March 2017

SAMUI

www.siamwininganddining.com

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MARCH 2017

Monday: Thai Buffet & Seafood BBQ on the Beach THB 1,200 Net Thursday: International Buffet & Seafood BBQ on the Beach THB 1,400 Net Sareeraya Villas & Suites

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

March

Murmurs Mildly Now’s the time to relax, take it easy, and explore all that Samui has to offer.

Samui’s an interesting place. At first sight it seems that there’s not much here. Coming in on the plane, there’s not a lot to see. But don’t be fooled. Yes, it’s those lovely long strips of sand that lift your heart. And maybe that’s all you need: beach time and a space to recharge your energies.

The weather will be great, too: day after day of cloudless skies, yet not so hot it hurts – that’ll come later, in a few months’ time! But once the jet lag’s gone and you’ve

settled-in, you’ll start to do what everyone does; wander off each night in search of great places to eat. And there’s no better place for this than Samui!

We’ve become a gourmet’s heaven. There’s everything you could ever imagine, from little local street stalls to the refined heights of fabulous fine-dining – and all at a fraction of the cost that you’d expect to pay back home.

Enjoy!

Enjoy outstanding Thai and European cuisine from our highly experienced, award winning chef beside the golden sands of Chaweng beach.

Perfect for any occasion whether it be dinner with friends or family, or specially set up romantic dinner for two.

At Banana Fan Sea Resort

Chaweng Beach Road Tel: 0 7741 3483-6

E-mail: info@bananafansea.com

www.bananafansea.com

SAMUI

SAMUI

Monday: Thai Buffet & Seafood BBQ on the Beach THB 1,200 Net

www.siamwininganddining.com

FREE COPY

Thursday: International Buffet & Seafood BBQ on the Beach THB 1,400 Net

MARCH 2017

Sareeraya Villas & Suites

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

March

Murmurs Mildly Now’s the time to relax, take it easy, and explore all that Samui has to offer.

Samui’s an interesting place. At first sight it seems that there’s not much here. Coming in on the plane, there’s not a lot to see. But don’t be fooled. Yes, it’s those lovely long strips of sand that lift your heart. And maybe that’s all you need: beach time and a space to recharge your energies.

The weather will be great, too: day after day of cloudless skies, yet not so hot it hurts – that’ll come later, in a few months’ time! But once the jet lag’s gone and you’ve

settled-in, you’ll start to do what everyone does; wander off each night in search of great places to eat. And there’s no better place for this than Samui!

We’ve become a gourmet’s heaven. There’s everything you could ever imagine, from little local street stalls to the refined heights of fabulous fine-dining – and all at a fraction of the cost that you’d expect to pay back home.

Enjoy!

Enjoy outstanding Thai and European cuisine from our highly experienced, award winning chef beside the golden sands of Chaweng beach.

Perfect for any occasion whether it be dinner with friends or family, or specially set up romantic dinner for two.

At Banana Fan Sea Resort

Chaweng Beach Road Tel: 0 7741 3483-6

E-mail: info@bananafansea.com

www.bananafansea.com

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 Jones 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. 2017

Distribution at Bangkok Airport courtesy of Bangkok Airways.

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

Please recycle or pass on to a friend.

Even if you're driving by Anantara, you can see that this resort is a hidden gem. An old-style drawbridge spans a lily-filled pond, with the road leading deep into a jungly garden. Definitely intriguing, and for those who venture up that drive there are many, many surprises that await even the most seasoned globetrotter. The atrium, sumptuous enough by anyone’s standards, only leads the eye to a beautiful pond that stretches right down towards the restaurant, Full Moon Char Grill, and the sea beyond. The resort’s a world apart from the rest of the island, a get-away destination all of its very own.

idea which is simply called ‘Dining by Design’.

This doesn’t mean that you have to make up your very own menu from scratch, but refers instead to the way you can choose the setting and the décor, even before you get started on choosing one of the menus on offer.

For total seclusion, the amazing spa garden, which is entirely walled, guarantees the kind of privacy that usually only rock-stars and visiting dignitaries are used to. The setting is a small sala or pavilion at the far end of the garden. From your table you can look out onto old-growth trees, gently illuminated at night, and an exotic lawn.

Eating at the restaurant is an intimate enough experience in itself, yet the management go to extraordinary lengths to make settings, if wished, still more secluded. They've come up with an

Others may prefer the main garden with views out over the long pond, which is lit at night by

flaming torches. Seating is at either of two pavilions, and again privacy is de rigueur. The third choice is naturally the beach itself.

Anantara, situated on the north coast in Bophut, faces out to Koh Pha-Ngan, and boasts one of the island’s most romantic views. The beach, no matter what the season, is deserted at night, and a great setting for a memorable dinner.

When you book your table (you can do this via the website or by phone), you'll be put in touch with special staff who’re responsible for private dinners, and they'll ask you what kind of occasion you wish to celebrate – people book these dinners for quite a variety of reasons. Some are on honeymoon, while others wish to propose to their beloved, while still others are coming as a group of friends or as a family. Staff can

Fresh local fish and seafood, cooked in authentic Thai way by the owner Supattra.

Great international wines!

Just a few tables in an open Thai sala style restaurant facing a mangrove forest.

Tel. 093 2828 777 Open 6:00 pm, closed Sunday & Monday www.facebook.com/supattrathaidining Seatran Ferry

Big Buddha Market

Airport

2

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quickly send information, such as photos, menus, decoration styles, and so on. For a romantic occasion, you might want, for example, candles laid out in a heart shape, or if it’s a family dinner, a floral display, and if there are young children present, then lots of bright and colourful fabric, too. There are many possibilities, hence the ‘by design’ part of the dining experience. Staff are very agile at putting together just the right scenario, and can do so with 24 hours’ notice, though if you ring on the morning of the same day, they can almost always accommodate you.

If you're having dinner in a secluded place, that means it’s far away from the kitchen and therefore the food’s going to be cold by the time it gets to your table, right? Normally, this would be the case, but in Anantara’s case, they use a

Di n i n g by Desi g n, Cooking withCreativity At Anantara Bophut Koh Samui Resort not only can you dine in unique settings, but you can learn the nuances of Thai cuisine from a master chef.

kind of mobile kitchen which is just far enough away to preserve the feeling of seclusion. You'll also have your own private chef and private waitress. Neither will be hovering close by, but will be at a distance. If you'd like something, you'll have to wave – they will be ready – and then they'll come over. Unless you're using a megaphone, nobody’s going to overhear any of your conversations.

The food is every bit as sumptuous as the settings. You can choose from three menu options: Italian, Thai or seafood barbecue - all abound with great dishes. Depending on the menu you choose, you might experience Roasted Angus Beef Tenderloin with porcini crust, fricassee of thyme vegetables topped with whipped Gorgonzola butter or Pla Nueng

Manow, a steamed dish featuring lemon grass fresh whole sea bass, enhanced with lime juice, chilli and coriander leaves. Or Chu Chi Pak Ruam Sia Tahoo, a fragrant red coconut curry with a medley of mixed garden vegetables and tofu.

Not only can you eat well at Anantara, you can also learn to make some of their best-known dishes, too. The resort runs its own Thai cooking classes, called Spice Spoons. These are by demand only, but they're popular enough for the resort to be holding them some 20 times a month. As with Dining by Design, you'll need to reserve your place the day before, though usually you can phone on the day itself.

You can pick three different dishes to make from a special cooking class menu, which features Thai favourites such as spicy prawn soup, Chiang

Mai noodles, papaya salad or a truly authentic green curry. If so wished, you can learn extra dishes, at a little more cost.

Classes are kept deliberately small, with one to four participants. However, in the cases of groups, a different format is used and up to a hundred guests can be accommodated, as they can be split into teams. But unless you’re specifically coming as a group, then the resort will hold to its maximum number of four.

You can opt to go to the market with the chef at 9:00 am and then return to the resort for the class, or just come to the class itself which starts around 11:00 or 11:30 am. Classes are held in either Full Moon or the resort’s other restaurant, High Tide. Then you start cooking, with

instructions being given by an English-speaking chef who’ll guide you through all the processes and demonstrate them at the same time. When each dish is cooked, you’ll eat it before learning the next, and unless you've been to a cooking class like this before, you'll probably be wowed by how yummy it all tastes. Each participant gets a glass of wine and at the end of the class receives a chopping board, apron, certificate and, most importantly, a recipe book which includes the dishes just learned. That way the knowledge never gets lost.

enabling many a non-chef to produce first class dishes. It’s a further feather in Anantara’s cap. Or should we say, toque?

Dimitri Waring For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7742 8300. www.anantara.com

Perfect for those who are seeking something special, the cuisine at Anantara offers an array of mouth-watering choices, whether you're eating in Full Moon or dining in tucked-away seclusion.

On top of all this, their cooking classes are now

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 & Villas Chaweng Beach.

Free round trip transfer from Chaweng, Bophut and Choeng Mon. For reservation please call 0 7723 1500-8 www.siamwininganddining.com

3

The Road to Mandalay Burma isn’t exactly known for its cuisine, so we take a look at why.

You’ll find Indian restaurants all over the world.

The exotic ingredients and tongue-tingling flavours are both exciting and intriguing. It’s the same with Chinese food, but minus the spiciness.

Thailand has the same variety and depth, but this time the stress is on chillies. France, too, has a reputation for the quality of its cuisine, although it’s more of an ‘old-world’ kind of thing. But when it comes to England, it’s a non-starter. If fact, if anything, it’s a non-cuisine entirely.

Traditionally it has always taken the dullest of plain ingredients and cooked them until the flavour disappears. And the only place outside of the UK that you’ll find such a restaurant is where there are plenty of ex-pats to feed – although of course today English food has improved beyond recognition.

Let’s look at what I’ve just said. Thai food is great. So is French food. But English food doesn’t have a good reputation. Then add to this the fact that throughout history England and France have been at each other’s throats, and at war, on and off, for a very long time. Keep this in mind.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the known world erupted, as sailing ships began to go around the globe. This quickly led to a great land-grab, in which unknown countries were

discovered, invaded and conquered. And in the course of it, Britain nabbed India and Malaysia, with the French coming in from a different angle and laying claim to Vietnam, before going on to invade the neighbouring Cambodia. And between these two hated rivals was Thailand, then called Siam.

Let’s just say here that Burma actually has no really distinctive cuisine at all. And before the French arrived, neither had Vietnam or Thailand for that matter. Because what we’re looking at here is a group of five small south-east Asian nations, all of them very poor, reliant on basic agriculture, and with no international trade or exports. Their people subsisted on a staple diet of rice, supplemented with whatever they could find to go with it. But the French changed that in Vietnam, bringing with them their own cuisine and new herbs, spices and vegetables, too. The British, on the other hand, had colonised India.

And then they made a grab for Burma, with the French just west of them on the other side of the landmass of Siam.

As it happened, the Brits had a real problem in Burma, and cleared off after just 24 years – compare that to almost 200 years in India and over 120 years in Malaysia. But the French remained and took a stab at Laos before setting

their sights on Thailand. To cut a long story short – whereas Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and eventually even Thailand benefitted by the introduction of new foodstuffs and cooking techniques, Burma didn’t. Even though at this time it was producing 75% of the world’s supply of teak, and half of the world’s rice (not to mention a great deal of opium), that was being shipped out, along with the profits, by the Brits.

And they left nothing in exchange; they didn’t even plant a potato.

innovative variety or the spiciness. There’s been an Indian influence, however; hardly surprising as the country borders onto India. Indian elements are found in Burmese versions of items such as samosas and biryani, and breads like naan and paratha. Another thing which makes Burmese dishes differ from other Southeast Asian food is the widespread use of pulses and beans, with lentils, soya beans, kidney beans, peanuts, sesame seeds and so on having similarly migrated from nearby India.

But Thailand was clever and played the French and the British against each other, acting as mediator and negotiator, appealing to the Brits for help when the French attacked, and then to the French when they had problems with the British. And one of the spin-offs from this was that Thailand absorbed a little of the culture from both, particularly when it came to acquiring useful herbs, spices and cooking ideas from the Indian workers who came along with the British.

The result was that Thailand’s cuisine and culinary thinking became even more distinctive.

The emphasis in Burma is on strong, pungent flavours, not sweet or spicy as you’ll find in neighbouring countries like Thailand or India.

And it’s a lot oilier, too, with an extensive use throughout of fish products like fish sauce and fermented seafood. As is the case in many Asian countries, rice is the basis of Burmese diets. As well as white rice, ‘fragrant aroma’ rice is popular, and is rated as highly as Thai jasmine rice.

And back in Burma? The Brits raped their country for a while, and then went away leaving it culturally more desolate than it was to begin with. Effectively their cuisine is basically the same as that of Thailand, but without the

One of the main groups of Burmese food, however, is ‘athouq’ – tart and spicy salads made with raw vegetables or fruit tossed with lime juice, onions, peanuts, roasted chickpea powder and chillies. One of the most popular of these is ‘maji yweq thouq’ which is made with tender young tamarind leaves – it’s said that the

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Burmese will turn anything into a salad! And you’ll find salads made with rice and thick noodles, too. There’s even a tea leaf salad. Bitter and tart, the tea leaves can be eaten on their own at the end of a meal or as a snack, or can be mixed into a salad, ‘lephet thouq’, which includes crunchy dried peas and beans, peanuts and garlic.

There’s a similar approach to the variation, as there is in Thailand, with food-groups being divided into deep-fried, stir-fried, noodle, soup, salad and curry dishes. And the people eat in a similar manner; with the table having a variety of dishes and each person helping themselves to s little of what they want as it pleases them.

One thing to also mention is the regional variations, with more fish paste dishes and an overall sour flavour in the south. Whereas in the upper part of the country, sesame seeds, nuts and beans are more commonly used in the region, including Mandalay. And if that’s where you’re on the road to, you now know what to expect, and why!

Rob De Wet

Where Did That Come From?

Discovering some of the origins of commonly-used food-related sayings.

There are some questions that adults dread hearing from children. And often we’ll lie, or say, “Ask your mother/father.” Anything that starts with why, what, where or who tends to send an involuntary shiver down our spines. Though when the question relates to neither the birds nor the bees, we can gleefully launch into just about any explanation, knowing that if said with enough conviction, the little darlings will believe almost anything.

And in the same vein, we use everyday words and sayings that we really don’t know the origins of, many of which have culinary connections.

Take the word ‘bistro’ for example. It’s a word that many an establishment will add to their name, perhaps to give a ‘continental’ feel to the place. However, it’s a relatively recent addition to the language, and came about due to a misunderstanding. One version dates it back to the Napoleonic era, and the occupation of Paris after the Emperor’s defeat. Russian Cossacks were among the troops stationed there, and café owners were keen to encourage their custom. As the soldiers always seemed to be in a hurry, they wanted to assure them that they would not have to wait long to be served. And so they learned the Russian word for ‘quick’, which in their French accents, sounded like ‘veestra’. Failing to recognise the word as Russian, the Cossacks presumed that it was the name for a French fast-food restaurant, and adopted the word. With another slight variation, bistro came into existence, and did what Napoleon couldn’t – get further than Moscow!

An invention that many of us have enjoyed after a meal is an Irish coffee. But it’s just as much a part of aviation history as anything else. During the 1950s, aircraft from the United States heading for Europe had to stop at Shannon Airport in Southern Ireland to refuel. Tired and exhausted from the then still long and wearisome flight, both crew and passengers really needed a good ‘pick-me-up’. Joe Sheridan, the airport’s barman, was quick to the rescue. He served the arrivals with a strong cup of coffee. To fortify it, he added a dash of Irish whiskey, topping his novel concoction with whipped cream. And thereby adding an additional supplement to many a restaurant bill ever after!

Enjoying something sweet with an afternoon cup of tea is a long-held British tradition. And a favourite cake to serve is one containing marzipan. But this sweet confection actually came about as a result of a bitter war. During a prolonged siege of the German city of Luebeck, the encircled citizens slowly consumed their stores of food. All that was left was an odd variety of goods: almonds, oil of roses and sugar.

As the situation became desperate, the city council offered a reward to anyone who could find some way to combine the ingredients into some wholesome food which could sustain the people. Ingeniously, a baker was able to produce the desired fare. He distributed the first batch on the feast day of St. Mark. In search of a name for his product, he called it ‘Marci Panis’

(the bread of St. Mark). Fused into one word it became marzipan.

Or is that more of a ‘flash in the pan’? This figure of speech though does not come from a kitchen frying pan but from the battlefield. It goes back to the days when the charge of a flintlock gun was fired by igniting powder in its pan. This was done by means of a spark produced by pulling the trigger, which made a steel hammer strike a flint. At times, it failed to set off the desired explosion. All it achieved was a momentary flash in the pan. Possibly the powder had not been kept dry, or the gun was not properly cleaned.

Though the flint gun has long been discarded, and now is seen only in museums, its abortive flash still lingers on. And it serves as a permanent, if outdated, metaphor for fleeting fame or short-lived success.

For those who can’t even manage that, we have a food-related saying to convey our sentiment.

To ‘lay an egg’ tends to point to failure. Actors lay an egg when their performance falls flat, likewise, comedians when their jokes fail to get a laugh. However, the expression actually has its roots in sport. A cricketer who scored no runs had a large zero next to his name on the scoreboard. Spectators soon remarked on the resemblance of the shape of the figure with that of an egg, so they called it a ‘duck’s egg’.

Subsequently, they dropped the egg altogether and just used ‘duck’. Across the Channel, the French did not attribute the egg to any specific bird. Therefore, in tennis, the score of nil was just ‘the egg’ (l’oeuf). When the British took up the sport, they kept the French way of scoring, including the French egg, which on their tongue sounded like, and was eventually spelled as, ‘love’. And like a holiday romance, it was the kind of love that signified nothing!

But perhaps we should end with something that can ‘warm the cockles of one’s heart’. Meaning genuine delight and gratification, paradoxically, the figure of speech is based on an ancient fallacy, and an outdated medical description.

When excited, our hearts will beat faster and produce noticeable palpitations as a result of additional adrenaline entering the bloodstream.

Early on, however, the strange sensation led to the misconception that the heart actually controlled and ruled emotion, thereby confusing a mere symptom with the cause.

Seventeenth-century anatomists, when dissecting the heart, found that the shape and surface of its ventricles reminded them of cockle shells. That is how their impression entered the language, and metaphorically speaking, attached the shellfish to the human heart. This popular idiom still gives voice to strong feelings of pleasure and satisfaction.

Just like when you answer a child’s question, and they absolutely believe you!

Johnny Paterson

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

Thailand’s Greatest Recipes

Make it yourself: Mussels with coconut and basil

Some people prize living in Asia just because they're close to the authentic tastes, flavours and ingredients of the dishes they love. This month’s recipe is typical of food that’s best savoured as close as possible to its source. However, you can certainly manage if you have a good supply of mussels to hand, and an Asian store or market so that you can get hold of the fresh lemongrass that this recipe calls for. (You can also make do with the dried kind, but first you'll need to soften it quite a bit.)

If you're in Thailand, you can be assured of finding fresh mussels. They're very popular in many dishes, and if you don’t know their salty taste, you should give them a try. They go extremely well with coconut milk and Asian herbs. There are plenty of variations on the coconut and basil theme, and if you're at all familiar with Thai food, you'll no doubt be able to create a few recipes yourself. It’s hard to go wrong. This recipe is a fairly basic one, but has all the ingredients you'll need to make a very satisfying dish.

You can have fun at the local market getting your supplies together – there’s definitely no need to shop at a supermarket. Make sure the mussels are fresh. At the market they should be

on ice or packed in ice. They shouldn’t have a very fishy smell to them, and they should be alive when you buy them. It’s important that they come from unpolluted waters, but it’s well-nigh impossible to be sure about this.

you to get a better night’s sleep. You can even use the leaves as a balm for mosquito bites as it helps to take away the discomfort.

Once you have your mussels, head to a stall where they're grinding up coconuts to produce both the milk and the flakes. This shouldn’t be difficult on Samui as coconuts are everywhere – and so are the big steel machines that are used to process them. Ask for a bag of milk.

• 2 kilograms of mussels • Dried red chillies or 2 tsp of dried chilli flakes • 2 stalks lemongrass • 3-4 cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped • 1 ½ tsp cumin, ground • 1 ½ tsp coriander, ground • Salt and pepper and sugar to taste • 2 tbs or more of fish sauce • ½ cup of rice wine • ½ cup of water • 1 cup of coconut milk • 2 tbs of good quality cooking oil • 5 shallots, sliced very thinly, after smashing • 2 ½ cups of Thai holy basil or sweet basil, cut into thin strips • 1 tbs coriander leaves to taste, if required

Alternatively, use boxed coconut milk that you'll be bound to find at one or other of the stalls.

It’s no surprise that Thai food relies so much on coconuts, but the popularity isn’t just to do with the taste, they're extremely healthy too.

Coconuts are thought to strengthen the body – their liquid can be used instead of sports drinks for replacing electrolytes – and extracts of coconut are favoured by Ayurvedic doctors for yeast infections. Basil will also be prominently on display, and again it’s not just tasty, it’s actually good for you. It acts on both the digestive and nervous system and is great for easing stomach pains. It also has sedative effects and is used for a range of maladies including irritability, worry and anxiety, as well as helping

Ingredients

Preparation The most important step is the very first and should be done thoroughly. Hold each mussel in turn and tap it against a hard object or surface. It

should close, but if it doesn’t, then throw it away. Make sure you remove any sand or objects clinging to the mussels, along with the beard. Thoroughly wash them in running water and then soak in cold water. You can leave them in the fridge until you're ready to cook them.

Next, chop up the chilli peppers, lemongrass and ginger until it’s turned into a coarse mix. Add the remaining seasonings. You can use a blender for this or a food processor, if you wish. Set the mix aside. Mix the rice wine, water, coconut milk and fish sauce together, and then add the sugar.

Use a heavy pan with a fitted lid for the cooking.

Add the oil and heat until it’s sizzling. Soften the shallots, which will take no more than four minutes. Then add the seasonings that you've chopped and fry for about 15 seconds; you should be able to detect a subtle, delicious aroma. Next, pour in the coconut milk and bring the entire mix to a boil. Let simmer and then after several minutes add the mussels. Now cover the pot and leave it to keep cooking. Give it a shake occasionally. In ten minutes, or just under, the ensemble should be ready. Check that most of the mussels have opened and if most haven’t then keep cooking, but only for another minute maximum. Throw out any mussels that

haven’t opened. The danger is that the mussels become overcooked, in which case they'll be very chewy to eat.

In the final step, add the basil and gently distribute it throughout the mix. The idea here is not to vigorously stir the pot at all. Once the basil’s gone in, then serve the ensemble right away, sprinkling with the coriander leaves, if required. It’s a dish you can simply enjoy by itself, as an amazing appetizer, or eat with some simple accompaniments, such as a green salad.

If you want to depart from Thai traditions, slice up some French baguette; your guests will be happy to use the bread to soak up the juices on their plates. You can also steam the mussels in white wine before adding to the pot, but in this case, you'll need to reduce the time the mussels are cooking. The mussels taste great if accompanied by a white wine. Choose one that has some sweetness, as this will balance out the spicy flavours. Above all, this is a dish that's made for sharing round a kitchen table, and one that’s ideal for inviting friends and family to savour.

Natalie Hughes

Sabeinglae Restaurant

Traditional fresh seafood and cuisine in an authentic southern Thai style.

An experience to truly complete your holiday.

Hin Ta Hin Yai, Samui Ring Road Tel. 077 332 651 The Wharf Samui, Fishermans’s Village Tel. 077 430 094-5 Wimaan Buri Resort, Chaweng Ring Road Tel. 077 962 333 6

www.siamwininganddining.com

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

Caffeine Connoisseurs

Boncafe’s expertise is unbeatable when it comes to supplying great tasting cups of coffee.

Coffee fans are legion, and there are hundreds of ways they like their drink. Baristas are great at catering to everyone’s wishes, but there’s still an equally important factor that's easily neglected – the actual rituals that surround the drinking. Take Klara, for example. A fitness competitor, everyone thinks she only drinks water and the evil-smelling vegetable smoothies that she downs with a grimace.

But once it’s breakfast time it’s almost as if she’s a different person. Sitting in her sports clothes after an early morning run, she endlessly stirs her very pungent coffee with a stick of cinnamon. “This is how I like it,” she says. “Very strong. Two sugars and a teaspoon of milk. Has to be in this cup” – she nods towards it – “and from that machine.” Another nod. The machine in question: an ancient, pitted Italian espresso maker that rests on an antique electrical stove with a frayed flex. Her parents drank their coffee this way, off the same stove, and now she does; a tradition remembered. Coffee’s like that.

No matter what the taste, or the effect, or whether it’s good or bad for you, it’s part of the daily habits of millions of people, the world over.

Klara’s own ritual may be extreme and impractical for any café to take on board, but as coffee shop owners all know, rituals and habits have to start off somewhere. This means that they can even be created then improved upon. Meanwhile, the kind of bubbling, smelly pot that Klara uses, along with other equally cumbersome devices prone to electrocuting their owners, were replaced decades ago by sleeker machines that intend to soothe rather than to kill.

You might think that coffee technology must have reached a peak by now, but that’s hardly the case.

There are plenty of far newer, far niftier machines gracing the market these days – the upshot being that your coffee will taste even better. And thanks to coffee experts, Boncafe, you can be sure that they'll be supplying Samui with the latest devices fresh in from Europe.

Boncafe stocks the E6 Platin, for example, manufactured by top Swiss company, Jura. The E6 is a squat, yet good-looking device that uses a pulsing extraction system to draw out the best from every bean. It’ll turn you into a barista, or if you’re already one, it’ll delight your guests in your café or restaurant. Inside the machine you'll find a circuit board that does your thinking for you, making your tasks quick and easy. All you have to do is to keep

the machine clean, which is very simple to do.

Everything’s been thought out. The coffee bean container inside keeps the aroma intact right through the grinding of the beans and thus makes a dependably good cup. The bean hopper can take over a quarter of a kilo of raw beans, making the machine ideal for the hospitality industry – you won’t need to keep refilling it. It’ll also make two small cups simultaneously thanks to the double drip system it possesses. It’s one of the best machines around for making espresso, but it’s very versatile when it comes to other types of coffee too. The price represents great value, and also includes installation and training. Not that it takes long to learn how to use the machine, but it’s easier if you're shown rather than have to struggle through a manual. Boncafe also stocks several other machines from Jura, and offers a whole range of European-made products that are eminently suited to home, office, coffee-shop, restaurant and even individual hotel rooms.

You may be wondering what happens should you purchase a machine from Boncafe and it needs a service or, in the worst case, it breaks down. In either case then simply bring it along to the team at the Boncafe store; they’ll give it a thorough inspection and put right anything that’s not working properly. Some machines will need to be repaired in Bangkok, however.

With reliable equipment and the right atmosphere, a coffee shop can have some confidence that it’ll be successful, as there are simply so many potential customers. And if their needs are met and their preferences and rituals are observed, then they'll come back for more.

Boncafe can install just about any kind of machine needed, but they are able to do a lot more than that. The staff have a passion for coffee, and are extremely knowledgeable about all its aspects.

When you talk to them, you realize that there’s more to coffee than just getting the right beans, grinding them and then adding water. There are many variations, and Boncafe are keen to share their expertise. This could make a big difference to your café, restaurant or office or, if you're simply a fan of coffee, to the way you drink it.

At Boncafe they have all sorts of ideas. Just to take one example out of many, they know everything about cold brew coffee. Ask most lay people what it

is and they'll take a second or two to think and come up with the answer, ice-coffee. People tend to envisage a tall glass and some sort of combination of ice cubes and coffee. Cold brew is something quite different, however. And it’s usually served hot.

Apart from that, it’s extremely tasty; for some people it’s definitely their favourite coffee ritual. To make this kind of coffee requires a little effort; first coffee is ground, room-temperature water is added and the concentrate is left to steep. Afterwards the grounds must be filtered out with a coffee filter paper or sieve. Once this is done, the coffee can be diluted with water, if desired, then either heated up or poured over ice. You can also blend it with chocolate or add a spice such as cardamom.

The advantage of a cold brew is that the coffee has a much lower level of acidity and therefore has a sweetness to it that normal brewing, done at hot temperatures, can’t achieve so easily. When coffee is made with hot water, the chemical reaction that takes place inevitably leads to a bitter taste. Cold brew coffee is also a lot stronger than coffee made by usual processes; the levels of caffeine are considerably higher, so you may need to dilute it quite a bit. And when it comes to ice coffee, cold brew wins every time: because the coffee is already chilled rather than piping hot, it requires little ice and therefore its taste remains intact and doesn’t get watered down by melted ice.

Techniques like this are just a small part of Boncafe’s overall know-how. If you sit down and talk to the staff, you're very likely to be given advice that’ll really make a difference to the way you view coffee. Just drop into their store cum showroom in Bophut, 500 metres from the traffic lights on the ring-road as you head towards Maenam. They're extremely welcoming people, and can help you with literally anything to do either with coffee, the machines that make it or any accessories you might need. Whether it’s a small replacement washer you require for your coffee machine or the expertise you'll need to get an entire coffee shop up and running, they'll be able to assist you.

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

www.siamwininganddining.com 7

Junk Food

The world of empty calories, and how scientists hook us with ooze, crunch and bite.

It seemed like any other restaurant, except perhaps that it was unusually packed out, given the huge number of complaints the food received. The gripes kept arriving at the desk of the food inspector in the town in China where the restaurant was located. Finally he went to take a look for himself. He managed to get a seat – the place was incredibly busy – and ordered.

When the food came, it was more than inedible, it was disgusting.

Yet, over the coming days and weeks, he found himself increasingly drawn to the restaurant, going back again and again, taking a seat and ordering yet one more repulsive dish. To his own astonishment, even before it was lunchtime, he found himself thinking of the restaurant, hardly able to wait until he could set off for there again.

The food? Dependably bad. He could barely stomach it. Finally he decided to analyse some of the dishes, took samples and sent them off to a local lab. They all contained small amounts of heroin.

The story, vaguely added to a bumper book of bizarre news stories may well be an urban myth.

But it illustrates a point. If disgusting food can be addictive, what about tasty food? Why do we find crisps so irresistible? What is it about cellophane-wrapped products in convenience stores that keep us munching away? Is it really just convenience, or is there something more to it? We all know by now that there’s a lot wrong with western diets, and diets that rely on processed food. But what precisely is it about junk food that turns so many of us into food

junkies? Are we, too, unwittingly becoming hooked, exactly like the Chinese inspector?

Steven Witherly is a food scientist who has spent the last 20 years studying what makes certain foods more addictive than others. Much of the analysis that follows is from his report, ‘Why Humans Like Junk Food’.

Indeed the chase after pleasure is obsessive and never-ending. Food scientists aim to create powerful sensations for the brain. Unlike the Chinese restaurant with its heroin-laced food, no illicit drugs are used. The awful truth is that they don’t need to be. This is because there are other ways of achieving the same moreish sensations.

The actual composition of the food has to be a catchy blend of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.

It can be a formula for good or bad, and depend on a combination of either healthy or unhealthy ingredients. It’ll work for a wonderful salad as for junk food. The results excite the brain in either case, but when it comes to junk food, the ingredients will be a cunning blend of salt, sugar, and fat with a good few chemicals and colourants thrown in. But this is only the start.

According to Witherly, who looked in great depth at what makes food tasty; it’s not just a question of taste, but the actual feel of the food when it’s in your mouth. We’re talking about the texture as much as whether it’s salty, sweet, sour and so on. The crunch, the ooze, the bite of the food is also crucial. The sensation can determine which products sell well, and which do not. It probably comes as no surprise that food scientists will frantically research how crunchy a

potato crisp should be for the maximum number of people to be reaching for yet one more.

If texture is important, having more than one is always a winner. Think first of contrast in foods: crunch followed by something soft. It might take a while to think of any foods that possess great contrast in texture, as we’re not in the habit of analysing them. Think of one of those cookies where two wafers form a sandwich with a creamy middle. Or a slice of pizza with a cheese topping. Or even a chocolate liqueur, hardly crunchy at all, but with an interior that’s liquid.

The brain, like a giddy child, loves the seeming contradiction between hard and soft. It’s thrilled by the sensation, and soon it wants to repeat the experience, over and over again. The phenomenon is known in the industry as dynamic response, and is behind many junk foods.

Then there’s salivary response. Food causes us to salivate, and the more we do, and the more liquid the food is to begin with, then the tastier it seems. The fact is that the food is covering a more than usual amount of taste buds, and literally swimming over them. This stimulates them to an unusual degree. Ice-cream is a good example of this, and so is mayonnaise, yoghurt, chocolate and so on. Why else are sauces so popular? Or salad dressing? The bottom line is that liquid or semi-liquid foods that cause more salivation taste better than those which don’t.

Tricking the brain into thinking that we’re not actually eating very much, and that we’re not full is also important when it comes to junk food. For food scientists, ‘melt-in-the-mouth’ qualities are

revered. The food simply seems to disappear without providing much in the way of satisfaction. The brain thinks it’s not really eating very much at all. The result is that we tend to keep on eating more and more of the same food.

The downside is that an enormous amount of calories have been consumed.

The brain thrives on variety when it comes to food, and pleasure diminishes very quickly if the tastes are all the same. But junk food attempts to by-pass all of this, by making the tastes interesting to the brain, so that the sensory response is kept heightened. All this means just one thing: the food tastes interesting enough for us to remember it, and buy it over and over again.

When you eat a bag of crisps that you like, the resulting memory will get triggered once you see that food again, because the heightened responses to eating it are recalled. These can be real physical responses like salivation. This brings us to the next point. It would hardly matter in the long run if junk food was a rarity. But it isn’t.

The universal, ready availability of junk food is the last step in reaching critical mass: the fact that junk food is everywhere, and it’s relatively cheap, means that we simply eat a lot of it – unless we’re very careful. And we’re obviously not.

Think of the convenience stores on Samui. Drive round the ring-road and you'll see that they're everywhere. All seem to make money – and a lot of it.

Junk food is a grim science. Right down to the

last details, it gets round our conscious decisions to eat better. In order to combat it, it’s a good idea to fight back using one of its own weapons – convenience. Identifying good foods and having them to hand in the fridge, on the kitchen table and at work is more important than having willpower and motivation. Eating has to be practical, whether it’s good foods or bad foods that are the focus. Convenience turns out to be king. If we’re set up with good food, it’s more likely we’ll keep eating it. We reach with our hands for what is nearest.

Over time, the results of eating either good food or bad food are astonishing, as we all know, only too well. Junk food makes us fat and ushers in all manner of illnesses. Eating healthily means we get to enjoy more years, feel fitter and are more mentally alert. No surprises in any of this. Do we really want to drift through our days on a raft of junk calories and junk tastes, designed by cynical minds to make addicts of the best of us? Our intellects yell out, no. But our guts, so manipulated by food scientists, murmur the opposite. We know it’s hard to re-train our taste buds until they revert to the way they once were.

The archaeologists of the future will mull over the empty packets they endlessly find in the ruins of our civilisations. Their highly pertinent question will be - why did the people of the early 21st century eat so much rubbish when such a variety of good food was available to so many?

Dimitri Waring

Daily Theme Nights From 7pm.

Monday Classical Thai Night Buffet - THB 590 Tuesday Catch of the Day - from THB 250 Wednesday Italian Night Buffet - THB 490 Thursday Steak Supreme - from THB 300 Friday Beach BBQ Buffet featuring live music and a fire juggling show - THB 690 Saturday Surf & Turf - THB 790 Sunday Roast Chicken Sunday - THB 390 Daily Happy Hours at Beach Bar Buy 1 get 1 free beers and cocktails from 12pm - 2pm l 5pm - 7pm l 9pm - Midnight Sentinel Band Enjoy music from the Sentinel Band - Monday to Saturday from 7pm – 10pm Dining on the Beach Moonlight beach dining with your own private chef, from THB 1,500 per person

Chaweng Noi Beach For reservations please call: +66 77 448 994 www.impiana.com.my/hotel/impiana-resort-chaweng-noi-koh-samui/

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Don’t Miss This!

One of the best restaurants at Fisherman’s Village is hidden in plain sight – look out for Krua Bophut!

Have you been there yet? Well, you will. Forget the temples and the elephant treks or safaris. If there’s one thing that absolutely everyone who visits Samui is guaranteed to do, it’s to drop-in at Fisherman’s Village. In fact most people go there a second time for a better look around, or to pick up some mementos they missed out on the first time. It’s much better at night, when all the lights come on and it turns into its own little fairyland. But it’s better still on a Friday, when it has its famous ‘walking street’.

Most folks go there by taxi, and it will automatically stop on the side street next to where the entrance arch is. And this therefore means that you’ve got a hundred-and-one distractions as you navigate the whole length of the ‘village’, from the ‘pier’ area (the actual pier has gone now) right along to the end of the strip. And that’s actually not the best of news.

Because it means that you won’t pay much attention to the last few hundred yards or so – and that’s where you’ll find some hidden gems.

So there you are, strolling lazily around and taking in the sights. Popping in and out of the shops to see what’s on offer. Maybe sitting for a while with a wine or a coffee then moving on again. You’ll probably take a snack or a sandwich, too. Or even go for a proper evening meal: there are enticing eateries along this strip and they are deliberately attractive; they have to be as there’s some very stiff competition. But when you do that, sadly, you’ll be missing out on one of the best Thai restaurants that you’ll find for miles. It’s almost right at the end of the village, before the point where it runs out of road. And its name is Krua Bophut.

At first glance you might even overlook it.

You’ve just spent an hour or so being dazzled by the bright lights, the jolly cheer of open-fronted bars and restaurants, and all those places which need to make a splash to grab your attention. And here is what looks like a big wooden house sitting there quietly and calmly.

Sure, there’s an attractively warm glow from the windows, although it seems a bit dull compared to the rest of the walk. But what you can’t see is

that there’s also a big outer terrace and, unlike nearly all of the rest of the village, up at this end there’s actually a beach, with tables out on the sand below, too.

Actually, there’s a whole lot more that you can’t see from the outside. This restaurant is special.

It’s actually owned and managed (in a very low-profile way) by one of the major 5-star hotels, which you’ll come across not so far away along the beach. And that hotel selects a number of its highly-trained staff to work at Krua Bophut. All the floor staff can speak very good English. Everyone’s trained to be attentive and observant without being intrusive, and they all know when to remain quietly in the background or come across to your table to see what you need. If you have spent any time surrounded by run-of-the-mill average staff, you’ll appreciate their difference in awareness right away.

Outside there a kind of space in the wall that forms a gateway, and you’ll enter onto the outer terrace with the doorway to the restaurant on your right. You’ll usually be greeted as soon as you come through the entrance and asked where you’d like to be seated. And a word of caution here; not surprisingly the outside locations are the most sought-after, particularly the tables out on the beach. The chances are that these will all be taken, and you’ll need to have made an advance booking to secure one of these.

But heading into the restaurant-proper is no disappointment. In fact it’s delightful inside and with lots of surprising corners with antiques, curios and period European bric-a-brac. You’ll notice pressed-tin toys and faded posters from the ‘30s. There’s an old wind-up phonograph.

Old clocks and collectables. There’s lots of dark timber and a Thai-style high peaked roof. But what’s so surprising is the way these all blend so seamlessly in with a Thai cultural style that’s a whole world away – this in turn is a world away from the cheap and glitzy neon and noise of the Walking Street too. And all of this creates an enjoyable and most unusual ambiance in which to enjoy your meal.

The food here is equally as unusual. There’s a full Thai menu and even with some unusual items, such as all the duck dishes. But what you need to realise is that most Thai restaurants have only around 30 standard dishes. Here you’ll find more than one hundred. The reason for this is simple – you’re given a bigger choice. Instead of red snapper only in garlic and pepper sauce, you can take it with turmeric or tamarind, steamed, deep-fried or even mixed all together into a stir fry. And there’s not just some kind of generic ‘fish’, either. Go for snapper, sea bass or barracuda, and also ask if there’s anything seasonal on the menu.

Not surprisingly seafood dishes feature prominently. You can pick and choose. Or you can do what many people do and head straight for one of the set menus. These are a set of six dishes that come under either ‘Menu A’ or ‘Menu B’. Menu A is the spicier combination with B being made up of dishes that are more moderate. (Note also that every item on the menu is coded as to its degree of spiciness.)

And also note that it’s around 700 baht for these six dishes – the prices at Krua Bophut are nothing like you’d expect from a 5-star restaurant.

In keeping with this there’s an excellent selection of wines, not only New World offerings but some classic labels, too. Even the house wines are of a high standard – it’s more effective to present quality wines by the glass in this way, which many restaurants don’t find it cost-effective to do. But then this is one of the best restaurants on the strip – and one you really shouldn’t miss!

Rob De Wet For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7743 0030. www.kruabophut.com

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BEAT

THE HEAT

Take it easy in the hot season with RockPool’s chilled lunches and dinners.

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While Europe and the northern hemisphere slowly start to warm up after winter, Samui is already basking in its hot season. It’s loved by most, though some will complain you can have too much of a good thing. Whatever, everyone agrees that the high temperatures mean that diners are less in the mood for hot dishes, and rather more drawn towards ones that are chilled.

People crave food that leaves them feeling light and refreshed. Diners also want the appropriate venue to come and eat in, somewhere that’s cool and preferably outdoors, with plenty of shade.

Up and down the coasts of Samui, there are many places, but relatively few can beat what RockPool offers its guests.

Situated at Kanda Residences Samui, a few kilometres north of Chaweng as you head towards Choeng Mon, the location couldn’t be better. Buggies take diners down to RockPool via winding flower-filled lanes. Once at the restaurant there's a choice between an elegantly tented dining room and a tiered terrace that steps down towards the water. Views are of the rocky coastline, with mysterious Koh Matlang, just a kilometre away. The sea is an ever-changing spectacle, varying between

turquoise and at times an almost cobalt blue, but always lapping against the rocks beneath the restaurant. The coast here is a haven of tranquillity, and there are no crowds at all. It’s a decidedly romantic venue, as you can imagine, but it’s also one that’s never too hot thanks to the cooling sea breezes. Ideal for even the sunniest and hottest of days.

RockPool has both a lunch and a dinner menu, and there’s plenty that’s guaranteed to be pleasantly filling without adding to the heat of the day. For lunch or dinner there are plenty of salads, and you can try the ceviche of the day, which consists of raw fish marinated in lime juice, coriander, shallots, garlic, ginger and coconut milk and garnished with pineapple, tomato, spring onion and plenty of mixed herb and lettuce leaves.

Or if it’s dinner, you could order tiradito, a dish that’s neither sashimi nor carpaccio, but which consists of thin slices of fresh tuna, Norwegian salmon and Japanese hamachi. It’s topped with kaffir leaves, lemongrass, herbs, Thai seafood sauce and crispy rice. Tiradito comes from South America, and is closely linked to the sea and

seafood. It’s made with yellow aji paste, and relies on lime juice and various seasonings. The flavour is a little like ceviche, but more intense.

It’s a refined dish, and looks back to Europe and recipes and preparation techniques that have now become part and parcel of cooking in countries as varied as Peru and Brazil. Both ceviche and tiradito are ideal dishes for hot summers on the coast.

Many diners enjoy the Fine de Claire oysters which arrive by plane every Friday. RockPool hosts an ‘Oyster & Bubbles Night’ every Friday with special prices on fresh shucked oysters and sparkling wines. As a bonus, for an order of six fresh oysters, diners also receive four tempura oysters. And for an order of a dozen oysters, an extra six tempura oysters will arrive at the table.

The desserts are equally wonderful. Choose between nine moreish temptations. Highly popular is the cheesecake on speculos with red fruits. As the name suggests it’s a colourful medley, and tastes every bit as good as it looks.

Then there's Temptation Chocolate, where no less than four different types of chocolate are complemented by fruit and bourbon vanilla

ice-cream. If you're not in the mood for puddings, you may be over the moon to find that RockPool has a cheeseboard. This one features blue cheese, goat’s cheese, brie and Gouda along with nuts and dried fruit.

Many people like to come to RockPool once the sun starts to dip over the horizon; it’s a hushed, magical time, filled with tranquillity and ideal for enjoying a few dishes. This is fine dining at its best, complemented with often raw or organic accompaniments. Diners can sit out on the terrace, overlooking the sea, and browse a menu that’s brimming with treats.

Creativity matched with fine quality ingredients tends to produce satisfying results every time.

But even so, the food at RockPool is more than that. It’s inspiring with new tastes and new ways to juxtapose different foodstuffs in the same dish. Quite original in other words. RockPool’s in the capable hands of Lucas Leonardi Varin, who likes nothing better than to amaze diners with both innovative and traditional fare. Lucas was born and raised in Brazil, and his first love of cooking stems from the country’s numerous culinary influences. For example, Brazil has a

very sizeable Japanese community, and Lucas has been influenced by the nuances that the Japanese have added to Brazilian food over the years. Lucas is incredibly well-travelled, and has worked in Brazil, the Caribbean, France, Corsica and Australia, before coming to Asia and seeing Vietnam and Japan. He’s visited 25 countries in all, and emerges as a chef who is expert in cooking all manner of ingredients in different ways.

RockPool is highly recommended both for its wonderfully vibrant, fresh tastes and the beautiful setting. And during the hot weather, it’s easy to stay cool with some of the island’s most tempting dishes. Offering both western and Thai dishes, the menu is a delight to browse, and globetrotters will be able to pick out tastes and flavours that have come from far afield.

Dimitri Waring For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7723 4500. www.rockpoolsamui.com

www.siamwininganddining.com 11

Speaking of Eating How to get around the communication barrier when ordering Thai food.

It’s a scene I won’t forget – a group of Japanese tourists. They had stopped a woman. There was some pointing and waving of maps. She nodded and started chattering at them in English. Blank looks. So she began all over again, slower this time, yelling every word clearly and distinctly, with predictable results. The next person did much better. She made sketches on their map, pointed and gestured, shook her head for ‘no’ and nodded for ‘yes, pantomimed driving, pointed at her watch to indicate time, held up fingers for numbers and had them all grinning like madmen in no time at all.

Communication happens in different ways. Even people with the same native language have problems. So over here, in Thailand, there are things you should know. English is the common tongue here for all nationalities. But you need to understand the Thai people. Not so much regarding the language, but about Thai society, their education and English skills, what words are common in both languages (‘menu’ and ‘burger’ for instance) and, generally, how to respond, and the attitude you need to get the best results.

But the first thing to say is that this all depends where you are. In tourist areas, staff who can

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speak English are very much in demand. So if you keep to the bigger and the better restaurants, then you’ll probably wonder why I’m writing this at all! Even the small Thai eateries, those little places with plastic chairs and strip lights, are likely to have at least one person you can talk with. Samui is now pretty good when it comes to spoken English. But if you get right off the track, even here, you might have to improvise a bit.

In Thailand, English is taught in the schools. But did you know that education isn’t compulsory?

In rural communities where farming is the mainstay, all the children help with the work, hopping in and out of school with big gaps for planting and harvests. And then the quality of English taught is generally poor. Things are different in the cities, and students go on to study at a higher level. But just as many don’t, then they drift to where the money is (i.e., the tourist places) and end up trying to self-teach.

And they do what we all tend to do, learn lots of new words and then use these English words in place of Thai ones. And that’s the explanation for the very puzzling phrases you’ll often hear, such as ‘my friend you’, meaning ‘your friend’ – because the language structure is totally different.

Also keep it in mind that just the look of a place doesn’t guarantee easy dining. It’s always a tempting economy to save money on staff. And sometimes low-paid Thai floor staff will be nervous with their spoken English, even to the point of not understanding you at all. The sensible thing to here of course would be for them to trot off and find someone else to come to your table. But Thais have an overwhelming fear of being embarrassed. And you might just find yourself abandoned, as the red-faced girl hops away to hide. This will happen in all sorts of situations – I’ve even seen it in banks, and more than just once or twice! Although often it’s a lot to do with your attitude, too.

Happily most visitors to Thailand are very much aware that they’re guests, and are friendly and respectful to the people they meet. Yet you’ll still see the odd one snapping their fingers to attract a waiter, or shouting across the room.

And, yes, even the best of staff sometimes make mistakes, especially when busy or with a big order. Perhaps they should have been more organised when writing it all down. But you’ll achieve nothing by getting angry or scornful.

Not in this country, for sure. People won’t dash about in response – probably the opposite! A gentle, friendly and patient response softens any

loss of face the staff are feeling and, if nothing else, makes you look like the educated and refined person you undoubtedly are.

A great many restaurants have now adopted the practice of photo-style menus with the names of the dishes written alongside in Thai and English, possibly also Russian and Chinese. That solves a lot of problems all at once. All you need to do is point and smile. But you’ll find it a little more challenging if you adventure away from the tourist hot-spots. And this is where you’ll need a bit of planning first.

The most obvious thought is a Thai-English dictionary. In which case you’re going to need one specifically for use in restaurants – the general pocket-style ones always have minimal food information, and usually the phrases they’ve assembled are annoyingly sparse and generic. And it’s best not to try and pronounce the Thai phrases: Thai is a tonal language and it’s more than likely you won’t be understood.

Just point at the phrase in question, and the Thai meaning. Although there are some exceptions to this, and probably the most important is if you have any kind of special dietary needs. In this case prepare in advance.

Make sure you find the meaning for ‘gluten free’

or ‘no MSG / sugar’ and print it out and carry it with you.

Lastly – vegetarians. On the whole, Thais are puzzled by the concept, and few understand it outside of top hotels. Even prominent restaurants get confused. You’ll be commonly offered, for instance, a vegetable soup that has no meat, but is made with chicken broth. Thais don’t use animal fat for cooking, but also don’t clean utensils (like woks) in-between different dishes. And there’s no real alternative if this is important to you. You either have to seek-out a specialist restaurant (of which there are plenty) or stick to plain, fresh salads and uncooked vegetables.

But whatever your approach, don’t bother with those food apps for smartphones. Even the best paid ones are hopelessly limited in choice.

You’ll get a Thai voice speaking – but that won’t help if it’s not what you want!

Rob De Wet

Secrets of Sabeinglae How one of Samui’s best local seafood restaurants has stood the test of time and gone from strength to strength.

Samui’s got secrets. It’s always had them. Today they’re harder to keep. But 25 years ago, life was simpler – no smart phones or social media to spread the word; few people even had a cell phone. But there was one particular manager of a 5-star resort who’d thought about this. He’d drawn out by hand a detailed map of the island and added things to it. Often he’d get new staff coming from the mainland who didn’t know Samui. And then he’d sit with them, with this little map, and go over it with them in detail.

It showed the best seafood restaurants on the island, and all of them were Thai. Some were hidden away off an unmarked path that led to the beach. Others were in the middle of the jungle. Groups of tiny open-sided huts with strings of lights that looked like fairyland.

Nobody there could speak English, and sometimes there wasn’t even a menu; visitors just asked for what they wanted, and usually got it.

Sadly this delightful aspect of Samui life has all but vanished now. But there is one name on that map which still survives. And it’s Sabeinglae.

Today, of course, it’s changed with the times. It’s had to. Down in Lamai, very close to the famous ‘Grandmother and Grandfather Rocks’, the original restaurant is still there on the sand, just like it was when it opened back in 1990 – although it’s now become sturdier and stronger, with a big steel-framed roofed-over area, 20 or so tanks for you to pick out the live seafood, and with the shaky bamboo tables and chairs replaced with more functional furniture. But today the staff speak English, there’s a detailed menu in English, the service is surprisingly rapid, and you can even phone ahead and reserve a table; something which was inconceivable, back in the day.

One of the reasons that Sabeinglae made such a name for itself was that it not only had more items on the menu – a bigger range of fresh seafood – than most other places, but there was additionally a much greater variety of dishes, too.

Curried fish for example, and typical southern fare such as satays with peanut sauce, massaman

curries, or salads featuring the bitter sataw beans.

It was a menu that was strongly and distinctively built around all manner of southern dishes, and the appeal to the Thai people living and working here was undeniable.

Today, a trip down to the Lamai Sabeinglae is a must for those of you with an adventurous nature: coming on the ring-road from the direction of Chaweng, you’ll see the Grandmother and Grandfather Rocks signposted on your left, and just after it is a high-sided road bridge with the access to Sabeinglae running down alongside it. But now there’s a much more accessible way to experience their fabulous food, if not the original on-the-sand rustic ambience.

Because there is now another branch of this super restaurant in Fisherman’s Village.

I think it’s true to say that just about everyone who comes to Samui takes a trip to Fisherman’s Village, and often more than just once. A particular enticement to see it is to go on a Friday evening, as that’s when they have their walking street. But here’s a tip. If you go in a taxi avoid the usual dropping off point right outside and insist on being taken into the big car park of The Wharf, on the ring-road a little further on. (The same applies if you go there on a motorbike.)

Not only is it an effortless place to park, but walking through the lovely little shopping mall is enjoyable in its own right. Also, if you bear to the left as you go, you’ll come out into a big open area where you’ll find Sabeinglae, overlooking the sea.

The two-storey layout is breezy and modern, with the downstairs area being open-sided, and the dining tables spilling outside along the side and terrace at the front. The extensive upper floor is bigger than it looks (overall the restaurant can seat 300) and similarly extends outwards onto a huge elevated deck. The décor is simple yet crisp, with lots of exposed brickwork and warm lighting. And as soon as you step inside you’ll be greeted, shown to a table, and presented with a menu. The service is good, and all the staff here speak capable English.

The menu itself is an object lesson to other restaurants: bright, clear photos of nearly all the dishes (there are far too many to have pictures of all of them!) and everything laid out logically in separate sections. Of course the seafood dominates: the owner Khun Amnart and his wife have family connections, and everything that is sold here is fresh off the boat each day, with absolutely nothing being kept to sell-on again tomorrow. (But in addition to the local catch you’ll also find imported New Zealand mussels and the big Phuket lobsters; things you can’t get locally.)

And by the way, the range of fish here is extensive; there are nine of them including shark and catfish. Southern Thai cuisine is characterised by the number and variety of curried dishes on the menu, and also the extensive use of creamy coconut milk, so do try the Curried Mackerel in Creamy Mild Red Curry; it’s the best of both worlds and totally delicious. Of course there are all the expected salads and soups, stir fries and noodle dishes. But look out for those unusual items, too. Such as the Crispy Catfish Salad, fried jellyfish, the King Crab Indian Curry or the superb Lobster Massaman Curry. Or just head straight for the Deep Fried King Prawns in Tamarind Sauce, which is crisply sublime and a real plate-filler.

The prices here are all very reasonable. And that also goes for the range of New World wines that’s available, with no fewer than nine of them coming in under 1,000 baht. Sabeinglae is also open throughout the day, and there are plenty of lite-bites and snacks to go along with this.

There’s even another Sabeinglae that’s been opened in Chaweng – but, then, none of this is any secret!

Rob De Wet For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7743 0095 (Fisherman’s Village), 0 7733 2651 (Lamai). www.sabienglae.com

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Vegetarian Voyager Samui has plenty of yummy alternatives to meat, fish and dairy produce.

A vegetarian's paradise? The lush, loamy soils of Thailand produce huge crops of every kind of hothouse fruit and vegetable. Visit any market in Thailand, and you'll find a huge amount of fresh produce. The stalls are piled high day in and day out. The market is a great place to start if you're a vegetarian and new to the country. You can stock up on some of the nature’s most exotic bounty for very little money.

So far so good. But once you find yourself eating out, you'll see that pork, chicken and beef seem to be present in about half the dishes.

Then there’s the seafood. Plenty of it, too. But don’t despair and above all don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you're doomed to eating nothing more than rice, noodles, fruit and veg. It can be a little tricky getting the hang of vegetarian food in Thailand, but if you persevere you'll have plenty of variety in your diet.

A lot of food in Thailand is cooked from scratch at the time of ordering. There are many advantages to that, not least that the food is totally fresh. But for vegetarians it can be an extra boon, since you can explain to the waiter or waitress exactly what you want in the dish

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and what you don’t want. A good restaurant should then be able to take all your wishes into consideration, and produce the dish that you’d ideally like. There can however be a bit of a language problem to explain all of this, but in most cases, people understand. On Samui, as with all areas that have many holidaymakers, restaurants are used to vegetarians and can usually cater for them. With a few tips under your belt, you're in for a good time as a vegetarian or vegan.

So how to survive, stay animal and fish free and enjoy the experience? The first thing is to understand what vegetarianism means in the Thai view. There are virtually two kinds of concepts regarding vegetarianism here, and neither corresponds exactly with the western idea.

The English word vegetarian can roughly be translated into Thai as ‘mang sa wirat’, but it doesn’t take into account the cross-cultural perceptions. In Thai the expression simply means you don’t eat visible pieces of meat or seafood. Tell that to your waiter or waitress and you won’t receive any chunks of meat or fish.

But you'll be given dishes that contain eggs,

meat gravy, fish sauce or other animal products.

It kind of defeats the point, doesn’t it?

It’s clearer if you use the word, ‘jay’, which refers to not eating meat, seafood of any kind, any animal or fish by-products – no matter how small. The definition also goes further and refers to eating no garlic at all. Some herbs are also excluded, as are some vegetables – because they're too pungent. So if you're a vegetarian you have to go the whole way and often have to forego garlic. ‘Jay’ food, or ‘aharn jay’ in Thai, is an approximation of vegan food with meat substitutes generally made from tofu, mushrooms and wheat gluten.

On Samui you'll find there are plenty of vegetarian options, and it’s relatively easy here to get by without meat, fish and animal products. If you head along the lake road in Chaweng from Central Festival towards the ring-road, you'll come to two vegetarian restaurants, Vegan Khunnay and one simply marked ‘17’ further along. (‘17’ isn’t a number, by the way, but an adapted Chinese character for vegetarian food.) Both have a plethora of Thai food at very cheap prices. You'll also find other small places here and there offering

vegetarian fare that’s distinctly Thai. And then there's Lamphu, which stocks health foods and also has a café that uses Samui-grown organic produce (opposite Tesco Lotus in Lamai). For vegans there’s Lamai Veggie, close to the ring-road that offers buffet style food, and which sometimes has a menu of Thai dishes including dishes that use meat substitutes.

Sweet Sisters Cafe in the south of the island has both vegan and vegetarian dishes on their menu, while June’s Art Café on the ring-road in Bophut, has plenty of vegetarian options and is a popular place for island residents to chill out.

Thanks to there being so many spas on Samui, the number of vegetarian-friendly restaurants in Samui has grown over the years. Many residents of the island also want a healthier lifestyle, and for many that includes vegetarian and vegan food. Unfortunately a few places are cashing in on all of this and offering food at way over-the-top prices, so always check out prices before you order.

The majority of the wellness spas offer their own vegetarian menus in their restaurants. At Radiance Restaurant, on the ring-road in Lamai,

you'll find vegetarian, vegan and raw food dishes, though they also offer dishes using meat and fish. They also have a second Radiance Restaurant in the hills just to the north. Yoga centres on the island also have very good vegetarian or vegetarian-friendly restaurants, such as Marga Yoga, in Ban Taling Ngam.

Mostly though, what you'll come across are restaurants that offer vegetarian options. Very often you'll find also there are descriptions of what goes into the dishes and the dishes are clearly very clearly marked as being vegetarian.

There are many, many restaurants, cafes and resorts that adhere to this system and it’s easy for vegetarians to dine well.

Demand is high for vegetarian food the world over. Some 375 million people are vegetarians; it’s not a trend but a global way of life. And though Samui and its neighbouring areas are distinctly carnivorous when it comes to menus, the island is very mindful of all its guests and so there are plenty of choices if you're vegan or vegetarian.

Dimitri Waring

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Time to Try Thai A brief look at Thailand’s breakfast scene.

Thai cuisine is pretty popular these days (to put it mildly), and lots of visitors to the island already know even before their plane has landed what they're going to be eating. For some it’ll be pad Thai, for others a green or red curry, and for still others tom ka gai. All lunch and dinner fare. Very few people will even mention breakfast. Even some of the most avid fans of Thai food may have difficulty in defining exactly what a Thai breakfast is. The thing about Thai breakfasts is that they're certainly more than the sum of their many parts – if only we knew what those parts were. The truth is that for most visitors to the country the Thai breakfast is a mystery. How come?

Firstly it’s because you never see signs saying ‘Thai breakfast here’ – it’s almost as though it doesn’t exist. Or perhaps it’s pushed to the side by that mighty culinary juggernaut, the western breakfast: a fry-up featuring sausages, eggs, toast ... and well, you know the rest. From a cardiologist’s point of view it’s an eye-brow raiser of the worst kind, yet it’s almost universally craved. Ever stayed in an international hotel that doesn’t serve it?

Almost every hotel in Thailand serves western breakfasts, and it might seem to the casual eye that there’s not much else on the culinary agenda, anywhere at all, but the truth is that tens of thousands of places are serving up Thai breakfasts. No fanfare about it, although you may hear the merry honk of a horn announcing that this or that cart has arrived to dispense breakfast in the neighbourhood. If you're out in the

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morning, you'll see many small places, barely more than holes in the wall, serving food; then there are the markets, and then increasingly more and more, coffee shops, cafes and eateries.

They'll all be dishing up Thai breakfast in some shape or form.

Walk past or into those places and you may just think that it’s the usual Thai fare that's served for lunch, snacks, dinner or supper. That’s because in no way do the dishes resemble anything like a traditional western breakfast. There’s no white bread, no jam, no sausages greasily sliding around with fried eggs and the other usual suspects. You're likely to see garlic, chillies, limes, curries and rice instead. So it’s not breakfast then, is it?

It is - most definitely. And there’s quite a variety of it, too. Much of it is dictated by grab-‘n-go necessities. Thailand is typical of most of Asia in that people don't sit down to defined breakfasts, and many will content themselves with leftovers from their dinner, while others are simply in a hurry. Thais aren’t confined by the idea of three large meals per day and eating is more frequent with smaller portions.

So saying, what’s on the Thai breakfast menu?

The easiest thing to do is to venture out into the early-morning markets and you'll see plenty of people eating a dish simply named, ‘jok’, a porridge-like congee made with rice and shredded ginger. Both filling and comforting, it’ll cost some 40 baht. It’s a fairly typical Asian breakfast, and you'll find it in much of the

region, in a variety of different forms. First rice is boiled then enriched with various ingredients such as minced pork, chicken, or shrimp. Very often, if you're ordering, you'll be asked if you want an egg on top. It’s lightly poached – almost raw. You'll be handed the bowl but your breakfast isn’t ready quite yet. The next bit’s up to you. You can add various other ingredients and condiments such as sliced ginger, cilantro leaves, scallions, fish sauce and vinegar. You may hesitate to add chillies too, but most Thais are not averse to a bit of fieriness in the morning. If all this sounds a bit much for you then opt for boiled rice soup, or khao dtohm.

Still on the mild side, how about some pa-thong-ko? Again, you'll find this at the early morning market. They're pieces of dough, joined together in a rough X-shape and then deep-fried in a wok. They're then fished out with a slotted ladle when golden brown. Pay 10 baht and you'll get around five pieces wrapped in paper. They're basically yeast donuts, and Thais often enjoy them with a green tub of pandan custard, alongside a cup of hot Thai coffee, Thai tea, sweetened soy milk, or sweet ginger tea. Many people like to eat dumplings with fillings such as pork or taro; these are round and white and you'll most often find them dispensed by carts that have a special steamer. They're mild in taste, a whole world away from the curries that some people enjoy for breakfast. (Stay in a Thai-style hotel and you'll invariably find some spicy food at the breakfast buffet. It may look mild – until you try the first spoonful.) You can also find plenty of Chinese-style dim sum, and these are

even sold at convenience stores now.

Then there's the alliterative ‘khanom krok’, a sweeter alternative and a very different sort of breakfast. It’s a kind of pancake topping with undiluted coconut milk along with scallions, sweetcorn, taro and pumpkin. It’s street food and you can find it in the markets and also at stalls and carts.

Thais often eat on the hoof and may not even have time for a visit to the market. As you drive along Samui’s ring-road, check out all the places that are selling breakfasts of one kind or another.

Or rather get your driving companion to do this, otherwise your breakfast may be a drip feed at the local hospital. Look out for smoke. In early morning Thailand, where there’s smoke there’s breakfast. It may well be in the form of ‘moo ping’, tiny skewers of pork that are traditionally grilled over a charcoal fire. The smoky smell is too tempting for some people to resist. And you might wonder what’s so great about grilled pork, but it’s more than that. It’s marinated in a mix of cilantro root, garlic, pepper, oyster sauce, soy sauce and, what makes it even yummier, coconut milk and honey. It might not look so appetizing, just a patty of meat, but once you bite into one, you may be utterly seduced. Traditionally, it’s eaten with khao niaow, or sticky white rice.

If all of this leaves you cold (or even hot due to all those spices), then you might consider hopping on a plane or train or just driving for a day and a night till you get to the north-east of the country. There, off the tourists’ beaten track, you'll come across something that resembles the

international breakfast, though it’s a complete coincidence. On the border with Laos, in Nong Khai, the typical breakfast consists of bread, sausages and eggs. It’s served in the same pan in which it’s cooked, and consists of the scrambled whites of eggs, with yolks that are left whole. It comes with sausage, Chinese-style, and a baguette that’s common just across the border in Laos. It’s definitely delicious and may make you think of home despite its slight coconut taste.

You can generally find omelettes and fried eggs served over rice wherever you go in Thailand, and not just for breakfast but throughout the day.

Meanwhile, every morning, the choice awaits you: western breakfast or something Thai. Will you opt for limp white toast, raspberry jam preceded by rubber eggs? If you're in a budget hostel that may well be your fare. But these days, if you're in even a half-way decent hotel, it’ll include Thai selections too. They're well worth trying.

And if you're adventurous, try the market and do as the Thais do, choose from all the possibilities and then customize your choice. Not all Thai breakfasts are spicy, as we've seen. But most are unfamed and unsampled by the average visitor.

Try them and you'll see they're so tasty that they deserve to step into the limelight.

Dimitri Waring

Tropical Pick A closer look at the ancient pomegranate.

The ancient Egyptians were buried with lots of them. And the Babylonians believed that chewing its seeds before they went into battle would make them invincible. On the other hand, in Greek mythology, Persephone ate just six seeds and was condemned to spend six years in the Underworld. It was the personal emblem of the Holy Roman Emperor, Maximillian. The French called it a ‘grenade’, because it looked like one. They then went on to name the island of Grenada after it. Also the drink, grenadine and the gemstone known as the garnet. And today, the pomegranate has become so popular that Starbucks introduced a pomegranate frappuccino in its honour.

Unlike most tropical fruits, this one’s been known for a very long time – ever since history started being recorded, in fact. It’s a native of the warmer, Mediterranean areas, and there are references to it throughout Greek and Roman history, myth and legend. And in the Bible, particularly the Old Testament, it crops up all over the place. It even plays a part in the Creation Myth of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. In translation, Genesis refers to it as an apple, but that was a convenience – something that the masses could relate to. Apples didn’t exist in the place and time that the ancient texts were created. Yes, the ancestral tree of the pomegranate is certainly laden with the fruit of symbolism.

Jewish tradition teaches that the pomegranate is a symbol of righteousness, because it’s said to have 613 seeds – which corresponds with the 613 commandments of the mitzvoth of the Torah.

For this reason (and others) Jews eat pomegranates to celebrate one part of their new year – Rosh Hashanah. The Greeks are pretty keen on it, too. It features in their weddings and funerals, and is the traditional first gift to be brought to the owners of a new house; it’s seen as a symbol of abundance, fertility and good luck. Even the Koran refers to pomegranates as one example of the good things God creates – and which was once a fruit found in the Garden of Paradise.

The vast majority of the tropical fruit we know today, at one time grew in very localised regions, and it wasn’t until the 16th century that European adventurers spread them around the globe. But the pomegranate is one of the exceptions. It did pretty well without their help!

It’s believed to have been native to an area that runs from Iran to the Himalayas. But as far back as 1,000 years ago, it had travelled throughout Asia, Africa and Europe, due to the expanding Roman Empire. And so, in the 16th and 17th centuries, it finished off its world trip being carried to the Americas, Australia and South Africa.

In the last few years, modern industry and science have been taking a very close look at all sorts of plants and fruits, due to the beneficial natural substances they contain. And, in today’s health-conscious world, pomegranates have

re-surfaced as being something of a marvel.

They’re low in sucrose, and rich in vitamin C, folic acid and antioxidants. And clinical tests have indicated that other natural chemicals they contain help to reduce blood pressure, prevent heart disease, and reduce the risk of prostate cancer and osteoarthritis.

And we’ve not finished yet! All this so far was just the fruit. The bark, stem and roots contain several alkaloids, including one called isopelletierine, which tapeworms really hate.

And extracts made from the bark have been found to reduce diarrhoea, dysentery and haemorrhages. Dried, crushed flower buds are widely-used as a remedy for bronchitis, and in Mexico, a decoction of the flowers is gargled to relieve oral and throat inflammation. In Japan, they make an insecticide, distilled from the bark.

And in Africa and India, the rind and flowers are used to make vivid textile dyes, and soaking the leaves in vinegar produces a deep purple ink.

That’s one very useful and versatile fruit. No wonder that it’s been respected throughout the ages. You can just about use it for everything – and you can even eat it! It breaks open easily and is usually eaten on the spot. It’s also very easy to juice, as it behaves just like an orange, when broken or cut into two. And one pomegranate contains half of the vitamin C we need each day. In Thailand, it’s known as ‘tub tim’, and one of the nation’s favourite desserts is made from it. The juicy, red beads are taken and mixed with coconut milk and ice. It’s a wonderfully refreshing dish, and just the thing for a scorching hot day.

But one thing I’ve said nothing about so far is soap. Yes, soap. In Chiang Mai, in the northern part of Thailand, there’s a company called ‘Chiang Mai Royal Jelly’. It began life by harvesting and selling the hugely nourishing ‘jelly’ that feeds the developing baby queen bee in its hive. But from there, it has gone onto producing a wider range of health products. And one of the things it makes is soap. And one of its soaps is – you’ve guessed it – pomegranate soap.

Be assured, that, if used daily, it will (the company says) “… increase effective function of skin nutrition such as pomegranate extract and vitamin C work together to activate collagen formation, resist oxidation and gently exfoliate dead cells and reveals natural healthy skin.” No home should be without it!

It’s a symbol and an icon, and it’s been with us for thousands of years. From the ancient Greeks to the modern scientists, it’s been viewed with respect – even awe. You’ll see it in the Bible, and on TV. It’s one of the world’s most interesting and health-giving fruits. And do you know what? All you need to do to absorb 3,000 years of history, is to pick one up and eat it.

Now, where’s the nearest fruit stall?

Rob De Wet

Beachside Dining at its Best

餐厅-歡迎中國貴賓

Romantic Dinner I Seafood Basket with Lobster For reservations, please call 077 230 222 www.siamwininganddining.com 17

The Wine Page Wines have feelings too!

From the moment curious humans began putting goblets to their lips, they have challenged themselves to describe the experience of consuming wine. And it has not been easy. What does a wine smell like, anyway? And how does it taste? Does it remind you of fruit or flowers, or mushrooms and brambles? Possibly those metaphors are too literal and mundane. Maybe the overall effect is of a symphony orchestra, or a Jimi Hendrix guitar solo, or crumpled sheets the morning after something special. You could, of course, just say, “it smells like grapes and tastes like wine” but you‘d be laughed out of the posh wine tasting club. And to differentiate among wines, even if just for yourself, you should, at least, have to make the effort. Trouble is, most efforts focus solely on aromas and flavours, which seems to make sense because they are a wine‘s most immediately striking characteristics.

But another important distinguishing feature is not detectable by eyes, nose or taste buds. That is texture - the tactile sense of wine on the mouth, tongue and throat. If it’s difficult to find words for the aromas and flavours of wine, how much tougher it is to describe the feel, or even, emotion.

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Think about it too much, and you might find it embarrassing to describe a liquid as crisp, or steely. But that’s really no sillier than calling wines harsh or smooth. Most wine drinkers know those sensations, whether the components that produce them are apparent or not. The idea of texture in a liquid is so difficult, in fact, that wine experts cannot even agree on what to call it. You won’t find the word texture listed in the encyclopaedic Oxford Companion to Wine, for example. Instead, we must settle for the unwieldy terms: body, density, weight and, for the truly geeky, viscosity. Lately, I have been hearing the odd term ‘umami’ used both in food and wine description. Not a term I’m familiar with, but evidently, it’s a Japanese word for the elusive, indescribably delicious quality that goes beyond salty, sweet, sour and bitter!

Whatever you call it, great texture is a crucial, though undervalued, characteristic of the best wines. It’s a crackling vivacity that boldly introduces itself on your palate, almost demanding that you take another sip simply because it feels so good. Instant addiction. It’s the same seduction that one first feels when touching a beautiful member of the opposite sex, or wonderfully soft cashmere or fur.

Samui Ring Road

Lamai

Nobody touches fur once, or cashmere once.

With wine, rather like more tactile pleasures, you want to keep it in your mouth, you want to play with it, and you want to roll it around until you feel satisfied.

Almost all the most memorable wines I’ve tasted in the last year or so have had beautiful textures in common, whether an engaging Shiraz from South Australia, rocking Spanish Rioja, or silky Cabernet Sauvignon from the Napa Valley.

These were world-class bottles, with prices to match, but a wine doesn‘t have to be expensive to feel great in the mouth. I can think of a luscious Austrian Riesling from Hirsch in the Kamptal, a minerally Sancerre from Etienne Riffault, and a smoky Tuscan Sangiovese from Montevertine. All have qualities that, in spite of relatively low prices, refresh, enliven, and generally make a wine lovers life worth living.

It’s a rare winemaker who actually speaks about texture, but recently the cellar master for Dom Pérignon Champagne was quoted that for him, the quest for the proper texture was the supreme goal in his winemaking. “That feel, that chew, that third dimension is really what I’m working on.” Monsieur Geoffroy said, grasping

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for words in English, his second language, and coming up with some evocative ones.

Texture is like a conveyor belt that carries the aromatic and flavour components through the palate, from sip to swallow and beyond.

Champagne’s effervescence offers a different textural experience from that of most wines, of course. Some people, trying to explain why Champagne goes so well with fried or spicy foods, talk about the bubbles scrubbing the mouth. I don’t know about that, but I do know you can feel the difference between lively, vibrant Champagne and one that fatigues in the mouth. It’s texture.

In an effort to map the textural experience of red wine, the Australian Wine Research Institute developed something it calls the mouthfeel wheel. With a vocabulary including words like parching, grippy, watery and the only term I fully understand, sappy. Frankly, consulting the mouthfeel wheel is about as appealing to me as a visit to my dentist. A simpler way of thinking of texture is to keep in mind its integral components, which most often are acidity and, especially in red wines, tannins. Most wine drinkers are familiar with tannins. They are the

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astringent compounds that in a young, tannic red wine, like a Barolo, or Bordeaux, can seem to suck all the moisture out of your mouth.

Ideally, the tannins soften over time, allowing other characteristics to emerge. Tannins come from the grapes’ skins, seeds and stems, and, if the wines are aged in new oak barrels, they can come from the wood, too.

Acidity is the juicy, zingy quality. Too much acidity, and a wine can feel harsh and aggressive. Too little, and it feels flabby and shapeless. While I realise descriptions of texture will never replace those of aromas and flavours in the tasting notes, so dear to the hearts of consumers, the feel of a wine is worthy of more attention. Yet most people bypass texture and go directly from smelling to tasting, even the well-meaning wine lovers who violently agitate the wine in their mouths before swallowing.

These days, on first sip of a new wine, I just let it sit there, eventually I get a much better sense of its texture, and if I am really lucky, a glimpse into the wine’s soul.

Peter Jones

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 WEEKLY CALENDAR MONDAY - COWBOY DAY Cowboy Steak Night Buffet @ 1,129 Baht/person. Children half price Advance reservation discount 15% Costume Theme Night: Cowboy style will get 1 free bottle of beer Entertainment: The Barge Band TUESDAY - GRILLED NIGHT Lobster & Seafood Basket for 2 @ 3,500++ Steak Set for 2 @ 2,700++ or Seafood Set for 2 @ 2,700++ Entertainment: The Barge Trio Band WEDNESDAY - HAWAIIAN STYLE Hawaiian Seafood Buffet @ 1,290 Baht/person. Children half price Advance reservation discount 15% Entertainment: The Barge Band and Polynesian show THURSDAY - COCKTAILS DAY Lobster & Seafood Basket for 2 @ 3,500++ Steak Set for 2 @ 2,700++ or Seafood Set for 2 @ 2,700++ Free Flow Cocktails 5pm-7pm @ 950++/person/hour Entertainment: The Barge Trio Band EVERY DAY - FREE STYLE Thai Cooking Class & Bartender Master Class - Reservation required Happy Hours: Hillside Pool 1pm-3 pm. Beachside Pool 2pm-4 pm Lobby Lounge: 6pm-8pm. Rice Barge: 6pm-7pm. The Barge 9pm-10pm Private Dinner 3,500, 7,500, 8,500, 11,000 baht. Reservation required Free Flow Local Beer (Singha/Chang) @ 550++/person/hour Open Bar @ 650++/person/hour - Gin, Rum, Vodka, Red Label, Local Beer, Juice, Soft Drink Open Bar @ 850++/person/hour - Wine, Cocktails, Spirits, Local Beer, Juice, Soft Drink SATURDAY - WEEKEND DAY Chef Signature Food Set Menu 1,350 Food Only, 1,850 with Wine Pairing Entertainment: The Barge Trio SUNDAY - PASTA NIGHT Fresh Pasta and Pizza Corner and Salad Bar @ 550++/person

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Chaweng Beach Road Chaweng North

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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.

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

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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

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