Phuket Traveller Dining Out: Contemporary Elegance at White Box on Kalim Beach

By Adrian Byzant

You'll need more than one baht for every year in the life of Jesus to party at White Box restaurant, but what would you expect? The sybaritic experience is worthy a Herod. Situated ideally to take advantage of the dramatic views southward that embrace Kalim's coral reefs and the whole of Patong's skyline, the new restaurant combines Thai and Mediterranean cuisine with live jazz and elegant contemporary design to produce one of the island's most exciting dining and entertainment venues.

The boxy, white, three-level structure lies at the northwest end of Kalim Bay, a kilometre or more past the Kalim-Patong intersection. Upstairs is a cleverly designed cocktail lounge and bar, the white fabric roof of which folds electrically to reveal the Milky Way's panoply of stars. At street-level is the glassed-in, air-conditioned main dining room and a terrace with steps leading to Kalim's sand; below, a room for private parties. The various levels are connected by criss-crossing stairwells seemingly inspired by surrealist artist M.C. Escher.

Except for the cut flowers, a few pillows in royal blue, the thickly chromed flatware, and the staff, everything above floor-level is white. Even my White Box cocktail - a potent concoction of Irish cream liqueur, white rum and Creme de Cacao - was more or less white.

White Box is the brainchild of 29-year-old Marseilles entrepreneur Marc-Antoine Audibert, who (though earning his MBA at an early age) discovered his real talent not in sales of electronic card readers - his original profession - but in organizing huge parties on a 30-metre converted trading vessel, an operation in which organizers made "big money." Guests bought tickets on-shore then shuttled to the party boat: speedboats one after another converged - their wakes carving up the otherwise smooth surface of the sea in crazed patterns - and brought guests from all over Europe. Spinning platters were top-drawer deejays from Spain and France. "The crew I worked with were out of Ibiza - really well-known. I did that two seasons."

Music at White Box is a far cry from the Hip Hop and Trance of dance parties, but - with electrifying Jack Cruz on keys - nonetheless exciting. Cruz, whose towering melodic, rhythmic and harmonic inventions command attention, is supported four days of six on double-bass by Anan Klongkleo and French flautist Mel. He plays solo Mondays and Tuesdays.

Before migrating to Phuket, where he is in his second year, Audibert created the well-known restaurant and club Cyrano in Bangkok (now a part of the Koi chain) and opened "a five-star boutique hotel" in Phnom Penh, the Amanjaya. "They wanted me to stay in Bangkok with Koi," he explained, "but I wanted to get closer to the sea." So he opened White Box squarely on one of the Phuket's most picturesque beaches, the kitchen helmed by Laurent Tollari, late of the French Riviera.

Tollari's menu is a dynamic yet eclectic mix of French, Italian, Greek, Spanish and - yes - Thai cuisine. As with all the best chefs on Phuket, he emphasizes use of fresh local ingredients. Tollari brings to the island's arsenal, however, a number of appealingly innovative recipes.

The menu features 16 "tapas" (priced 180 - 350 baht), among them such items as Ricotta Cheese Rolled in Serrano Ham; Serrano Ham Rolled on Gressini; and Potatoes 'Brava' with spicy tomato sauce. To go with the tapas, White Box staff pour some 71 cocktails - but selection is almost unlimited because, as Audibert exclaimed, "Liquors? We have all!" Among the named cocktails (300 baht) are a number based on tart and exotic Lychee liqueur: a Lychee Martini, and the popular Nasty Kiss, with Vodka. The Evolution features Vodka and Melon Liqueur; and the powerful Chocolate Martini, with Vodka, cocoa powder and white Creme de Cacao, tastes disarmingly like pure chocolate. Many fresh fruit juices are also available.

At a recent dinner, Phuket Traveller sampled items from Chef Laurent's international menu. We started with the superb, wonderfully aromatic Grilled Greek Feta Cheese on Bell Peppers (the latter delightfully redolent), served on slices of Pita bread with fresh oregano, black olives and olive oil (420 baht); followed by the satisfyingly simple Scallops Casserole. This is curry-coloured, heaped with tasty bivalves in a creamy base accented by shallots and saffron.

A Tuna Tartare was attractively presented, rather like a Miro canvas, on square white platter, one corner loaded with a pile of raw tuna chunks, another with thin bean sprouts and salmon roe. Its earthy flavours were enhanced by a reduction of balsamico and olive oil.

The bread, which changes daily, was baked with black olives and featured a selection of spreads - soft butter; pesto, etc.

We tried two main courses, Tuna Steak Half-Seared in Spice Seeds and Rack of Lamb. The former (580 baht) is a slab 3/4 of an inch thick encrusted on one side with whole peppercorns; the other side is raw. It comes flanked with cubes of yellow polenta; flavours are enhanced by bean sprouts and balsamico. Deliciously aromatic, this is a 'must' for pepper lovers.

The lamb (950 baht) came in a rack of three ribs, flavored with essence of thyme and accented by tasty grilled Porcini button mushrooms, asparagus, whole baby carrots and potatoes 'Ratte'. Deeply satisfying.

Premier items from the menu include Tenderloin Rossini (1,050 baht), Tiger Prawns (1,280 baht), and Lobster in Mint and Ginger Caramello with Shitake Risotto (1,680 baht). A wood-fired oven in the kitchen does duty not only for pizzas (380 baht) but adds and seals in flavours on several meat dishes such as the Prime Rib.

A full Thai menu is offered - which, alas, we had no room to sample. Visual and olfactory sensations, however, suggested it is worth a return visit.

For dessert, we enjoyed a hot Chocolate 'Souflet' in a cup, with thick, cool whipped cream on the side, and a soaring (literally) Strawberry Mille Feuilles (300 baht each). The former was complex and flavourful, the latter a delight to see - all red and white, featuring layers of whipped cream, ricepaper-thin mille feuilles, the whole drizzled with strawberry sauce in crazy zig-zags across the plate.

White Box also has a well-stocked wine cellar and serves the finest Lavazza coffee.

White Box Restaurant and Bar: 245/7 Prabaramee Rd.,
Kalim Beach, Patong.
Capacity: 76 seats dining; 52 in roof-top bar.
Complimentary pick-up and return from hotel.
Tel.: 076-346-271 ext. 1;
Website: www.whiteboxrestaurant.com