The Playhouse, on Rat-u-Thit Road, is just distant enough from the gaudy, pulsing nightlife of Patong.

A little like Hollywood, the Playhouse is an eclectic mix of entertainment attractions in a gracefully modern restaurant.

The fare features excellent food, a relaxing beer and cocktails garden, and a high-kicking, glitzy cabaret show in a comfortable and cozy theatre.

Recently incorporated into the Manathai stable, it’s a bold example of the poised panache we usually associate with that name. The restaurant, like the food, is a meeting of traditional and modern. It’s homely and romantic, yet colourful and attractive without being awkward.

Robert Falls, food and beverage chief for the Manathai Group, has an unambiguous philosophy when it comes to food: “It should satisfy the whole tongue.”

For many, the Playhouse makes one of the better places on the island to spend an evening. The attentive staff are welcoming, knowledgeable and helpful. You can finish your meal while watching the cabaret upstairs. Performances start at 8.30pm and 10.30pm.

I started with the chicken samosas with spiced cilantro (coriander) in yoghurt dip (125 baht). The pastry was tanned and crisp without being brittle, while the chicken was succulent and had an unexpected sharpness, an ever so slightly spiciness. The yoghurt was approving, the combination is a perfect way to wake up every sense receptor on the tongue. I followed up with the grilled duck breast with orange ginger reduction on pistachio fried rice (245 baht).

The rice was naturally intense and the sweet corn and peas added the perfect flavour foundation for the orange-and-ginger sauce. The sauce was an exciting infusion of flavours. It wanted to be sweet, but didn’t quite make it.

The crispy cabbage was saturated in the sauce and soon became a new focal point of pleasure.

Duck has to be properly cooked. It has much more taste than either chicken or turkey, but it has to be cooked carefully. There is a layer of fat just underneath the skin which can ruin the dish if it is left in place. The skin should be pierced to allow the fat to drain and the skin should be slightly crispy.

This was indeed the case here, and the duck was light and bursting with taste.
I washed the main course down with the house white (230 baht), which turned out to be an Australian Sauvignon/Semillon which was fresh, elegant and expressive and highly complimentary to the duck and sauce.

For dessert, I ordered the white chocolate mousse (150 baht) which was served in a wine glass which was alternatively lined with caramel and chocolate and then, when set, the mousse is added.

Each spoonful yielded a smooth and light chocolate mousse with a small quantity of sweet caramel. It was absolutely delightful. Then, just as you think the pleasure is about to end, you discover, lurking furtively at the bottom, a small assembly of liquid caramel and solid chocolate. “Sensual” would be a good way to describe it.

The menu also features an interesting selection of Thai, Asian and Western food. A vegetarian section includes a massaman curry made with tofu. The menu reads like a who’s who of taste, and I would recommend you have a look for yourself.

Perhaps you would prefer one of the show-based pizzas. The South Pacific pizza, for example, contains pineapple, and the Phantom of the Opera pizza is topped with beef. Prices range from 230 baht to 290 baht.

It looks expensive, but it isn’t, and there’s a surprise round every corner. Dinner at the Playhouse is an excellent way to spend an evening out.

The Playhouse
120 Rat-U-Thit Road,Patong
076-341-500
International cuisine with a cabaret show. Dinner and show is 1,200 baht, 500 for show only. Performances are 8.30 and 10.30pm nightly except Sundays.