Esenzi

The ultra-luxurious design hotel Iniala Beach House (076-451-456, www.iniala.com) has partnered with Tim Butler of Bangkok’s Eat Me (No.23 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016, No.7 in BK's Top Tables 2016) to open this new seafood venture.   The first Butler restaurant outside of Bangkok replaces the property’s old restaurant, Aziamendi, with seafood dishes that pluck flavors from all around the world. A5 marbled wagyu beef from Shiga prefecture comes served with swordfish belly in red curry, while the Dutch Harbor king crab salad features heirloom tomatoes, basil sorbet and bloody Mary. For the full experience, go with the eight-course tasting menu at B8,000 or B12,500 with wine pairing. Also keep an eye out for the recurring guest chef dinners, which have already welcomed Arnold Marcella from Bunker and Thitid Tassanakajohn of Le Du. In related news, the hotel also just unveiled a new Mediterranean restaurant, Iniala Kitchen and Bar

 

Pru

Part of Phuket pool villa-only resort Trisara's relaunch, Pru (076-310-100, www.trisara.com) takes its name from the resort’s own organic farm. Here, executive chef Jim Ophorst (who recently won the national round of San Pellegrino’s Young Chefs award) works with local producers like the neighboring goat farm and even goes foraging himself to create the likes of eggplant cooked five ways—creamed, mashed, roasted, crisped and puffed up—served with basil sauce and house-made bottarga (cured fish roe). For his carrots, he uses charcoal from the farm’s wood and cooks them in a ground pit for eight hours. The result is sweet, juicy and tender, served with fermented carrot juice hollandaise sauce. The tasting menu starts at B3,000.

 

Osha

Bangkok’s Osha restaurant (which originated in San Francisco) has taken hold of the dining room in Phuket Town's heritage Memory at On On Hotel to offer some creative high-end Thai dining. Amid minty and magenta decor, Osha Thai (076-634-420, www.fb.com/oshathaiatonon) serves a list of its star dishes from Bangkok like dancing king prawns in fish sauce (B380) and tom yum kung served through a coffee syphon (B390). But you'll also find traditional Phuket dishes like moo hong (braised pork belly, B350), mee gaeng pu (crab curry with rice noodle, B380) and nam prik goong sieb (shrimp paste with dried shrimp, B170).

Zuma

The global chain of luxury Japanese restaurants has set up shop at Anantara Layan Phuket (076-317-200, phuket-layan.anantara.com) on the northwest coast of the island. Until Feb 12, members of the Bangkok and Hong Kong Zuma teams will cook up Japanese robata grill dishes like spicy beef tenderloin with sesame, red chili and sweet soy, miso-marinated black cod wrapped in hoba leaf, and sliced yellowtail with chili relish, ponzu and pickled garlic. Room rates start at B9,988 for a Deluxe Layan Suite, but you don’t need to be a guest at the hotel to eat at Zuma.

 

The Nai Harn

The glamorous Nai Harn hotel (076-380-200, www.thenaiharn.com) gears up to welcome a very special guest chef. Will Holland earned his first Michelin star before the age of 30 while head chef at La Becasse, in Ludlow, England. Last year, as head chef of Coast restaurant in Pembrokeshire, Wales, he was named UK Restaurant Chef of the Year at the Craft Guild of Chefs Awards. The “Coast to Coast” dinner will take place on Mar 17 with Holland serving up a seafood-heavy six-course menu at Cosmo Restaurant for B4,750 net per person. Room rates range from B7,840-B19,460.