Foodies Asia (en)For "foodies" who are particular about food.

 

In the 2019 Thai edition of the Michelin Guide, which includes restaurants outside of Bangkok, “PRU” in Phuket was the only restaurant to receive one star and is now receiving attention.

As the main dining restaurant at the six-star resort “Trisara,” it is a rising talent that represents the future of “regional gastronomy” in Asia.

Average budget: Dinner 200-300 USD / “Michelin Guide Phuket 2021” 1 star.

 

 

Phuket’s first Michelin-starred restaurant is organic and innovative

The restaurant at Trisara, the most renowned luxury resort on the northwestern coast of Phuket, is called PRU.

Their concept is “farm-to-table”. While this may not be a novel stance these days, their thoroughness is notable.

After all, the name of the restaurant is said to be an abbreviation of the words “Plant, Raise, Understand”.

They have created their own farm and are said to be cultivating not only organic vegetables, edible flowers, and herbs, but also mushrooms and free-range chickens.

Their innovative courses are made almost entirely from locally sourced ingredients, with a focus on ingredients from their own garden, which is their real specialty.

 

Additionally, the restaurant’s exceptional environment, isolated from the daily routine, is worth mentioning.

Please find below the translation:

The “TRISARA” where “PRU” is located is situated in the northwest part of Phuket Island.

Completely different from the typical tourist areas of Phuket such as Phuket Town and Patong Beach, it stands in a quiet cove surrounded by a cape.

It is about a 20-minute drive from Phuket Airport. If you go by taxi, you will first be taken to the hotel entrance.

As the resort only offers villa types, staff will take you to the restaurant by cart from there.

By the way, in addition to “PRU”, there is another dining option called “Seafood at Trisara” at Trisara, which faces the beach.

This is a sophisticated type of Thai home cooking that utilizes the flavors of a mother’s cooking.

Like “PRU”, it also received the “Michelin Plate” in the 2019 Thai edition of the Michelin guide. If you have the chance, it would be interesting to try and compare the two.

 

The menu at ‘PRU’ is basically comprised of two types of courses.

The “8 Courses Seasonally Inspired” costs 5,500 Thai Baht , and the “6 Courses Seasonally Inspired” costs 4,500 Thai Baht.

Optional “wagyu” can be added to each course for the main meat dish.

There are also wine pairing courses available, with regular options ranging from 3,500 Thai Baht to premium options starting at 7,000 Thai Baht.

We toasted with one of the signature cocktails, “Mulberry,” as wine is not commonly consumed in Thailand.

We decided to try the “6 Courses” menu with the option of adding “Wagyu Beef.

The restaurant’s concept was evident from the first dish, an amuse-bouche that included “Beets with Caviar,” “Beans with Potatoes,” and “Burdock Root.”

Even the butter was exquisite, made with natural ingredients and mixed with sesame and black olive oil.

We could have eaten this butter all night, but we were only at the beginning of our meal.

 

Appetizers showcasing seasonal ingredients in a trilogy

Next up, we have three appetizers that could be aptly named the “trilogy of soups,” highlighting the season’s freshest ingredients.

Almost all tomato. I don’t know how many types are used, but the red flakes scattered around are also tomato, and the sorbet is made from glutamic acid in tomato.

The green gazpacho is a mix of cucumber and tomato.

 

“Found in the Mangroves in Phang Nga”

“Black Crab, Phuket Coffee”.

In Japan, it’s called “Nokogiri Gazami”. It’s covered in coconut and served with Phuket coffee sauce.

The richness of the crab miso hiding inside is amazing!

I had it for the first time, and I think black crab, which is a type of freshwater crab and considered a delicacy in Japan, is an amazing ingredient.

 

”Salted egg from Chai Ya”

“pickled and served with Phuket Abalone”.

Pickled vegetables, smoked egg, and the main dish is Phuket abalone.

Although I called it the “soup trilogy”, it’s more of a sensation of eating in a broth rather than a sauce.

The intention to fully utilize the umami flavors extracted from the ingredients is clearly evident.

 

Experience the essence of farm-to-table cuisine

For the second half of the meal, I had the cocktail “Cucumber.”

It’s a cucumber. It cools down your body and refreshes your mouth. And here is the signature dish they served

 

“Carrot cooked in the soil they came from”

At first, I wasn’t sure what it was, but it turned out to be carrot cooked for over six hours at a low temperature, using the soil it came from.

To be honest, my first impression was that it lacked flair, but as soon as I put it in my mouth, it melted away. What is this sweetness!

This is perhaps the first time I’ve eaten a vegetable that rivals a turnip, which is the specialty dish “Observation Station” at L’Effervescence.

 

“Caught in the Rivers in Surat Thani.”

「River Prawn and XO sauce」. River prawn, or rather river lobster, with special XO sauce.

The XO sauce has a rich umami flavor reminiscent of squid ink, and matches well with the lightness of the prawn.

While I mentioned “juice” instead of “sauce” for the appetizer, for the main dish, it has moved to a proper sauce and creates a strong impression.

 

“Roaming the Mountain in Petchhabun”

「Aged Duck and Shiitake」.

So far, the ingredients have been from the southern part of Thailand and the Malay Peninsula, but the meat is from the northern part of Thailand. It’s a perfectly aged duck. It’s a classic dish.

The side dish is a beautiful object with shiitake mushrooms as the main ingredient.

 

“Wagyu Beef from Nakon Phanom”

I was curious about what kind of Wagyu beef they have in this restaurant, so I ordered the Wagyu beef option (at an additional cost).

The beef was also produced in Thailand and was from the Nakhon Phanom region, located in the northeast near the Laos border.

Personally, I prefer Thai-bred Wagyu beef because the frost is not too harsh, but I was surprised to see how high-quality the highest-grade beef could be.

 

Dessert is also a three-part affair:

A lemon granita to cleanse the palate,

ginger ice cream to soothe the cheeks,

and a local sweet incorporating Phuket-grown pineapples and other locally sourced ingredients to round out the meal.

 

Course Summary

While the main meat dishes used ingredients from the northern region, seafood from the southern region was used, and vegetables were mostly from the restaurant’s own farm.

I think it’s rare for a high-end restaurant to practice the “farm-to-table” concept to this extent, which is a new form of local consumption.

Thinking about it, it might have been a good idea to choose cocktails instead of wine.

In addition to the “Mulberry” and “Cucumber” cocktails we ordered this time, there are also signature cocktails such as “Cha-Thai” using Thai tea and “Carrott & Ginger”.

All of them are organic and natural, and are made mainly from vegetables and fruits grown using biodynamic farming methods in the restaurant’s own garden.

 

Attention to the 29-year-old chef

The chef leading “PRU” was born in the Netherlands in 1990, named Jim Ophorst.

He was selected to become the chef of this restaurant when he was 26 years old while working at “GAGGAN”.

It is clear that his cuisine is based on modern presentation and innovative ideas.

Starting from this point, his stance of pursuing organic and ecological expressions instead of molecular cuisine can be said to share a common sense with fellow disciple of “GAGGAN”, “GAA” and others.

 

Could it be the existence that holds the future of local Asian gastronomy?

It goes without saying that the level of restaurants in Asian cities has been increasing, but it can still be said that smaller cities are still developing.

There may be sudden mutations like “AKAME” in Pingtung, Taiwan, but in terms of creativity, areas that can compete internationally are probably only Bali, which boasts “Locavore” and “Cuca Restaurant.”

With the attention garnered by “PRU,” if Phuket in Thailand can also rise, I feel that it could become a catalyst that will make local Asian areas even more interesting from now on.

For example, one package that personally catches my interest is called the “Food Sourcing and Culinary Journey” package.

You go on a cruise to go fishing or snorkeling, and the fish you catch is filleted by the chef onboard and made into Thai cuisine.

The next day, you go with the chef to Phuket Town to obtain local ingredients. You learn traditional Thai cuisine with the guidance of locals while there.

At night, you have a seafood barbecue at the villa.

On the final day, you harvest herbs and eggs from the farm. You conclude with enjoying creative course dishes made by Chef Jim Ophorst.

Unique culinary experiences like this can be difficult to experience in cities.

 

How to Reserve

You can make a reservation from the official website.

 

Map &Access

 

 

 

 

If you’re looking for Michelin-starred and Bib Gourmand restaurants in Phuket, we recommend this article.▽

 

If you’re looking for the top restaurants in Phuket Island, we recommend this article.▽