Laguna Phuket Food & Music Festival 2017 – Indulge in Culinary Delights for A Good Cause

Located just 1.5 hours away from Singapore, Phuket is just a short flight away. And where better to stay at than Laguna Phuket’s resorts? Featuring a collection of hotels and villas, you’ll get to enjoy the holiday of a lifetime with convenient inter-resort transport, a choice of over 30 restaurants and bars under one centralised billing system, and other attractive perks.

From 3 to 5 March 2017, Laguna Phuket launched their inaugural Laguna Phuket Food & Music Festival, a 3-day charity food festival with live music, entertainment and a special appearance by celebrity chef Audra Morrice. This exciting festival aims to heighten Phuket Province’s status as a “City of Gastronomy” which was conferred by the UNESCO, launch and raise funds for “Children First Fund” which was specially set up to support Phuket orphanages, and to create yet another lifestyle destination event within Laguna Phuket. Be sure to mark this event down in your calendar if you’re planning a trip to Phuket next year!

3 March : Ringing in the mood of festivities with various pop-up dinners at Laguna Phuket’s resorts

We dined with Chef Tammasak Choothong at Banyan Tree Phuket’s renowned Saffron restaurant on our first night. Mr. Tammasak is a master chef at Suay Restaurant by Positive Kitchen, and his technique of infusing Thai herbs and spices into his food blew us away.

The meal is priced at 3,000 Baht, or 4000 Baht with alcoholic beverages.

Revel in the Food & Music Festival at Canal Village in the Day & Be in the Limelight at the Charity Gala Dinner

Held along the tranquil lagoons of Canal Village, this fiesta featured live culinary demonstrations by Australia MasterChef Asia Judge Chef Audra Morrice. There were also pop-up concept food booths serving a myriad of cuisines, food trucks. and a dining garden accompanied by professional musical performances. Entry was free for all, and there was also a Kids’ Fun Zone where your little pumpkins could bounce on inflatables and get their faces painted.

As the day turned into a star-studded night, a Charity Gala Dinner with auctions was held at the resort’s grand Latitude Marquee. Proceeds from the auctions will go to “Children First Fund” and monthly contributions of food and necessities from Laguna Phuket will be given to 7 orphanages in Phuket. The Charity Gala Dinner was graced by Thailand’s Minister of Tourism & Sports and the Governor of Phuket.

A 4-course gourmet dinner specially curated by Celebrity Chef Audra Morrice was next. We tossed to the start of the Charity Gala Dinner with Lo Hei, a popular Chinese Lunar New Year dish in Singapore and Malaysia. The colourful tower was made up of Tasmanian salmon sashimi, crispy fish skin, young ginger, chillies, micro herbs, and crispy shallots, with dollops of citrus soy dressing.

To complete our meal, we had ginger brûlée with salted pistachios, cardamom ice-cream, and pistachio filo. The combination knocked our socks off. The Charity Gala Dinner is priced at 3,000 Baht per person, and 28,000 Baht per table of 10 persons.

5 March : Round up the fun-filled weekend with Super Sunday Brunch at XANA Beach Club

This was the first-ever “Super Sunday Brunch” at Laguna. This SUPER Sunday Brunch featured a couple of Laguna executive chefs who came together to whip up gastronomical delights, and award-winning Chef Sean Connolly, who created a Foie Gras Pudding that’s just amazing. The huge seafood selection and medley of desserts were also impressive!

Held by the beach with live music and vocal performances by Fivera, the Super Sunday Brunch is priced at 1,950 Baht per person for food only, and 2,900 Baht with free-flow beverages.

We enjoyed ourselves so much over the 3-day Laguna Phuket Food & Music Festival 2017, and are already looking forward to the next one. 

Where to Stay

We stayed at Banyan Tree Phuket’s Deluxe Pool Villa. Bringing the ocean to your doorstep, each villa is built around a natural landscaped garden with an outdoor jet pool and timber sundecks.

Tamarind is a modern Japanese restaurant serving up premium sashimi and traditional Japanese favourites whipped up by Master Japanese Chef Shiraishi. This open-concept restaurant is just beside the pool. Talk about dining with a view!

Among many other dining options, a wonderfully romantic setting is provided onboard Sanya Rak – “The Promise of Love” – where guests can embark on a long-boat trip and enjoy a memorable dinner under the moonlight.

Banyan Tree Phuket Spa brings bodily relaxation to pleasure-seeking guests, and I had the luxury of enjoying a 60-minute Balinese massage, which left me fully invigorated. If you’re a huge fan of massages, why not stay a couple of nights and rejuvenate with unlimited in-villa massage at the Banyan Tree Spa Sanctuary?

For those craving a workout or adventure, Banyan Tree Phuket’s award-winning 18-hole golf course is also nearby, along with a tennis court, and Quest Laguna Phuket, which provides challenge-hungry guests with a thrilling treetop rope course.

Hosting an intimate wedding or party? The spacious and elegant Double Pool Villas, boasting two private pools and a personal host for every villa, is the ultimate retreat. You’ll simply fall in love with the opulent outdoor space that surrounds a 14.5 meter-long infinity pool. Here, the hustle and bustle of daily life becomes but a distant memory.

This post was brought to you by Laguna Phuket & Banyan Tree Phuket.