Situated at InterContinental Phuket Resort, hom is the latest addition to Southeast Asia’s fine dining scene.
Following its recent launch, hom unveils its inaugural 10-Moments tasting menu that focus on ingredients sourced from around Phuket. The dishes incorporate ancient fermentation techniques, applied carefully to enhance certain flavour elements and present new and unexpected tastes.
Chef Ricardo Nunes, Chef de Cuisine of hom explains that the menu conceptualisation process begins with visits to local farms, where they establish which ingredients are at their optimum state. From here, they explore how fermentation techniques might be applied to aspects of an ingredient to enhance or alter the flavour profile.
The result is a 10-course tasting menu that is at once balanced and interesting. Ultimately, Chef Ricardo and the hom team aim to quell the curious palettes of their diners through an exploration of new flavours from familiar ingredients.
Upon arrival and whilst admiring the selection of fermented ingredients on display, guests are served a cool, refreshing passion fruit juice. The drink is filled to the brim with natural flowers and cuttings from nearby forestry. Appetites are whetted with the first course, Ruby Pomelo. The rose-cured ruby pomelo sets the scene for the culinary journey to follow.
The second course, Coconut & Smoked Caviar, presents smoked Hua Hin caviar, served with a salted macadamia sauce and preserved palm seed, inside a young coconut. Diners are encouraged to mix the coconut innards with the caviar to enable the freshness of the coconut and the tang of the caviar to mingle and balance one another out.
Later in the evening, delicate Baby Squid, cooked in yeast butter, is served with fermented Hmaing and squid broth. The clear, rich broth serves to enhance the delicateness and subtle sweetness of the squid. Wild Boar is fermented and served in the paste of barley koji and black durian. The fermentation process adds a natural saltiness to the meat, removing the need for seasoning.
One of two desserts is the Sunflower Amazake, Bee pollen. The visually engaging course is served in the face of a fresh sunflower. Sunflower seed amazake parfait is coupled with crusts of bee pollen. The cool dish has an element of earthiness and leaves a light floury coating on the tongue.
Hom offers an in-house fermented drinks pairing conceptualized by Mateo. Alternately, diners can opt for a wine pairing reflecting a selection of natural, organic and biodynamic wines.
For reservations, please visit www.hom-restaurant.com | Enquiries can be directed to info@hom-restaurant.com | For updates, please follow @homrestaurant on Instagram
Operating hours: Tuesday to Saturday; dinner starts at 6:30 pm