I’ve been trying to find my favorite craft beers in Asia for quite a while, but I’ve been disappointed at every turn. Enter, The Avenue in Phuket. I was extremely excited to finally check this place out, since I saw that the place sold some of my favorite craft beer: Rogue’s Dead Guy Ale. The place imports a good amount of craft beers from America and special brews from Belgium, but this is by no means only a bar. The Avenue is one of those Phuket restaurants that is also sells exotic drinks, breakfast all day, and can host parties!

Part Gastro-pub, part diner, The Avenue is very rustic in it’s décor as the entire place is made out of exposed wood and brick. Still, it seems like The Avenue’s mantra is “less is more” since the place has beautiful natural sunlight in the day and funky bulbs that provide illumination at night – the rustic nature of the place makes the lighting unique in this place. Speaking with co-owner and manager Khun Dao, The Avenue opened in early 2015 with the intent on providing high-quality food and drinks in a laidback, Western-style setting. Servers are knowledgeable about not only the food but also the beers, all of which have an unusually high alcohol content and unique taste. The place serves breakfast all day, Thai food and American pub food (chicken wings, burgers, etc.) but with a sophisticated slant (for example, their chicken wings are served with part of the bone picked clean).

The space can house 40-60 people for parties (including outside and inside). In fact, The Avenue plans to host a number of beverage functions and cocktail events each month to the Phuket masses! On to the food!

First, we dove straight into the burger with chef special sauce. The burger, made with Wagyu beef imported from Australia, included a but of pesto inside the meat for a delicious layer of flavor that was  interesting. A thick slab of cheddar, however, was NOT what I though was going to be included but I am glad it did. The cheddar was imported as well, from the United States and  – yes, it’s very thick and sharp. This is one of those burgers you come back for again and again. It came with a healthy portion of French fries that was made with potatoes that were imported from the US!

I washed it down with a Kwak Belgian Ale, which Khun Dao said was one of their biggest sellers. It’s got a great finish and went perfectly with the burger! Next up was the chicken wings smothers in orange sauce. It’s a great blend of savory and sweet that is pretty easy to eat and artfully presented. The wings go perfect with any lager or ale, especially Orval Trappist Ale, another Belgian brew.

For dessert, it was all about the chocolate crepe! Khun Dao’s favorite sweet dish is simple, yet filling and very sugary. It’s a traditional chocolate crepe (with piping hot chocolate in the middle) served with whip cream, apple slices, and dragon fruit all on the same plate. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but it’s easily shareable with friends and caps off a meal at The Avenue nicely!

By JP, E-Table Asia