Phuket July 2015 Day 3 - dhatri spa, Thanoon Seafood, Vero Italian

Continued from
Day 1 - Heng Heng Thai Food, Pullman Arcadia
Day 2 - Pullman Arcadia, Kang Ean2 Seafood, Seoul Grill


As usual, woke up bright and early (the kiddo is an early bird) for breakfast. And as mentioned during the previous post, we didn't linger in the restaurant for long as we didn't enjoy the crowd. Opted for a simple and light breakfast as I had a spa appointment in the late morning, and also in anticipation of lunch.

Had been to dhatri spa before during previous stays and because of the excellent quality of the spa treatments, decided to have a scrub and massage. The treatment did not disappoint and I certainly felt rejuvenated afterwards, in fact I lamented to the HB that it was too short!

For lunch, we ventured to Thanoon Seafood, located near the Sarasin bridge that linked Phuket island to the mainland of Phang Nga Province. Dined there during the last trip and the food was not too bad with nice waterfront scenery.

We hardly get this type of seafront view in SG, so I guess that makes us yearn for such dining experience. Lol :p

The Tom Yum Seafood here certainly fared better than that of Kan Eang2 Seafood the previous day. Besides spiciness and sourness, the broth had a sweet undertone.

The Stir Fried Clams with basil and chilli was not bad, clam meat was quite fresh and overall the chilli and basil sauce very appetising.

This is a local vegetable, slightly fibrous, while I liked it, it was a tad salty.

The papaya salad was a tad too wet. I preferred the ones served at Koh Samui.

Ordered the Prawn Cake for the kiddo seeing how he enjoyed it the previous day at Kan Eang2. But he ate only one piece and didn't want anymore, which meant that this wasn't as nice as the ones at Kan Eang2. Well, he was right, I thought it wasn't as fresh.

HB really wanted to eat the the deep fried fish (butterfly style) in tamarind sauce, so we had a special order. We told the waitress that we wanted deep fried fish butterfly style (it was available in the menu but without sauce) and add a tamarind sauce for us (there's fried prawns in tamarind sauce in the menu).

Alas, don't know why the chef decided to change the style of the fish. Fail! Total disappointment.

When fish is sliced this style and deep fried, the fish became hard throughout and lost the tender texture. If fish is deep fried butterfly style, the exterior is crispy while interior will still remain tender.

After lunch, the kiddo and I simply headed back to the hotel for a rest and relax afternoon while the HB went for a massage at the Naithon Beach area.

For dinner, we decided to stay in to try the Vero Italian Restaurant at Pullman Arcadia itself. After so many stays, we finally got the chance to dine here.

The alfresco areas offer stunning views. But the tables with the best view were occupied :(

So we opted for indoors instead. The decor and furnishings were warm and cozy, mostly wooden furniture.

Complimentary bread basket, very nice breads with balsamic vinegar and EVOO dip.

The restaurant did right by offering the Kid's Menu and took orders for the kiddo first, so his food was served first and very quickly. It's wise to feed kiddos first so that the adults could enjoy a slow and relaxing meal thereafter. Most of the time, adult meals were served first and the kids got restless waiting and adults couldn't really enjoy as they had to entertain the kids relentless questions on "why my food is not here yet". This shows that this restaurant really pays attention to details. Thumbs up!

Anyways, the pizza was yummy, except that it was too big!

I had salmon which was nicely done, crispy skin and tender and juicy meat.

Whereas HB had lamb shank. The meat was bone tender and went well with the sauce and mashed potato.

Overall the meal was enjoyable with impeccable service by staff.

Basically this marked the end of our short 4D3N annual getaway to Phuket (day 4 was just breakfast and then to airport for our flight).

Not sure if we would return to Pullman Arcadia next year as I'm also eyeing other properties. But then again, I do miss the breathtaking views from the room as well as the excellent hospitality. Well, will leave the decision till next year then.

Phuket July 2015 Day 2 - Pullman Arcadia, Kan Eang 2 Seafood, Seoul Grill

Continued from Day 1 - Heng Heng Thai Food, Pullman Arcadia


The next morning, we woke up bright and early, eagerly anticipating the sumptuous breakfast buffet spread that Pullman offers. I have mentioned before, the buffet spread and quality at Pullman is one of the best I've eaten. The atmosphere was also relaxing and peaceful, making the entire breakfast experience a highlight of the stay.

To my dismay, the restaurant was overcrowded with boisterous tourists from a group tour (or more); their mannerism and behaviors somewhat spoil the mood. The kitchen did their best to keep the food refilled which was commendable but on the ground it seemed to be understaffed; dirty plates not cleared promptly, and no offers of coffee or tea. The situation continued for the three breakfasts we were there, although we wanted very much to linger and enjoy a slow and nice breakfast, we didn't.

After breakfast, we decided to take a stroll around the lobby and hotel as the furnishing has been refreshed and even more lovely than before.

Reception area.

Lobby lounge. There's live band every night, nice place to chill out and relax over breathtaking views.

New area which opened since our last visit.

There's a deli bar with two small shops selling clothing and accessories.

Bar by the main pool.

Guests can enjoy coconut juice or ice-cream while relaxing by the poolside.

This is another chill out area, also great for sunset viewing. Our room overlooks this area.

We decided to venture out for lunch. On the way out, hubby caught sight of this durian stall and being a durian lover, simply had to stop to try.

These were local durians.

Bought one to try, meat texture not bad, tasted quite like our kampung durians.

We drove for one plus hour from almost the northern part of the island to the southern part at Chalong Bay.

Kan Eang 2 Seafood is highly recommended by many people so we don't mind going the distance for good food.

This place looked kind of familiar. I think either we've been here before or another restaurant nearby, some 15 years ago?

Anyways, the restaurant is big and spacious with indoor and alfresco choices.

One of my favourite dish, Tod Mun Goong, deep fried breaded shrimp cake. The shrimp cake was fresh, flavourful and crispy, and the kiddo liked it so much he had three pieces, leaving only one piece each for hubby and I :(

We were pleased to see the deep fried fish butterfly-style; it was nicely done but too bad without the tamarind sauce that we liked (dish found at Krao Chao Bann Koh Samui).

Tom Yum Seafood. Initially they sent a non-spicy version (waiter just assumed we don't take spicy) and we rejected it. It was ok, the broth was sour and spicy but lacked the depth of sweetness we were looking for.

Steamed squid in lime and chilli. Was quite good, squid was fresh and sauce very appetising.

Overall, it was a good dining experience with lovely view and gentle breeze. Food-wise, some hits and misses, considered one of the better dining places we've been in Phuket (although still falls short of our expectations as compared to Koh Samui).

After lunch, we shopped at Patong Beach area for a while before heading back to Naithon area. But before that, must let the kiddo try the famous street snack!

Our usual order, Nutella with Banana. The pancake was crispy on the outside, with warm and gooey banana and nutella inside. Yummy! The kiddo loved it and had almost half of it by himself.

We reached the hotel in the evening, just nice for a swim by the main pool to catch the lovely sunset.

For dinner, we decided to venture out again to a nearby mall. Wanted to eat at our favourite hot pot place, MK restaurant but the kiddo insisted on Seoul Grill.

It's basically a conveyor belt buffet concept, all-you-can-eat for 2 hours at 299 baht person, children FOC.

First time we see a grill like this, the centre part for grilling meat and the side is for soup. Quite brilliant because the juice from the meats will drip into the soup making it very flavourful and sweet.

Besides items on the conveyor belt, there are also cooked food like fried chicken, sushi, noodles, salad etc. Not bad at all.

After dinner, we shopped at Tesco supermarket for a while before heading back to the hotel for the night.

Stay tuned for Day 3 - dhatri spa, Thanoon Seafood, Vero Italian restaurant.