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Almost hidden in a corner at Le Meridien Phuket
is a treasure of Japanese culture, the Ariake restaurant where each
night Chef Manee Emamorn presides over the tempura and teppanyaki
table.
"We have copied an authentic Japanese restaurant with three
stations. The first is for sushi and sashimi. Our Japanese guests
can experience their cuisine using local fresh fish from the surrounding
Andaman Sea. The second station is the quick fry teppanyaki table
where I prepare traditional delights as squid, salmon, snapper,
beef, chicken, prawn and pork when the guest orders. The third station
is for the delicious soups such as miso and kitsune udon which I
prepare each day.
Chef Manee was born in Saraburi Province and while a young teenager
his family sent him to Bangkok
to apprentice in the Kobe Steak House in Siam Square. He quickly
learned the art of preparing the cuisine that satisfied the numerous
Japanese businessmen that he served.
"Actually, I never learned to cook Thai food as I have spent
twenty years perfecting the tastes of Japanese flavors which are
very light" comments Chef Manee. "The quick fry of fresh
foods keeps the cuisine very healthy yet very simple."
He developed such a renown reputation in the kitchen that when
the Japanese ambassador to Nepal was appointed, he recruited Chef
Manee to work in the embassy in Kathmandu for over two years.
"When I needed to find a chef for the Ariake, I put the word
out to recruiters who instantly told me that Chef Manee was the
best in the country," confides Executive Chef Antoine Rodriquez,
who directs the operations in Le
Meridien Phuket's kitchens.
The Ariake is designed like a garden in the night with a walkway
that meanders around the seating. Two enclosed tatami rooms give
privacy of small groups of up to ten people.
"We've opened the Ariake two nights a week with a delicious
buffet of sushis, salads, soups, bbq teppanyaki and desserts such
as kakigori, crushed ice with various syrups," explains Chef
Manee. "This buffet allows someone not familiar with Japanese
food to enjoy the variety and subtlety of a range of sushis as our
recommended seafood tamaki where I combine shrimp, crab, crab eggs
and imported seaweed into an irresistible combination."
No Japanese dinner is complete without traditional sake. This has
been Japan's national drink for over a thousand years closely linked
with the religious and social life of the people. Sake is made from
fermented rice and is colorless with a fairly sweet flavor and a
bitter aftertaste. At the Ariake, it is kept at the correct temperature
by a special heater imported from Japan.
Guests to Ariake will be charmed by the servers who wear traditional
Japanese kimono which gives an air of authenticity to the room.
"I have worked in the top Japanese restaurants in Thailand
and I think the cuisine and service at Ariake competes with the
best" states Chef Manee. "I invite you to try our special
buffet on Wednesday and Saturday. You won't find a better Japanese
experience on Phuket.
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