Phuket Gazette, December 27th 2003

A MARRIAGE OF FINE ART AND FINE FOOD

BY BRUCE STANLEY

LIM’s at Kalim Bay is an elegant custom-designed restaurant and a gallery of bold, very abstract art, built on a tropical hillside garden beside one of Phuket’s few natural rivers. You could call it a hidden treasure.

Owners Daniel Bosshard and Alongkorn “Gop” Poochamchote opened their restaurant in a small house in 1999.

They have gradually expanded, adding a generous dining room with high ceilings and an outdoor courtyard that balances the tropical splendor of the surrounding jungle with bamboo, stone and natural elements to create perhaps the most charming restaurant on Phuket.

Daniel worked in the tour business in the Mediterranean, America and the Middle East and planned one day to open his own restaurant.

On Phuket, he found Gop, an artist whose large, vivid paintings hang on the walls and who designed the sleek interiors that feature polished concrete walls, punctured by windows at surprising angles and mixed with stunning displays of large tropical flowers.

Their skills have made LIM’s one of the few Phuket restaurants to attract such high profile guests as, recently, model Kate Moss and actor Jude Law and other members of that rather secretive clientele that stays at the Amanpuri and surrounding villas.

LIM’s has the added pleasure of some of the best music. Daniel has had DJs in his native Switzerland compile a trendy set of what he calls “chill-out music” for guests to enjoy during dinner.

There’s a fun cocktail list which features the best Long Island Iced Tea on Phuket, a large mango daiquiri and a specialty that Daniel calls a Busy Night, a mixture of cherry brandy, rum, vodka and apple juice.

“Gop and I have created a simple yet complete menu of what we call ‘modern Thai cuisine’, with an emphasis on fresh seafood served in generous portions,” Daniel said.

“We don’t exaggerate our use of spices because we want the clear, natural flavors of the fresh ingredients to impress our guests”.

And impress they do. The menu features an appetizer of mixed treats that includes luscious Vietnamese spring rolls stuffed with carrot, cucumber, capsicum, coriander, basil and mint leaves; deep fried shrimp cookies; grilled pork ribs; and chicken satay, all served with tasty condiments.

LIM’s has special offerings that combine interesting textures and tastes. There’s a pomelo salad with shrimp that has a very fresh, very clean taste. The slices of marinated duck breast rolled in cucumber are very light and match either the Australian or New Zealand red or white wines offered on the menu.

Daniel makes special recommendations each night, depending on what he has found at the fresh seafood market that day. He regularly features his version of “hor mok”, a steamed mousse of red curry, fish and coconut milk with shrimp. Or there’s the large tasty stir-fried squid with garlic and pepper, or the fresh crab with black pepper that has been fried together in a wok.

Traditional, popular curries can be found on the menu with large king prawns, chicken or duck and there’s a section for vegetarians who are fond of fried tofu topped with peanut sauce or a tasty vegetable tempura.

This is a restaurant to relax in, to take your time between courses and enjoy the company of your dinner companions. A couple can expect to pay around 1’400 Baht, plus wine.

Khun Gop has opened his painting studio next door so that guests can admire his range of work. The paintings at LIM’s are also for sale and there is a steady demand for work by this trained painter, who says he is inspired by feelings about Buddhism and life.

Until now, the pleasure of an evening at LIM’s has spread mostly by discreet word of mouth as the chosen elegant hideaway for the discerning diner. Now the word is out.