To the utter dismay of islanders, a giant space station late year landed on Phuket. The Phuja Nirvana, now located at the Central Festival shopping centre, is an amazing feat of engineering and design. Upon entering the cockpit through sleek glass automatic doors, an enormous stone staircase led this UFO-mad writer, past dimly-lit relics of another time, up to the main mothership.

The sheer size of the top floor is almost overwhelming. The lavishly decorated 4,000sqm spacecraft is actually an Asian concept restaurant with six separately themed dining areas. There's enough room in this exotic warehouse of style to fit an entire galaxy of aliens out on the town.

A fusion of cuisine awaits diners, with the encyclopaedic menu boasting Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Indonesian-Malay, Vietnamese and Thai. Each culinary style is matched by minimalist, Asian designer-themed "zones". Guests choose the zone where they wish to spend the evening, and are free to select any combination of dishes from the elaborate menu.

Writer and guests were amazed at the choice of beverages available. What to choose from a list that includes fresh fruit and vegetable juices, shakes, cocktails (classic and "special Phuja" concoctions at a very reasonable 120 baht), 14 international-label wines by glass (starting at 120 baht), a range of world beers and many other drinks.

With so many taste sensations at hand, we chose a selection of dishes from the 19-page intergalactic menu and sat back to take in the ambience. Our table was situated within an extra-terrestrials' view of the staircase, and the mix of arriving guests presented an interesting prospect — a combination of local Thai residents, expat residents (including a famed upmarket resort GM) and international tourists from around the planet.

Even given this writer's penchant for Indian cuisine, the samosas and curries here are particularly good. A Kashmiri-style mutton rogan josh, with garlic and naan breads, was devoured with delight at our table. Traditional yoghurt lassi made a perfect beverage to accompany the Indian entree.

Having been starved for over two years of a decent curry laksa (excepting a short stint in Singapore), this writer was also delighted that her ESP had paid off. She has searched Phuket high and low for this dish, which is very common in Malaysia. With so many cuisine styles on offer, she just knew that her longing for one of her favourite dishes in the universe would be met here at Phuja Nirvana. Mmm — laksa! We sampled a few more delectable Asian dishes and then headed straight for the dessert menu, which offers an interesting range from around the region.

After your dining experience on the mothership, follow the staircase that leads down to a chill-out/new world club for some cutting-edge music. Also contained on board is a wine lounge, "destiny revelation chamber" (fortune-telling), and an "opium den" (don't ask!). Claiming to be the first of its kind in the world, Phuja Nirvana is a hip place that looks to be a happening place for Phuket's glitterati.