A typical Zuma evening could be the swankiest.
The vibe is convivial, while the food, booze and music are guaranteed to be creme de la creme.
That is what you can expect at any Zuma in the world. Currently, the London-headquartered brand has 13 permanent restaurants and seven seasonal pop-ups in big cities globally. The locations include Hong Kong, Istanbul, Dubai, Miami, Bangkok, New York, Rome, Maldives and Mykonos.
But Zuma Phuket offers something out of the ordinary.
It is a pop-up venue open only for a specific time of the year and is known for its one-of-a-kind marine national park setting.
It was 5pm when we arrived at the 150-seater which occupies the upper floor of Anantara Layan Resort's newly-built Beach House.
A gradient pinkish-orange sunset illuminated the sky and provided a dramatic backdrop. Below the horizon, meanwhile, lay a tranquil inlet, where, as the tide receded, the sea was separated by white sand and connected the hotel's coconut-fringed beach with a nearby mangrove island.
I knew then what would happen next here in the Andaman was going to be a sovereign izakaya affair.
Since 2016, Zuma, one of the world's most famous contemporary Japanese restaurants, has taken a winter residency at this 5-star resort.
It began with a short few weeks' stay in the first couple of years but later extended its length due to demand.
The 7th edition of Zuma Phuket is running for five months, from November to mid-April.
Despite being an out-of-towner, the restaurant has a heart and soul of a highly-dedicated local.
Furbished to represent the brand's unique DNA, Zuma Phuket is as much full-scale a dining establishment as its permanent sister restaurants.
The place, equipped with its own sushi bar, robata grill and cocktail and DJ stations, is run by an international team of 45 staff members, hailing from different Zuma outlets across the globe. They are there to make sure the quality of food, mood and service are spot on.
The menu, a selection of approximately 100 dishes, is also the same as at other locations but with prices a little higher than that of Zuma Bangkok.
For lunch and dinner, food is offered in a la carte style and via a series of multi-course tasting menus (4,500 baht to 6,300 baht per person). On Sunday, there's an all-you-can-eat baikinku brunch (3,500 baht per person for food only and 4,900 baht per person inclusive of Champagne).
Of the a la carte list, highlighted starters include all-time bestselling sliced yellowtail with green chilli relish, ponzu and pickled garlic (755 baht); thinly-sliced sea bass with yuzu, truffle oil and salmon roe (935 baht); and salmon & tuna tartare with crackers (935 baht). All three dishes were a delicious marriage between top-notch produce and the chef's dexterity.
Special for the season is Japanese Wagyu tataki with truffle ponzu (1,100 baht). The dish, showcasing paper-thin slices of super-tender and high-marbling Wagyu beef together with fresh shavings of black truffle, promises to delight even the most discerning beef fan.
The sushi and sashimi selection is represented by options such as chutoro, otoro, hamachi yellowtail, salmon, sea bass, unagi freshwater eel, Hokkaido scallop and ama ebi shrimp.
An eight-item sushi platter encompasses eight pieces of nigiri sushi, four pieces of maki roll and sashimi ebi, hamachi, otoro, salmon and uni (2,460 baht). Served on ice, the dish exhibited the flavourful quality of imported fresh Japanese seafood.
Should you wish to have a warm starter, the restaurant's black tiger prawn tempura (865 baht) is worth ordering.
From the ever-dynamic open charcoal grill kitchen, located at the centre of the restaurant, the most popular dishes include the miso-marinated black cod wrapped in hoba leaf (2,185 baht); and the grilled Chilean sea bass with green chilli ginger dressing (2,135 baht).
The first is Zuma's world-famous signature dish that showcased a thick and supple fillet of glossy white meat fish perfectly laced with the sweet teriyaki sauce and enhanced by the smoky touch of the grilled hoba leaf.
The latter, which was equally sublime, exhibited a sizeable pan-seared fillet of the sea bass delicately garnished with aromatic fresh vegetables and creamy dressing.
Everyone at our dinner party swore by the heavenly quality of the Japanese wagyu sirloin steak (5,100 baht). Although it looked nothing more than a typical plain steak, rather boring in appearance I'd say, the taste was beyond criticism.
It featured a high-marbling A4 grade Wagyu, which was so quenched with its sweet fatty juice that it made the accompanying truffle sauce and chilli ponzu, though super tasty, perhaps unnecessary.
Another popular beef option of all time is the spicy beef tenderloin with sesame, red chilli and sweet soy (2,270 baht).
A visit to Zuma would not be complete without indulging in its Deluxe Dessert Platter (1,875 baht). The sharing dessert, big enough for up to three people, featured the likes of mango and young coconut custard chawanmushi with passion fruit, special chocolate cake, caramel and almond praline and tropical fruit platter with yuzu sorbet.
Service during my visit was faultless, folksy and memorable. Reservations are highly recommended.
- Zuma Phuket
- Anantara Layan Phuket Resort
- Thalang District, Phuket
- Call 076-317-200 and 076-336-188
- Open daily for lunch and dinner until April 16
