During the monsoon season, when Phuket’s jungle becomes a lush green landscape, Dara’s menu spotlights the produce that flourishes in the warmer, wetter months, including Dara’s own rice planted according to moon phases and used in the tableside rice steaming ritual. In drier, warmer months of November through April, the menu will focus on Phuket seafood such as bangtao squid, daily catch, dried aged fish, hand picked fish.
To preserve nutrients-rich seasonal ingredients, Dara boasts a dedicated fermentation kitchen and a cellar for making barrel-aged fish sauce, with an on-site herb and vegetable garden, mushroom hut and coconut grove providing fresh ingredients year-round. A network of farmers, including Bukit Farm, supplying organic produce are an essential part of Dara’s artisanal approach to dining. Every six months, vendors and partners are given the spotlight and celebrated as part of Dara’s “partners dinners”, while its Loy Kratong and Songkran celebrations bring together the entire community.
Dara supports Anantara’s environmental conservation efforts by reserving a number of menu items for vegetarian or vegan dishes and using natural and sustainable cooking and presentation methods