January 2016

SAMUI

Seafood Beach BBQ Buffet, Mondays & Thursdays

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JANUARY 2016

Sareeraya Villas & Suites

Call + 66 (0) 77 914 333 www.sareeraya.com

Ringing in the New The weather’s looking up and the dining’s looking great, as we round the corner into a brand new year!

Welcome to a brand new year! And a very warm welcome to Samui. And, talking about warm, you’ve come at just the right time. The rains have cleared and the temperature is rising, but it’s still deliciously cool and fresh. And, on the subject of

delicious, inside these pages you’ll find some hidden secrets. Over the last decade, our little island has become one the leading places in the world to find not only top-class food, but a big variety, too. But for every eatery you’ll see,

there’s a hundred more hidden away, so do take the time to explore and discover all that Samui has to offer.

We just love finding new info and stories for you.

Samui is unique: there’s no other getaway in Thailand that’s like it. And we all wish you the very best for a prosperous new year. After all, you can’t get much better than starting it off on Samui!

SAMUI

Graeme Malley Editor

Preeda Tuajob (Puy) Graphic Designer

Akaphon Phongninlaarphon (Don) Photographer

Seksak Kerdkanno (Klauy) Webmaster

Rob De Wet Feature Writer

Dimitri Waring Feature Writer

Natalie Hughes Feature Writer

Peter James Feature Writer

Nipawan Chuaysagul (Ning) Sales & Marketing Director ning@siammap.com Tel: 0 898 783 891

Henrik Bjørk Managing Director

Siam Map Company Ltd. 52/6, Samui Ring Road, Moo 3, Bo Phut, Samui, 84320 Thailand Tel: (66) 0 7742 2201 Fax: (66) 0 7741 3523 email: info@siammap.com www.siammap.com All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of editorial or pictorial content in any manner is prohibited without written permission from Siam Map Company Ltd. Whilst every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this publication, Siam Map Company Ltd. assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein. c Siam Map Company Ltd. 2016

Distribution at Bangkok Airport courtesy of Bangkok Airways.

Reservation Center: 1771 Samui Chaweng Office: 0 7760 1300 www.bangkokair.com

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Located at Tesco Lotus Chaweng, Tesco Lotus Lamai and Central Festival 2

www.siamwininganddining.com

Redefin ed Din in g Eating out on Samui hits a new plateau – at Dr Frogs.

And, of course, there has been a corresponding jump in restaurants to match. Lots more budget eateries and many more 5-star fine-dining venues. But this is Samui. Everything’s very laid back and informal. And so a new genre has emerged. It’s fine dining, but minus the formality. The service is superb, the cuisine top-notch, the chef international. There’s a full range of good wines and no doubt a fine-cigar bar, too. These places win awards. But they’re here on Samui, so you don’t need to dress up.

It’s a whole new island-style niche. It’s refined, but it’s fine dining, laid-back and re-defined! And one, just such as this, is Dr Frogs.

In the last decade, our little island has really taken off. We’ve gone from around 75,000 visitors a year to well over a million. Now you’ll see the names of all the international 5-star hotels dotted around. There are hundreds of luxury villas to rent, and ten times this amount of small houses and rooms. But all of these things have something in common. They all lay the groundwork for more people. And that means lots more folks all wanting to eat.

It’s a memorable name, and an unforgettable restaurant. Firstly, the location is perfect.

Whereas Chaweng Beach is flat, just a little away around the corner in the direction of Lamai, Chaweng Noi is not. Here, the rugged cliffside is perched up above the sea, with not only a seascape that will challenge your camera, but a panoramic overview of Chaweng Bay, too. At night, it’s breath-taking. And it’s easy to find; heading up the hill and away from Chaweng, Dr Frogs is just after Impiana Resort.

Secondly, the ambiance. There’s no way to manufacture this. Either you’ve got it or you haven’t. The elegant cream and olive colour scheme here can add to it, and the subtle co-ordination of the staff uniforms with the décor can enhance it. The perfection of the

layout and lighting, with the dark teak playing warmly against the hanging lanterns, soft bronzed wall lights and the incandescent glow of all the table candles, can add another layer. But ambiance is more than the sum of its parts. All of these things make for a pleasant dining environment. But strip all these trappings away and the place would still feel just great. There’s a good feeling here.

This has a lot to do with the thoughtful layout and design. Stick a café up a cliff and it’s not going to work. But carefully plan a layout with a main air-conditioned room, add an outer dining terrace perched high above the rocks, and run a garden area with another deck open to the stars along the side of it all. This creates layers and levels that connect and unfold. It makes for a daytime haven where you can sit, sip or snack.

A cool, shady garden for a chat and a beer. Or a refined and elegant dining environment as the sun starts to sink and the lights twinkle on and shimmer across the water.

But all of this means nothing without superb food to match. Chef Massimo is in charge of the kitchen, and it’s his menu, evolved over the years, that keeps people coming back again and again. Essentially, it’s Italian cuisine. But where it stands out is in its lack of pretension. There’s no attempt to be trendy or big-city – it’s traditional home-cooked Italian fare, and all made with prime imported ingredients.

The menu is in place all day; it’s expansive enough to offer plenty of lite-bite options for those hot lunchtimes, where the shady garden and cool terraces come into their own. For a start, there’s a full menu of all the most popular Thai dishes, as well as some more unusual ones.

Then there’s a good selection of chef’s salads, and an extensive range of pasta dishes, as you’d expect. All the sauces and stocks are homemade.

One highlight is that all the pizzas are made entirely in-house too, and those thin and crispy bases are wonderful – real Italian style. Dr Frogs is an established spot to drop in and meet-up during the day; the location is ideal and convenient for everyone. But if you just fancy a full-bodied Italian coffee and a quick check on your emails, then you’ll be most welcome, too.

There’s even a laptop waiting there, just for you!

But, if the daytime experience is enjoyable, it’s the evening dining that’s truly memorable. This is the Dr Frogs ambiance at the max - warm, cosy, mellow and intimate. And this is the time to avail yourself of some of the more substantial dishes on offer. One hugely popular item here is the Antipasti Misti for two. This huge platter of mixed antipasti cold cuts that comes with a generous side of white pizza bread. A great many eateries boast about their imported meat.

But you’ll have to go a very long way to find better than the 120-day grain-fed Black Angus Australian Fillet Steak – especially when it’s combined with the Tiger Prawn offering,

together with Bell Peppers, Caramel Shallots and Sautéed Mushrooms.

The lobsters, freshly shipped-in from Alaska, are another feature, as you’ll discover for yourself when you savour the exquisite Lobster Linguine with Cherry Tomatoes and Garlic Cheese. Every dish is just tip-top, making it hard to choose.

And it’s the same with the wide range of Classic and New world Wines – there are even 15 house wines to mull over!

Needless to say, the desserts are a work of art.

The Hot Chocolate Fondant and Vanilla is a rare treat. And to round things off there’s not only a selection of Cuban cigars but also an admirable collection of malt whiskies, Cognacs and grappa.

It’s all just perfect. It’s hard to beat; and the Thailand Tatler Best Restaurants award for the last two years running confirms it. Dr Frogs has redefined fine dining with a flourish!

Rob De Wet For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7744 8505. www.drfrogssamui.com

Romantic views, soothing sounds and classic Italian fare with a modern approach combine to please the most discerning diner.

Olivio - a must for visitors and locals alike.

Olivio ~ beachfront at Baan Haad Ngam Boutique Resort Chaweng Beach.

Free round trip transfer from Chaweng, Bophut and Choeng Mon. For reservation please call 0 7723 1500 www.siamwininganddining.com

3

Grilling it Up A beginner’s guide all-you-can-eat barbecues on Samui.

Most people who visit Thailand enjoy the food here – even if at times it can get very spicy – and most holidaymakers will visit a few, or even many Thai restaurants during their time here.

But relatively few people seem familiar with an extraordinarily popular part of culture, the all-you-can-eat barbecue.

On Samui you’ll find barbecue places across the island, and they’re worth visiting if you really want to enjoy food the way the locals do. So what do you need to know in order to be able to participate?

Firstly, don’t be put off by the sheer size of some of the restaurants. It’s nothing out of the ordinary for there to be 100 or more seats, and if you come later on in the evening and it’s a popular night, the place may be heaving. Don’t expect a small, intimate setting with a romantic atmosphere – the barbecues are all extremely convivial places, with crowds of diners happily participating in some of the cheapest yet tastiest food around. The settings tend to be large salas which are fan-cooled but you’ll also probably find a few thatched huts attached to the main

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eatery. You’ll see large groups and entire families sitting around tables, or large office outings or birthday parties with scores of people. Don’t be intimidated, everyone’s welcome and even if it’s crowded, you’ll find seating. It’s not necessary to come with your own crowd, of course, couples are welcome, too.

You’ll easily spot barbecue places as you drive round the ring-road. Look out for the largish signs which are typically in English as well as Thai. Some will contain the very wording ‘All You Can Eat Barbecue’ while others just say ‘Hot Pan’, referring to the actual barbecue device that’s used. Often the price is stated on the sign.

Wherever you opt to go, you’ll find Thai barbecues are extremely relaxed. If things get a bit boisterous, nobody’s going to mind. At some places you’ll find live music, usually in the form of a band singing Thai songs, but mostly people are too busy talking amongst themselves and having a good time to really notice.

The decor is cheap and cheerful; plates are often plastic as are glasses, and a lot of it is

brightly coloured. If there are table cloths at all, they’ll be of plastic too, and again very colourful. Nobody’s complaining – and that’s because the price the diners are paying is incredibly cheap. There’s usually a set price per person for the actual barbecue, with drinks on top. And when it comes to drinking, Thai beers are popular, as are soft drinks, tea and coffee, and plain old water. For a couple of hundred baht, you’ll be able to have a full meal.

Usually you’ll find a central area jam-packed with foods that you come and pile onto your plate. This is the buffet part of the deal. You’ll find various salad ingredients and dips (usually spicy) as well as items for later on. Papaya salad and som tam are often to be found as they are so popular.

The crucial element of the evening is the actual barbecue itself. This isn’t the conventional western-style barbecue of hot coals or charcoal.

The Thai version is more akin to steamboat cooking. Usually each table has its own barbecue, which looks like an upturned pudding basin, except it has slots in it. The

basin is surrounded by a moat where more food can be placed in the gravy-like juices. The device is called mookata in Thai, from the word ‘moo’ meaning ‘pork’ and ‘kata’ a word with the connotations of ‘pan’. Legend has it that the mookata’s origins lie in military helmets, and the story goes that in the North of Thailand the helmets were used for cooking. Typical ingredients for the barbecue include: beef, pork, chicken, fish, seafood, liver, bacon and rice and much more. And of course some real spicy chilli sauces. For all of these, you go to the buffet and help yourself to whatever takes your fancy. To eat from the mookata, you grill the meats on its domed surface, while the vegetables are cooked in the moat.

Plenty of vegetables get cooked along with the fish and meat, making this way healthier than the western counterpart. At a Thai barbecue, everyone places food on the mookata, adding to the conviviality of the proceedings. It only takes a few minutes to cook each batch of food. It can get quite messy, of course, but that’s half the fun. But there also seems to be a psychological aspect to all of this. Sitting round a table as you

all cook together, share food and conversation, is the most ancient of rituals, a warm one that bonds everyone together in a relaxed setting.

This probably goes a long way to explaining the success of the all-you-can-eat barbecues. By the way, you can enjoy this kind of barbecue without having to dress up – nobody goes along wearing fine clothes as splashes from the mookata could ruin anything valuable you’re wearing. Dessert is available afterwards, typically focussed on fresh fruit or ice-cream.

There’s no better way to enjoy an evening out than sharing a tasty dinner over a few drinks with friends. If you want to do this Thai-style, head out to one of the many all-you-can-eat barbecue places dotted around the island; you're guaranteed a fun and memorable evening in a very laid-back setting

Dimitri Waring

HOme-Made Heaven Making food from scratch is all part of Poolside Restaurant’s brilliant recipe for success.

Most chefs these days want to make as much as possible from scratch – for food to be homemade, in other words. It takes a lot of dedication, but it means that great tastes are guaranteed. Some chefs are content with just a couple of items that they make entirely by themselves – and why not, since these days, there are so many reputable suppliers? While others go to the most extraordinary lengths to make food themselves. The term ‘homemade’ always sounds so misleadingly simple, and for some people seems to be synonymous with rather plain. But homemade can be spectacular, and even more so if the ingredients aren’t so well known. Getting serious about homemade goods is a game that requires considerable expertise, not to mention plenty of time.

A chic new hotel hardly seems to be the kind of place that would ever be associated with the humble words ‘homemade’ but at BayWater Resort Koh Samui you'll find stylish Poolside Restaurant relies to a great extent on products that are all made in-house. Chef Joseph Spiteri, who heads the culinary team, believes very much in making things himself. In fact, it’s part of his mission. “Wherever possible absolutely everything is made from scratch,” he says. “I want my guests to enjoy food at its very best, and one of the ways to ensure that they do is to make things ourselves. It’s all about taste. And of course, excellent quality.”

The cynical might be tempted to think he means just sauces and suchlike – simple things that’ll be sure to please, but it’s more than that. It’s a whole variety of staples. If you're not familiar with Samui you might be tempted to think that these are all items that you can’t find in Thailand, but this isn’t the case; these days, it’s very easy to get hold of just about everything, thanks to the many suppliers both nationwide and on Samui. And it’s no trouble to ship everything to a small island, either – ferries, planes and fleets of trucks are the backbone of a very efficient supply chain.

But BayWater aim to act independently where possible and ensure that tastes are optimal. It’s one of the very few resorts in Thailand that makes their own cheese. If you’ve ever tried, you'll know it’s both a science and an art. Using raw milk from Chumphon, on the mainland, Joseph makes very fresh and traditional cheese in a Maltese style. Why Malta? It’s partly because he comes from there and is at home making the products that he grew up with. He moved to Samui where his talent and dedication impressed the directors of BayWater. Joseph thinks deeply about the very ingredients most chefs might be content to order from the nearest suppliers.

But going back to the cheese, he says that it’s very versatile. “Apart from being eaten fresh, it can be dried, pickled, peppered and there are many different uses, ranging from fresh cheese salads, pies, toppings for traditional pizza and then as fillings in ravioli, lasagne and cannelloni.” The type of cheese he makes, called gbejna, is a small round cheese made in Malta from sheep or goat’s milk, salt and rennet. In Malta it’s quite an industry with most of the sheep’s milk there being used for the production of these small cheeses.

The cheese tastes delicious, and is protected under European Union law – the Maltese were worried it might be proscribed when they joined the EU and formally requested it be protected. gbejna is shaped in a cheese hurdle made of

dried or artificial reeds and then needs to be dried in special ventilated rooms. The cheeses can be prepared in several different ways, and according to how they're made can range in taste from mild and milky, nutty or piquant. It’s safe to say that Joseph is one of the very few people to be manufacturing the cheese in Asia.

BayWater makes other dairy products including yoghurt, and they're soon going to be producing a far wider range of cheeses such as mozzarella, feta and cream cheese. They also plan to make sausages, cured and smoked meats. One of the first things Joseph started making at BayWater was a breakfast staple - bacon. Joseph uses the best kind of pork for this. “It’s an extremely high-quality type that comes from a pig that is a mix of four different pedigree types,” he says.

“The meat is extremely tender and succulent. We then cure it ourselves using a dry, sweet and salty rub for around 12 days, after which it is hot smoked for six hours.” The results certainly wow diners, and the bacon makes for a special breakfast.

Poolside Restaurant carries a good few Italian dishes and not surprisingly Joseph has brought his talents to bear on the pasta that is served.

“We make fresh egg pasta,” he says, “We offer, for example, home-made ravioli with tomato sauce. We also have tortellini, pappardelle, cannelloni and tagliatelle – absolutely all of it is made in-house and this guarantees the top-notch tastes I want the diners to be able to enjoy.”

Not content with a list of very diverse products, the resort has got into perhaps the homeliest of all homemade products: jams. Thailand’s famous of course for its exotic fruits that are to be found everywhere. Thais love to eat fruit in all its forms, and one way to do this is in jams. Joseph has started making European-style jams, but instead of the usual fruits familiar to those living in the West, he’s taken on pineapple, papaya and mango, turning these into a trio of jams that the resort sells as souvenirs. They taste delectable and are extremely popular. Needless to say, hygiene is of utmost importance and the jams are bottled in a sterile environment. They'll keep for up to a year if the jars are unopened, but people are curious to taste the contents and tend to simply dive in. Joseph also produces chutneys and pickles.

As you can see, BayWater isn’t exactly your average resort. There's always something new going on here, and the people behind it are exactly the kind who are always looking for fresh and interesting challenges. They have a new venture in the pipeline for 2016 – a fish restaurant featuring live lobsters, mussels, oysters and the freshest of the day’s catch cooked and served in innovative ways.

Eating at a restaurant like Poolside is all the more engaging because you know the food’s dependably good. That's because it comes from the kitchen of a chef who is utterly professional.

And going back to basics in an age that all too often idolizes the new-fangled has brought Poolside a plethora of happy fans.

Dimitri Waring For reservations or further information telephone 0 7724 3888. www.baywaterresort.com

Located in the beautiful Fisherman’s Village on Bophut Beach.

Our experienced chefs proudly present authentic Thai cuisine and Southern Thai dishes. Fresh seafood is a must with great quality at reasonable prices.

Enjoy the tranquility of the beach, the twinkling stars and the whispering waves along with the beautiful music. A superb dining experience and great memories.

Fisherman’s Village

Tel: 077 430 030, 077 245 035 www.kruabophut.com

Free Parking available at The

Wharf!!

www.siamwininganddining.com 5

It’s Time To Pay After the drinking come the hangovers and the regrets.

Drinking can be funny. I’ve certainly wet myself enough times – though perhaps that wasn’t always from laughing. No matter, as I’m enjoying a very small beer as I’m writing this, let’s start with a joke.

A drunken man walks into a pub and after staring for some time at the only woman seated at the bar, walks over to her and kisses her. She jumps up and slaps him silly. He immediately apologises and explains, “I'm sorry, I thought you were my wife. You look exactly like her.”

Fuming, she glares at the man, “Why you worthless, insufferable, wretched, no good drunk!” she screams at him. “Funny,” he mutters, “you sound exactly like her, too.”

Ah, the old ones are the best! And there are quite a few celebrity quotes I also like about drinking. Some rather close to home! “Most of the money I made I spent on fast cars, drink and women, the rest I just squandered.” (George Best) “When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading.” (Henny Youngman) “I'd hate to be a tee-totaller. Imagine getting up in the morning and knowing that’s as good as you’re going to feel all day.” (Dean Martin) “What contemptible scoundrel has stolen the cork to my lunch?” (W.C. Fields) “You're not really drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on.” (Joe E. Lewis) and, “Whoa! Is that

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really the blood of Christ? ... Man, he must’ve been wasted 24/7,” (Peter Griffin, whilst drinking Communion wine).

But there’s usually some kind of price to pay for over-indulging in alcohol. And more often than not it’s with a horrible hangover. But why do they occur in the first place? Unsurprisingly, the answer is fairly complex. If there was a single simple reason for all that pain, you can be sure that a catch-all cure would have been discovered long ago. As it is, there is a positive cocktail of effects, all of which conspire to make ‘the morning after’ a grim one.

Assorted poisons play their part. Pure ethanol is metabolically fairly clean, and confirmed vodka drinkers will often bring this up as justification for their habit, and explanation for their resistance to hangovers. In many ways, they are quite correct. If you consider an alcoholic beverage to be water, ethanol, and a bunch of flavourings, then the identity of some of those flavourings is quite frightening. Red wines contain all sorts of interesting chemicals, leading to the complex flavourings typical of the breed, and although many of these impurities – such as arsenic – are poisonous, they are usually present in such minute quantities as to be relatively harmless. However, if the wine is concentrated by distillation then, as well as increasing the

alcohol content, you’re also concentrating the poisons. This is the reason that brandy, port and cheap red wine can give you the most monstrous hangovers, as well as gout in later life. It’s also for this reason that people are often advised not to ‘mix their drinks’.

Being dehydrated because of the diuretic properties of the ethanol also doesn’t help.

Neither does the build-up of free-radicals, loss of salts, loss of sugar and the introduction of methanol (a simpler cousin of ethanol, and found as a contaminant in cheap red wines, whisky and fruit brandy). This is ‘meths’, the fuel alcohol that makes you blind if you drink too much of it. Your liver attacks it as the poison it is, but one of the break-down products is formic acid, a particularly nasty chemical which ants use to spray at their attackers. Regardless of the reasons, a fuzzy head, aching liver, a nagging headache, and the taste of stale vomit all tend to greet you with glee the next morning.

To say nothing of the reception you get from your better half!

That particular problem aside though – it would take a thesis to tell you how to get out of that unscathed – what can you do to remedy the situation? People swear by different hangover cures, probably because we all drink different things and different amounts. However, you can

drink plenty of water; it’s the best way to re-hydrate. You can increase your body’s absorption of water by dissolving a small amount of a salt and sugar mixture. Quite a few of the lads I know here buy electrolyte powders from the pharmacy. They cost just a few baht for each sachet and they reckon they help replace lost minerals. In practice, water could turn your tender stomach if you are really bad, so it might be best to start your recovery with something fizzy. Cans of aerated drinks contain plenty of sugar and the bubbles can also help settle the stomach. Fruit juices, like grapefruit, can detoxify the liver, but many find some juices too acidic.

Several traditional hangover cures, such as Prairie Oysters, omelettes and the English fried breakfast, involve eggs. Others swear by the efficacy of a downed raw egg in the morning.

The reason that these are thought to work at all is probably that eggs also contain cysteine, and so help to mop up free-radicals. A ‘hair of the dog’ certainly helps initially, but it’s just delaying the inevitable. Popular wisdom dictates a brisk walk in fresh mountain air to dispel those post-binge blues, but the problem is that when you really need it, the last thing you're capable of doing is getting up off the floor, let alone going out into the outside world. The theory is that the increased oxygen flow improves the

metabolic rate, and thus increases the speed at which the poisons are broken down. Be that as it may, scuba divers have long known that a blast from the tank first thing in the morning does wonders in blowing away the fog.

Since you cannot depend on your kidneys to filter your blood properly after a binge, you could get a kidney dialysis machine to do it for you. Admittedly, most people don’t have access to one, but if you can stand getting hooked up by nurses armed with needles whilst still drunk, you can be sober in four or five hours without any ill effects. People are always coming out with their ‘top-tips’ but they’re usually hardly worth bothering with. One such suggestion is a ‘Rainbow Cocktail’ which is the juice of two peeled oranges, one lemon, one lime and one pink grapefruit. Please! All that acid would make you heave straight away. Whoever came up with that has obviously never been drunk in their life!

Personally I like a long sleep, a big fry-up and then a quick nap. Then I’m right as rain and ready for another beer!

Johnny Paterson

Top Seaside Spot The Siam Residence is the perfect setting for a delicious lunch or dinner.

Imagine a beautiful beach that's unknown to most people; it’s fringed by trees that provide shade and coolness; it has a long sweep of sand that stretches on for kilometres, and the sea is almost always calm. No crowds. Just the occasional swimmer. If this sounds like an ideal, it certainly is. But it’s also reality. One of the island’s prettiest locales is usually missed by the crowds, and that’s because it’s in one of the least developed parts of the island, the west coast, starting just a few kilometres south of Nathon.

The area is easily accessible, yet people who visit this part of the coast seem surprised that it exists and many – this is a constant refrain – wish they’d found it before. Not to be missed are the amazing sunsets here, often said to be the finest on Samui. When the sun goes down, it throws into relief the chain of islands that comprise the Angthong National Marine Park, as well as the mountains of the mainland, to the south.

Relatively few resorts are to be found on this stretch of the coast. Notable amongst them is The Siam Residence, a great place for a lunch or dinner stopover if you're touring the island. It’s an Austrian-owned resort, one of the pioneers in this part of Samui, and over its 20 years of operations has become something of an institution – a very fine one that offers great food and accommodation. It goes without saying that you don’t need to be staying there to take advantage of its excellent dining facilities.

First though, you need to find the resort and its restaurant. It’s very easy, despite its seclusion. At the big junction, two kilometres south of Nathon, turn towards the sea and head in the direction of Koh Samui Hospital. Turn left at the only 7-Eleven and continue down this lane until you see the resort, just before the temple gate, on the right hand side. Since it’s a resort, the restaurant’s open all day from morning till late – you're basically welcome whenever you care to drop in.

It’s not a formal place, by the way, the venue is totally relaxed and laid-back and the prices are utterly affordable.

At the restaurant you have the option to dine inside either of the two pavilions or outside in the garden. It offers a full range of favourite Thai dishes and there’s also plenty of Western fare, too, from snacks such as sandwiches and burgers through to main courses. You'll find pasta and hot pizza baguettes, for example, and if you love meat you might want to opt for a mixed grill or a sumptuous beef tenderloin. There’s plenty on offer, in other words.

As you can imagine, this is a very romantic setting. It’s also a great place if you're here with family; there’s space for children to play and the staff are extremely child-friendly and will welcome your little ones. There's shade, too, during the day as there are palms and casuarina trees, adding to the peaceful vibe of the area.

When evening comes, the hush seems to deepen still more; it’s completely quiet all along the beach, which is part of the long bay of Lipa Noi. It’s very easy to just to sit back and unwind. The restaurant, by the way, offers a selection of tasty cocktails and long drinks that are ideal for

sipping while the sun sets. Try the Siam Coconut Special, a tropical drink comprised of totally fresh coconut juice, along with the resort’s own homemade syrup and natural rum from Samui’s own rum distillery. It’s served in a coconut and is an all-time favourite. There’s also a selection of wines from both the new and old world to accompany meals.

When you see the sunsets here you'll probably feel like stopping for dinner. Seafood is very popular at The Siam Residence, and with good reason. Every day, without fail, the staff go to collect the catch of the day when the boats come in, guaranteeing an abundance of very fresh locally-caught fish. You can ask for your fish to be cooked in some especially healthy ways: steamed with soy sauce and young ginger or with lime, spring onions and Thai herbs. Lobster, prawns, red and white snapper, squid and barracuda are also favourites. For a treat try the latter. Again you can have the barracuda prepared in a variety of ways, which include barbecued with garlic butter, deep-fried with garlic and pepper dressing, or braised in curry.

Barracuda and lobster may not get a thumbs-up from most children, but that’s no matter as the restaurant has its own special kids’ menu, replete with delights such as spaghetti carbonara, breaded fish fillet with French fries and some popular Asian treats as well. Decadence is kid-friendly, too: wildness will ensue once your children realize that they can finish off their meal with a dessert such as a banana split or vanilla ice-cream and chocolate syrup.

The chef here is extremely dedicated to making sure her guests have a wonderful time. Khun Lamyai seems to have made it her life’s work to cook here. Unlike many an island chef, she has stayed with the same resort – for two decades.

As such, she has all the necessary expertise to know what her diners like. She’s put together an array of some of the finest Thai dishes, always ensuring that they're prepared as much as possible from scratch and using the very freshest of ingredients. The results speak for themselves.

You might also want to check out their Facebook page for the special evenings that they put on.

They regularly host beach barbecues which are excellent value. It’s great for all the family and makes for a very relaxed evening out.

The restaurant at The Siam Residence is just about the perfect place to come and unwind.

With its beautiful and secluded location right by the sea, and its great food, it’s not surprising so many diners love this spot.

Dimitri Waring For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7742 0008. www.siamresidence.com

Authentic Middle-Eastern chic in a tropical paradise. Enjoy a cocktail or a cup of freshly brewed Turkish coffee on our spacious beachfront terrace or treat yourself to our chef's culinary delights while being entertained by belly dancing shows.

Reservation: 0 7743 0105 Open: 6.00 pm - 11.00 pm Beachfront at The Wharf, Fisherman's Village www.siamwininganddining.com 7

Food Myths Exploding stomachs and bubblegum.

As a kid, my mum warned me that if I swallowed chewing gum or bubblegum it would stay in my stomach for years. Nowadays just log into Facebook and you’ll come across even more urban myths surrounding food. Some are totally bizarre, while others that sound ridiculous turn out to have a lot of truth in them. Here’s a selection of some myths and strange truths that are out there. What do you think? True or false? Let’s start with bubblegum.

The myth: Bubblegum takes seven years to digest. So you shouldn't swallow your gum because of all those long, long years it’ll be hanging around inside you.

False: The myth probably evolved from the fact that chewing gum cannot be digested by the body, but that only means the body cannot break it down. Instead your body will simply move it through your digestive system just like everything else you eat or drink.

The myth: Graham Crackers were invented to curb sexual appetite.

True: The inventor of the Graham Cracker was a Presbyterian minister by the name of Sylvester Graham, who recommended a lifestyle system for keeping people abstinent and sober. His ideas included wearing loose clothing, taking cold baths, and eating his very own cracker, a food so bland he believed it would suppress his followers' wild libidos.

The myth: Kentucky Fried Chicken doesn’t use traditional chicken any longer, but rather uses ‘genetically manipulated organisms’. Hence the name change to simply KFC because they cannot use the word 'chicken'.

False: This one started back in 1999, but resurfaced online through emails, Facebook and other social media. The story goes that ‘genetically manipulated organisms’ – grossly modified chickens – were kept alive by tubes inserted into their bodies to pump blood and nutrients throughout their structure. They have no beaks, no feathers and no feet (though in some variations of the myth, have extra ones).

Their bone structure is dramatically shrunk to get more meat out of them. These chickens simply do not exist – as Snopes, the fact-checking website, explains: “Raising chickens that have been genetically modified so that they are born without beaks, feathers or feet, or with additional legs, is still beyond the reach of modern science for the time being (although selective breeding has been used to enhance some features, such as breast size).”

The name change came about in 1991, because KFC was planning to offer other types of food and thus wanted to de-emphasize ‘chicken’ in its name, as well as disassociating itself from the unhealthy sounding ‘fried’.

The myth: If you leave a nail or penny in a glass of coke overnight it will have completely dissolved by the next morning.

False: There are many reasons to cut out fizzy drinks from your diet, but this isn't one of them.

The myth probably came about as a warning to drinkers: ‘If it does this to metal imagine what it could do to your insides!’ The story can be traced back to 1950, when a Cornell University professor argued that the phosphoric acid in Coca-Cola was dangerous, giving the example of how a tooth left in a glass of Coke would soften and begin to dissolve after two days.

Coca-Cola can eventually dissolve such items as teeth over time, though certainly not overnight, due to its citric acid and phosphoric acid content, but so too can plenty of other things we eat and drink. The pH level of Coca-Cola is less than that of an orange, so if you’re worried about its corrosive abilities, you should probably quit your morning glass of orange juice as well.

And sticking with Coca-Cola The myth: Coca-Cola was originally made with cocaine.

True: There was originally a very small trace amount, but it was completely gone by 1929.

Coca-Cola contains extracts from the coca plant, which is also where cocaine comes from.

However it wasn't until 1929, that the cocaine extraction process was perfected, so in the late 1800s, the first drinkers of Coca-Cola were also consuming small amounts of cocaine. Once this came to light the company removed the traces of the drug and now the only high you’ll get is a sugar high.

The myth: Eating carrots improves night vision.

False: This rumour was apparently started by the British during World War Two. They had developed a new radar device that began greatly assisting in the shooting down of German bombers at night. However not wanting to alert the Germans of this new technology, the government started a disinformation campaign about how the British pilots' love of carrots was the cause of their keen night vision. The myth spread like wildfire, and it has become a staple in many a parents' arsenals for getting their kids to eat vegetables. However it should be said that carrots are generally good for your eyes, and studies are beginning to show a link between increased beta-carotene consumption and a decrease in macular degeneration.

The myth: Combine Mentos and Coca-Cola and your stomach will explode.

False: Though if you drop a Mentos mint into a bottle of Coca-Cola you will be rewarded with a volcanic explosion of foam. However all the stories of kids dying of burst abdomens after trying this, or any variation of the same sort, are false. Meanwhile, rest assured there is nothing edible that will cause your stomach to explode.

true. These secretions often include a mixture of anal gland secretions as well as urine. These have been recognised by the US Food and Drug Administration as generally safe as a food additive. The secretion has been used to enhance strawberry and raspberry flavourings in products like iced tea, ice cream, gelatine, candy, fruit-flavoured drinks and yogurt. On the bright side it is used so sparingly in foods that the average consumer ingests only 0.000129 mg per kg per day, and research has found that it poses no health risk to people.

As you can see, food and drink rapidly gives rise to some quite plausible myths. Facts get distorted and then over time become as solid as concrete – yet, as with everything, things aren’t always what they seem. But no matter. Thanks to the power of the internet, wildfire rumours aren’t sudden, local phenomena. They can go global – instantly.

Natalie Hughes

The myth: Beaver secretions are used as food additives True: As horrible as this sounds, this is in fact

Discover authentic

Indian Cuisine

Noori India Restaurant - Chaweng Center Chaweng Beach Road, opp. Chaweng Buri Noori India Restaurant - Chaweng South at Chaweng Cove Resort Noori India - Central Festival at Chaweng Beach Road For reservations (English) - 0 867 407 873 or 0 7741 3108 For reservations (Thai) - 0 813 960 283 E-mail: nooriindia_samui@yahoo.com www.nooriindiasamui.com

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Samui 2012 WINNER

2013 WINNER

2014 WINNER

Fine Beachside Dining with Spectacular Sunsets

THE SIAM RESIDENCE B o u t i q u e

R e s o r t

Thai & International cuisine in Lipa Noi / Koh Samui Phone: +66 (0) 77 420 008 | samui@siamresidence.com | www.siamresidence.com

Turkish Delights You'll find Turkish treats galore at The Bazaar Samui.

It’s definitely new and notable. Samui, known for its many different cuisines, now has a top-notch Turkish restaurant. The location couldn’t be better, and the food is superb. The Bazaar Samui fronts the sea at The Wharf in Fisherman’s Village. It has both a ground floor and first floor terrace, with great views of the sea looking north towards Koh Pha-Ngan. As such, it’s a decidedly romantic spot, and as the evening fades into night, it seems an especially wonderful place to be. The recently opened restaurant offers an amazing medley of food; the owners seem to want their diners to feel not just satiated, but exhilarated after spending a few hours beguiled

by Turkish cuisine.

Mediterranean-style. Try the minced lamb and beef kebab with grilled aubergine in garlic and yoghurt. If you're coming with friends or a large family then a great choice will be the Grand Bazaar Plate, a shared dish for up to six people.

It’s a selection of mixed kebabs, chicken, lamb, beef, tenderloin, lamb chops along with mixed grilled vegetables and is served with potato or rice.

The restaurant is simply called The Bazaar Samui.

If you're at all familiar with Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar, you'll know that a bazaar is a magical wonderland that’s as much a state of mind as a place. And as places go, it’s one that will always call for some kind of reaction on the part of those who go there. It’s never boring, and will never leave you feeling indifferent. Vibrant and filled with treasures, the bazaar was, is, and always will be an experience that touches all the senses. And so too with this new restaurant.

Exactly like the Grand Bazaar, the restaurant is always a pleasant surprise for the visitor.

And what better way to round off a meal here than tea or coffee in true Turkish style? They're both served in traditional ways and arrive on an ornate tray. The coffee you ladle yourself into the cup and enjoy the dark aroma, just as the Turks have done for hundreds of years.

The Bazaar is also a great place for breakfast, and while the rest of Fisherman’s Village is still asleep, you can be breakfasting on traditional Turkish fare. Try the breakfast classic, an omelette with vegetables, hummus, green olives, and fresh tomatoes with white cheese spread, babaganush and mushrooms. It’s awesomely Ottoman.

Many of the restaurant’s guests are unfamiliar with Turkish food when they walk in through the door. It’s more complex and tasty than many people can possibly imagine. Turkish cuisine is a delightful fusion of not just Ottoman recipes but also adapted Greek, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean foods. And as Turkey straddles both Europe and Asia, you can safely expect its dishes to have a great cultural heritage. The food lives up to the fact that Turkey was famed for its various civilizations and was a gateway to the treasures that lay beyond it. The cooking has been honed over many centuries, and has assimilated many different tastes. The only real mystery about Turkish cuisine is why it isn’t better-known in the world. But for those who do know it, it can be summed up in one word: delicious.

You may be a bit concerned that you won’t understand the menu. Well, you needn’t worry; not only are the Turkish names for the dishes translated into English, there are usually some extra details of what’s in them, too. Each dish has also been photographed so it’s very easy to see what you're ordering. Portions here are quite big too, by the way.

On the menu, you'll find ‘meze’ or Turkish appetizers and these aren’t to be missed. At The Bazaar you can try hummus, or babaganush, which consists of eggplant mixed with onions, tomatoes and olive oil. Or how about a classic ‘dolma’ – Turkish delicacies wrapped in vine leaves. You'll also find salads, including a popular Turkish mix of olives, walnuts, tomatoes and green bell pepper. Soups are as popular in Turkey as they are in Thailand and you may like the red lentil soup with typically Turkish lemon and mint – very refreshing.

Turkey also has a long tradition of pizzas, though these aren’t like Italian ones. They're called ‘lahmacun’, and a typical variety you'll find at The Bazaar consists of beef with mozzarella cheese, parsley and lemon.

Main courses are even more of a treat. Turkey’s famous for its lamb, and The Bazaar is one of the prime places on Samui to eat it

Leave room, however, for typical desserts such as baklava (layers of dough filled with nuts and honey), or the restaurant’s home-made almond or walnut cake. Naturally there are also classic Turkish delights.

The Bazaar Samui has gone a long way to making sure you'll be experiencing authentic cuisine here. The chef, Rizvan, is Turkish and his style is a mix of classic and highly popular dishes; these are the favourites back home in his country and he’s managed to conjure them up here in Thailand – to the delight of his guests.

The restaurant architecture is contemporary, but The Bazaar is elegantly decorated with Turkish antiques. It’s done in a very understated way, but if you get half a chance then check out these treasures more closely. You'll find a number of prints, photos, drawings and maps, all detailing Istanbul and its immediate vicinity and its rich past.

The Bazaar is very easy to find. You can’t miss it as you walk westwards along the beach road at Fisherman’s Village. And if you're driving along the ring-road, you just need to turn into The Wharf, about 500 metres from the Bophut traffic lights as you head towards Maenam, where there’s plenty of parking. The restaurant’s open from 9:00 am until midnight, every day.

The Bazaar has a very large floor above which caters for parties, wedding receptions and virtually any other kind of gathering. It’s beautifully appointed and it’s guaranteed that your guests will be wowed by the stylishness here. And they certainly won’t have seen anything like it before on Samui.

The warmth and generosity of the Turkish people is reflected in their food, which manages to be a mix of the refined and the homely. It’s certainly guaranteed to be delicious. Eating at The Bazaar Samui will provide you with not just a great meal, but an insight into one of the most enchanting cultures in the world.

Dimitri Waring For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7743 0105.

Facebook: thebazaarsamui

An outstanding menu of International & Thai cuisine prepared by master chef Joseph Spiteri

Choeng Mon, 88/18 Moo 5, T. Bophut, Koh Samui Tel: 0 77243888 Email: info@baywaterresort.com www.baywaterresort.com www.siamwininganddining.com

9

Diving In

When it comes to wining and dining, the new-look RockPool is making quite a splash!

Samui has many faces. Some here for a break.

Others, for longer. There are Thai folks who were born here. And there are those from afar. Some people come for a rest. But many more have come here to stay, to work, to retire. It’s quite a mix. But all this breaks in the middle and splits into two. Wherever you’re from, whatever your race, you’re either here on a break, or resident – passing through or living here. This might seem obvious. But when you have a restaurant, it’s the most vital thing in the world.

There are two quiet times each year – four months with few tourists. Successful places, high season, are full. But it’s a mix of two things. Come low season, there are still wages and bills. But if the people who live here keep coming, then wages and bills can be paid. Valued staff don’t move on.

Word of mouth spreads. People drop in. It’s what all businesses want, but it’s not easy to get.

RockPool was once just like this. It was one of the best places around, and it still is. In fact, today, it’s even better than it once was. Think about it . . . people going past, dropping in. You have to be close to the road. Somewhere to park.

Friendly staff that you see more than once.

Comfort, quality, class. A menu that runs from a snack to a spread. A terrific location, cool, breezy, laid-back. All this, plus you know what it is. It’s

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there every day and just the same tomorrow.

There are several places like this, dotted around, not that far from Chaweng. RockPool was like this. But, alas, it faded from view.

RockPool is the signature restaurant at what used to be Karma Samui, but now is known as Kanda Residences. Over the last three years, it’s seen a ton of changes, resulting in this downshift.

Essentially, it’s a cliffside holiday resort, with 36 self-contained villas attached. The ownership, staff, management, and the name were changed in a long-lasting restructure. But in the middle of all this, the restaurant remained, and the location was just as good as ever. However, the changes meant new staff. And the new staff came and went, each of them trying harder than the last to bring on the latest gizmo to try to make things work again. It was a beach club, it ran live bands, it was a weekend family brunch-out, it declared itself a cheese and wine pinnacle . . . and the customer base went away.

I’m being honest here, because I can afford to be! And the reason is that RockPool is back on its feet again. This delightful restaurant, just outside Chaweng on the main road towards Choeng Mon, is re-staffed, expanded, sorted and set. Coming in from the main road outside, you’ll see hardly anything of the villas on the site.

There’s just an unassuming little reception sala with buggies outside. Park up, walk in, and ask for a cart down to the restaurant.

You’ll arrive outside a small arch that expands into the upper floor – a large canopied space opening out in the middle, a bar at one side, comfortable seating around, a live sushi station to the right, the hi-tech open kitchen beyond that – and a low wall that frames a view that goes on forever. Sauntering seawards reveals another couple of layers – wooden decks beneath – with an enormous tree growing up through the lower bar and shading most of the first deck, just beyond the wood-fired pizza oven. There’s a raised bar running around the fringe, with hi-stool seats overlooking the drama of the sea-crashed rocks below. To the left and down two steps is another broad deck and another bar niche.

Everywhere there are plush daybeds, sprinklings of low tables with low cushion seating, tented canopies overhead and intimate nooks and corners. And beyond it all is a seascape to die for, complete with coves, islands and picture-postcard little fishing boats.

The man in the kitchen is Lucas Varin. He’s Brazilian. He has an astronomic pedigree, having

previously been a commis chef and then banquet chef in São Paulo. A sous chef in Paris and Corsica, moving on to a Parisian Michelin 2-star position as chef de partie and up to executive chef at a 5-star eatery in the Caribbean.

Plus a couple of years in top Australian restaurants. In other words, his food is fabulous.

He’s a shy, intense man, serious, creative, yet friendly. And he’s going to make a splash.

His cuisine is tantalisingly hard to pigeonhole.

Take the most common fish on Samui; red snapper. Flash cure a prime fillet in salt and brown sugar and add a touch of lemon juice.

Create a celery and asparagus purée. Serve it with a couple of little spring onions. Eat. This will be the first time you’ve realised that this simple fish actually tastes like something. The fillet sits on a plate by itself, splashed around with sauce, just like Clark Kent before he turns into Superman. There’s no attempt to drown it with sauce or ramp it up. Suddenly snapper is delicious.

Or maybe Lucas’ Black Rice with Chorizo and prime Aussie tenderloin? Beef is beef. It’s quality delicate meat. But he doesn’t try to enhance the flavour. Instead, Lucas gets playful with textures.

The black rice is a rarity, once only served to Chinese emperors, large, sweet nutty and thick.

The little nubs of spicy sausage make it quiver.

The chunk of beef is . . . a chunk of beef. But mix them together in your mouth and it all just sings. A great many chefs make their dishes shout. This man is content to whisper. It’s a very loud whisper though, the sort of thing you learn when walking with angels.

Every Tuesday and Friday? An open chef’s table.

Each one is different, and is only 950 baht for a 5-star dining experience. Happy hour at RockPool? Every day from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm, 2-for-1 on all drinks, across the board. And then every Monday is Blues Night with the super sounds of The Night Sessions. Plus all of the rest.

This is RockPool. And it’s back with a vengeance.

Rob De Wet For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7723 4500. www.kandaresidences.com

www.siamwininganddining.com 11

Thai Velvet There are many ways to eat Thai food – but dining at The Barge is one experience you won’t forget!

Just how adventurous are you? I mean, did you come here on a scheduled flight then look for a place to stay, or did you get a package deal? Are you the sort to go out on your own, or do you prefer an organised trip? Do you go exploring down side streets? Would you hire a bike and just head for the hills? And what about food? Do you like Thai food? (No doubt, that one’s a ‘yes’!) But would you eat street food? Or sit down at a noodle stall surrounded by locals? Or is it a mixture of all these things, depending on your mood?

You see, unlike those other things, when it comes to food, you’ve got a far greater choice.

First of all, there are four different kinds of Thai cuisine, depending on the region. And each one has its common dishes and then its rarities. As well as that, there are those very special dishes, together with the courtly presentations that originated in the royal palaces. And then there’s the setting and location. You could sit out on the road on plastic chairs and tables – it’s an experience. But a much better one, more refined and gentile, would be to eat somewhere special.

Such as The Barge, for example.

Few people outside of Samui have heard of the Nora Group. But on the island, it’s a name to be respected. The original ‘Nora’ was Nora Beach Resort & Spa, a large and very laid-back 4-star-plus resort, at the northern end of Chaweng. And then the group added a budget hotel and a town hotel before its crowning achievement, in 2009, the 5-star flagship of Nora Buri Resort & Spa that spreads right down the hillside and down to the beach, just a kilometre north of Chaweng.

The Barge is not only one of Samui’s most prominent landmarks, it’s also the award-winning signature restaurant of Nora Buri. From the road outside you can see little of this remarkable structure. But from the beach, the design is stunning. Entirely constructed on a huge scale from teak, it’s a three-floor building with four cascading roofs, tiered on three levels down the hillside, and surrealistically shaped to symbolise a giant wooden barge. In fact, there are three restaurants here, not one. At sea level is The Barge Restaurant, serving quality European and Thai dishes. Then there’s another floor for private functions. And right at the top, with a superb sea view, is Rice Barge & Terrace

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– one of the most distinguished Thai restaurants around.

The layout is engaging, comprising initially of one self-contained interior room, with the outward-facing walls being floor-to-ceiling glass.

As with everything here, the theme of dark, rich wood dominates: the floors and ceiling are of sculpted timber, with massive wood pillars in the corners, and sturdy, modern furniture to match. The design is cunning; you step down into a number of ‘wells’ in the floor, with deep cushions and Thai triangular backrests, and with a broad table in the middle of each. The unique effect is of low tables and chairs, but without the discomfort that kneeling or sprawling can often create.

And then there’s an open-sided terrace alongside and running out towards the sea, with the far end being open to the stars. Even though the inner room is glassed all around, out here you’re perched up high, with the feeling of being right out in the middle of things. But if you want a table out on the open terrace then a reservation is a must; there are only a few and they’re much in demand.

And so back to the food. The executive chef here is a time-served veteran, Khun Surachai Katanyutanont. And his menu has been crafted so that you can pick from the traditional (and the more unusual) dishes from all four regions.

The menu is divided into all the usual sections, starters, soups, noodle dishes, stir-fries and curries, but with all the ingredients being top quality – something you’ll appreciate if you’ve ever sampled the low-grade market supplies bought-in by some small Thai eateries on the street! There is, of course, a big section featuring seafood. But everybody’s all-time favourite is the ‘khantoke’ set.

Khantoke is basically a ‘taster’. Originating in the northern region of Thailand, it comes as a series of different menu items, each in a small dish, on a tray. In this case, you’ll be treated to a selection of two offerings from the north, two from the northeast, two from the south and one from the central plain. The presentation is exquisite, reminiscent of the elaborate designs and painstaking attention to detail of Royal Thai Cuisine.

But you’ll also find some new high-season chef’s specials running right now – ask about the 4-course Candlelight Set Menu, of which there are two options, one starring Australian beef and the other, Phuket lobster. Needless to say, the staff are equally as tip-top, friendly, and attentive without being obvious, plus their English is excellent.

Rice Barge is an evening dining venue, opening at 6:00 pm. But, down at beach level, Head of Western Cuisine, Brendan Semmen, is conjuring up some equally alluring platters. The Barge Restaurant is open all day and into the evening, so this is the perfect alternative if you fancy getting stuck into something a bit more European. He’s recently introduced some outstanding special menus. Such as his Chef’s Signature Set, featuring Pork Medallions with Shimeji Mushrooms, Pea Puree and Crispy Parma Ham, and running onto Australian Beef Tenderloin with Garlic Mash, Dried Tomatoes, Green Vegetables and Red Wine Sauce. Plus dessert.

Or you could choose between the Lobster Set Menu for Two, including Duck Salad, Smoked Chicken Cream Soup and a Lobster and Seafood Basket. Or even indulge in the Classic Steak Set Menu for Two – Red Tuna Salad (including green oak lettuce with black olives, cherry tomatoes, green beans and Italian dressing), Pumpkin Soup, then onto a tray with beef tenderloin, lamb chop, pork chop, duck breast and chicken breast (served with sautéed vegetables, garlic mash and corn on the cob).

Plus dessert.

Or you could adventure out and eat on the street instead. But now you’ve discovered the joyous alternatives at The Barge, wouldn’t you rather go for Thai velvet instead? We know we would!

Rob De Wet For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7791 3555. www.noraburiresort.com

SIP, SAVOUR, LOUNGE, AND LINGER Stay all day and move your mood, exploring our range of indoor and outdoor settings, right on Samui’s beach with panoramic view of the coastline. Enjoy a casual lunch in the shade, experiencing our eclectic menu of international cuisine or lounge away the aſternoon on a sunken daybed in the sand, steps away from the beach.

For evenings, COAST transforms into one of Samui's most attractive dining experiences, showcasing grills and seafood with great beach chill music to help you relax.

A variety of dining zones make it either the ideal venue for a memorable evening out with family and friends or an equally cool place to celebrate that special occasion party.

The focus at COAST is always on views of the beach and your effortless glide through the day.

Open Hours: 12:00 – 23:00 hrs.

www.centarahotelsresorts.com/csbr E: coast@chr.co.th T: +66 (0) 77 230500

www.siamwininganddining.com

13

Taking Advantage

There are now lots of coffee shops and cafés on Samui – but those in the know head for Black Canyon.

Once upon a time, coffee was coffee. It was made of ground coffee beans. You could get it black or with milk. Sometimes even with cream.

American cowboys used to crush the beans with their boots then boil them in a can. The same kind of thing happened all across the Middle and Far East. Then the Italians discovered that high-pressure steam worked better and faster, and invented espresso – coffee in 30 seconds – and the Americans loved it. As did the rest of Europe. ‘Frothy coffee’ became the norm. But people also realised that some beans were better than others. And, on the back of ferocious American marketing in the 1970s, a coffee cult arose. The result is that, today, nobody drinks ‘coffee’ any more.

They sip cappuccinos. They savour lattes. They ask for macchiatos. They insist on carajilos, or enquire about correttos, decaf-demis or Kati Kati.

Some track down beans from Jamaica, Ethiopia or Sumatra and brew their own with stainless steel equipment that is scientifically calibrated precisely at 98 degrees. Branded coffee shop chains that are household names have spread around the globe. But here in Thailand, we have our own contenders. And one of the foremost of these is Black Canyon.

both national and international awards. But the popularity and success of this group has arisen from a simple formula. Firstly, it’s both a coffee shop and a restaurant. And, second, their prices are so reasonable that it makes you blink when you consider what some competitors are charging.

There’s a solid range of coffees, including cappuccino, latte, mocha and Americano. But this is Thailand. It’s hot here. And so the option of iced drinks often takes preference. Hence, you’ll find some treats here that are worth coming back for. Such as the wonderful Iced Caramel Macchiato, or the Iced White-chocolate Mocha, amongst others. There’s a great range of other drinks, too; frappes (go for the Rum Flavoured Black Canyon Frappe, or maybe the Black Hazelnut Frappe), chocolate drinks (six different, including two iced ones), smoothies, fruit juices and milk drinks, including a range of milk shakes. Incidentally, this is one of the few places that will serve you a full half-litre glass of fresh iced milk. The majority of these beverages are well under 100 baht, with just a couple of the nudging their way in at 110 baht. Oh – they also sell Heineken beer, on draft and in bottles.

This name has been around for a long time, since 1993, in fact. And from its early beginnings in Bangkok, has spread to over 260 outlets nationwide, as well as having branches in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, Burma, Cambodia, Laos and the Philippines. The first Black Canyon to appear on Samui was synchronised to match the opening of Tesco Lotus in Chaweng, in 2005. Another appeared in Lamai, in 2009. And now the latest and largest has taken up residence in Central Festival Samui, in an imposing position, up on the first floor; a big cool air-conditioned layout with 25 tables and comfortable seats.

And so to the menu. Instantly, it’s off to a good start, with a huge and colourful glossy fold-out book that’s lavishly illustrated with photos of all the items. Plus a line or two of explanation accompanies every item. And there are little side-notes on culture, traditions or background history dotted around here and there. But if you look carefully, you’ll spot something interesting.

There’s a selection of Western dishes and a big range of traditional Thai favourites. But there are also quite a few items that blend the two together. In some cases, it’s simply substituting pasta for rice, as part of a Thai dish. But there are other pleasant alternatives, too, such as the Glass Noodles Salad with Grilled Salmon.

Right away, it has to be said that, unlike some of the American or European models, Black Canyon is a full-tilt restaurant, too. Yes, of course, there’s an extensive range of coffees and other beverages, and their baristas have won

There’s a full selection of soups and salads to kick off with, plus plenty of light-bites and snacks to pick from; sandwiches, chicken wings, pork strips, omelettes, fries and so on; just the thing to re-fuel on a hot afternoon. However, the

more substantial dishes take a lot of beating.

There’s a wide choice of steaks; chicken, pork, salmon, the Pork Steak with Spaghetti and Issan-style Spicy Sauce, plus the impressive Rib Eye with Cheese and Black Pepper Mushroom Gravy – the latter coming in at just 218 baht.

And there’s a selection of vegetarian platters, if you’re that way inclined.

One thing that wasn’t said about the Thai offerings previously is that this is one of the few quality eateries where you’ll have a chance to sample of some of the traditional dishes from Issan. There’s an enticing choice of spicy salads, for example. And a couple of ‘fusion’ dishes like the pork steak mentioned above. These tend to be quite hot, so go cautiously here! But if you prefer to play it safe, there’s an extensive range of stir-fries, noodle and curry dishes, too.

Every month or so Black Canyon runs a special offer, or introduces something new. The latest being the addition of the ‘Combos’. These are pairings of a Thai main dish with a soup to go with it. There are six different combos to choose from. And these represent even better value for money than usual, ranging in cost from 135 to 145 baht.

The main entrance to Central Festival is right out in the middle of Chaweng Beach Road, with a wide-open area in front. This is also where the majority of the cafés and bistros are located, so all you need to do is to glance upwards and head for the nearby escalator. Black Canyon has become something of a national institution because of the quality of its fare and its keen pricing. Now you know, all that’s left to do is get over there and take full advantage of what it has to offer!

Rob De Wet For further information visit www.blackcanyoncoffee.com

Take a bread cake and bakery Tel: 088 502 3112

Location: Samui Ring Road (nearly opposite Big C)

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Experience the very best in authentic Thai cuisine at Chef Chom’s Thai Restaurant at The Tongsai Bay Chef Chom's serves truly authentic Thai cuisine with an emphasis on local southern Thai cuisine. Wherever possible, ingredients are sourced locally and dishes are prepared from scratch.

This real Thai taste is the pride of the kitchen, and dishes are not 'watered down', the taste of Chef Chom's food is just the way Thais would have it.

Chef Chom’s is open daily for dinner from 7pm to 10pm. Tel: +66 (0) 77 245-480 www.tongsaibay.co.th

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Going Native Joining the locals at Imchai Thai Food.

If you're out and about in the Lamai area and fancy a very affordable yet excellent-tasting meal, Imchai Thai Food is a wonderful place to stop, take a break and enjoy some great food.

I’ve been coming here for some years, so Imchai is a bit of a favourite. And it’s not just the food, there’s something very relaxing about just being here.

The restaurant is located right on the ring-road; as you head through Lamai in the direction of Chaweng, you'll find it about a hundred metres before Manathai Koh Samui, on the corner of the little lane that leads up to Island Books. In fact, quite a few people seem to combine a good browse in the bookstore with some food.

Incidentally, if you're coming by car you'll find parking places on both your left and right in the lane.

Imchai is modern and spotlessly clean, and is housed in bright, modern premises. You may find it hard to spot as the front is half-screened with banana trees and foliage, which provide shade for three small thatched huts. They're ideal for couples or small families – or even for individuals. They're fun to sit in and you really

have a sense of being in your own little cocoon.

You can also sit in the restaurant building itself, which is open to the air and fan-cooled. Here you'll find the same bamboo tables and chairs, with comfy cushions on the seats. Everything at Imchai is tidy and uncluttered, yet the place has plenty of character.

The restaurant is the brainchild of Khun Imchai Phaophong, who started it some ten years ago, with her husband Khun Jum, in much smaller premises on the same spot. Business was good; word went round, and with a steady stream of customers, the couple went ahead and re-built the original restaurant. Khun Imchai used to be a waitress for the Sultan of Brunei, so she really knows a lot about good service. Khun Jum does all the cooking, and keeps the dishes coming, no matter how crowded the restaurant gets. He still somehow finds time to produce sculptures – he’s a trained artist who studied at university and produces some very fine work in a variety of materials. This husband and wife team are extremely professional, yet manage to exude a sense of being laid-back and relaxed about their work.

Spend any time at Imchai and you'll hear a half dozen languages being spoken, depending on who the day’s customers are. Many Europeans love coming here, and on the wall you'll find a glowing accolade in Danish for ‘great food and excellent service’ – which deftly encapsulates what Imchai is all about. You'll also find plenty of Asians coming here, and everyone seems delighted with what they're eating. It’s open daily from 11:00 am until 9:00 pm. Long hours for the staff of four, but highly convenient for dropping in just about whenever you want. The service is definitely a plus, and however rushed Khun Imchai and her staff are, they always have a ready and genuine smile for their guests.

The menu consists of just over 30 dishes, all Thai favourites. You won’t find any obscure fare here; these are all recipes that have stood the test of time. People come back again and again, and obviously love the array of tastes. There’s plenty of meat and fish, but if you're a vegetarian Khun Imchai can certainly cater for you – just tell her what your wishes are and she’ll speedily provide it.

For drinks, there’s a great selection of shakes, including watermelon, strawberry, apple and

mango. You can drink coconut straight out of the nut, and there’s a range of soft drinks as well as tea, coffee and beer.

Onto the food section and it’s easy to choose as there are photos of every dish, just in case you're not familiar with them. And when the food arrives (service here is usually quite speedy), it looks just like in the photos. Portions by the way are on the generous side, and because of this it’s all too common to see people who’ve over-ordered. If that happens to you, don’t worry, as you can ask for your food to be boxed up as takeaway. Prices are great too - with the majority of dishes costing 80 Baht.

Very little is way above that. So no worries about overspending here. Don’t worry about the potential fieriness of some dishes either; the menu has chilli symbols to let you know how hot the food is. Naturally, you can ask for dishes to be spiced up or kept mild, according to how you feel.

The most popular dish is perhaps papaya salad, which you can order as spicy or not at all. It’s particularly tangy and if you've never had it

before, then this is one of those places where you should just dive in – you'll probably become an instant convert to this Thai staple.

Many diners order the green chicken curry, with its generous helpings of meat, creamy coconut sauce and Thai aubergines. It’s delicious, to say the least. Then there’s a classical pad Thai, with lush sprouts, tofu and noodles, all cooked to perfection. Tom yum with either squid or shrimps, with or without coconut milk, is also top of the list for many guests.

You can also enjoy dishes such as spicy salad with beef, pork or chicken, a deep-fried whole fish with sweet chilli sauce or chicken with cashew nuts. The only Western item on the menu is French fries – popular with children, according to Khun Imchai.

With a great selection of dependably tasty dishes, cheap prices and friendly service, you'll be glad you came to Imchai Thai Food – and no doubt, just like me, you'll be back again.

Dimitri Waring

Sabienglae restaurants offer traditional fresh seafood and cuisine in an authentic southern Thai style.

Come and enjoy our unique dishes, many of which you won’t find elsewhere on the island, in a relaxing atmosphere. An experience to truly complete your holiday.

Sabeinglae Restaurant

The Wharf Samui, Fishermans’s Village For reservation please call 077 430 094-5 16

www.siamwininganddining.com

Hin Ta Hin Yai, Samui Ring Road For reservation please call 077 233 082-3

Wimaan Buri Resort, Chaweng Ring Road For reservation please call 077 962 333

Bonjour Joe A cup of coffee is a great way to start the day, or continue it.

Boncafe’s capsule coffee machines make it even easier.

Coffee’s a drink that's as old as the hills, or almost. And it’s been popular ever since people realized that coffee was pleasantly stimulating, and you could relax with friends over a cup.

The taste has improved over the centuries from the original gluggy brew, but what keeps changing are the machines that make the coffee.

It’s perhaps unfair and nit-picking to say that people these days think more about the coffee machines than the actual beans that go into them. Perhaps that’s because all beans look alike, whereas all coffee machines most certainly do not. The race is still on for the perfect coffee machine, but there are even more contenders now, thanks to the introduction of coffee capsule machines.

Some coffee drinkers might initially believe this is just a new way to get old results – a marketing gimmick in other words, pandering to ultra-hip tastes. Sure, you no longer need to physically spoon coffee into a cup, machine or any other device. So what? But it turns out that there really are advantages to having a capsule machine. First and foremost is, just as you can imagine, sheer convenience. Fresh coffee at the push of a button. And the taste is exactly the same each time. Quality and consistency are

always winners in the coffee game, and capsules are a great way to guarantee both.

The next reason applies to maintaining the machine, and it’s basically this: it’s ridiculously easy to clean. You basically empty the tray which stores the used capsules. If you're a professional barista this will be a big plus for you – you'll already have had experience of ‘looking under the hood’ of many a machine, and you know what you'll find: a gunk comprised of used coffee granules and left over liquid coffee. It can be worse than changing the oil on an old car. There’s none of this with the capsule machine, of course. Cleaning is minimal, and you won’t need to approach it with a sense of doom. Once the capsules have been taken out, it’s a wipe-down process, completed in seconds. You won’t have to inspect the innards with a pipe cleaner.

The capsule machine is engagingly compact and easy to carry around, should you need to. Okay, you won’t be taking it in a suitcase on your travels, but if you need to create a new coffee corner, then it’s easy. You just need a flat surface and an electrical outlet. When not being used for a long time, you can store it easily; it

certainly won’t take up much space. It also consumes very little power, even when left on for hours. And the materials it’s made from have all been carefully thought out, right down to those that make up the capsules. These have all been ascertained to be safe, and safe at the hot temperatures required to make coffee. For example, the plastic cup that the capsule is comprised of is safe up to 171°C. A capsule machine also has aesthetic appeal.

Easy on the eye, it exudes dependability and has a professional chunkiness. People are curious to try it out, and there's a variety of colours to choose from. Black, white, silver or bright red, the choice is yours.

But what about the actual coffee it uses? Is it any good? Or is it just another variant of instant brew?

The answer is that yes, the coffee tastes excellent.

The capsules are each packed with just under nine grams of best quality coffee. Boncafe produces two kinds of capsule, mocha and extra dark coffee, while its partner, Segafredo produces espresso, lungo, and intenso.

In Thailand, coffee capsule machines have been slow to catch on, perhaps because of a 90%

import duty. But now Boncafe is making its own machines and the price is extremely affordable – under 4,000 Baht.

And by the way, the capsules are affordable too and are one of the cheapest ways to drink your coffee. Of course, it’s still cheaper to drink instant coffee, though not nearly as nice, or clean, or convenient. And people react better when they see a capsule machine – they know the taste will be good. It can even be a magical moment. If you love coffee and step into your five-star hotel room, you'll be happy to see an easy-to-operate machine rather than that old standby, a stack of sachets sticking out of a glass pot.

If you're interested in capsule coffee machines then you can see them at the Boncafe showroom in Bophut, just opposite The Wharf.

The showroom’s open Monday to Saturday, from 9:00 am until 6:00 pm, except bank holidays, and it’s worth dropping in just to see what’s new and notable in coffee culture. You'll be assured of a very friendly welcome by the entire team here. And by the way, you can also get a cup of coffee as the showroom doubles as a coffee shop. It’s guaranteed that what you

drink here will taste just great – the staff here are naturally experts when it comes to serving coffee. For capsule machines please contact Khun Wanwimol Wongsasitorn, the Samui branch manager.

It’s safe to say that coffee isn’t going out of fashion, and that as regards capsule machines, you'll be seeing a lot more of them, especially here in Thailand – thanks to Boncafe producing them so affordably. Meanwhile, nothing could be simpler than getting very delicious and dependable coffee. Just feed the machine capsules and water, press a button, and it’ll produce the perfect cup for you – time and time again.

Dimitri Waring For further information, telephone 0 7742 7486. www.boncafe.co.th

Relax@Samui Thai food - Seafood - European food Romantic atmosphere Private seaview cottages The best seaviews on Samui Bang Por Beach, Tel. 0 7760 2228

www.siamwininganddining.com 17

The Wine Page Do You Know The Lingo?

Wine is an absorbing subject to write about, because it’s both easy and difficult at the same time. The often-bizarre descriptive language used in columns and books, is known as ‘winespeak.’ It is a lingo, or jargon, common among professionals, and people involved in the wine business. And like so many other trades and businesses, wine certainly has its own lingo.

I can admit to being guilty of over using winespeak myself, partly because it’s a way wine enthusiasts spot each other. But these days, I have come to realise that regular consumers of wine often read wine columns and scour wine reviews looking for simple guidance. And they may well wonder which guides to trust. After all, what do the adjectives and nouns really mean? These are important questions for a wine buff. The conscientious writer tries to convey the experience you will have if you drink the wine. And this requires some objective details on flavour (the tricky bit).

But what most people undoubtedly really want to know is, will they like it?

Flavour, especially when it comes to wine, is made up of two components, its aroma and its

Manathai Koh Samui 18 www.siamwininganddining.com

taste. The sceptic about the importance of wine aroma should try drinking a glass while holding his or her nose. Certainly, part of the pleasure of drinking wine is catching the differences between what a wine smells like and how it tastes. For many, the nose is almost more interesting, because layers of smell are sometimes more complex, and easier to discern than layers of taste. I met a professional wine taster who told me that when push came to shove on finally deciding which bottle to award the points to, he uses only his nose to judge a wine's true characteristics. Indeed, the aroma has produced some arresting characterizations of individual types of wine. Well-known, but usually prissy, wine writer, Jancis Robinson surprised everyone with one such statement, “wines made from the Sauvignon Blanc grape, whether a Sancerre from the Loire or the popular wines from New Zealand, have the aroma of cat’s pee on a gooseberry bush.” The scent of gooseberries, yes, hints of nettles, elderflowers, and grass, absolutely. But cat’s pee? That is more difficult. What if you do not own a cat? Would you recognize this particular scent? And more to the point, would this description necessarily encourage you to buy it?

Samui Ring Road

Lamai

Another columnist’s recent description of a certain New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc’s aroma was that “it reminded him of a rugby club changing room!” (We can only hope that this was more dismissive than descriptive.) And a notable writer on Burgundy wrote, “Great Burgundy smells like shit.” Again, let us think about it. The classic fruit scent for wine made from the Pinot Noir grape in Burgundy is raspberries, and for some of us, the faint scent of rubber is a possible clue. But, his crude and attention-seeking description? Does he mean the faint compost-like aroma that can accompany fine wines? Or does he actually mean that arising from the less salubrious section of a farmyard? Either way, it is difficult to see the comment pinned on the shelf of your wine shop. Unless perhaps, it's in Australia, where the often-quoted no-nonsense description of mature Shiraz as having a “sweaty saddle character,” does not seem to cause any panic.

Some wine columnists love to pile on the more agreeable nouns. I remember reading about a Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon having “gobs of fruit, blackcurrants and dark berries, with notes of leather and a hint of liquorice, chocolate and

Telephone 0 7745 8560-4

coffee.” In my opinion, there can be two possible responses to that. You could pour a glass of the wine, sniff it, swirl it and sniff it again, and try, with increasing desperation, to find each of these scents. Or, the more pragmatic wine buff can justifiably argue that few people can really discern more than a small handful of scents and tastes, so just pour yourself a glass, drink it, and decide whether or not you like it.

However, I have noticed that what appears to lure consumers into wine shops, are the adjectives describing fruit. Whether it is tropical fruit and melons, for Australian Chardonnay, or blackcurrants for claret from the Médoc, and especially from Cabernet Sauvignons from the New World. How commonly is ‘dark cherries’ used as an adjective for an Italian Valpolicella?

And ‘vanilla tones’ used as a lazy description for heavily oaked wines? Unfortunately, with the cheaper wines, what often happens is that the scents on the nose seldom translate directly into tastes on the palate. Of course, some do, particularly the aggressively fruity New World wines. And perhaps we should be thankful that ‘pencil shavings,’ ‘petrol tones’ and ‘compost

www.manathai.com

heap’ seldom do translate into taste. For me, it is exactly these types of experiences that demonstrate why sniffing a wine before sipping is so interesting. I know it looks a little pretentious and nerdy, but the selfish pleasure is doubled.

Having made you read all this winespeak about aromas and flavours, the truth is that I can only take you only so far. There is simply no substitute for physical tasting. After that, it is up to you to decide what your personal wine preferences are. But it’s well worth remembering that we never stop learning about wine, so long as we keep an open mind. And learning the lingo will definitely help to find what you are looking for on a good restaurant’s wine list, or on the shelves of a reputable wine shop.

Peter James

Opening Times 10am – 1am

Silavadee Pool Spa Resort

Silavadee Pool Spa Resort presents a wide range of restaurants and bars featuring a variety of cuisines to suit all tastes.

Premium cocktails and selected wines are also available in each outlet.

STAR

A stunning rooftop bar where you can sip our signature cocktails and enjoy some snacks while watching the sunset or gazing at the stars above.

Open: 17.00-23.30hrs.

The Height

Sun Deck

Wine and Cigar Lounge

Oering an extensive menu of delightful Thai cuisine, the restaurant has both air-conditioned and open air seating options, all with stunning views of the surrounding sea.

Open: 17.00-22.30hrs.

Exclusive dining on the deck with breathtaking views.Enjoy International delights in a romantic setting with your loved one. Please reserve in advance.

Refreshments, cocktails and snacks with a selection of premium wines and cigars to enjoy the breathtaking view.

Open:18.00-22.30hrs.

Open: 17.00-23.30hrs

Silavadee Pool Spa Resort 208/66 Moo4, Koh Samui, Suratthani 84310 Thailand Tel: (+66) 077 960 555 Fax: (+66) 077 960 055 www. Silavadeeresort.com www.siamwininganddining.com

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Rice Barge &

Terrace

Fine Beachside Dining at the Rice Barge & Terrace Authentic Thai Cuisine Daily A La Carte and Thai Set Dinner No visit to Samui is complete until you have dined at the Rice Barge & Terrace

The Barge Western Cuisine & Seafood Every Monday Cowboy Steak Buffet Every Wednesday Hawaiian Seafood Buffet Rice Barge & Terrace Nora Buri's Signature Restaurant Chaweng North For Reservation Tel: 0 7791 3555 E-mail: ricebarge@noraburiresort.com www.noraburiresort.com

Chaweng Beach Road Chaweng North

It’s all happening at Nora Beach Resort & Spa Tuesday Night- Siam Kingdom Thai Night. We invite you to experience a variety of traditional Thai dishes.

Price THB 850 per person.

Thursday Night - East Meets West. Enjoy our chef’s special buffet creations. Price THB 950 net per person. Children 6-12 years old half price. Entertainment: Polynesian Show & Mariposa Duo. Thai Cooking Class Learn how to cook 3 authentic Thai dishes with our Thai Chef. Price THB 1,500 per person Inclusive of chef hat, apron, certificate and recipe.

Fruit Carving Class Price THB 1,500 per person. Inclusive of chef hat, apron and certificate.

Daily Happy Hour Beverages Special offer 50% off (Except wine, Corona beer, all spirits by the bottle) Pool Bar 1.00 pm - 2.00 pm & 4.00 pm - 5.00 pm. Prasuthon Restaurant 6.00 pm - 7.00 pm.

Lobby Bar 7.00 pm - 8.00 pm & 10.00 pm - 11.00 pm.

Romantic Private Dining Dining on the beach with private chef and waiter/waitress.

Thai menu THB 5,000 per couple.

International menu THB 6,000 per couple.

Advance reservation required

For further information please telephone 0 7742 9400 E-mail: reservation@norabeachresort.com www.norabeachresort.com 20

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