Opened over two years ago, InterContinental Phuket Resort has not only made its name known for its Tebhūmikathā-inspired design concept but also for its F&B forte with a total of seven outlets, each with a different vibe and appeal.
Most recently, the resort has launched Hom as its first fine dining restaurant. Here are the highlights from my recent visit to the resort.
Spark up a dull afternoon at Devas' Lounge, on the resort's hillside, where you can enjoy a lavish afternoon tea with a view of a lush garden of the resort and the hill at the end of your eyesight. Get your camera ready as the tea set will be served with a bit of fanfare, i.e., in a metal bird cage dangling off a tall stand for an obvious photo op. The highlights include Lobster roll topped with Beluga (sturgeon not whale) caviar, Mini baguettes with 48-hour-sous vided Wagyu cheek and truffle, Pistachio financier topped up with edible flowers and Chiang Mai cheesecake. Enjoy the set with tea for B850++ per person or posh it up with half a bottle of Prosecco for B2,450++ for two people. It's available daily from noon to 5pm.
Walk across to the resort's beachside to make a toast as the sun sets beautifully on Kamala Beach at Pine Beach Club while beachfront grill 333 At The Beach offers a similar laid-back vibe. After the sun left the horizon, head to Thai restaurant Jaras, which has been recommended by Michelin Guide Thailand in 2022 and 2023, for a proper sit-down dinner. While you can order a la carte Thai dishes with creative flairs such as Crab krathong thong and Thai crab cake in the shape of a thick doughnut, you now can also try a nine-course tasting menu for B3,150++ person with optional wine pairing for extra B2,150.
Jaras' tasting menu showcases several curries, each with a twist. Tajima Lumduan curry is made with the namesake breed of cows descending from two black cows from Osaka, which were gifted to HRH Princess Sirindhorn in 1988. Simply succulent with a touch of smokiness from roasted coconut. Phra Ram long song is made with Bang Tao goat instead of pork and Phuket lobster from Sarasin Farm is turned into choo chee curry complete with smoked green aubergine and fermented mushroom. The menu is a showcase of flavours and finesse courtesy of chef de cuisine Chalermwut Srivolalkul and the only complaint I had is that rice could have been introduced in the meal much earlier than it was the night I had it.
Phuket lobster choo chee.
All-day dining restaurant Pinto is where guests can enjoy all-you-can-eat southern crab curry with rice noodles and plenty more during breakfast while international cuisines such as Charred octopus with pimiento sauce and Aussie dry-aged T-bone steak with béarnaise sauce are available for lunch or dinner.
Charred octopus with pimiento sauce.
At dinnertime, a part of the restaurant is turned into Japanese restaurant Tengoku where Osaka cuisine is served with a healthy dose of creativity. Think okonomiyaki but in finger-food size and topped with Andaman tiger prawn and a tumbleweed ball made of sugar. Sashimi maguro is served in cones made of housemade gyoza wrap. Takoyaki is restructured into slices consisting of crispy cabbage sous vided in dashi broth as the base, which is topped with ikura and tasty octopus boiled in sauce. Tengoku's other highlights include teppanyaki, robatayaki, ramen with freshly made noodles and sake sourced from various prefectures of Japan.
Finger-food okonomiyaki and takoyaki.
10 "moments" tasting menu at Hom
Most importantly, the Heavenly Pavillion, the resort's piece de resistance, has been transformed into Hom, (Thai for pleasant scent), a fine dining restaurant where fermentation, flavours and finesse meet. The pointy white pavilion whose design is based on the mythical Himmapan forest aptly serves as an ethereal setting for Hom as the restaurant definitely tries to reach for a certain star.
[all photos below courtesy of Hom]
A dinner at Hom (stylised as hom) started at a dedicated podium in the resort's lobby where you'll be greeted and guided to the restaurant by a host while being told about Hom's back story. As you make your way to Hom, your pathway is flanked on both sides by mirror mosaic walls while a thin spritz of mist creates a vibe of walking on clouds. The pristine white interior and exterior of the pavilion can take your breath away while silver patterns flow across its curved ceiling depicting the mythical forest.
Before you'll get to try Hom's inaugural 10 "moments" tasting produce-forward menu, which noticeably contains several Japanese influences, you'll be served kombucha made of passionfruit to get your appetite going at the bar with a cabinet of fermented stuff on display behind it.
Ricardo Nunes, Hom's chef de cuisine, insisted that local ingredients come first, "Our menu conceptualisation process begins with visits to local farms, where we establish which ingredients are at their optimum state. From here, we explore how fermentation techniques might be applied to aspects of an ingredient to enhance or alter the flavour profile.” He works closely with in-house fermentation expert, Mateo Polanco.
Ricardo Nunes, Hom's chef de cuisine, and in-house fermentation expert, Mateo Polanco.
In what seems to be a tradition at fine-dining establishments, each item on the menu is simply named but what goes into each will be explained in detail as the dinner proceeds. Once seated, Ruby pomelo is served as a refreshing start. A segment of rose-cured red pomelo gave a sweet and sour burst with a side of oil made of caramelised seaweed and lemongrass.
The second moment is Coconut & smoked caviar, which features smoked Hua Hin caviar, salted macadamia sauce and preserved palm seed, inside a young coconut. Mix everything well inside the coconut shell to enjoy the deliciously creamy and salty sensation.
Hom also sneaks in a surprise that isn't included in the course and mine was slices of sashimi razor clam served on crispy sourdough with emulsion made of catfish garum.
Crab rissol is served next on a banana leaf. The crispy pocket bursts with flavours and aroma and I could still taste the delicate black crab. It became even tastier if dipped into an accompanying dip made of reduced milk.
Baby squid is cooked in yeast butter and served with fermented miang leaves and squid broth. The light and salty broth enhance squid's subtle sweetness while pops of finger lime add zest.
Rock lobster with kumquat kosho was simply succulent. The lobster is marinated to bring up its sweetness and tenderness before being cooked medium rare. The kosho is made with som jeed, a Thai kumquat instead of yuzu, and mixed with coconut milk to make the tasty sauce while the puree made of orange peel rounds out the dish with a slight bitterness.
Black grouper are dry-aged for four days and slowly charcoal-grilled and served with pandan sauce and fermented cabbage on the side.
A skewer of Wild boar and oyster mushroom is next. The meat is fermented in the paste of koji and black durian for four days, resulting in a very savoury sensation.
The second surprise of the night came in the form of sakadane bread made of its namesake yeast. It's served with black beer butter in the form of a rose. I was advised to save some for the next moment, which is Goat served with mole sauce and pumpkin puree.
The first dessert is eye-catching Sunflower seed amazake parfait coupled with crusts of bee pollen. Served in the face of a fresh sunflower for dramatic effect. Wood sorrel caps off the meal with a sorbet made of preserved lemon and fresh heart-shaped leaves. And, yes, it's sprinkled with ants.
The 10-course tasting menu is priced at B3,750++ per person and it's quite an eye-opening experience for those who seek a unique dining experience. If you can't have enough fermentation, Polanco offers a fermented drink pairing for B950++ per person or you can opt for a wine pairing with a selection of natural, organic and biodynamic wines for B2,750.
Hom opens from Tuesdays to Saturdays and dinner starts at 6.30pm. Visit hom-restaurant.com.
