Japanese brunch a reminder of why we love Phuket

If you moved to Phuket to escape the hustle and bustle of big city life, it might be a short while before you start regretting your move. At times, Phuket seems as bad as any urban center, with all its traffic jams, road works and condominiums popping up everywhere. Add the millions of tourists visiting the island each year and you will find yourself in a pickle.

Luckily, there is a way out that doesn’t involve leaving the island – weekend trips to Khao Lak included. First, you can simply wait for the rainy season. With most group tours and tour buses gone, Phuket becomes more than livable and an occasional shower or even a few days of non-stop rain are a small price to pay. Another option is to go north. Not as far as Phang Nga or the wilderness of Ranong province but right here, to the island’s north in Mai Khao beach. If you try going the direction of Mai Khao in the low season,you might forget that you’re still on the island that you love to hate. Yes, it’s that serene.

You need a better reason to take the trip than Phuket’s longest stretch of empty beach? Choose to go on a Sunday and head for JW Marriott. The beachside resort recently secured the Nr. 1 spot in the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards 2014 readers’ survey in the category of Top Family Hotels in Asia. And in deed it has all you need to enjoy a relaxed, family day – picturesque beach, deluxe facilities and, now, something to satisfy your hunger too.

The recently introduced JW Japanese Sunday brunch combines the pleasures of the Japanese table with access to the resort’s facilities, making it a perfect reason to hop in your car and drive north, even from the very south of the island. On your way there you might drive past a number of other resorts with Sunday brunches on offer, but the one at the Marriott has a competitive edge. I’d call it focus. While other Phuket brunch events are more of a mishmash combining foie gras with Indian roti or piling up lamb chops on top of pizzas, Marriott goes 100 per cent authentic Japanese. After all, the resort is home to one of, if not the, best Japanese restaurants on the island – the Kabuki Japanese Cuisine Theater.

On Kabuki’s menu you will find only pure, Japanese dishes such as soba noodle salad with smoked salmon and wasabi dressing, mixed fresh seaweed in sesame dressing, red snapper, horse mackerel and seabass sashimi, tuna, salmon, snapper and burnt squid sushi and a number of tempura items.

Then there is the Teppanyaki section which produces dishes prepared by skilled chefs grilling beef, lamb, pork and seafood in impressive bursts of flames. Your sweet tooth will be satisfied with a range of authentic Japanese desserts including deep fried ice cream. In short, during the Sunday brunch, all signature Japanese dishes usually served in Kabuki are available in the form of a buffet and at a reasonable price says the JW Marriott’s Executive Chef, Dietmar Spitzer.

“And for an extra 600 baht guests can enjoy a free flow of alcoholic beverages including four different kinds of sake from different regions of Japan,” he adds.

The JW Japanese Sunday Brunch is available every Sunday from 11am to 4pm at 1,900 baht net per person, half price for children ages seven to 12 and free for children under six. On the topic of kids – taking part in the brunch grants your children access to the resort’s Kids’ Pavilion while you relax after the meal by one of the Marriott’s beachfront swimming pools.

Need a reminder why you ever moved to Phuket? Head to Mai Khao and you’ll wonder how you could have lived anywhere else.

For more information visit the resorts website

— Maciek Klimowicz