Island Cuisine at Isole

The Degustation at Isole tours the islands and flavours of the Mediterranean and the Andaman on a journey of taste and ambience

By: Roger Osbourne

Quietly located on Phuket’s west coast oceanfront, wedged between the luxury expat powerhouses of Surin / Bangtao and the party scene of Patong, is aspiring Kamala, boasting: Café del Mar, Millionaire’s Mile, and Isole. After winding my way around the hilltop heights Phuket is famous for, I found my way to the Cape Sienna Hotel home of Isole. 

My girlfriend and I live in the very centre of the island and had a reservation for Isole at 7 pm, knowing we were journeying to the west coast, we arrived at 6, obviously, because who would miss out on the chance to watch a Phuket sunset, and after doing some research on where Isole is, I saw Cape Sienna had a rooftop bar called Vanilla Sky so “how about an aperitif” I asked my girlfriend, and away we went, and wow was it worth it. 

The location was stunning. On a small quiet road, I parked, walked to the lobby, and was met with a discreet blue elevator. I took it. Up and up it went, over the villas I was parked in the shadows of, and there it was. A completely unobstructed view of the coast. I practically had to drag my girlfriend out of the elevator to get her to stop taking pictures and move. No matter where you stood in the sky bar, you could see the pristine Andaman Sea, uninhibited by anything. Going for sunset was the best idea I had all year. Sky bars are particularly trendy in Bangkok, Phuket generally lacks tall enough buildings, but Vanilla Sky pulls it off. And what a name, the sky lit up in a colourful palette of oranges, purples and pinks to provide the atmosphere for our evening sundowner. My girlfriend went for their Golden Lychee, wanting an Asian flavour and she liked the idea of their Absolut Elxy Vodka combined with Kwai Feh lychee. I thought the mint leaves were a nice addition when I tried it. I chose the Fat Bastard because it made me laugh. And Glenfiddich’s infused whiskey sounded good to me. 

After the sun had successfully set, we eased our way downstairs, I, cleverly, had booked ahead and sunken seats awaited us for our romantic night out. We dined at eye level to their infinity pool which led perfectly into the horizon, surrounded by a peaceful pond which added the touch of sophistication that earns brownie points on date night. 

Once immersed in the Isole ambience it was food time. The menu was an abundance of excellent options. Isole taps into its name, which translates from Italian to English as ‘island’ and curates island cuisine, offering both the flavours of Phuket and the taste of the Mediterranean. Not in some sort of fusion blend but instead the traditional dishes. From Tom Kha – a traditional Southern Thai soup, made to match fine dining and served in a coconut with their top-of-the-range scallops, or their Italian starters made to tradition going so far as to import the best ingredients only found in the Mediterranean itself.

Trying to pick between the two geographies made my head spin but then I heard about a chef’s set list. 

Perfect. Degustation it is. The 7-set tasting menu covered everything we seemed to want, and to be honest, we were taking too long even trying to pick one dish from another. A showcase of the best of the best from Mediterranean to Phuket cuisine is something I won’t argue with. Swordfish from Sicily, Southeast Asian seafood as well. Smoked duck. Even an amuse-bouche Not many places you can get one in Phuket, so it was a no-brainer. 

We started with the amuse-bouche and I won’t spoil the surprise here, go experience these bites yourself, there aren’t many on the island. Food started with citrussy, sweet, and sour seafood for our two appetisers. Beginning in Sicily the Crudo di pesce spada e caponata croccante, thinly sliced swordfish with a crispy summer veg medley make up this balanced beauty to give us a refreshing taste of the Med. Next on the agenda was the Yum Yanad Budu, or Spicy Phuket Pineapple Salad, which was a hit for my girlfriend and a perfect follow-up to the Sicilian crudo. The fresh local lobster performs its magic and absorbs the Budu sauce and lemongrass sorbet for a flavourful punch which leaves the lingering tingly Thai-style spice we love, the one that sits just on the edge of your lips and tongue, without affronting your senses, warming it all. We almost got caught asking for seconds, but we quickly had to remember we had 5 more courses to go, and that this is a fine dining restaurant so behave yourselves…

With our starters out of the way, our meal officially began. The entrees continued with the southern Thai flavours theme: Tom Kha paired with scallops and coconut foam. This felt like a taste of our new home, Phuket. Living in here for the last few years, Tom Kha has been a favourite of mine, lemongrassy, coconutty, and comfortable, but Isole brings it to a level I had never tasted before. Meaty scallops with their delicate flavour line this hearty soup and prepare us for our next seafood special and main course: Charcoal tiger prawns. 

A Mediterranean BBQ special. Big meaty tiger prawns, glazed in Mediterranean butter, served with their collection of in-house-made sauces. The spice of the Nam Jim Jeaw was a perfect pair for the prawns after the Tom Kha and pineapple salad, but I made sure to try them all, and with prawns like these, you really can’t go wrong. 

The mixed salad that accompanied made me feel a bit better about all the Italian red wine I’d been drinking. The Sicilian Nero d’Avalo did wonders during the degustation. 

We transitioned to the ‘Subtlety’ part of the menu, I didn’t really understand it all, to be honest, but we were served a sorbet made from young coconut water (pulp included) with butterfly pea flower syrup, sharp and sweet to clear the palette following the prawns and set us up for the night’s final main.

Bak Kut Teh Ped. A smoked Thai duck, grilled with a Phuket and Chinese aromatic herb sauce, served with rice crisp and mushrooms for an umami-rich, and savoury depth of flavour. The earthiness of the mushrooms combines with the aromatic juicy duck and is balanced on a rice crisp, creating a full package of flavour and finishing the mains with a satisfying crunch. 

After a full 6 courses mixing flavours, meats and cuisines the last thing you want is a heavy, filling dessert that makes you think your trouser button will burst off, and thankfully we got the opposite. 

A light Pistacchio di Bronte ice cream with pistachios and a watermelon gelée awaits you. Cool, refreshing, and comfortable, marking the end of this hour-and-a-half odyssey. 

When I first checked my watch I couldn’t believe it had only been an hour and a half, with these fine-dining affairs I often find myself getting sleepy since they can drag for hours and hours, but to round off the night in 90 minutes and experience 7 dishes, an amuse-bouche two cuisines from different continents, and all the Italian wine I could manage, this was a real treat for me and the missus and one that I’m willing to dress up for again. 

It is fine dining so I have to note, don’t try to turn up in your flip flops, you’ll ruin the ambience they’ve curated here. The staff were ultra-professionals (and not towering over our table), respecting our space. A stunning venue with food to match, for 2,590 THB (with a minimum of two people) you can enjoy the degustation too. Just to note, everything on their tasting menu is available in a larger portion on the mains, but if you’re as indecisive as I am when a menu is put in front of you, the degustation is the way to go.