Hollywood Chef Moves to Phuket
The demands of Brad Pitt and other important Hollywood figures can often be difficult and stressful to meet, especially when one is expected to be available to cater to them on a 24-hour basis. This is merely one of the reasons Chef Daniel Isberg has recently decided to leave behind his opulent Hollywood lifestyle and come to Phuket.
According to Chef Daniel, “I will still be catering for private parties and events, but 80-90% of my business will be based in the Surin Gate Kitchen from now on.”
Before his arrival on the island in early May, the Surin Gate Hotel was a small luxury establishment on a side soi hill near Surin Plaza, with a barely functional restaurant serving unimpressive Thai foods to its guests. However, Chef Daniel was set to change all that, bringing a complete décor redesign as well as an entirely new menu.
“Most of my dishes bring along a Californian twist and use fresh, organic products which are all grown and produced locally on Phuket, except for steaks, which are imported from Australia and Brazil. They combine elements from Mexican, American, French and Asian cuisines.”
However, the Swedish-born Chef Daniel also wants to bring an original touch to the island’s dining market, with traditional Swedish dishes such as meatballs sitting in the menu alongside a personal version of toast “Skagen” – a Swedish shrimp salad with horse radish, dill and mayonnaise highly popular in the Scandinavian country – with caviare served for 265 baht, or the renowned French ‘escargots’ with garlic and parsley served for 255 baht, which he started cooking when employed at the American Embassy in Paris.
Despite still maintaining a degree of his international prominence – he will be catering in Mexico at the launch of Bulgari’s new fragrance at the end of June – Chef Daniel remains very enthusiastic about his future in Phuket, considering he will work in a select company: “There are many good restaurants in Phuket, such as the 9th Floor and Aqua, however they will have to deal with my competitive prices. I will be offering a 750 baht three-course meal every Tuesday, so that anyone can afford coming here and having a personal experience of how good my food actually is. Given that I prepare everything myself and don’t use a sous-chef, I can guarantee the quality of anything that comes out of my kitchen.”
It is this type of discreet, yet highly efficient advertising that got Chef Daniel so far until now and secured him contracts with prominent Hollywood figures: “I used to be employed by Cameron Diaz, Britney Spears and many other celebrities based in California. However, I was becoming stressed from working around the clock to provide them with the special dishes they requested, often requiring particular ingredients which were difficult to procure, on extremely short notices. It has nevertheless been an entertaining experience, which will be replace by a new one in this amazing setting.”
Nevertheless, things at Surin Gate Kitchen are evolving at a significantly slower pace than the one Chef Daniel has lived with until now, with the restaurant being open only between 5 and 10pm. However, as the high season approaches, the Surin Gate Kitchen will extend its menu an also become open during brunch and lunch.
Meanwhile, Chef Daniel will continue to be available with several of his signature dishes which work surprisingly well, despite the unusual combinations they sometimes use. The bizarre mix of lobster cappuccino with Tiger Prawn Tempura sold for 245 baht is only an example of the dishes that work fantastically well despite not sounding so. Additionally, the professionalism and level of attention to detail paid by Chef Daniel, along with the reasonably affordable prices are all the more reasons why anyone choosing the restaurant will feel like a Hollywood star, even if it is only for one night.
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