Simon Rogan to bring Aulis to Thailand

Situated within the grounds of luxury resort Iniala Beach House in Phang-nga, the 15-cover Aulis Phuket (render pictured above) will be the chef’s first permanent restaurant project in South East Asia.  

Aulis Phuket's menu will be 'dedicated to showcasing native ingredients from Thailand and Asia more widely, working ‘hand-in-hand’ with local farmers and growers'. 

A few dishes will nod to Rogan’s other restaurants,​​ each delivered with a ‘local twist’.

“Achieving our three Michelin stars at L’Enclume last year, 20 years after first opening, felt like a long-held and hard-earned dream come true. More than anything it has ignited our drive and ambition further,” Rogan says. 

“It feels exciting to find new ways to challenge ourselves, and one of the ways we are doing that is by exploring new countries and adapting our refined farm-to-table ethos which we have honed in Cartmel, to these new climates, terrains and cultures.”

Alongside Rogan and executive chef Oli Marlow, the Aulis Phuket team will be led by Giacomo Primante, whose CV includes the three Michelin-star-restaurants Benu (in San Francisco) and Mirazur (in France). 

The design of the chef’s table is being led by creative director, Ckori Pena who has drawn inspiration from ‘the desire to create an immersive and awe-inspiring space that will captivate diners and elevate their dining experience’. Wherever possible, local and Asian materials are being used.

The partnership with Iniala follows Rogan opening ION Harbour by Simon Rogan earlier this year,​​ which is housed in a sister property, Iniala Harbour House, on the Mediterranean island of Malta.

Owner of the Iniala hotel brand Mark Weingard also hails from the North of England with the pair said to ‘have connected over common ground and a mutual passion for creating and delivering outstanding concepts’. 

The first iteration of Aulis opened in Cartmel in 2016, named as a tribute to Aulis Lehtimaki, a Finnish chef and artist who was a key team member in the early days of Rogan’s now three Michelin-starred restaurant L’Enclume.

Since this time, Rogan and his team have gone on to launch Aulis London - which recently reopened after an extensive refurbishment​​ - and in 2019, Aulis Hong Kong, his first international launch and first foray into Asia. 

The opening of Aulis Phuket will bring the chef’s total number of Aulis restaurants to four.