Blue Elephant Restaurant, Phuket-Town

I had long wanted to make a series of photos of this remarkable (and remarkable) centennial building, located in the heart of Phuket-Town.

I, who loves these old houses, enjoyed taking the pictures that you are about to discover and it is with joy that I invite you to discover this magnificent place.
This magnificent Chinese-Portuguese residence was built in 1903 by Phra Pitak Chinpracha (1883- 1949), a Chinese by birth, who made his fortune thanks to tin mining in Phuket.

This majestic residence, formerly the governor's residence, but uninhabited for several decades, was in an advanced state of disrepair when the famous "Blue Elephant" chain decided to rent it to Chinpracha's descendants.
It took two years of renovation work to bring this magnificent mansion back to life.

The result is sensational: seen from the outside, the colonial-style residence sits enthroned in the middle of an immense park planted with banyan trees more than a hundred years old.

In order to make you discover this magnificent and large building, I'm going to take you first of all the outside of the building... with a first series of photos taken as soon as I arrive in the afternoon, then another series a little later, at the end of the afternoon when the lights come on but the sky is still clear... and finally, in the middle of the night, once the photos of the inside with the dining rooms are taken...

As you may have guessed, I love this big house and every time I pass by it on my way to Phuket, I can't help but take a long admiring look at it...

In fact, by showing you this centenary residence, I also show you the beautiful restaurant that took possession of the place after the renovation.

"The Blue Elephant" has given a second youth to this great house, nothing more normal than to pay a small tribute to it here by making you discover many pictures of this superbly romantic place.

On the cardboard you can see here, the different restaurants of the "Blue Elephant" chain

The Phuket restaurant is the latest addition to the chain. The Blue Elephant in Phuket opened in 2010 after two years of work.
With 70 seats, the restaurant can organize banquets for up to 200 people inside the stablishment. Sometimes banquets are organised in the park... and there, up to 400 people are offered!

BLUE ELEPHANT RESTAURANT
96 Karabi Road
Tambon Talad Neua
Muang District
Phuket 83000, Thailand

Open every day at noon and in the evening.
On weekends, musical entertainment

Thanks to Loïc Certain, (Assistant to the General Manager of the Blue Elephant)

who kindly welcomed me and accompanied me through the corridors and rooms of this magnificent building,
I was able to fulfill my wish and I confess that I do not regret the trip.

Blue Elephant, a concept present in several countries, propels the flavours of Thailand into its customers' plates. Each restaurant is designed as a real small Thai village with lush greenery, fairytale fountains and waiters in traditional costume.
Blue Elephant's fine Thai cuisine is served in 12 establishments around the world. They can be found in Bangkok, Thailand, Brussels, Belgium, Beirut, Lebanon, London, the United Kingdom, Moscow, Russia, Lyon, France, Copenhagen, Denmark, Paris, France, Kuwait City, Kuwait, Dubai, Malta and the Kingdom of Bahrain.

A healthy chain

Since the opening of the first Blue Elephant restaurant in Brussels in 1980, the chain's new establishments have continued to open their doors around the world. From the opening of the London restaurant in 1986 to the opening of the Phuket restaurant in 2010, the chain's success has continuously generated profits.

Karl Steppe and his wife of 28 years, Khun Noororor Somany, are the founders of Blue Elephant. The Belgian and Thai opened together the first restaurant of the chain in Brussels. The name of the chain is derived from blue, the royal colour in Thailand, and from the elephant which is the national animal of this country. Due to their success, they started opening restaurants in several major cities around the world. In 2002, Thailand finally welcomed a Blue Elephant. This establishment, located in Bangkok, also houses a cooking school. During the classes, students go to the market and learn how to select the best ingredients for their recipes before returning to school to learn the basics of cooking under the supervision of an instructor.

Authenticity at its best

Authentic Thai cuisine is served at Blue Elephant. The menu, with more than 50 dishes, includes grilled shrimp and skewers, spring rolls and soups as well as pork, beef, chicken or fish and shellfish dishes. Beautiful sorbets and delicious exotic fruits serve as a dessert. Despite a fairly high price, customers appreciate the high quality menu, which includes a discovery dish that allows them to taste several of the house's specialities. At the exit, the women are offered an orchid. A delicate attention that always makes you happy!

An unusual distribution system

Each of the restaurants employs Thai chefs who respect the millenary traditions of Asian cuisine, but who do not hesitate to renew their menu with a variety of dishes. The secret to the authentic taste of Blue Elephant dishes certainly comes from the fact that all restaurants use ingredients delivered from Bangkok, Thailand.
Since 1984, the company has been transporting various commodities to warehouses in Bangkok where employees wash, select, cut, package and send precious packages to all the chain's restaurants. At Blue Elephant, the plates are decorated with artistically arranged fruits and vegetables, sculpted in multiple shapes or not. The flowers and plants in the decor are also shipped by air from Thailand.

The secret is in the sale

Aware that the richness of Thai cuisine comes from its intense flavours and tasty spices, the couple at the head of the company has taken the initiative to offer certain by-products for home cooking. Some specialty stores sell prepared chicken, pork or vegetarian dishes under the Kitchen Fresh brand. There are also coconut creams, rice, noodles, sauces, vinaigrettes, nuts, herbs, chocolates, wines, spices, including several different curries, and even recipe books.