As Aulis Phuket closes its doors for the rainy season, Head Chef Charlie Wilson and Restaurant Manager Arsen Brahaj are heading to Malta for the summer.
From June to October, the pair will join the team behind ION Harbour, Simon Rogan’s two-Michelin-starred restaurant at Iniala Valletta in Malta, to work on its new seasonal concept, ION at Sea.
Set aboard a Riva 44 in Malta’s Grand Harbour, ION at Sea is an intimate chef’s-table experience for just two to five guests. Charlie will lead the kitchen, creating a seasonal tasting menu inspired by the produce of the Maltese islands, while Arsen will oversee the guest experience.
The concept is an extension of ION Harbour, bringing its approach to dining beyond the restaurant and onto the water for the summer season.
For Charlie and Arsen, the move offers the opportunity to experience a completely different culinary landscape, from the tropical produce and traditions of Thailand to Malta’s Mediterranean ingredients and rich maritime heritage. The chef’s-table format will be familiar territory, but the setting, produce and season will be entirely new.
Arsen also has a personal connection to ION Harbour, having spent three years there earlier in his career before joining Aulis Phuket. Returning to Malta alongside Charlie makes the summer particularly special.
ION at Sea will run through the summer before Charlie and Arsen return to Thailand in time for the reopening of Aulis Phuket in November.
