Phuket Offers More Than Sun, Sea and Kate Moss: Richard Vines

By Richard Vines

Jan. 11 (Bloomberg) -- Roadside blue-and-white signs pointing out the ``Tsunami Escape Route'' are the most striking reminders of the deadly wave that engulfed parts of Phuket two years ago.

Elsewhere, the Thai island combines the natural beauty I first witnessed almost a quarter of a century ago with a level of development that was unimaginable in 1983. Back then, my favorite dish was sweet-and-sour shark, in a hut on Nai Harn. That once- isolated beach is now home to Le Royal Meridien Phuket Yacht Club.

Kate Moss was staying on Phuket when I visited over the holidays. Our paths didn't cross, so I contented myself with exploring dining opportunities. Here are some good places to try.

Watermark occupies a great site in the Phuket Boat Lagoon, on the east coast. A breeze blows in across the water as you look out to the moored boats and sample cocktails such as a watermelon martini or a Moscow mule with fresh limes, ginger and mint.

Moet & Chandon champagne is 4,250 baht ($119), which dwarfs the amount you'll pay for food. The bar's happy hour, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. each day, is particularly popular.

The menu is eclectic, including Mediterranean dishes and options from around Asia as well as contemporary Thai cuisine. The cooking is as good as any I tasted on Phuket, where the abundance of fresh fish means you can eat well even in tourist hangouts.

The highlight of the meal was a generous serving of Ahi tuna on a tower of avocado, pumpkin and papaya with a wasabi lime vinaigrette. The fish was barely seared, its freshness and flavor complemented by the fruity accompaniment and the citrus dressing. It was a lovely dish for a warm day.

500 Bottles

Other options included a starter of tasty blue crab cakes, with pomelo, apple & cucumber salad in a red-curry dressing; black crabs cracked and wok-fried with black pepper; and grilled three- peppercorn pork noisettes served with apple-cinnamon mashed potato and buttered cabbage. Desserts include mango with sticky rice.

Lunch for two, excluding drinks, was about 2,500 baht, or $70. While expensive for Thailand, that's a bargain for high- quality ingredients prepared with such assurance and imagination.

Mom Tri's Boathouse is another venue with a great location, on a terrace overlooking Kata beach, on the southwest coast.

The restaurant's main claim to fame is its wine list -- offering more than 500 options -- which in 2006 earned Wine Spectator's top award in Thailand. Almost 30 wines are available by the glass and Gosset champagne is 4,200 baht a bottle. Service is charming and efficient, with orders promptly taken and glasses efficiently refilled. It's a beautiful place for a lengthy meal.

Usual Suspects

Unfortunately, the menu -- offering Thai and Western options -- is too long and unfocused. Some dishes were good, for example the gazpacho was nicely seasoned. Others, including something as simple as a child's spaghetti with tomato sauce, appeared to have been reheated. Rock lobster fettuccine (380 baht) was unenticing.

For all its length, the menu is unadventurous, featuring Asian favorites such as phad thai and nasi goreng, Western dishes such as lamb chops and steak and the usual desserts of apple pie, creme brulee and tiramisu. The food isn't bad. It's just not a match for the ambience or the wine list.

Even so, I'd be delighted to return. The Boathouse is charming and welcomes families. Lunch for three adults and a child, excluding drinks, came to about 3,650 baht.

It's a world away from Bangkok, where bombings on New Year's Eve added a note of menace to the everyday frenzy. The capital is 80 minutes away by air, and there are also direct flights to London and other European destinations.

Rockfish Restaurant and Bar is in a converted house on Phuket's Kamala beachfront. It's very cool, both in terms of style (ethnic-funky decor, good-looking staff) and the breeze that blows in off the Andaman Sea. There's a good cocktail list. I passed on a Lady Boy and enjoyed the Red Light District (vodka, fresh apple and watermelon martini.)

Tasty Tuptim

The Asian fusion menu is inventive and the preparation and presentation would be a match for the kind of thing you might find in London, where I do most of my dining. A starter of seared white prawn and avocado tart with spicy tomato relish, basil pesto and watercress served with a balsamic dressing looked great on a white triangular plate. The flavors were well balanced.

Mains included steamed whole tuptim -- a freshwater fish -- with garlic, ginger and chili served with wok-fried vegetables and jasmine rice. The meaty fish almost fell off the bone and was delicious. Grain-fed South Australian beef tenderloin came with a good bearnaise sauce. Grilled duck breast in red curry was served with red grapes and pineapple and rice.

With starters at 300 baht and mains at 600, Rockfish is reasonably priced and well worth a visit, though there were shortcomings on the night I dined there. The staff appeared untrained and it took 25 minutes and repeated requests to get our first drinks, one of the great crimes of restaurant service.

Also, I can't understand for whose benefit house music was playing loudly all night, though the staff seemed to be enjoying it. Rockfish stages parties every Sunday featuring ``deep, sexy, funky house beats.''

Watermark, Phuket Boat Lagoon, 22/1 Moo 2 Thepkasattri Road, Koh Kaew, Phuket 83000. Tel. +66-76-239730 or go to http://www.watermarkphuket.com/index.html . Mom Tri's Boathouse, Kata Beach, Phuket 83100. Tel. +66-76-330015-7 or go to http://www.boathousephuket.com/ . Rockfish, 33/6 Kamala Beach Road, Phuket 83120. Tel. +66-76-279732 or go to http://www.rockfishrestaurant.com/index.htm .

(Richard Vines is London food critic for Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are his own.)

To contact the reporter on this story: Richard Vines in London at rvines@bloomberg.net .

Last Updated: January 10, 2007 12:25 EST