Let the battle of the forks begin - Thailand style!

Aussies have a love affair with food; whether it's shopping for it, eating it, reading about it or travelling to foreign shores to experience more of it. We just can't get enough. Even the finals of Masterchef broke Australian TV history as the most watched non-sporting TV event.

Thailand isn't the place you would expect to become the next fine dining destination. Paris, London and New York spring to mind, but a little place called Kata on the South West shores of Phuket is making waves on the foodie radar. This unassuming little village is getting the spotlight on the world stage, the world is spreading and the battle of the forks is on!

When you arrive at Kata, you can see why the best of the best are here. Situated on the impossibly picturesque bay, less than an hour from Phuket airport, the madness of Patong seems a lifetime ago. Embraced by tall headlands on either side and a small island perfectly situated equidistance on the horizon of the bay, dining here already has some of the best views in the world. I go to investigate what the fuss is about...

The Boathouse Wine & Grill
The Boathouse Wine & Grill is leading Thailand's battle of the forks. The restaurant is the first and only in Thailand to be awarded the equivalent of two chef hats in the wine world - Wine Spectator 'Best of Award of Excellence' award from 2006 to 2009. The achievement is made all the more impressive when you consider the barriers to entry within Thailand which include the restriction of approved importers and a 400% wine import tax.

Created and owned by Mom Tri Devakul, one of Thailand's great architects and artists, the Boathouse has been built around the environment, not over it. The indoor/outdoor experience of dining merge as fabric covered chicken coops metamorphasize into tree lights in the evening. The baby grand piano plays in the background as your waiter commences the boot camp of all dining experiences. The first of which is having the strength to lift up the wine menu. Packed with over 750 labels to choose from (26 by the glass - yippee!) it's big in every dimension.

With both French and Thai Cuisine to choose from, the choice is overwhelming. The rock lobster ravioli in creme morel veloute was divine but if there is one dish which defies gravity and human dexterity it's the Deep fried Garoupa with Tom Yang Heng sauce. Whole fillets are twisted away from the bone and just melt you into a silence too sweet to be broken. All at a fraction of the price you would pay back home, Neil Perry eat your heart out!

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Oasis Spring Tapas & Oasis by the Sea
Oasis Spring Tapas & Oasis by the Sea is just meters away. Is a double whammy! The cool 'new kid' on the block. Inspired by Mediterranean flavours, it has a funky tapas bar on the street level which provides live jazz every night and another restaurant on the beach. The English chef is a genius and you tuck into unforgettable oyster mushroom risotto, scallop shrimp & mango skewers, steamed sea bass with lemongrass and they didn't hold back on the soft-shell crab & calamari either. Your Frontera, Concha y Toro, Chilean Chardonnay has never tasted so good as you lounge back in your padded deckchairs drinking from unique glasses imported for Oasis.

It's truly one of a kind. Maitre Cuisinier de France Jean-Noel Lumineau, retired from his Michelin starred career, was appointed last year to oversee Mom Tri's restaurants, so rest assured you are in excellent hands.

Villa Royale, Kitchen
If you want to take your dining to a new level, just above the rocks overlooking Kata Noi Beach is a place to pop the question.

Dramatic sea views and crashing waves make this the ultimate romantic spot. It's another award winner having won Wine Spectator 'Award of Excellence' since 2006 (that's the equivalent of 1 hat and around 350 labels to choose from). The owner, descended from hai Royal family, built his home here and added on additional suites and rooms to accommodate his family and friends. A few years ago Villa Royale was born and the invitation to stay has been extended out to us all!

Catch happy hour at 6pm and devour the rosemary & garlic marinated baby olives. Follow on with the most incredible crab souffle you have ever tasted in your life, Andaman jumbo prawn, rock lobster with Phuket pineapple in a red curry sauce and add to that three style, basil, Grand Marnier and vanilla creme brulee topped with a caramelize sugar crust and I think you may well just say 'YES' to anything.

Boathouse Culinary Classes
So now your foodie journey of discovery is almost complete, your final step is to be able to go home, hold your head up high that you didn't just eat your way to happiness but you also learnt 'how he did that'. Enter The Boathouse to the rescue.

Boathouse Culinary Classes are held every weekend. Australians definitely dominated our group. It's a rarity for mere mortals to be taught by a world class chef who has cooked in Michelin restaurants. A chef's table in Sydney will set you back a few hundred dollars; this is a fraction of the price!

Over two days you chop, peel, slurp, stir and taste yourself into culinary greatness with Chef Tummanoon. Even critics from the London, NY and LA Times have part taken in the experience. Not only will you come away with a book full of recipes, an apron and a new palate to recognize the tastes of Thailand (salty, sweet & sour).

Did I also need to mention that you get to eat everything you make?

So if you think that Phuket consists of homogenous hotels, girly bars, fast food outlets, and hawkers on street corners you are right, but go south, go to foodie heaven, to a wonderful place called Kata and you may just find that Masterchef doesn't look quite so hard anymore!

Is your mouth watering?
Click here to find fantastic airfares to Thailand where you can indulge your inner foodie.