Isole Restaurant in Kamala tours the islands and flavours of the Mediterranean and Andaman Seas on a journey of taste and ambiance
By: Andrew MacKenzie
Quietly located on Phuket’s west coast oceanfront, wedged between the luxury expat powerhouses of Surin / Bangtao and the party scene of Patong, is aspiring Kamala, boasting: Cafe Del Mar, Millionaire’s Mile, and Isole. After winding your way around the hilltop heights Phuket is famous for, you’ll find the Cape Sienna Hotel, the home of Isole.
Any visit to Isole, which is the Italian word for ‘islands’, must be preceded with cocktails on the roof at Vanilla Sky. The location is stunning. On a small quiet road, you walk up to the hotel entrance and take the external blue-glass elevator into the sky. Here you enjoy stunning unobstructed views of the coast. Once you arrive at Vanilla Sky, no matter where you stand in the sky bar, you can see the pristine Andaman Sea, uninhibited by anything. Going for sunset is the best idea as Vanilla Sky offers a meaningful ‘happy hour’ at this time of day. Sky bars are particularly trendy in Bangkok, Phuket generally lacks tall enough buildings, but Vanilla Sky pulls it off.
After the sun has set, ease your way downstairs to Isole and to one of the sunken seats for a romantic night out; advance reservations are essential. Here you dine at eye level to an infinity pool which leads perfectly into the horizon, surrounded by a peaceful pond, which adds a touch of sophistication that earns brownie points on date night.
The menu has an abundance of excellent options. Isole taps into its name, offering both the flavours of Phuket and the taste of the Mediterranean. Not in some sort of fusion blend but instead the traditional dishes. From Tom Kha – a traditional Southern Thai soup, made to match fine dining and served in a coconut with their top-ofthe- range scallops, to their Italian Polpo alla Griglia, a sophisticated grilled octopus dish with a squid ink velote, there is something for everyone on their 2025 new menu.
SCALLOP CRUDO
A masterclass in minimalism and refinement, offering diners a taste of the ocean in its purest form. Raw Hokkaido scallops are accompanied with torched strawberries, fresh Japanese cucumber and a strawberry sauce and cucumber sorbet. It’s a dish that feels both luxurious and light, a perfect start to the Isole experience.
MEE SAPAM
Inspired by the homestyle origins of Phuket Mee Sapam, this dish uses seafood to make the noodles, which are then wok-stir-fried with black pepper soy sauce, shrimp, squid, black mussels, fried onions, bok choy and topped with a poached egg. This is comfort food in Thailand and often referred to as ‘pot noodles.
TOM KRONG
A sour and spicy smoked dry fish consommé served with crispy fried Andaman Tang’s snapper fillet, tomato cherry confit, grilled mushroom and cilantro. This dish reflects Thai cuisine’s brilliance of balancing its full spectrum of flavours: spicy, sour, salty and savoury, all in one single bowl of food.
DRY AGED JOHN FISH
The ‘dry-aging’ process lasts anywhere from five to ten days, it concentrates the fish’s natural flavours and imparts a buttery richness. Instead of John Dory fish, the chef uses Andaman Sea John Snapper served with job’s tears (a barley-like grain), seaweed, lime zest, basil oil and a green apple sauce.
ARAGOSTA DI PHUKET
Grilled native lobster from the Andaman Sea, served with barley rice, sea grapes, fennel cream, citrus lobster sauce and lobster foam. Creating the foam is a core skill of every fine dining chef. It is achieved by absorbing soy lecithin into the lobster broth, and then with a blender on the broth’s surface whisking in air to create the foam.
DRY AGED DUCK
Certainly the most colourful plate on the Isole menu, the Grilled Dry Aged Thai barbary duck is cooked to pink perfection, and served with a striking beetroot puree, seared broccoli, fresh orange, duck chips and duck jus. The ‘dry ageing’ intensifies the natural flavours of the meat whilst improving its texture and tenderness.
POLPO ALLA GRIGLIA
A Mediterranean classic, Grilled Octopus, served with squid ink velote, romesco sauce, crispy smashed baby potatoes and fried capers. A humble seafood dish transformed into a dish of exquisite simplicity and sophistication, offering a smoky aroma, tender textures and vibrant flavours.
SHORT RIBS
‘Short ribs’ are from the lower rib cage of a cow, specifically where the ribs meet the breastplate of the animal. This Braised Australian Angus Beef Short Ribs dish has a rich smoky flavour and is served with burnt leek, onion jam, seared broccoli, beef jus chips and a jus de moelle osseuse sauce.
A cooking genre closely associated with island beachlife is of course the BBQ. In Italy, ‘grigliata’ is the word associated with grilling food over coals, and at Isole there is an appetite-busting selection of grilled sharing boards
GRIGLIATA DI PESCE
Prawns, slipper lobster, scallops, squids, swordfish and salmon fillet.
GRIGLIATA DI CARNE
Australian lamb rack, duck breast, a whole chicken, Iberico pork collar presa and a Black Angus beef tenderloin.
GRIGLIATA MARE E MONTI
Tiger prawns, slipper lobster, squids, Australian lamb rack, duck breast and Iberico pork collar presa,
All items on the sharing boards are grilled to your specification and served with a flight of four in-house made sauces and Mediterranean aromatic butter.
That is all the menu-hopping we have time for in this visit to Isole. I can recommend, particularly for a romantic night out, you find time to visit Kamala because this place has the views, the quality, and if you love Thai and Mediterranean food, will provide you with a heavenly experience