New kid on the block, The Factory, looks like it’s going to be quite the talk of the town! This newly opened Restaurant Bar is located within the grounds of Laguna Plaza in Rawai, just across from sister club, ZHU. Whilst Club ZHU starts at midnight, The Factory welcomes early party goers with a kitchen that whips up an impressive range of legit fusion cuisine. I had to experience a bit of everything and was pretty dazzled by the quality and taste of both the food and the cocktails.

Pre-Dinner aperitif was a Yuzu Negroni, followed by another, and then another! Yes.. if you think the Classic Negroni is good, you gotta give Yuzu Negroni a try! The yuzu heightened the Negroni with a fresh sparkle that woke me, and my appetite! Great little twist that’s immensely refreshing! I may never get a classic again!!

The Factory’s Menu is not very big, but it has a good variety of everything, from meats, to seafood, to carbs, light bites, and sweets. While my friends decided on a foolproof classic Caesar Salad to start, my eyes, brain and gut zoomed in on the Crispy Duck Salad.

Crispy Duck Salad ~ An entire duck leg cooked confit style, propped on top a mountain of fresh greens, watermelon cubes, sliced cucumber and fried lotus root in a sweet savory Hoisin sauce dressing. The duck leg was cooked beautifully. Crispy skin with moist tender meat. I shredded the duck meat, and mixed it into the salad. Every mouthful was an explosion of flavors. The salad leaves balanced the meaty duck, and the watermelon adds a sweet burst of mouthwatering juices. The combination of sweet and savory was supremely delicious! And every mouthful begs for the next!

We also tried a couple of light bites and they were equally yummy. Cauli Wings ~ How do you not order something called Cauli-Wings? No? Just me? Well.. I love wings. These in particular may not come from a chicken; but they surely gave’em chicken wings a run for their money! The sneaky vegetable went all out. From the crispy crust, buffalo sauce glaze and aioli dip, the wing impersonator came up a winner in its own way. As much as I love (chicken) wings, I did not miss them one bit here; cuz these wing-wannabes were bloody amazing! Light and crispy on the outside, with a light savory peppery seasoning. Tender, warm and juicy on the inside. The mildly spicy buffalo sauce and the zesty lime aioli were on point 100% too. The natural sweetness of the veg was still very much present! Oh.. I could eat a whole bowl of this!!

Tuna Tataki -~ Tuna Tataki, a much better choice than plain old tuna sashimi, if you ask me! And Factory has proven the same! The nicely aburi-ed sliced tuna was warm at the edges and chilled within. Lined up like fallen domino blocks on a pool of palate stimulating ponzu sauce, topped with crispy fried shallots and garlic chips. Get in there with a good swipe of that tangy sauce and pop the whole thing in your mouth for an ecstasy of flavors! Such simple ingredients, put together with precise execution..Aroy mak!

For mains, it was impossible to ignore their many choices of steaks. We got an order of the Aus Wagyu Ribeye with Mushroom Miso Sauce and Aussie Lamb Chops with Black Pepper sauce.

Both choices proved to be of exquisite quality. Not to mention skillfully flamed grilled to our preference. But if I had to choose, the Lamb Chops definitely stood out more between the two. Subtle on gaminess, beautifully grilled pink, tender and moist to the very last bite. I hardly needed the pepper sauce that came with; though the roasted whole garlic was excellent together!

Having said that, the Ribeye, while second to the lamb, was nowhere subpar. Kudos to the chef for spending a good amount of time ensuring the right heat and flame for the thick steak, it came out nicely charred and juicy.

The Mushroom Miso sauce that I ordered with the ribeye had a warm umami flavor which was way more enticing than the black pepper sauce. I highly recommend it. With any steak!

Be prepared for a night of good fun, good music, good food and tipples. We were entertained by a sexy live band churning out pop hits and jazzy numbers. While a cozy cigar bar with a pool table occupy one side of the mezzanine floor; a Shisha parlor held precedence on the other side. They are both super spacious, potentially great places to hold private events.

And if you’re up for more after The Factory, stroll a few meters across to Club Zhu for some more partying. With different DJs and themes lined up on different nights, it’s not hard to stay up and occupied til dawn.

Phuket’s not short of bars and clubs, but The Factory is nothing quite like the rest. It’s got all the trend and sex appeal a club needs, great music, vibes, design and setup, without the sleaze and misbehaviors common in most of the other clubs on the island.

For me personally, the winning combination is the great food that comes with the also great, drinks; not to mention the entertainment and diversity, all in one place! Now that’s my jam!

THE FACTORY @ 178/15 Wiset Rd, Rawai, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83130, Thailand Phone +66 76 609 398

Disclaimer ~ This is not a sponsored post.