Rating: ★★★★★

Address: 31/13 Banyan Tree Beachfront, Moo 4., Cherngtalay, Thalang, Phuket, Thailand

Telephone: +66 (0)81 7973110, +66 (0)76 362625-6

E-mail: Info@Lotusphuket.com

https://www.lotusphuket.com

Despite the recent political instability, Hong Kongers’ love for Thailand as a holiday destination is hardly diminished, and flights to different parts of Thailand get quickly filled up as soon as travel warnings are lifted. During my recent trip to Phuket, the most memorable meal is our lunch at Lotus Restaurant, an unbelievably serene and relaxing restaurant at the Bangtao Beach.

Opened for over twenty years, this restaurant is well-known in Phuket for their panoramic view of the Bangtao Bay and serves a selection of hearty Thai dishes. Even though our lunch at this restaurant is utterly enjoyable in every respect, it is worth noting that we have not tried much seafood and there are some online reviews where diners complain about the expensive and not particularly outstanding seafood dishes.

(1) A glass of piña colada is swiftly ordered. I love the Thai version of piña colada, which tends to be less icy and more milky than the Western versions. The richness of the coconut milk is a superb match with the kick of alcohol, and helps make everything go down smoothly.

(2) The bean curd and minced pork soup (160 Baht) is clean-tasting yet fabulously flavourful – the natural flavours of pork and herbs are completely extracted into a warm, clear broth, and soothes us from the stomach to the soul.

(3) The glass noodles with seafood (190 Baht) is absolutely tangy and delightful. The seafood is fresh and bouncy, but what we love the most are the Thai glass noodles, which are addictively smooth and stretchy!

(4) The stir-fried minced pork (220 Baht) is a real winner. Mildly spicy, this dish is perfectly seasoned and is not the least bit oily! It is best to be eaten with a bowl of steamed rice.

(5) The Phuket rice noodles with chicken green curry (180 Baht) is a local dish which brings out all the best flavours of the fresh ingredients. The chicken curry is flavour-packed but not too filling at all thanks to its watery consistency, and instead of rice, it is served with smooth rice noodles and raw, crisp vegetables, which are an impeccable combination.

(6) Instead of ordering the mango sticky rice, we opt for the durian and sticky rice (135 Baht), and it is unbelievably tasty. I am not a big fan of eating durians in Hong Kong, but the durians in Thailand are a completely different story – decadently rich and creamy, the local durians are fresh and (at least to me) seem to have a much weaker “stench” than the durians that have been shipped abroad. The mellow flavours of the sticky rice and unsweetened coconut milk give much room for this potent fruit to shine.

After we finish our meal, we just sit back at our table and watch the day go by – this limitless, breathtaking view is exactly why people all around the world fall in love with Thailand.