Michelin stardom for Phang-nga

AZIAMENDI, just opened by Spanish chef Eneko Axta, who has three Michelin stars on his CV, looks set to become the top restaurant in southern Thailand.
It’s part of the Iniala Beach House, a new hotel on Phang-nga’s Na Tai Beach, 20 minutes’ drive from Phuket International Airport.
Overlooking the beautiful golden sands and the turquoise waters of the Andaman Sea, the restaurant is designed with inspiration from its nature that surrounds it. Undulating timber “waves” ripple across the ceiling. The tables have tree-like forms and the green velvet lining the chairs recalls the lush foliage outside.
The food is equally inspired. Eneko Atxa supervised the creation of a menu that incorporates the Basque cooking technique of northern Spain, fused with Thai ingredients.
Axta’s restaurant Azurmendi in his native Basque Country was a stalwart in international haute cuisine. Within five years it had earned three Michelin stars, the first in the region around the Bay of Biscay to achieve that high mark of excellence.
Speed, precision and charm are the secrets behind Atxa’s culinary magic. His passion stems from the admiration he maintains for the home-cooked meals of his childhood, which paved his way to refined haute cuisine.
Aziamendi’s grand opening last month was a long evening of gastronomic delights. Guests were encouraged to use all five senses to fully enjoy the 10-course dinner, titled “Tribute”, which indeed paid tribute to the most successful dishes of the chef’s career.
The highlights included Truffled Egg, in which egg yolk and black-truffle essence were subtly combined in a rich, aromatic explosion in the mouth, and jet-black Basque baby squid served with salty broth, and a succulent pigeon with hazelnut and chestnut.
The Tribute meal is available every night for Bt6,000. Axta and sommelier Fabien Etienne have also created menus paired with wines, at prices ranging from Bt2,000 to Bt50,000.

Aziamendi is at the Iniala Beach House in Phang-nga’s Kok Kloi district.
It’s open daily except Monday from 6pm to midnight.
Reservations are recommended at (093) 779 2312. Find out more at www.Aziamendi.com.