Ta Khai Celebrates Five Years Of Michelin Guide Recognition, Connecting Communities Through Responsible Gastronomy

June 2024 - Rosewood Phuket, distinguished as one of the first LEED Gold Certified Resorts in Thailand, is proud to announce five years of Michelin Guide recognition from 2019 – 2024 for Ta Khai, its signature Thai and seafood restaurant overlooking Emerald Bay.

Driven by the resort’s Zero Waste commitment, Ta Khai strives to minimize environmental impact at every step of the dining experience, including an organic food compost system that transforms kitchen scraps and food waste into nutrient-rich compost.

Cuisine & Community

Uncle Nun and Auntie Yai’s approach to cooking mirrors the warmth of their own home, embracing a "mama is cooking" style that uses only the freshest and finest ingredients. The menu revolves around the daily catch from local fishermen and herbs from the kitchen’s own organic herb and vegetable garden, ensuring that each dish stimulates the five fundamental taste senses of Thai cuisine: sour, sweet, salty, bitter, and spicy.

Diners benefit from the couple’s profound knowledge, highlighted in the "Uncle Nun and Aunt Yai Favorites" section of the menu, which features signature dishes crafted with traditional techniques and ingredients. One such favorite is the curried crab (Gaeng Pu), made with their homemade curry paste — a recipe refined over years based on feedback from the local community and patrons at their previous food stall in Trang. They use the freshest turmeric sourced from southern Thailand, enhancing its pungent, bitter flavor with wild betel leaves from the same region.

Other dishes, like Moo Hong (soy-braised pork with black pepper and garlic) and Nam-Prik Goong Sod (fresh shrimp paste dip with vegetables), showcase their decades of experience and a deep connection to the flavors of southern Thai cuisine.

Partners in Provenance

Guests are invited to discover Phuket’s rich culinary diversity through the resort’s “A Sense of Taste” program, which includes “Partners in Provenance,” a commitment to support artisanal food suppliers and present diverse, seasonal menus of local fare.

Ta Khai chefs collaborate closely with nearly 20 top-quality local farmers and partner producers who deliver the finest regional produce, meats, and locally specific ingredients. Highlights include cereal and fruit-fed beef from Khunta Farm, Siberian sturgeon caviar from Hua Hin Sturgeon Farm, responsibly produced grouper and red snapper from EcoAquaculture, and Sangyod Mueng rice from Phattalung.

About a third of Ta Khai's menu is developed in collaboration with these partners, featuring dishes such as Buea Tord with seasonal vegetables from Ya Chong, and sago palm pearls with coconut milk made from sago palm flour sourced from trees in Patthalung.

For an enduring culinary experience, Ta Khai also offers cooking classes where guests can select fresh, quality ingredients at the local market. Guided step-by-step through expert cooking processes, they learn to enhance flavors while understanding how each ingredient nourishes the body according to Thai principles, and the role of home-grown foods in Thai daily life, history, and legend.

Sustainable by Design

Rosewood Phuket was constructed from scratch with a strong commitment to sustainability, particularly evident at Ta Khai, which blends seamlessly into the ambiance of a rustic fisherman’s village, enhanced by the layout's respect for the sacred ficus and banyan trees along the shoreline.

At its heart, the restaurant features rustic open pavilions crafted from carved timber posts and recycled corrugated iron. These weathered pavilions house communal tables for barbecues, served Thai family-style for small groups, with lounge seating scattered around open kitchens and live cooking stations.

The restaurant’s green roofs are adorned with plants that help reduce the surrounding temperature. Additionally, shaded buggy paths leading to the restaurant and porous pavements help minimize the impact of the sun’s energy.

Rosewood Phuket is also pioneering in food production on the property, utilizing harvests from herb and vegetable gardens at Ta Khai. The resort takes special care to protect indigenous plant species and restore jungle habitats for birds, underscoring its sensitivity to the local environment.

For more information, please email phuket@rosewoodhotels.com