Simon Rogan announces Thailand restaurant

L’Enclume restaurateur Simon Rogan has announced that he will be bringing his chef’s table concept to Thailand with the opening of Aulis Phuket.

The restaurant, Rogan’s first in Thailand, will open at luxury beachfront hotel Iniala Beach House, in the Takua Thang district of Phang Nga, in December.

Aulis, which opened in Cartmel in 2016, and has subsequently spread to London and Hong Kong, is Rogan’s intimate chef’s table concept, named in tribute to the late Finnish chef and artist Aulis Lehtimaki, who was a key part of the time in the early days of L’Enclume.

Aulis Phuket, which will have a capacity of 15 guests per service, will be led by Giacomo Primante (formerly of three-Michelin-starred Benu in San Francisco and Mauro Colagreco’s revered Mirazur), with input from Rogan and executive chef Oli Marlow. It will be for dinner from Wednesday to Sunday, and also for lunch on Sunday.

A press release from Rogan’s restaurant group promises “a few favourite dishes” that “nod to Simon’s other restaurants”, while also sharing that the multi-course menu will be centred around native Thai ingredients.

Aulis Phuket was deisgned by Studio CKP, with founder and director Ckori Pena apparently drawing inspiration “from the desire to create an immersive and awe-inspiring space that will captivate diners and elevate their dining experience; where every detail, from the textures to the lighting, tell a story”. The table itself was made from teak and Thai marble.

Rogan is significantly expanding the footprint of his restaurants beyond L’Enclume’s Lake District home. In May, he revealed that he would be opening a “hyper-local” spot in the Maltese capital of Valetta – in fact, the restaurant, ION Harbour, is housed inside Iniala Harbour House, a sister property to Iniala Beach House.