dish.

Beverage companion:  I spotted a 2021 Chocolate Block, Boekenhoutskloof, Swartland, South Africa  on the list, which will do nicely. The tasting notes claimed this highly rated white had aromas of black cherries, cardamom, sweet tobacco, espresso, and subtle whiffs of perfume, which I think I recognised!

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Kaow Soi is a traditional Thai curry noodle soup dish, which combines creamy and spicy flavours and is generously topped with delightfully crunchy fried yellow noodles, giving textures and taste buds you’ll be thankful for. This particular version features tender and succulent braised beef as the star ingredient, adding a delightful depth and heartiness to the dish. To bring all the flavours together, the dish is garnished with salted cabbage, sliced shallots, and a squeeze of lime juice, which all help capture more subtleties in flavour. These elements provide a refreshing and zesty contrast to the richness of the curry and beef.

Beverage companion: We found a dry white Australian on the list, the 2019 Yarra Valley Chardonnay, which goes nicely with spicy Thai curries. Scented with fresh citrus and stone fruit, this wine has bright fruit on the palate, creamy texture and a clean finish.

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 These USA Cowboy Tacos  are a mouthwatering fusion of premium ground beef and Tex-Mex flair. Each taco is filled with succulent, slow-cooked ground beef and crisp lettuce, all topped with melted cheddar cheese. Finished off with zesty pico de gallo and nestled in a crispy corn tortilla, these tacos capture the spirit of cowboy cooking in every bite. Your taco plate is served with a choice of Mexican rice and beans, a fresh salad, or hot homemade tortilla chips. Perfect for lunch, dinner, or anytime you’re craving a taste of the American frontier. Yeehaw!

Beverage companion:  We recommend pairing this USA Cowboy Tacos  with an ice-cold Corona  beer for a truly refreshing combination. This golden-hued lager offers a smooth balance of mild malt sweetness and a hint of citrus.

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A Thai interpretation of a Vietnamese classic! Steamed Rice-Skin Dumplings, known as Bánh cuốn in Vietnam, are a recommended menu item at Lao Yuan Restaurant. This recipe actually originates from Nakhon Phanom Province, bordering Laos by the Mekong River. The thin batter is sticky and tender, wrapping stir-fried ground pork with spring onions and topped with fried garlic. The dish is served with Thai-style white pork sausage (Moo-Yor) and sweet spicy sauce. For an authentic taste, try the sauce as is, or squeeze some lime into it to create a fresh and tangy combination. This menu item is freshly cooked and served every day.

Beverage companion: Going by popular choice at the restaurant, most customers at Lao Yuan like pairing this dumplings dish with a bottle of ice cool Heineken beer. This combination enhances the flavours of both the beer and the food. The beer becomes smooth, rich, and easy to drink, allowing you to enjoy it with the fresh tasting dumplings.

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This classic Chinese dish is known for its rich flavours and tender, braised pork belly. It involves a considerable amount of preparation and cooking to achieve its succulent texture. After blanching the meat, and preparing the aromatics, the pork is seared in a hot Dutch oven to render its fat and add flavour. Once the aromatics, including ginger, are added to the oven the cooking surface is deglazed with Shaoxing wine, soy sauce (light and dark) and some rock sugar, topped up with enough water to cover the meat. It is then gently simmered for 2 to 3 hours: Sensational

Beverage companion: With an aromatic pork dish, we suggest a robust dry red. They have a Rumours Cabernet Sauvignon from South East Australia which will do the trick. Plum and honey pervade on the palate.

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  The word ‘curry’ originates from the Tamil word ‘kari’, which means a dish prepared with a spicy sauce and eaten with rice. The word was popularised by the British, during their colonial rule of India. The Thai word for curry is ‘gaeng’, and in addition to specialty recipes, such as Massaman  and Panang , curry dishes tend to be named after the colour of the curry paste used in the recipe: green, red or yellow. In this case we have a red curry dish with roasted duck pieces, with the red arriving from the use of red chillies in the curry paste. The liquid base of the curry is coconut milk and the dish is flavoured with pineapple, grape, lychee, kaffir lime and sweet Thai basil leaves.

Beverage companion:  For many the go-to wine for aromatic Thai curries is Riesling and at SILK  the Gunderloch 2013 Riesling  is on the list – THE best year for this wine. The slightly tart finish balances the red curries’ rich blend of flavours.

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 This classic seafaring dish from northern France, pairs a humble ingredient, mussels, with an abundant commodity in France, white wine; although in parts of Brittany you’ll find apple cider used. At Rock Salt,  Chef Mark Jones sources his mollusks from Port Phillip Bay in Australia. After sautéing finely chopped shallots and garlic, the mussels are added and cooked for 3 to 5 minutes in white wine, at which point they should all have opened. The sauce is created by adding sour cream and reducing the liquid until emulsified. Moules Marinière is accompanied with French Fries, a garlic Aioli and garnished with lots of chopped parsley.

Beverage companion:  Chef Mark tells me he puts this dish on the menu because he wants to provide food which goes with super high-quality rosé wine, which his restaurant offers. So let’s not muck about, go straight to Côtes de Provence Rosé and the Whispering Angel AOP ;  silvery pink, dry and elegant.

  It is commonly believed that to enjoy a tender steak in Phuket you have to look for imported Aussie or Kiwi beef. This is not the case anymore. When you see ‘Jasmine Wagyu’ on a menu you know it is Thai beef, reared by farmers in the northeast of the country, where cattle are fed with rice bran and broken-milled rice, to produce highly marbled Wagyu meat. Here, at the aptly named Wagyu Steak House in Surin, they serve a signature dish called “Josper” Jasmine Tenderloin , which has a top-of-the-range MBS marbling score of 10. Chef Khanitta expertly grills the meat in the oven, to the precise level of doneness required, serving it with spring carrots, asparagus, truffle mash and classic Bordelaise sauce.

Beverage companion:  There is an Italian Chianti on the list, which is wonderful with this steak. Unusually for the Classico region, this wine is based on white grapes and is the first red to be aged in barriques. Look for the Tignanello, medium-bodied with fine tannins, with mushroom, cherry stone and blackberry notes

‘Ceviche’ is a Latin American culinary style where fresh raw fish, or seafood, is cured in freshly squeezed citrus juices, usually lemon or lime. The acidity in the citrus denatures the proteins, effectively ‘cooking’ the seafood ingredients without heat. This dish at Casa Boho is quite complicated, focusing on Coral Grouper fish, and involving many other ingredients, from the preparation of the fish stock, right through to the edible flower garnishes; the bright yellow sauce alone involves 17 ingredients. This refreshing tangy plate is served chilled, and has eye-catching bright red portions of salmon roe as part of the garnish.

Beverage companion: The goal here is to compliment the dish’s fresh, spicy flavours. Typically a Sauvignon Blanc works, but I noticed a White Sangria cocktail on their list, which combines SB wine with peach, lemonade, Osmanthus and citrus.

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Signature Caponata

ALTO Italian Restaurant – Layan, Central west beaches

 The wonderful Sicilian Caponata  is packed with the flavours of southern Italy, a classic comfort food for the locals. Experience it here at ALTO  and you’ll find the chefs have masterfully reimagined the traditional recipe, creating a signature rendition that respects the dish’s origins, while introducing a distinctive twist. With its blend of eggplant, celery, and a sweet-and-sour sauce, this Caponata  is enhanced by ALTO’s  house-made burrata cream and a lively green sauce. Furthermore, the creamy burrata and herbaceous green sauce complement the complex flavours of the Caponata , creating a harmonious balance of textures and tastes. Served with toasted ciabatta and tomatoes.

Beverage companion:  The Signature Caponata  pairs best with Nero d’Avola , a Sicilian red wine with deep, fruity styles ranging from easy-drinking to complex and age-worthy. Nero d’Avola’s  rich dark fruit, well-structured body and balanced tartness makes it an ideal food-friendly choice for this dish.

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‘Woonsen’ is a Thai word for glass noodles, also known as cellophane noodles, Mung bean vermicelli or Mung bean threads. The dried noodles need soaking until soft, then it takes only 10-20 seconds to cook in boiling water. Yum Woonsen is thought of as a drinking food or amuse-bouche in Thailand, but often as a diet meal as well, because of the low-carb but filling quality of the noodles. It is usually made spicy and sour with fresh lime juice. You can choose to use any protein, meat or seafood, for added umami flavour. Chef Pui, a ‘Cordon Bleu’ trained cook in Royal Thai Cuisine, focuses on teaching individuals and small groups the wonders of Thai cuisine from her BrassWok studio near to the Heroines Monument.

Beverage companion: Look to order a tall glass of cold Cha Yen, which is Thai iced tea. Sweet, creamy and slightly spiced, the rich, creamy flavours help to balance the spiciness and acidity of the Yum Woonsen, providing a cooling contrast.

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 The tropical fruit most synonymous with Phuket, also begins with a ‘P’, it is Pineapple of course, which the locals call ‘yanad’. Here at Isole , Chef Rach uses the fruit as the star in a salad, with lobster providing extra glamour. Also featured is another Phuket specialty, a fermented fish sauce called Budu. Budu  is an anchovies based sauce and one of the best known fermented seafood products in Southeast Asia. It is traditionally made by mixing anchovies with salt and allowing the mix to ferment for 140 to 200 days. It is used as a flavouring and is normally eaten with fish, rice, and raw vegetables. The dish is served with a tangy lemongrass sorbet… for a true taste of Phuket you must try this!

Beverage companion:  We are looking for a white which can balance the richness of the lobster and sweetness of the pineapple. There are some nice wines by the glass at Isole , and I’ve gone for the Pinot Grigio delle Venezie;  light enough not to overwhelm this delicate dish.