PRU Restaurant in Phuket ⭐
The only 1 Star Michelin restaurant in Phuket
PRU Restaurant is a fine dining venue showcasing an innovative cuisine concept, located adjacent at the exclusive Trisara Resort in Phuket. Trisara Resort is one of the most luxurious and intimate private pool villa resorts on the Island. The restaurant is situated in a remote and peaceful location on the outskirts of Cherngtalay. It is perched on a hill surrounded by greenery with views towards the Andaman Sea. PRU restaurant is the only 1 ⭐ Star Michelin restaurant in Phuket.
The new PRU restaurant reveals a new “community-to-fork” gastronomy experience blustering a new sublime menus that perform the best and rare ingredients from Phuket and around Thailand. Chef Jimmy combines Western techniques with inspiration from ecosystems of Thailand. He creates tiny, beautifully presented dishes that are as intricate as jewelry.
Michelin Star & Michelin Green Star
Michelin Star – PRU Restaurant has received proudly the Michelin red plate by the Phuket Michelin Guide since 2019. It is the only one in Phuket to have achieved this award. The accolade is much-coveted by Chef Jim and his team. One Star stands for High Quality Cooking.
Michelin Green Star – Successively, PRU has been awarded a Michelin Green Star in 2020 and in 2021 by Michelin Guide Thailand. PRU and Jampa are the one restaurants in Phuket to have achieved this coveted award. The Michelin Green Star is an annual award which highlights restaurants at the cutting edge of the industry when it comes to their sustainable policies. Green Star stand for Sustainable Gastronomy.
Earning those awards is an exceptional and unprecedented achievement. What an honor! It’s time for a second star Jimmy!
What does PRU mean?
First and all, PRU is a Thai word which takes its name where the forest meets the sea. PRU stands for Plant, Raise, Understand, and it is this philosophy that sustains every aspect of this sophisticated, intimate and superb restaurant, just a few steps from the sea.
How to get to PRU Restaurant
PRU restaurant is surrounded by greenery in a remote area on the north-west coast of Phuket. It’s a little challenging to reach it if you don’t know the way, but now let’s see how to reach it. From Phuket Airport take the Nai Yang Road and drive for 4.5 km and turn right onto the 4018 Road direction Naithon Beach. Drive for 6.5 km, then you will see in your right Naithon Beach, Naithon Noi Beach and then Banana Beach. After those beautiful Phuket beaches you will reach PRU Restaurant on the right side just after the Trisara Resort entrance.
The fastest and shortest route to reach PRU Restaurant from Patong Beach is taking the road that runs along the western coast of the island. From Patong take the coast road that leads to Cherngtalay driving for 16.2 km then turn left to stay on Route 4030. Drive for 350 meters and turn left on Lagoon Road and drive for 8.4 km. You will drive between some popular hotels like Cassia Phuket, Angsana Laguna and Banyan Tree Phuket. Then turn left and drive for 3 km to reach Pru Restaurant that will be on the left. At the end of the page I added also a map to help you locate PRU restaurant in Phuket.
The New PRU Restaurant
Until August 2023, PRU was located in a cozy pavilion close to the library and to the beach. The restaurant was welcoming and often fully-booked as expected. But Chef Jim with the Trisara Management thought that it was time to change face to the restaurant with a new design. Jim was in the right place and in the right moment. Nowadays, the new PRU 2 is perched in a new location, high above with views of the ocean and sunsets. It is bigger than before with 36 seats, an elegant design, a new menu, and a new open kitchen.
1st November 2023, PRU opened its door with its new look. The new PRU 2 is skillfully designed with a cozy lounge, a professional open kitchen, and a large wine cell with over 250 wine bottles carefully selected. Next to the wine cell, there is also a private dining room with 10 seats for an intimate dinner with colleagues or friends. The location of PRU restaurant is exactly across of the Trisara’s tennis courts. Conveniently, it also has a parking lot, just at the side of the main road.
The first thing you see when entering the restaurant is the Michelin red plate proudly displayed at the entrance. Upon your arrival, the kind team welcomes you warmly and then leads you to the new lounge, where you can enjoy delicious amuse-bouches and drinks.
The air-conditioned lounge provides comfortable armchairs and brown wooden tables. The armchairs with blue tones, gives a touch of elegance and spirituality. The large windows let in plenty of natural light and offer pleasant views towards the surrounding nature.
After tasting the delicious snacks and drinks, the team leads you to the upper floor where the open kitchen is. Welcome to the heart of PRU restaurant. The air-conditioning dining area with 36 seats is designed with large windows to make it bright. Furthermore, it is elegantly furnished with 5 tables and comfortable chairs. A kitchen counter with 10 seats is strategically located in front of the open kitchen to allow diners to see how they prepare the innovative and creative dishes. The open kitchen concept allows the diners to see also how clean the kitchen is, and admire the expertise of the Chef Jim and his team.
All the furniture and the professional stainless-steel kitchen are made and purchased in Thailand, precisely to support local producers. On the wall, there is a beautiful glass display with 2 Michelin Green Star 2020 and 2021 proudly displayed on top.
Which food does PRU serve?
PRU Restaurant serves sophisticated innovative Thai dishes with different textures and flavors. These dishes are unique and you won’t find them anywhere else. Each meal with stellar taste, has an interesting background story to tell. They take you on a journey from the moment you step in to the moment you step out.
The menu focuses on seafood, plants and herbs, of which some are grown in their immense organic farm. It consists only in two options: GAIA 9-course set for vegetarians and PRU 9-course set for seafood and meat lovers. Both sets do not include drinks. PRU restaurant is a fine dining venue. As expected, from high-level restaurants, you first receive a sophisticated amuse-bouche before the meal. Snack arrived as expected, and it was superbly presented and delicious.
Baby Corn & Passion fruit
I indulged in a PRU 9-course set menu at 6.900++ Baht per person. Dining duration estimated for 3 hours. Dishes started coming promptly, and as expected from a Michelin restaurant, a well-trained Manager, Khun Alberto, and Chef Jim in person, described 9 meals in much detail. It was absolutely interesting to hear the story of each dish. What an experience!
For example they tell you which ingredients come from PRU Jampa Farm or somewhere in Thailand. Even why they use a special herb or root to combine with that specific flavor. Also the cooking time and how many times the sauce has been reduced to keep the correct consistency and fragrance. To continue, the reason why they use Goby fish from lake water and not the Goby fish from the sea. Just note that every dish was served on different plates with a great story to tell.
This is the art of culinary, and everything is interesting to know. The dishes were served at the right pace, so I also had time to take photos of them. The 9 dishes were indeed right as the plates were tiny and superbly presented. The creativity and the freshness of tastes and textures were stellar and sublime to try. Below it’s the menu list of PRU 9-courses.
1. The King of the Fruit
Spotlighting the king of fruits, durian, roasted for hours over an open wood fire to achieve a unique caramelized and smoky flavor, seamlessly paired with locally sourced caviar from Hua Hin, creating a harmonious balance of salty and sweet. Artfully completed with marinated mulberries, organic melon vinegar, shiso leaf oil, and basil flowers.
2. Giant Travelly & Ceylon Oak
Dry aged for 5-7 days before it’s brined in Thai rice wine and citrus brine. Underneath we have a mix of toasted cucumber crème and pickled cucumber. Served with a vinaigrette made of Ceylon Oak (Ta-Ko, a very rare berry from the North of Thailand and only available for a couple of months per year) and marigold leaf oil.
3. Black crab & Fermented Tea
They use the claws and the body to collect the meat and make a warm salad of it with chickpea crème, fermented tea leaf oil, lime skin and chives. It is topped it with pickled fresh chickpea, charcoaled snap pea (Marinated with snap pea vinegar) and a sauce made of green curry. Adding on top fermented tea leaf oil and smoked crab egg.
4. Fennel & Vanilla
The fennel is marinated with vanilla butter and wrapped in a vanilla leaf. Then, it is covered with a salt dough and baked. By doing this the fennel simply gets the aromas of the vanilla. When this is done, it is glazed the fennel with a passion fruit reduction and served it with a sauce made from fennel juice, fermented fennel, vanilla, Calamansi juice and an oil made from Wan Sao Leang leaf.
5. Goby fish & Turmeric
The fish is dry-aged for 3 days, then, marinated in a mix of confided garlic, lemongrass, ginger and turmeric. The fish is marinated for 2-3 hours. Then, the fish is grilled in the Japanese way to ensure it has a nice charcoal crust. It is served together with a baby kale barigoule, a Tamarillo chutney. Then it is garnished with a vinaigrette of smoked goby fish bones sauce and lemon basil oil.
6. Squid & Blue Cheese
Bluerif squid is used in four different ways, raw marinated with organic lemon skin, confided in XO oil a ham made from the squid (Smoked and aged for a month). From the head and the leftover it is dried /caramelized and make sauce together with Blue cheese. This dish is paired with marinated Aloe Vera and sour herbs.
7. Aged duck & Siam Tulip
Showcasing an exceptional dry-aged duck, meticulously brined for 48 hours, dry-aged for 5 days and then slow-roasted over an open fire to perfection. One of Chef Jimmy’s signatures, served with a delightful combination of Siam tulip flowers and egg fruit sourced in Chiang Mai, providing a unique and harmonious blend of flavors. The crowning touch is a rich sauce crafted from a reduction of duck bones, enhancing the dish with depth and intensity.
8. Pink Guava & Celebes Pepper
A dessert that is based on another chef’s favorite, Pink Guava. To make this dessert, it has been added a sorbet of Celebes pepper leaves and a “Chili paste” of pink guava.
9. Banana & Umebushi
Banana, Shitake, Umeboshi and fermented soybeans. Where the banana takes centre stage and all the other flavors combine to bring the banana to the highlight of the dessert.
PRU Restaurant serves natural Sai Yok spring water from Kanchanaburi. It costs 280++ THB per person. Kanchanaburi province is located in the west of Thailand, at 130 km from Bangkok. Furthermore, it also serves 6 non-alcoholic natural juices at 2500++ THB. They are natural at 100% and very refreshing. A well-trained team serves the juice telling you how it’s made. Every things have an interesting background story to know at PRU restaurant.
Locally sourced ingredients
They only use 100% locally sourced food and ingredients chosen and bought in the right season for great taste and freshness. PRU Restaurant grows and uses rare herbs and flowers from the Trisara’s garden and from its own Pru Jampa Farm which is located 15 minutes away.
Incidentally, the farm is also shared by JAMPA, the Green-starred restaurant of zero-waste cuisine concept which is part of Tri Vananda Community. Tri Vananda is an integrative wellness community situated in a very peaceful location in Cherngtalay, Thalang District. Just to clarify, PRU and JAMPA are both restaurants under the Management of Montara Hospitality Group.
The farm is a large piece of land which supplies countless vegetables, herbs, flowers and fruits. There are also some free range animals such as ducks, geese and chickens. Pru Jampa is an organic farm where everything is cultivated as natural as possible. Practically, they go back to the time when people were completely dependent on their own farm. This way of farming is called permaculture. It can be understood as the growth of agricultural ecosystems in a self-sufficient and sustainable way. Plant, Raise and Understand, exactly what PRU stands for!
Summary
The dinner at the new PRU restaurant was stellar, not only for the excellent innovative dishes with sublime flavors, but also from the story that surrounds it. The service was impeccable and the staff are very kind and friendly. It was an interesting gastronomy experience from the moment I stepped in to the moment I stepped out.
PRU Restaurant Contact and info
📍 Location: Trisara Phuket
📌 Address: 60/1 Moo 6, Srisoonthorn Road, Cherngtalay, Thalang, Phuket 83110 Thailand
📱 Phone: +66 (0) 76 683 344
🍴 Cuisine: Innovative Thai
💲 Price: very high
🌐 Reservation: Book the date
🌐 Website: PRU Restaurant
🕒 Hours:
Sunday-Monday Closed
Tuesday 6 –10:30 PM
Wednesday 6 –10:30 PM
Thursday 6–10:30 PM
Friday 12 – 3 PM, 6 – 10:30 PM
Saturday 12 – 3 PM, 6 – 10:30 PM