Located on the west end of Patong Beach is an unassuming building overlooking the Andaman Sea. From the outside it looks like a large house or small commercial building. Even the signage is subdued. Yet walk inside and you are transported to the world of fine dining, with innovative creations, stellar service and magnificent views of the sea and setting sun.
We came across L’Arome by accident. It was literally across the street from our resort in Phuket and we were looking for a nice seafood place to dine. To our amazement, this is one of the top 25 restaurants in Thailand. It’s younger sister restaurant Bon Pan-Asian Tapas Bar we have talked about in another blog.
When we arrived for the meal, we were first ushered onto their rooftop bar, which let us relax, have a drink and enjoy the views. This would be a great place to come and unwind from a hectic day at the beach. Great ambience and excellent service.
The Culinary Adventure
They have two menus, which are ever-changing. We chose the smaller one as we are not big eaters – and we were pleasantly full after the meal. We missed out on a few additional creations, but we hate being over-stuffed or wasting food.
The very first dish set the stage for the evening. Placed in front of us was a box which looked for all purposes as a set of oysters. To our surprise, they were Potato Crackers with a Oyster and Clam Nage. I love being surprised by the artistry of a chef. A true dining experience should use all your senses – and delight them all. We only wished that they had several more in the box – but alas this is just a tasting menu.
Next up was a Green Pea Royale with peas, flowers and fresh mint. Again, the taste was amazing – the blend of flavors subtle, producing a wonderful taste and texture in the mouth.
The Swiss Butter Pretzel with French Butter appeared and was an excellent interlude to cleanse the palate. The bread pretzel was perfectly done and could be pulled apart. The small amount of rock salt added to the sense of the pretzel.
For the first of the main courses we had the Hokkaido Scallop Carpaccio with Basil Sorbet. How they were able to thinly slice these diver scallops without damaging them is an art. The slices were laid in a delicate sauce with local flowers and then topped with a sorbet of basil and salmon roe. I love fresh scallops and these were no exception. The basil sorbet was a different take on flavor, but added to the freshness and flavor combination.
The second of the main courses was the Fondued Swiss Cheese Wild Mushrooms & Spatzle. Again, a modern take on a dish – with a few bites of the wild mushrooms with spatzle, with a swiss cheese fondue that was more more of a thick cream. As i’ve mentioned in other blogs, I’m not a mushroom fan – but this dish is changing my mind. Flavor and texture was more like a meat – but i’m assuming healthier. Did I mention that this is the first time I’ve seen a metal spork – and the first one I’ve seen in any fine-dining establishment – which was placed to use with the mushrooms.
Next they brought out the whole roasted Rayong Duck – which look similar to Peking Duck (minus the neck and head). At first i thought that we had over-ordered. But the duck quickly vanished back into the kitchen and we were served with the Kelp-Aged Rayong Duck with Thai Mango Plum & Sweet Potato. What they did with the remained of the duck I have no idea. But we had a perfect slice of duck, crispy skin, thin layer of duck fat, and tender meat, all in a dark gravy. The mango plum and sweet potatoes added to the sense of a main course – but just some tastes. The gentle sweetness of the vegetables was a good counterbalance to the duck. This was a perfect last main course – having traveled from the delicateness of the scallops through ever more robust flavors to the ending duck.
For dessert they brought a unique crockery of Coconut Meringue with Phuket Bananas and Calamansi. The calamansi gives a citrus taste to the meringue. And the sweetness of the local bananas finishes off the meal.
The meal spoke for itself – a wonderful and unexpected find on the outskirts of the party on Patong Beach. For those not into the party town, this L’Arome and its sister restaurant Bon Pan-Asian Tapas Bar are reasons enough to visit here, and for the foodie places to visit over and over again, to try new items and the changing menu.
The Details
Contemporary French Cuisine Inspired By The Sea & Sunset Deck Rooftop Bar
247/5 Prabarami Rd, Patong, Kathu, Phuket 83150, Thailand