Phuket Restaurant Directory, Dining and After Dinner Entertainment Guide

‘The discovery of a new and outstanding dining venue where one can savour exquisite traditional Thai cuisine and admire some history and culture of Phuket in a setting of unsurpassed ambiance is a not-to-be-missed experience. Top it off with the fact that the chef responsible for the food and owner of the restaurant is none other than Chef Nooror Somany Steppé, founder of the Blue Elephant group, and the table is set for a fine gourmet evening.

The newly opened Blue Elephant Governor Mansion Phuket Cooking School & Restaurant is the 13th restaurant in the Blue Elephant Group chain. Located in a landmark elegant mansion of Sino-Portuguese architecture that was built in 1903 and once was the governor of Phuket’s home, a meal offers not only dishes created by a HAPA (Hospitality Asia Platinum Awards 2008-2010) for ‘One of the Most Creative Chefs in Asia’ winner, but an insight into the architecture and décor of the times.

The heart of any fine dining experience is the elaborate dishes elegantly displayed and subtly and exquisitely spiced. The Royal Thai Banquet includes an array of starters, soups, main courses and desserts, which range in degrees of spiciness and represent an innovative approach to Thai cooking with a spectrum of recipes from the past and present with a look to the future.

Starters in the menu include Chor Muang, a steamed flower shaped dumpling, Doi Kham Salad, a purple eggplant salad with grilled scallops, Labb Salmon, a salmon tartar and Black Chicken Crispy Spring Rolls. The enticing soups include a choice of Tom Kha Kai Black Chicken, a soup of coconut milk and galangal and the Tom Klong Wild Red Sea Bass, a spicy and sour soup.

The main courses also offer a tantalizing variety of seafood and meats that are well prepared. Nooror’s Massaman Lamb is a coconut milk curry of lamb, potatoes, peanuts and cashew nuts as described in a poem by King Rama II in the 19th century. Mains also include Duck with Tamarind Sauce, Black Chicken Green Curry, Phad Sator Koong, prawns with parkia in shrimp paste and Bamboo Fish, Parrot fish cooked in a bamboo case.

Exceptional Thai dishes created and revitalized by Chef Nooror and served in a stunning historical building with outstanding hospitality and professional service, make the Blue Elephant a choice and not-to-be-missed restaurant on any discerning diner’s list.