PRU

Jim Ophorst
Chef de Cuisine of PRU

Jim Ophorst, Chef de Cuisine of PRU Restaurant, the first and only Michelin-starred restaurant in Phuket, situated in Trisara, is touted as an “inspiring voice of change” for elevating the “Ecosystem Based Culinary” movement in Thailand. Chef Jimmy, 30, is originally from the Netherlands and is renowned for his imaginative cooking style and innovative techniques. In 2012, Chef Jim joined Montara’s Trisara, where his raw talent and conviction inspired the conception of PRU in 2016. He is a two-time semi-finalist for S. Pellegrino’s annual Young Chefs Award in 2016 and 2017.

Jimmy is from Honselersdijk in the Netherlands, where he began his career at Hotel Beach Elzenduin, a renowned restaurant that received high acclaim from the influential restaurant guide Gault Millau.

Jimmy arrived in Thailand in October 2012 to launch Trisara’s signature restaurant Seafood, which since its opening has received numerous awards and accolades.

In 2014, he had the opportunity to work at Bangkok’s famed Gaggan. After that he returned to Trisara and continued his specialist in cuisine; 2016 was the year PRU was born.

PRU’s culinary concept “Plant, Raise, Understand” stems from Chef Jimmy and his team’s close relationship with local suppliers and farmers, as well as the opportunities to forage and discover new ingredients from the restaurant’s own farm “Pru Jampa”. The farm neighbours beautiful lakes whose banks are home to various local plants, herbs, organic vegetable gardens, free-range chickens and ducks.

“I’m excited to discover new ingredients all the time because it pushes my creative boundaries,” said Chef Jimmy. “My ultimate goal is to create a 100% locally sourced menu. To cook something great, you need great products from great farmers. Great farmers are from strong communities. So, at PRU, we don’t want to be just a kitchen. We want to strengthen the local farmer community. This will yield better ingredients for better dishes at PRU. At the end, it is all about the happiness in every angle - from the farmers, to the restaurant team, to the guests at our tables”, added Chef Jimmy.