Phensiri Restaurant by Chef Santi Wongsawat, a haven of southern Thai cuisine since 2012, is an unmissable experience for all visitors on Koh Samui. Our true southern Thai favors are created from the freshest, locally grown quality ingredients harvested ecologically on the island and nearby and served in a relaxed ambiance both inside and al fresco.
At Phensiri, we focus on sustainable Thai cuisine and Chef Santi’s garden-fresh ingredients for sustainability and seasonal eating. Our distinctive menu of classic recipes and age- old traditional cooking methods utilizes sustainable sources and seasonal ingredients, making our dishes stand out as unique and utterly authentic.
WELCOME
At Phensiri, we have decided to only use what nature gives us fresh every day. We use only what grows in Thailand – preferably in our immediate surroundings – and is healthy. We do not use industrially produced palm oil, but instead opt for coconut oil or animal fats that are beneficial to the human body.
Adding these fresh ingredients to both old recipes and imaginative new creations to create an incomparable meal is our promise of service that you can rely on. So please sit back and relax, because every single dish needs time to achieve the desired premium quality.
Thai cuisine is known for extremely healthy yet incomparable dishes that are lovingly prepared with recipes that have been passed down for generations. That’s one of the reasons why so many Thai restaurants have won plenty of recognition and awards.
But it’s important to realize that Thai food does not just mean “spicy”. While traditional dishes in the South and Northeast (Isaan) are often “hot”, the emphasis in the Central region and North of Thailand is more on freshness and a variety of flavours created by delicious amalgamation of regional herbs, greens and spices.
However, in today’s world, the chef of a renowned Thai restaurant faces a tough daily challenge – presenting the same dishes, with the same consistency and identical taste day after day and all time. In order to achieve this, he has to rely on industrially produced ingredients, because it is impossible to find a permanent source of freshly harvested local herbs, greens and fruits of the same standard and quality every day.
Now, if the chef refuses to use any industrially produced ingredients, his dishes will always vary in subtle ways. To manage this successfully, the chef needs to be imbued with deep knowledge and experience, and it is still possible that the diner will discover something new when tasting the food.
RETURN TO THE ROOTS
Chef Santi Wongsawat’s Phensiri Restaurant: Samui’s Lost Recipe is a legend in the island’s food scene – with secret ingredients for culinary success.
Chef Santi Wongsawat, a native of Samui Island, grew up immersed in the aromas and navours of his mother’s food and sweets business. From a young age, he assisted his mother in the kitchen, honing his skills and embracing the rich culinary heritage passed down to him.
The result is Phensiri, a restaurant famed for its bold southern Thai cuisine and use of fresh local ingredients. Samui, with its archipelago, is blessed with fresh seafood in abundance. The island is also known for coconuts, which play a vital role in the local cuisine alongside the fruits of the sea. The age of coconuts matters too, as mature coconuts go best with curry-based dishes while young ones, with their subtly sweet favour, are ideal for desserts.
OUR DISHES
