Gitano reborn: a new venue for Phuket foodies
Cheerfully warm - guests at the food tasting evening.
Those with longish memories of Phuket – say eight or nine years – will remember the opening of Gitano bar and restaurant near Robinson in Phuket Town. It was like nothing the town had seen before – fresh, brightly artistic, playful, sexy, sassy and fun, with good food, great Mojitos and an enormous range of music, from hip-hop to samba to jazz to blues.
Sadly, it lasted only a couple of years before going the way of so many bars and restaurants – into oblivion.
Miguel and Lin have put their heart into the new Gitano. We don't know who Lois is.
But now Gitano is reborn. The original owners, Lin and Miguel Kirjon, have opened up Gitano redux just over a kilometer east of the Heroines Monument. It’s fresh, brightly artistic, playful, sexy, sassy and fun, with super food and, of course, Mojitos. Lin and Miguel are (who isn’t?) eight years older, and two children the wiser, so this reincarnation is more restaurant than bar, and even has a playroom for kids.
Decor is in Miguel’s inimitable style, with sunny oranges, yellows and reds predominating, and the music is still eclectic – more in the background than previously, but still enough to set toes tapping. Lin is in charge of the kitchen – and everything else.
At a pre-opening tasting last night she and her crew (three in the kitchen, two to wait tables), produced a feast for eyes and taste buds and took note of comments from the experts present – all neighbours of the couple.
Sizzling platter of seafood with green peppers.
The menu is Asian fusion, light on the chillies but full of flavour. Offered up for the critics were chicken and lime (eight bite-sized pieces for B90), breaded prawn balls on lemongrass skewers (five pieces for B90), a salad of marinated beef (B90), an Isarn-informed suki-style hot pot (B190 for sea food or B150 for a variety of meats – enough for two people), crunchy chicken panaeng (B90), squid stuffed with pork and noodles in lime juice (B120), pork ribs with white turnip and Chinese mushroom (B90) and a sizzled seafood platter with fresh green peppers for B150.
Inimitably Miguel: the jewel-like gents'.
To wash it all down were the usual beers, very good Montemar Spanish house wine (Catalunya or Chardonnay) or, of course, such staples as Mojitos or Caipirinhas.
A place to park the kids - with toys and children's movies.
Lin plans to serve lunch specials, varying from day to day, at B60 a plate and, in the afternoon, tea or coffee with cookies, cakes or cheesecake. The coffee deserves a mention. Miguel, a coffee freak, has discovered a blend called Victoria, from Australia, which he pronounces to be superior to any Illy or Lavazza. He has a point. A very good one.
So the food’s great, the wine and coffee are great, there are cookies and cakes, there’s somewhere to park the kids (with animal-shaped meals to tempt tiny appetites – think dinosaur-shaped spagetti with meatballs, for example). And there is free Wifi. Phuket Observer may just move its offices to Gitano.
The new Gitano opens officially on Tuesday (Oct 13). To get there, go to the Heroines monument and turn east towards Pa Khlok/Yamu/Ao Por. The restaurant is on the right, 1,200 metres from the monument. Opening hours are 11am to 10pm (closed on Wednesdays). To book, call 076 350118 or 08 1892 2419 or email Lin.
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