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By Kit C. Cauw
Our table is so close to the luxury motor yacht, at rest here in
the slip, that I feel almost as though we’re on deck. Over
highly-recommended passion fruit margaritas, I’m losing a debate
with my girlfriend about the superiority of sailboats. “You
could actually sleep on a motorboat like this,” she says. “Besides,
you don’t have to mess around with those annoying sails. And
this is prettier than any sailboat I’ve ever seen.”
A lifelong sailor, these might strike me as fighting words if it
were not for the high degree of contentment that I’m now enjoying.
Was this a lesser location, a slighter restaurant, I might stomp
out in disgust. After all, she’s championing the very boats
that my family has always derided as “stink pots.” I am
fairly certain that I’ve broken up with women for lesser offences,
but I’m not going anywhere tonight. Tie me to the stern of
that sleek, white, power whale and give it all the gas it’s
got, nothing’s moving me from my table, not until I wipe that
last crumb of dessert from the corner of my mouth. Hardly a dent
in my cocktail, I still have four courses before I reach that juncture
of the evening.
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Actually, my girlfriend does have some valid points. These yachts
really are quite pretty, shiny white and chrome. At dock here beneath
the curved white roof high above, they have a very futuristic feel,
as though they’re spaceships resting in hangar. Watermark restaurant
feels like an enlargement of this ultra modern world, an extension
of sleekness and opulence. The sun is low, on the verge of setting
over on the other side of Phuket, and its light slits filtered through
slate gray skies, illuminating the still waters of Boat Lagoon.
We are in the heart of the island’s largest marina, enclosed
by boats. If not for our servers’ unobtrusive accents, I could
easily believe that this is San Francisco or Sydney. As the name
suggests, this restaurant is without a doubt the real deal, home
to truly authentic world class cuisine.
With the basket of sundry delectable breads arrive the menus, single
sheets of translucent plastic that have the feel of reflections
in the water. Our host, manager Stewart Bird, has recommended the
salads, the fishcake appetizer and the snapper, which is one of
the chef’s contemporary Thai creations. The emphasis at Watermark,
he said, is on fresh quality ingredients, lighter meals. “We’re
the opposite of heavy French cuisine.”
Watermark opened to rave reviews in November, 2002 and has already
become “something of an institution” on Friday evenings,
where their happy hour kicks off the weekend for many in the yachting
circles and beyond. Dining is al fresco, beneath these towering
ceilings. The bar is located in a corner that definitely feels more
inside, though it is framed by only the back two walls. Bird said
that they wanted to create a nice atmosphere without the formality
of traditional fine dining. “It’s more like a Sydney cafe
or brassiere.”
Indeed, the chef is Australian, from Perth. His cuisine is modern,
taking advantage of the many opportunities for fusion in the East,
but plenty of established favourites are available as well, such
as Australian beef and lamb. A full menu of traditional Thai dishes
is offered along with a number of imaginative inventions which are
firmly rooted in Thai flavour.
Our first two dishes perfectly exemplify this creativity. Fishcakes,
a staple dish of any local market, have been taken to a whole new
level. Instead of arriving in boring little patties, they’re
wrapped around slender stalks of lemongrass and served in banana
leaf cones with a side of pomelo and sour mango salad. Prawn tempura
blends in a Japanese influence; they’re crispy, not oily and
come with an amazing sweet and sour tamarind sauce.
I’ve practically forgiven my girlfriend for her stance on
motor yachts. Darkness has settled in over the lagoon and the boats
are reflected upon the perfectly glassy surface of the black water.
Since we are on the east coast of Phuket, we missed the sunset,
but watching the light change on the boats and the lagoon has been
beautiful in its own right.
Salad is a dish that I rarely bother with here in Thailand, but
at our host’s recommendation, I ordered one. I could not be
more grateful for taking his advice. My lettuce is jazzed up with
apple, walnuts and grilled pumpkin, dressed in gorgonzola. A Waldorf
with a sublime twist. The pumpkin is probably the biggest surprise
and what a treat! I’m definitely going to return for another
helping of this!
For the main course, my girlfriend has followed Bird’s recommendations
and chosen the snapper, another of the contemporary Thai delights.
Its flavour is based on gaeng som, the yellow, sour, incendiary
soup popular throughout the south, but it has been refined. The
fish itself has been conveniently filleted and steamed to perfection,
served with the shoots of young coconut and steamed long beans.
Though unintentional, my choice of lamb tests the range of main
courses and I’m not disappointed. My girlfriend usually rolls
her eyes when I order lamb in Phuket, she thinks it is gristly and
gamey. Now she understands that it is usually just not that good.
“This is really tender!” she crows with amazement.
“This is the way it is supposed to be.”
The presentation is lovely, the atmosphere can’t be beat and
the service is nicely paced. We don’t feel rushed, yet I haven’t
had to look around for my waiter. It is a Monday evening in the
so-called rainy season and most of the fifteen tables have filled
up. This strikes me as fairly extraordinary given the impact SARS
and the US occupation of Iraq have had on tourism. On the other
hand, with the quality of dining we are experiencing, somehow I’m
not surprised.
Our night winds down with another East meets West choice for dessert.
My strawberry tart with vanilla ice cream; her fresh mango and sticky
rice in sweet coconut milk. The water remains glassy and still and
the boats shimmer under soft white lights. Beyond the luxury motor
cruisers, the tall, aluminum masts of sailing yachts protrude into
the blackness. I’m looking forward to an after dinner walk
along the docks, to having a look at boats that I truly covet, to
reopening our debate. I’m in no rush, however, for I haven’t
tasted strawberries in nearly a year and when they’re prepared
properly, as they are tonight, they’re an event to be savoured.
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