Pimalai Resort & Spa, the luxury resort surrounded by nature on Koh Lanta, has invited Bruno Menard, the celebrated French chef who was once awarded three Michelin stars, back to the pure shores of southern Thailand to host his second annual “Gastronomic Journey”.
This exclusive epicurean evening will see Chef Bruno create an extraordinary four-course dinner for guests at Seven Seas Wine Bar and Restaurant, Pimalai’s stunning seafront dining destination. The dinner will take place on the evening of Sunday 31st March 2019 – almost exactly a year after Chef Bruno hosted his inaugural culinary event at Pimalai. The Gastronomic Journey will now become an annual occasion.
At this year’s event, guests will be treated to a refined menu that focuses on light, vibrant flavours. While the dishes will have their roots in French cuisine, they will also reflect Chef Bruno’s personal culinary journey which has taken him all across Asia, including to Japan. To ensure a deep connection with Koh Lanta, many ingredients will be sourced from the resort’s own herb garden.
The evening will commence with an amuse-bouche of borscht emulsion with marinated mushroom, followed by an appetiser of confit salmon with caviar, asparagus and Chantilly sauce. The main course will showcase lightly poached turbot with white wine and extra virgin olive oil emulsion, ikura and condiments, before the menu concludes with a dessert of textured red fruit with espuma de crème Catalane.
“We are thrilled to welcome Chef Bruno back to Koh Lanta for another amazing evening of gastronomy at Pimalai Resort & Spa. Our aim is to establish our resort as a renowned gastronomic destination. This takes time of course, but our ability to attract world-class chefs like Bruno Menard is a wonderful reflection of the progress we’re making. We want to inspire guests through food and create culinary occasions that diners will treasure forever,” said Franck de Lestapis, Pimalai’s long-serving general manager.
Bruno Menard comes from a family of food professionals; his father was a famous chocolatier in France before his brother took over the family business, and his sister is the head of a hotel in Paris. His 35-year career as a chef has included many highlights, including earning three Michelin stars at L’Osier in Tokyo. He also founded his own culinary consulting business in Singapore, and he was a judge on the popular TV show MasterChef Asia.
In 2018, Chef Bruno became the Food Director at JUNON, the celebrated French restaurant in Hong Kong, and Executive Chef at Vranken-Pommery Monopole, which owns as collection of exceptional European vineyards, including many in the Champagne region of France.
Pimalai’s second annual Gastronomic Journey is open to in-house and outside guests, priced at THB 3,150 net per person for the four-course menu or THB 4,900 net paired with wine. Tables can be booked directly with the resort. Local and international media will also be invited to savour Chef Bruno’s sensational cuisine. The event will take place from 18.30 hrs on 31st March 2019 at Seven Seas Wine Bar and Restaurant, Pimalai’s fine-dining destination overlooking the Andaman Sea.
Spread across 40 hectares of lush hillside and beachfront land, Pimalai has become favourite for A-listers and repeat visitors seeking a natural retreat, away from the tourist bustle of Thailand’s better-known islands. Accommodation includes the stunning 204 square metre Hillside Ocean View Pool Villas, which are nestled 60-90 metres above sea-level and offer guests spectacular views of the Andaman Sea as they bask in their private infinity pool.
When they are not relaxing in the luxury of their villa or enjoying world-class cuisine, guests can experience an array of exciting activities at Pimalai. These include diving at Koh Haa, the breath-taking island and lagoon that attracts tropical fish, octopuses, manta rays, sea turtles and even whale sharks, which frequent the area between February and May.
For more information about the Gastronomic Journey, please visit https://pimalai.com/promotion/gastronomic-journey. Limited seats are available, so to book your place at the event, please email [email protected], call +66 (0) 2320 5500.