1 day ago
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Charlie Wilson tastes my chicken green curry and declares it’s very good. High praise indeed from the head chef at Aulis Phuket, a Michelin-starred chef’s table restaurant at luxury Iniala Beach House hotel in Thailand.
I’m more chuffed than I deserve to be, given that Thai kitchen staff did the cooking-class preparation work and all I was required to do was show up, chop, measure, stir and assemble. If the fragrant curry tastes better than my attempts at home (it does), it’s thanks to the team effort, fresh herbs and proximity to culinary greatness.
Aulis Phuket came to the attention of foodies worldwide when it received a star of distinction in the 2025 Michelin Guide Thailand, a remarkable achievement for two reasons: the restaurant had been open less than a year, and Michelin stars are rarely awarded in Thailand to establishments outside Bangkok.
The creative concept of British chef patron Simon Rogan MBE, a pioneer of the farm-to-fork movement and no stranger to award-winning restaurants (his L’Enclume in the Lake District holds three Michelin stars), Aulis Phuket champions hyper-local ingredients and masterful cooking techniques from around the world.
I’ve visited Thailand more than 40 times and lived in Chiang Mai for several years, yet my tastebuds have never known the pleasure of aged, cured Khao Yai duck and preserved mulberry on an imperator carrot doughnut until I dine at Aulis. It’s a blissful bite, one I’m sure I could eat five times over, given the chance.
Despite its name, Aulis Phuket is located in the Thai province of Phang Nga, north of Phuket Island and on the shore of the Andaman Sea, about a 30-minute drive from Phuket International Airport.
It is the signature restaurant of Iniala Beach House, a spectacular small hotel (just 12 suites, villas and residences) owned by British entrepreneur and philanthropist Mark Weingard. The hotel was Weingard’s private holiday home until he decided to open it up to paying guests.
Another reason to visit: Iniala recently partnered with Thai celebrity chef and MasterChef Thailand judge Ian Kittichai on Anaala, a barbecue held nightly on the hotel’s private beach, weather permitting.
I would fly to Bangkok just to eat Kittichai’s extraordinary dishes at Issaya Siamese Club, so it’s with great excitement that I take a seat at a table on the sand to watch the sunset and taste my way through a menu that includes delicious southern Thai curry of Australian short-rib, grilled trevally with turmeric sauce and stir-fried Bai Liang leaves.
Weingard’s backstory is as fascinating as his life’s purpose, both of which are shared with me by the resort manager during a tour of the luxe accommodations, each one uniquely fitted out by world-renowned designers.
A former trader at Chemical Bank in London, Weingard was due to attend a meeting at the World Trade Centre on September 11, 2001. Running late that day probably saved his life. Just a year later, his fiancee died in the Bali bombings, celebrating a wedding he was supposed to attend.
When disaster struck a third time in the form of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami (Weingard was in Thailand and survived by scrambling to safety on the roof), he pledged to fund non-profit initiatives and encourage others to give.
Since 2003, his Inspirasia Foundation has donated more than €15 million ($26.8 million). A percentage of all hotel and restaurant revenue is donated. To me, at least, it makes the food taste even better.
THE DETAILS
Fly
Jetstar offers direct flights from Sydney and Melbourne to Phuket several times a week. See jetstar.com
Stay
Iniala Beach House, an exclusive small hotel on Natai Beach in Thailand with 12 accommodation options, including one-bedroom pool residences, a three-bedroom beachfront villa, the penthouse and the owner’s suite, has been awarded a Michelin Key. From $US600 ($925) a night. See inialathailand.com
Dine
Michelin-starred Aulis Phuket, a 15-seat chef’s table restaurant at Iniala Beach House, is open Tuesday to Saturday for dinner. The multi-course set menu costs 6000 Thai Baht, plus tax and service charge ($281). Pairings with wine and non-alcoholic drinks are available at additional cost.
Anaala serves Thai fusion dishes and barbecue specialties under the direction of chef patron Ian Kittichai. It’s open for dinner every night from 6.30pm to 9.30pm. Daily set menus from 2250 Thai Baht.
The writer was a guest of Iniala Beach House.
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