At Edgewater Bar & Grill, the Mauritian chef combines Creole flavours and fire-cooking techniques with fresh Andaman seafood, with approximately 60% of the restaurant’s seafood sourced directly from local Urak Lawoi fishermen.

Chef Satya Beeknoo selects fresh ingredients from local Urak Lawoi fishermen to create the restaurant’s daily menu.

PHUKET, Thailand – At Laem Tong Beach on the northern tip of Phi Phi Don, the Andaman Sea is more than just a backdrop to Edgewater Bar & Grill. It also determines which ingredients make their way onto the menu each day.

Executive Chef Satya Beeknoo estimates that approximately 60% of the seafood served at the beachfront restaurant at OUTRIGGER Phi Phi Island Resort comes directly from local Urak Lawoi fishermen. The remainder is sourced from trusted fishing partners in Krabi and Phang Nga. Rather than relying on a fixed selection of ingredients, Chef Satya adapts his dishes to what the fishing boats bring back each day.

“We cook according to the catch, not a fixed menu,” says Chef Satya. “What the fishermen bring back each day determines what we serve. Weather and sea conditions also influence what is available, so we encourage our guests to enjoy the freshest ingredients in season.”

The Urak Lawoi families have been part of the Laem Tong community for generations, with fishing deeply woven into their way of life. Long before tourism became a major part of Phi Phi’s economy, the community travelled between islands in the Andaman Sea in search of fish and other marine resources, guided by the seasons and weather conditions.

Chef Satya’s connection with Laem Tong predates OUTRIGGER’s arrival at the resort. He has led the kitchen team since 2018, steadily increasing the use of locally and regionally sourced ingredients while building relationships with farmers, suppliers and fishermen in the surrounding area.

When OUTRIGGER acquired the property in April 2025, plans for its transformation continued to prioritise collaboration with Urak Lawoi fishermen, alongside the introduction of an on-site chef’s garden to supply the kitchen with fresh produce. The resort relaunched as OUTRIGGER Phi Phi Island Resort in May 2026, with Chef Satya continuing to lead its culinary team.

Born and raised in Mauritius, Chef Satya grew up surrounded by the distinctive flavours of Creole cuisine and the aromas of food cooked over open flames. These early influences are reflected in his cooking at Edgewater Bar & Grill, where fresh Andaman seafood meets Thai herbs, Creole spices and fire-driven techniques.

“For me, good cooking is about simplicity,” he explains. “It is about bringing out the natural character and flavour of each ingredient. Keeping things simple, paying attention to every detail and striving to do everything well are what make a dish truly exceptional.”

One of the restaurant’s signature dishes, Lobster Curry with Creole Spices, draws on a recipe Chef Satya learned by watching his mother cook when he was a child. At Edgewater Bar & Grill, he reinterprets this family-inspired dish using fresh local lobster, carefully selected Creole spices and Thai herbs.

Another highlight, Sea Bass Cooked in Coconut Flakes, sees the fish marinated in his signature Creole spice blend, coated in coconut flakes and cooked using indirect heat beside an open flame rather than directly over it. As the coconut gradually toasts, it develops a delicate smoky aroma and the fragrance of roasted coconut, enhancing the fish without overpowering its natural sweetness.

Chef Satya also brings his own interpretation to two Thai classics: Khao Soi, featuring noodles in a rich, aromatic coconut curry, and Seafood Pad Thai, which showcases fresh local seafood balanced with the sweet-and-sour notes of tamarind.

His approach to balancing flavours is summed up in his personal philosophy, the 5S principle: Sweet, Sour, Salty, Spice and Satya. The final “S” represents the chef’s creativity and individual expression, which he incorporates into each dish while allowing the seafood to remain the star.

Chef Satya has also drawn on family recipes for his appearance on Iron Chef Thailand, where he secured a victory on 8 July 2020. Competing alongside two teammates, he was challenged to create dishes using mystery ingredients, including fresh crab. The team responded with a Mauritian-inspired crab curry cooked inside a coconut shell over hot charcoal.

“That dish took me back to my childhood memories,” Chef Satya recalls. “It was also a special opportunity to express my roots and identity through food on the competition stage.”

Fresh herbs from the resort’s organic garden provide another important local element in his cooking. Chef Satya uses them as close to serving time as possible, whether as a final garnish or as ingredients in his sauces, helping preserve their freshness and aroma.

Guests can explore these ingredients through private cooking classes, which begin with a guided walk through the herb garden before moving to the open-air kitchen by the sea. There, participants learn to prepare two or three Thai dishes under the chef’s guidance.

For a more immersive dining experience, Chef Satya presents “Satya’s Journey Through Fire,” a five-course chef’s table experience structured around five stages: Ignite, Smoke, Flame, Embers and Afterglow. Each course explores a different expression of cooking with fire, tracing the transformation of ingredients through heat, smoke and the lingering warmth of the embers.

Just steps from the beach, Edgewater Bar & Grill transitions naturally from relaxed daytime dining to sunset drinks and dinner, serving grilled seafood, Thai-inspired dishes and cocktails against the changing colours of the Andaman Sea. In the evening, live acoustic performances by Thai musicians add to the relaxed beachfront atmosphere.

“My intention is to let the seafood take centre stage and allow the ingredients to tell their own story,” says Chef Satya.

Opened in May 2026, OUTRIGGER Phi Phi Island Resort features 63 suites and villas on Laem Tong Beach, within Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park. Set in a peaceful location on the northern coast of Phi Phi Don, the resort is accessible only by boat.

At Edgewater Bar & Grill, Chef Satya continues to let the day’s catch guide his cooking, creating a dining experience shaped by the sea, local community and his own Mauritian culinary heritage.