PLUM Prime Steakhouse

Normally I´d sit inside in the air-conditioning, that´s my thing, but here it was so enticing on the balcony that I broke my habit and sat outside. Wow! What a view! Without a doubt Plum must be one of the best locations on Phuket to dine and view the sunset - a mesmerizing, uninterrupted, view that lasts for around 30 minutes as the sun sets. After that, it´s over to the stars and the gentle slap of the waves below throughout the rest of the evening. That and the background music - on this occasion Enya´s Orinoco Flow switching into some light Spanish guitar making for a perfect match.

Funny the things that make an impression, such as the table napkins folded to resemble a formal shirt and the menus on iPads. This certainly worked for us, being able to scroll from starters through soups, to mains and onwards to the desserts, enlarging each dish´s photo to full screen as we went.

With recommendations from Chef Francesco, we choose Lobster Bisque with its extra-large portions of lobster and a Beef Carpaccio with fresh arugula and Grana Padano cheese shaves as starters. Interesting to note that the beef used in the carpaccio is the less fatty grass-fed (as opposed to grain-fed) Wagyu beef.

We went for wines by the glass, my partner choosing a Merlot while I went for a light refreshing rosé. Unusually, there was an extensive selection of other wines, including sparkling wines, available by the glass. This is something more restaurants should take note of; I may want to start with a rosé, my companion a glass of white; we may both want to move onto heavier, but different, reds for main course. Increasingly, this is going to be factor in choosing where to eat...

For our main course, we chose a shared dish Grigliata mista alla casteddaia with snow fish, barramundi, squid, rock lobster and blue swimmer crab, all flavoured with Cagliari's herbed brine and served with grilled vegetables and a selection of five dipping sauces. We had a slight problem: either the table was too small for the seafood plate or the plate was too big for the table. I think the latter!

We were handed icy cold towels scented with lemon grass to freshen up when we had finished our main course as well as much-appreciated finger bowls of lemon water.

For desserts Chef Francesco chose for us Chocolate and hazelnut lava cake with Bronte´s pistachio ice cream and Plum´s Tiramisu, their own interpretation of this all-time favourite. Rather than coffee we opted for a couple of cocktails, both going for the Passion fruit Mojito.

Our evening at Plum was enjoyable from start to finish. The location, the views, the impeccable service and the exquisitely-prepared and well-presented meals. It was all there. Perfection is rarely if ever achieved. Plum comes as close as any. I´ll be back.