Chef Gautam has carried his knives through eleven countries over two decades, and his journey now converges at Ember Steakhouse in Bang Tao’s emerging luxury strip
By: Angus Hamilton
A Space Of Contrast
Bang Tao’s shoreline was alive when I arrived – the music from Nomad and MAYA, the glow of Catch down the road – but Ember pulled me in with something quieter: the breath of wood smoke from the downstairs kitchen. Inside, the room is anchored, built of flame-resistant panels, leather seating and subdued light It feels like a modern echo of a classic steakhouse, more engineered than themed, a space that frames the table rather than distracts from it.
“With a wood-fired kitchen downstairs and a rooftop open to the Andaman, Ember is a place where smoke, salt air, and creativity all align“
The Embers Come to Life
Dinner began with flambadou oysters – a western technique Gautam discovered in Chinese wet markets while sourcing produce. The flambadou’s iron cone is heated until glowing, decanted from it, a golden glowing lava, fat ignited and poured over the shells. It flares, hisses, vanishes. In its wake a tighter brine, a sweetness unleashed – drawn to the tip of your tongue, and a uniquely fresh take on oysters in Phuket.
Beef tartare came next, capers, mustard and yolk provide a familiar frame however, ponzu and truffle oil, laced through the mix, making it bloom with an umami complexity that fills your senses with the crunch of a pink tapioca crisp punctuating each bite.
The lamb chop carried the stamp of charcoal on its edge, but it was the sauce that changed it: an Indian-style mint preparation fused with Greek yoghurt. Where a vinaigrette would have cut, this softened, stretching the flavour longer, tempering smoke with coolness.
And then the steaks. Australian wagyu rib eye, its marbling dissolving into silken texture. Angus tenderloin, lean, muscular, the smoke driven deeper. The tomahawk, the sheer presence of its bone dominating the plate before a knife touched it. And Japanese A5 tenderloin, small and silky, dissolving almost instantly into richness so delicate it seemed to vanish on the tongue. Each cut revealed itself with clarity, fire used not to mask but to reveal.
The drinks belonged in the same narrative. The Dirty Umami surprised me most – vodka infused with porcini and parmesan – earthy, savoury, almost broth-like in its completeness. And before all of this, the ritual of the complimentary shot: tonight, gin with apple and passionfruit, sweet and bright, the kind of opening gesture that sets the tone for what follows.
The Wider Palette
Ember draws from a wide geography without leaning on it as theatre. Japan, Argentina, Korea: flavours and methods appear and settle into the menu as if they belong, not as cameos but as threads in a larger weave. What matters is the precision of cooking, not the passport of the ingredient. That breadth gives the meal its flexibility. Begin sharp with oysters and salmon, move through scallops and tartare, then into wagyu and negroni. Or build leaner, lighter – lamb and scallops, then finish with the Dirty Umami as anchor.
The evening feels composed rather than programmed, dishes and drinks passing the baton rather than competing for the stage.
The Ember’s Glow
By the time I finished, the rooftop had fallen into shadow, but smoke still curled upward from the kitchen below. The breeze carried it across the tables, mingling oak and salt, char and air. Ember leaves its impression quietly: fire and flesh meeting the sea breeze, held in proportion, confident enough to let restraint be the memory that lingers.
VISIT
323/16 Moo 2, Bang Tao Beach, Cherngtalay, Thalang, Phuket 83110.
Open 12pm–11pm daily.
Book: +66 (0)62 502 0052. Reservations recommended
Dress code: vintage steakhouse smart casual.