A luxury Thai resort is turning the concept of “nothing goes to waste” into a fine dining mantra with the launch of Sown & Reborn—a pioneering six-course tasting menu that elevates sustainability into an art form.
Unveiled by JW Marriott Khao Lak, Sown & Reborn is a fully circular dining experience crafted entirely from produce grown on the resort’s vast 27-acre organic farm, creatively repurposed kitchen leftovers, and sustainably sourced seafood. Served nightly at the resort’s reimagined Drift Beach Bar & Grill, the menu offers diners a front-row seat to one of Southeast Asia’s most exciting sustainability initiatives.
“At JW Marriott Khao Lak, we believe a beautiful dining experience doesn’t have to involve waste or extravagance,” says Silvano Amolini, the resort’s Cluster Director of Culinary and longtime sustainability advocate. “It can be created with what you’ve grown yourself, can locally source, or reuse on your doorstep.”
Amolini, whose culinary résumé includes stints at Amanpuri and Trisara, has teamed up with local Chef de Cuisine Khun Eak to create an elegant yet meaningful journey across six meticulously crafted courses. A typical evening begins with an optional tour of the sprawling JW Garden, where guests learn about the ingredients that will soon grace their plates, followed by welcome canapés at Drift’s kitchen counter.
Highlights from the menu include a crisp-fried poached duck egg on potato espuma made from repurposed potato peelings, paired with a surprising morning glory ice cream. Another showstopper is the tagliatelle made from crushed smoked eggshells and recycled bread crusts, served with a vegan Bolognese made from seasonal vegetables and smoked over coffee ground fuel bricks.
Even the broth in the tom yum-style second course is circular, powered by Amolini’s secret “umami powder” – a flavor bomb made daily from dehydrated kitchen vegetable trimmings. Fish courses feature chemical-free snapper and grouper from a sustainable Phuket fishery, while desserts are sweetened with Nipa palm sugar from the resort’s reforestation project supporting the local Moken (sea gypsy) community.
“Circular gastronomy is not only good for the environment, but also for the palate,” adds Amolini. “We want to inspire guests to think differently about food – and walk away feeling nourished, not just physically but also in spirit.”
Behind the scenes, the resort’s commitment to zero waste runs deep: in the first three months of 2025, JW Marriott Khao Lak repurposed four tons of leftover food, produced nearly 800 litres of juice from fruit trimmings, and reused almost a ton of spent coffee grounds as fertilizer or fuel.
With Sown & Reborn, JW Marriott Khao Lak is serving a mission. And it tastes damn good.