Oceanside Dining on the South Coast

If it were possible to ask an AI application to name the most complete oceanside dining venue in Phuket it would surely come up with COSMO, overlooking Nai Harn beach

By Roger Osbourne

Phuket has any number of ground level oceanside eating establishments but very few that have raised positions, commanding a close-up, all encompassing view of an entire bay, luxury yachts at anchor, an island and a popular beach.

COSMO , located on what many would pick as the best beach in Phuket, has the full deck of views. I had occasion to sample the new menu and it has to be said that Executive Chef Mark Jones’  cosmopolitan cooking skills were totally consistent with the restaurants’ natural attributes…just brilliant.

A bit about the location first. Nai Harn could be termed a ‘medium-sized’ beach, not the sweeping huge sand stretches of Bang Tao or Karon, yet not as tiny as the baby beaches, such as Banana or Laemsingh. What sets Nai Harn apart is nature. It doesn’t have buildings and busy roads cramping its style, rather pine trees and coconut palms providing natural shade from the tropical sun. The bay itself has a narrow horseshoe shape, and with Ko Man island offering relief from off-shore currents, Nai Harn is a safe beach for swimming. Underwater, just off both wings of the sands, are rocks and corals, perfect for lazy snorkelling.

At the north western end of the beach, below the stepped white-washed bedrooms of The Nai Harn Resort, you’ll find COSMO . To categorise this restaurant it would be fair to say it has a brasserie / bistro atmosphere. The tables are not crammed in, there is plenty of space to move around and guests have a variety of seating arrangements to choose from, including sofas with comfy cushions. But, regardless of what’s inside the restaurant, the most discernible feature is its 60 metres of ocean facing views. No windows or blinds, you are open to the breeze, and given its elevation the breeze is sufficient, any time of the day, to be comfortable without air conditioning.

I was part of a group of six and we arrived for lunch at 2pm on a gorgeous February day. It didn’t take much persuading, so we all ordered cocktails. My choice was the Blushing Monarch, a bright red/pink concoction with gin, Campari, passion fruit juice and triple sec. It was created by Salim Khoury , the legendary head barman of the American Bar at the Savoy in London, it actually won him ‘UK Barman of the Year 1992’.

I asked our waitress why the connection to Mr. Khoury, famous in London but out here on the other side of the world? She proudly explained that prior to COVID, Khun Salim (as he was called in Thailand), utilised much of his retirement time to join the team at COSMO as guest barman. Sadly no longer with us, Salim not only left his mark at the Savoy, he is also part of COSMO’s DNA.

It was time to eat, so rather than go for individual starters and mains we decided to order a bunch of appetisers the six of us could share, (with a few mains that certain individuals in the group insisted on!). Before ordering we were tipped off that the chef recently installed a smokehouse, which meant the Classic Smoked Salmon was first on our list. It didn’t disappoint, neither did the Prosciutto Ham, with a crumble of goat’s cheese, Brittany Sardines, Puglia Burrata Cheese, with Chang Mai pumpkin and Okinawa Scallops. Stolen from the main course list, my companions added Gambas al Ajillo (sizzling when it arrived) and the Plancha Grilled Yellowtail Tuna, which came with a jalapeno kick. All the while we were grazing, our bread basket was being kept full by the attentive staff, along with the very tasty dips of olive oil, balsamic, hummus and sun-dried tomatoes.

For wine, rather than asking for the list I noticed out of the corner of my eye a wine trolley, which I beckoned over. Our waitress shook her head, and full of giggles told me it wasn’t a wine trolley (stupid!) It was a Grappa trolley. What? Grappa, on a trolley? Yes, she was right, they have over thirty different labels of the Italian digestif, which is made by distilling the leftover compost from the grape pressing. I’ve never seen a Grappa trolley before!

Embarrassingly, I took the wine list and I eventually ordered a bottle of Petit Chablis, Whispering Angel Côte de Provence and a Pinot Noir from Monterey, California. Much to the annoyance of my companions, it took a while to choose the wines, given the huge choice on the list. They even had what is called ‘Verticals’, which you rarely see these days. Here a single label is offered, but with a choice of different vintages. COSMO had an Italian red, the Barolo DOCG, which was available in its 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017 and 2018 form.

Another special feature on the wine list was a selection of ‘grower’ labels from Champagne. This is where a winemaker, usually a smaller family business, cultivates the vineyards, harvests the fruit and produces the wines. The larger brands, producing great volumes of wine, such as Moet & Chandon, have to import the grapes, rather than their smaller ‘grower’ cousins, who do everything in house. I also noticed some ‘low intervention wines’, a growing trend where artisan producers are using only natural processes to make their plonk.

Towards the end of the meal, as our freshly churned homemade gelatos and Thai Tea fudge was leaving the kitchen, Chef Jones joined us to explain the ethos behind his new menu. First off, to say this is a new menu is not the full story, because his priority is to use the freshest of fresh ingredients at all times, which means the menu is constantly changing with the seasons; we had just experienced the ‘summer’ selection. Having been classically trained in Europe, Mark uses his experience to deliver western plates, which you would expect to find in a top restaurant in Europe, but with some Thai flair. Along with a substantial selection of Thai staples, when Mark can get hold of the ingredients he grew up with, he will do so and serve them in COSMO; as the Brittany Sardines bear testament to.

All good things must come to an end, and in our case, such as our enjoyment of great food, wine and company, the end included a Nai Harn sunset at 6pm; priceless. In summary, whilst this restaurant is relaxed and modern in atmosphere there was something very traditional about it. I saw dining practices and standards here which have all too often been forgotten in this mad world we live in. Such as linen tablecloths, above bouncy under cloths, giving the table surface a luxuriant touch, or half lemons wrapped in muslin, so the juice flows but the pips don’t. They do say ‘it’s the little things’ that make a good restaurant, COSMO recognises this and as such must be applauded.