Whether you’re here with friends, family or a loved one we’re sure a large number of you want to experience a lunch or dinner that you will remember a lifetime. Baan Kalim Restaurant & Seafood is situated at one of the best locations in Patong Beach and is a venue that has so much to offer. If you’re craving gourmet Thai, Chinese, International or Seafood dishes that are not only visually appealing but also uniquely prepared and can be paired with a fine wine from an extensive selection, “Baan Kalim” is the place to go.
Phuketindex.com recently had the chance to talk with the Owner-Manager of Baan Kalim – Mr. Thanusorn Phucharoen or “Khun Pond”, a young business man who has played in important role in making Baan Kalim the successful restaurant that it is today.
Would you like to tell us about your background?
I was born here in Phuket but I graduated at Bournemouth University in England with a master’s degree in travel and hospitality. I’m very lucky to have grown up in a family that’s been involved with Phuket’s hotel and restaurant businesses for several decades, they are the owners of the Safari Beach Hotel, Savoey Seafood (one of Phuket’s most popular seafood restaurants), and the 5-star La Flora Resort Patong, all of which I have previously had experienced in, in various aspects of the businesses. More recently my father decided to set up a project to open a new restaurant located on Kalim Beach, and I was privileged that he appointed me to manage and oversee every aspect of the restaurant, from its concept, the building, the interior and exterior design, through to building the team, planning the marketing and deciding on and designing the menu. It is my aim with Baan Kalim to continue the success of Savoey, but in my own individual way. I hope that our guests see Baan Kalim as a luxury restaurant with a friendly homelike atmosphere which offers a complete range of delicious food and beverages at a reasonable price.
Why do you think you’re so passionate about food?
My passion for food started when I was very young, and I share my family’s passion for food. Eating is a very important part of my family’s lifestyle and even when I was young and our restaurant had just opened I would take part in new menu tastings. When you consider this, how can I not be passionate about food!
When I go on holiday I like to travel to different places around the world, and for me the most important part of the holiday is to try the local food and learn the eating habits of the country of which I visit. As examples, Singapore and Malaysia are countries I love very much and they, like Phuket, have a very rich Chinese culture, when I went I witnessed how eating was such an important part of people’s culture, they eat a lot of dishes because it is their belief that by doing so it will bring them wealth and happiness. Another example is Japan, it was here that I really started to appreciate that the quality of a restaurants service is just as important as the standard of the food, the level of service I received in the restaurants there was very impressive. However, it is not only Asian countries i have learnt from, it is from Western countries that I have learnt about the importance of the menu design, the presentation of a dish and the quality of the ingredients used. Furthermore, by being able to visit many different countries and learning about their food it allows me to mix different food styles and create a menu and dishes that are unique to our restaurant and can continuously be updated.
I want to take my experiences and bring different aspects of them to Baan Kalim and create diversity. I understand that we have a diverse customer base and we need to cater for all of our customers. More importantly, I realise that there are so many restaurant options in Phuket and we have so much competition. That will always be the case so we need to ensure that we can keep up with and be better than our competitors.
What is your management philosophy?
You cannot make a restaurant successful without a strong team. When the restaurant has a lot of customers and its busy staff must work in unity and use their knowledge, experience and skills to help others to ensure the restaurant runs smoothly. My role is to communicate with the team, let them know my expectations of them and assist them in adjusting their attitudes so that we are all thinking and going in the same direction. I personally use a combination of what I believe are two different management styles; the first is what I call the Thai style, be generous and understanding of my team and take their welfare into consideration. The second is the Western style within which discipline is a priority, the service must be excellent, and the staff must look and work professionally at all times and be accepted by our customers. When I want to change something I will just not command it be done, I will explain the reasons why I want it to be done, thus preventing conflicts and also helping to develop the team.
What would you like to say about Baan Kalim Restaurant & Seafood?
Baan Kalim Restaurant and Seafood offers a mouthwatering and taste-bud tingling range of dining choices from Seafood, Chinese dishes, Royal Thai cuisine to classic Western dishes made to suit all tastes and prepared under the guidance of highly experience chef and served by a professional restaurant team.
Great emphasis is placed on Thai hospitality with lots of interaction between the servers and guests. The restaurant has an array of fresh seafood ranging from live lobster, tiger prawns and crab through to a variety of local fish which can be prepared to suit individual tastes. In addition, Baan Kalim features an exhibition kitchen- our main focal point, where guests can view the food preparation while their senses are put into overdrive with the enticing aromas and sizzling sounds of good food being cooked. The restaurant has stunning views overlooking the beautiful Andaman Sea and panoramic views of the famous Patong Bay. The Sunsets from here have to be seen to be believed – a stunning, breathtaking view.
How about a Baan Kalim Recommended Dish for our readers?
Our restaurant never stops developing new menu items because we want to create an exotic dining experience. Every dish that we design and implement to our menu has had its ingredients hand selected and has been taste tested prior to being added. Some of the most recent dishes I am proud to recommended are:
- Salmon served with red bean sauce, ginger and coconut milk with aromatic rice powder and Thai herbs
- Crispy Tiger Prawns coated in cereal
- Royal Thai style crispy vermicelli noodles with shrimps served with omelet and condiments
- Stewed Pork Belly served with preserved vegetables and soya sauce
- Thermidor – Stir fried lobster meat with mushrooms and onions in a creamy sauce with melted cheese served in lobster shell
- Bake mixed seafood
Baan Kalim Restaurant & Seafood
222 Prabaramee Road, Patong Beach, Kathu, Phuket, Thailand 83150
T: +66 76 618125 M: +668 8180 6936
F: +66 76 618247