| High on a hill overlooking Patong Bay sits the Novotel Phuket Resort.
Standing in the majestic lobby which drops to a beautiful swimming pool below,
the visitor can imagine how the Greek gods must have lived on Mt. Olympus gazing
down at life below. The Novotel Phuket Resort has the best views on the
island and is enhanced by Thai themed architecture which is graceful and respects
local culture.
You don't have to be a guest to visit the Novotel Phuket Resort.
General Manager Michel Vivier invites all visitors and residents of Phuket to
venture up the hill and enjoy a very special and very romantic evening. The
resorts has several fine dining options. The main restaurant is called the Coffee
House. Each night Food and Beverage Manager Herve Duprat offers a different choice
of international foods. One night is Italian with pastas, antipasti and all the
treats you might expect on a visit to Milan or Rome. The staff dress as Venetians
and dance for guests. Another night is Tex-Mex with all the tasty tacos, enchiladas
and burritos you can eat on the buffet. Other choices are an evening featuring
fine French cuisine while another dinner are exotic Asian foods from around South
Asia. Executive Chef Dominique Chauveau is the only Western chef planning
menus and maintaining quality control in the kitchens of a Patong resort. He has
worked around the world in top resorts and he demands the finest dining for his
guests. Nearby perched closer to the views of lights of Patong is the Ruen
Thong where guests can enjoy Thai cuisine. The choices include a special Discovery
Menu where all the tastes in the Kingdom are presented for your enjoyment. You
can sample a spicy salad, a famous tom yam soup, curries that are spiced for the
international taste, meats cooked with Asian spices and herbs and a traditional
Thai dessert of mixed fruit. Novotel Phuket Resort has three sculpted swimming
pools on different levels which all drop into one another. This not only affords
privacy while swimming but gives the impression that the resort was built around
tropical waterfalls. At the bottom of the last pool is the Old Fisherman's
restaurant which serves the freshest seafood caught daily from the Andaman Sea.
Guests can actually watch the fishing boats leave the shore in search of the delicious
prawn, Phuket and rock lobsters, garoupa and squid that will be served later in
the evening. "We've reinvented the menu at the Old Fisherman's with recipes
that can not be found elsewhere on Phuket," states Mr. Vivier. "For
example, we offer a salmon steak with ginger butter and kaffir lime that is seared
on one side but left lightly steamed on the other which allows the fresh taste
of the salmon to excite the palate." Again, Chef Chauveau has designed
a menu where no two dishes have the same taste. A special feature is the Seafood
platter with a selection of grilled Phuket lobster, shrimp, crab, red snapper,
mussels, shark steak and rock lobster. The salad bar is complimentary. While
neighboring Patong has a number of seafood restaurants, none can compare with
the variety and sophistication of the menu at the Old Fisherman's.
A sample
of what's offered includes a cream soup of barracuda and mussels, leeks and saffron
or an appetizer of lobster, oyster mushroom and green asparagus with prawn butter
sauce. Another choice of appetizer could be poached scallops served with "oak
leaf" salad, fried vegetables and walnut oil. The main course selection
at the Old Fisherman's include menu items that one might expect at a Michelin
star restaurant at a fraction of the price. These include roasted king prawns
with morel mushroom and vermouth over black taglioni or red snapper fillets "meuniere"
with sliced almonds and mashed potatoes or rock lobster and chayote vegetables
with avocado sauce. But leave room for the fun desserts that are inventive
as well as refreshing. The Bamboo Mystery is strawberry ice cream with guava,
litchi, rose apple with whipped cream and raspberry sauce and the African Queen
is chocolate and mocca ice cream topped with chocolate mousse, whipped cream,
black chocolate sauce and fresh orange. Or for those who prefer a fresher taste,
there's the Phuket Delight, lemon grass sherbert with gin kaffir lime. After
a dinner at any of the fine restaurants at the Novotel Phuket Resort, you must
visit the Hourglass Bar which faces the lobby. Not only will you find delicious
tropical drinks but you'll be entertained by John Gordon and his PartyLine Band.
And three nights a week, from Thursday through Saturday, Phuket's premier jazz
and blues singer, Bonnie Anderson, puts guests in the mood for dancing and a little
romance.
John Gordon has a reputation around Asia for his upbeat music that
pleases any audience. He has had a great career playing in some of the top resorts
around the world. His music is always in demand due to the great sense of
fun he shares with the audience and his versatility on the keyboards. He is equally
at home playing Duke Ellington as the Eagles. He's there to please his guests.
Before leaving the Novotel Phuket Resort be sure to stand from any of the many
viewpoints and marvel at the beautiful views of the mountains and sea. It may
be the most romantic moment of your visit to Phuket. Click Here for more
information about Novotel
Phuket Resort
or here for a Photo Gallery of Novotel
Phuket Resort | 
