Dee Plee

If every up-scale restaurant needs to be distinctive, then Dee Plee succeeds. The location is spectacular, perched on an escarpment which commands lofty views of the resort and the sea beyond. The refined Thai menu offers an imaginative range of dishes from all over the kingdom. Add to that, an emphasis on ultra-fresh herbs and vegetables, and superlative presentation – a feast for the eye as well as the palate – and you will have some sense of the Dee Plee’s unique charms.

The attention to surprising detail is evident from the start. We begin with a glass of butterfly pea tea, followed by an ‘amuse-bouche’ of Perilla leaves with five dips including ginger, chili and fish-based ones and three nibbles – fried coconut, galangal pickle, and peanuts.

The chef recommends a starter which takes us on a gastronomic journey around Thailand. Colourfully served in bowls with accompanying sauces, it consists of Kor Moo Yang Jim Jeaw – North-east style grilled pork neck with lime sauce, Larb Gai – minced chicken salad with rice powder and mint leaves, Som Tum Thai – a spicy papaya salad with dry shrimps and peanuts from central Thailand, Thod Mun Goong – fried patties of minced shrimp, and Yum Nua Yang, a beef salad with lime, chili sauce, tomato and onion, which my partner loves for its piquant edge. For me the ‘piece de resistance’ is the shrimp patty, succulent and densely flavoured.

For the main course, we both opt for traditional Thai curries. My friend’s choice – predictably since she hails from Trang – is Kua Gling, finely minced southern kurabuta pork, stir-fried in curry paste with lemon grass and kaffir lime. My selection is a Panang fish curry, Pla Grapong Dang, with snapper and cumin. The real deal, with a rich red sauce and moist fillets of fish. Choice of three kinds of rice too….And, for those who cannot make up their minds, the Curry Platter offers a selection of five different classics including Gang Keaw Waan (green curry) and Masssaman Nua. There is even a selection of vegetarian dishes based on Phuket’s own traditions.

The wine list is impressively extensive – with 21 choices available by the glass. I order a tannic Australian Barossa Stonefish Shiraz and follow up with a classically plummy Merlot from the same vintner.

No stone is left unturned at Dee Plee to ensure your experience is memorable.

Khaow Soy Gai

Curry paste

• 15g Large dried chilies
• 8g Fresh turmeric
• 80g Shallots
• 50g Garlic
• 50g Coriander root
• 40g Shrimp paste
• 50g Galangal
• 50g Lemongrass
• 5g White pepper
• 5g Salt

Condiment

• 100ml Vegetable oil
• 150ml Chicken stock
• 175ml Coconut milk
• 30ml Light soy sauce
• 10ml Black soy sauce
• 50ml Soy bean paste
• 10g Black cardamom seeds
• 10g Curry powder
• 5g Coriander seeds
• 5g Cumin seeds
• 80g Palm sugar

Chicken curry

• 60g Egg noodles (cooked)
• 80g Chicken fillet
• 5g Shallots
• 40g Pickled cabbage
• 10g Egg noodles (crispy)
• 4g Spring onions
• 5ml Chili in oil
• 1 Lime (whole)

Method

1. Soak the dried chili in water until soft and then blend with the fresh turmeric, shallots, garlic, coriander root, shrimp paste, galangal, lemongrass, salt and pepper until it becomes a smooth paste.
2. Put the fresh paste into a pot with the vegetable oil, and then add the black cardamom, coriander, cumin seeds curry powder and 175ml of coconut milk and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. When the aromas start to develop, add the palm sugar, light soy, black soy and soybean paste and keep stirring for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the chicken stock and keep simmering for 10 minutes.
5. Add chicken meat to cook with the sauce.
6. Place the cooked egg noodles in a soup bowl, then top with curry mixture and sprinkle with chopped spring onions and crispy noodles.
7. Serve with an accompaniment of chili in oil, pickle, cabbage, shallots and fresh lime

Chef Suthat Aim-anan

Chef Suthat started his culinary career 17 years ago and has extensive international experience that includes restaurants in Bangkok, Dubai and the Seychelles.

He grew up in Nakorn-Sawan, near Bangkok, and always assisted his mother in the kitchen. He was inspired by her love of cooking and passion for Thai cuisine.

Chef Suthat loves nothing more than to cook, talk about cooking and improve his already fantastic skills by studying food. It brings him endless joy to see guests enjoying his dishes at Dee Plee, the Thai signature restaurant at Anantara Phuket Layan Resort.

Chef Suthat has a secret indefinable ingredient – love. “When you cook with love, the food simply tastes better.”