Located 1km north of the turn off from Chaofa East Road to Phuket Zoo, the Fashion Cafe is set back a little on the right hand side with only the distinctive large orange “Cafe” sign to tell you where it is. Behind the cafe is Perfections Spa, which was the original business concern at the location. This was, and still is, the place for ladies to gather and be indulged. While the ladies were pampered Dennis Cogan, the owner, would serve them fabulous Lavazza coffee with nibbles.

Cogan is a stickler for good coffee and even installed a reverse osmosis filter to make sure that the water he uses for the coffee is absolutely pure. There is no doubt that this is the best coffee anywhere on Phuket. This coffee and cake progressed into small snacks, and now the Fashion Cafe stands out as a premier eating house on the island, with an extensive menu with something for every palate, from Thai to Texan. Carefully sourced food and detailed preparation make every dish a delight.

The interior of the Fashion Cafe is hard to define. Art deco paint on a New York coffee shop canvas tastefully yet simply furnished with a reading area, complete with very comfortable sofas and easy listening music.

The food also gets meticulous attention, and the meal I had was delectable in every respect. Every meal commences with a big helping of ciabatta bread. I started the evening with a Caesar salad (150 Baht). Crisp, fresh romaine lettuce and small croutons with an ever-so-slightly tangy dressing made from parmesan cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, egg, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper. The good thing about Caesar salad is that it is a lovely way to open the taste buds in preparation for what’s to come. I wasn’t disappointed.

The fillet steak with mashed potato, spinach and broccoli (700 Baht) was cooked as it should be in every way. I’d asked for medium-rare, and that is exactly what Chef Kwang prepared. The knife slid through the steak like a hot knife through butter. The inside of the 250g-plus fillet was textbook stuff. The merest hint of pink in the centre, and the rest cooked just enough to retain softness and augment the beefy flavour.

They use prime, aged Angus beef imported from Australia, so you know the quality is good. There is a range of accompanying sauces available: red or white wine, mushroom, b้arnaise, pepper hollandaise, mint, apple or English mustard. Being a sucker for mint sauce, I had to try it. It was delicious. The mashed potato was consistently smooth and buttery. The serving was certainly adequate. The spinach was also buttered and tasteful. The broccoli was on the edge of crispness and just right. In every way the meal was delightful.

If you are not a steak lover, then there is a wide range of pasta dishes to choose from such as homemade gnocchi or perhaps fettuccine with spicy Thai sauce and shrimps, or maybe an Hawaiian pizza better suits your taste. There is also Thai food on the menu, as well as sandwiches, salads and crepes. There is definitely something for everyone, including vegetarians, for every meal from breakfast to late supper.

Eggs Benedict (140 Baht) is a very popular breakfast item. Cogan told me that he now makes English muffins (or crumpets, as we Brits call them). Other popular items from the menu are the chicken wings with blue cheese dressing (100 Baht) and Cogan’s homemade burgers (145 Baht). Not to mention the generous rack of lamb (1500 baht for 500g).

To round off the evening, I could have had tiramisu or homemade Italian pastry, but I elected to go for the homemade cheesecake (50 baht for small slice, 90 baht for large). This simply just melted in the mouth. I don’t remember eating cheesecake like it before.