Tea House Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket

The Tea House is a pretty restaurant in one of Phuket's finest resorts. The Sheraton Grande Laguna is a member of The Luxury Collection of Starwood Hotels and Resorts and the Tea House fits nicely within this tradition of excellence. Set beside the resort's outdoor Marketplace, the first floor houses two private dining rooms and would make the perfect venue for either individual parties or a larger reception utilizing both the rooms and the foyer in between. The stairs leading up are built in magnificent black Chinese style and lanterns of the same tradition hang from the rafters. The tables are adorned with miniature zen gardens set with votive candles. Dinnerware is ceramic with the trendy "cracked glass" glaze.

Plenty of restaurant menus pair wines with their dishes, but the Tea House, gives this ritual a twist. Instead of a Savignon or a Cabernet, fruit & vegetable shakes are on offer, special concoctions to aid less in flavor than in digestion and overall health. Certain mixtures, such as the coconut carrot juice, are meant to accompany the appetizer; others, are designed to compliment the main course. Some of the drinks, like the Honey Jasmine Smoothie, that contains yogurt, jasmine tea, honey and secret spices, "fight fevers, upset stomachs and insomnia. The one that I tried, the Coconilla, offers a cleaner complexion and relief of aching joints, neither of which treatments I suffer from. I ordered it anyway assuming that with the combination of coconut water, cow's milk and vanilla, I couldn't go wrong.

The menu here is not boringly healthy nor bland. One can order meat or from the many vegetarian dishes available. The menu is divided into five sections: appetizers, soups, salads, noodles & rice and mains. We agreed with our waiter's suggestions, as the specialties all sounded delicious, so it was "Warm Peking Duck Salad With Dragon Fruit On Ginger Jus" and "Double Boiled Bamboo Fungi Soup With Oolong Tea Marinated Water Chestnut Wontons" to start, followed by "Steamed Rice Paper Roll With Garoupa and Root Vegetables on Black Bean Sauce with Tomatoes" and "Roasted Lamb Chops and Crispy Vegetables on BBQ Sauce With Baby Spinach and Pickled Ginger Salad." Courses arrived in timely fashion and each was excellent and light as the vegetables were cooked al dente which added a nice, crisp consistency. The fruit juice blends provided a pleasant accompaniment. My Coconilla drink was particularly delicious and refreshing. Re-created in a atmosphere of an old Hong Kong Tea House, patrons are offered a dining experience unique in style, presentation and ingredients.

Set Meals: No
Buffets: No
Vegetarian Dishes: Yes
Use MSG: No
Smoking Section: Yes
Mobile Phones: Yes