Be a traveller and not a tourist.
However, there are moments where being a tourist or at least looking at places and things with tourists’ eyes pays off more than not.
The Blue Elephant is a restaurant and cooking school located in 12 cities. I visited the one in old Phuket town, located in the former Governor’s mansion. The school was started by Chef Nooror Somany Steppe and is also known as Thailand’s unofficial ambassador of Thai cuisine.
The Governor’s Mansion sits on a generous piece of land located at the tail end of historic Phuket town. It’s been fully restored and well appointed. The grounds are well kept and since it’s the Christmas season, has touches of holiday decorations as well.
We arrived just as dusk set in. The mansion comes alive as the sun sets. The grounds are warmly illuminated with electric lamps hung from the trees and by oil lamps lit around the grounds.
One could easily dismiss Blue Elephant as a faux Thai institution catering to western tastes. This couldn’t be further from the reality.
The mansion is tastefully renovated by balancing colonial architecture with traditional Thai fixtures.
The food was equally as balanced with flavours more nuanced and balanced than I have previously experienced.
The restaurant takes pride in sourcing from local farmers eschewing the large commercial food suppliers that dominates Asia’s food supplies. The chicken was especially delicious with the sweetness of tender pieces of meat being highlighted by either a light grill on the satay sticks or as a protein in red curry. Our knowledgeable server took great pride in explaining that the chicken comes daily from a local organic farmer and the rice is from a local co-op that supplies to local restaurants.
Overall the experience surprised me in its authenticity and genuineness, the warmth and friendliness of the staff and the sheer size and beauty of the property.
A memorable visit which should lead to future visits.
thebearandhiscigar 