Pru gets Phuket’s only Michelin gong
Phuket now has a Michelin star restaurant in its midst. The only restaurant in the Phuket or Phang Nga region to score a gong in the second Thai Michelin foodie guide.
Montara Hospitality’s farm-to-table restaurant Pru at Trisara has earned a Michelin star.
The guide whas expanded this year to cover the best dining venues in southern Phuket and Phang Nga provinces and in the greater Bangkok region -the cities of Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Sakhon and Samut Prakan.
Pru chef de cuisine Jim Ophorst is touted as an inspiring voice of change for elevating the farm-to-table movement in Thailand.
29 year old Ophorst is originally from the Netherlands and renowned for his imaginative cooking style and innovative techniques. In 2016 he joined Montara’s Trisara, where his raw talent and conviction inspired the conception of Pru. He was also twice a semi-finalist for S Pellegrino’s annual Young Chefs Award, in 2016 and 2017.
Pru’s culinary concept, “Plant, Raise, Understand”, stems from Ophorst and his team’s close relationship with local suppliers and farmers, as well as the opportunities to forage and discover new ingredients from the restaurant’s own farm, Pru Jampa.
The farm sits among beautiful lakes on whose banks herbs, organic vegetable gardens, free-range chickens and ducks are raised.
“I’m excited to discover new ingredients all the time because it pushes my creative boundaries,” says the chef.
“We also want to strengthen the local farm community. This will yield better ingredients for better dishes at Pru. At the end, it’s all about the happiness in every angle – from the farmers to the restaurant team to the guests at our tables.”
In addition to Pru, Seafood at Trisara, which serves authentic southern Thai dishes based on treasured family heirloom recipes, was awarded a Michelin plate, the little red guide’s guarantee to a good meal.
Executive chef Kla Prakobkit presents a menu featuring local favourites made from scratch and showcasing produce that’s sustainably sourced.
Pru is open for dinner from 6.30pm Monday through Saturday.
Seafood is open daily from 6pm.
