January 2017

SAMUI

www.siamwininganddining.com

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JANUARY 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

New Year, New You Time to enjoy yourself and keep those resolutions?

Oscar Wilde once famously remarked, “I can resist anything … except temptation.” Well, he certainly would have been mightily tempted if he’d reached the shores of today’s Samui. The island is filled with hundreds, if not thousands of professionally-run restaurants. Whatever you're hankering after, you can be sure that you'll find it somewhere on the island, a short drive away at the most.

But now that Christmas and the New Year are over, it’s a traditional time for soul-searching, or at least goal-searching. Time for resolutions and not temptations. As we all know from ten million articles that appear at this time of the year, most people’s best resolutions bite the dust not ten weeks into the New Year.

But this being the modern age, food doesn’t need to be comprised of calorie-bombs – or anything like it. Visit many of the restaurants here and you'll find there are some extremely healthy, yet never boring choices to be made. It might inspire you to make a few changes yourself when you're back home. You can also learn to cook Thai food right here on the island – and end up with the skills to make some memorably good dishes for you and your friends. When it comes to food and drink, Samui is particularly blessed.

Best of all, it’s completely up to you just what and how much of it you'd like to savour. Who knows, the gastronomic ‘temptations’ may even cause you to explore the wonderful world of food yourself – and in a way that matches your best intentions.

Whatever, there’s plenty to enjoy when it comes to food and drink on Samui. And it wouldn’t be hard to end up with a healthier new you.

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

JANUARY 2017

Sareeraya Villas & Suites

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

New Year, New You Time to enjoy yourself and keep those resolutions?

Oscar Wilde once famously remarked, “I can resist anything … except temptation.” Well, he certainly would have been mightily tempted if he’d reached the shores of today’s Samui. The island is filled with hundreds, if not thousands of professionally-run restaurants. Whatever you're hankering after, you can be sure that you'll find it somewhere on the island, a short drive away at the most.

But now that Christmas and the New Year are over, it’s a traditional time for soul-searching, or at least goal-searching. Time for resolutions and not temptations. As we all know from ten million articles that appear at this time of the year, most people’s best resolutions bite the dust not ten weeks into the New Year.

But this being the modern age, food doesn’t need to be comprised of calorie-bombs – or anything like it. Visit many of the restaurants here and you'll find there are some extremely healthy, yet never boring choices to be made. It might inspire you to make a few changes yourself when you're back home. You can also learn to cook Thai food right here on the island – and end up with the skills to make some memorably good dishes for you and your friends. When it comes to food and drink, Samui is particularly blessed.

Best of all, it’s completely up to you just what and how much of it you'd like to savour. Who knows, the gastronomic ‘temptations’ may even cause you to explore the wonderful world of food yourself – and in a way that matches your best intentions.

Whatever, there’s plenty to enjoy when it comes to food and drink on Samui. And it wouldn’t be hard to end up with a healthier new you.

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

Karan Ladd 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

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Savoury Snacking Fine-dining is one thing – but how about savouring the real taste of Thailand, by getting out and about on the street?

It’s a funny old world. Back in the west it’s usual to eat three times a day. And that’s mostly to do with our work. We eat before we go off to work, we eat when we get a lunch-break, and then we eat again when we go home. And, for just about everyone, that means we eat a lot, mostly all at one time. A big breakfast, for instance, and probably an even bigger dinner at night.

And, all wrapped up with this, we’re constantly told not to snack in-between. I’m not sure if it’s still said today, but people of a ‘certain age’ (like myself, for instance!) had it drummed into them that if they ate between meals it would ‘spoil their appetite’. It ‘wasn’t healthy’. And then, ironically, we’d go home to a typical English dinner; potatoes with everything and vegetables boiled to a pulp.

In Thailand, the way people eat, and what they eat, is a completely different story. In fact the whole of Thai society has just about the opposite attitude to the western approach above. To say that the Thais eat ‘little and often’ is simplifying things a bit, but it’s true. A traditional Thai meal is a family affair, eaten in the evening, and with five or six big dishes on the table, plus rice. Everyone puts some rice on their plate, then dips in and out of the main food dishes.

But what about the rest of the day? And at this point we have to remember that firstly a great many people, usually the city-dwellers, are living away from their families. Samui, for instance, has thousands of workers who’ve come here because of the tourist trade and better-paying jobs.

Bangkok is a better example as it’s so much bigger. Everywhere in the city there are street stalls and food markets, over spilling with early-morning people on their way to work who’ve dropped in for a bowl of jok (rice porridge) to get them started on the day. Keep this in mind: it’s a clue to daytime snacking!

All Thai people have a lunch-break. And for absolutely everyone, whether they are working or not, for some reason this never varies: wherever you are throughout the Kingdom, it’s always between 12 noon and 1:00 pm. And one of two things will happen. If there’s a nearby patch of street stalls, people will go out to eat. But . . . there seem to be millions of little mobile food carts. They’ll wisely tour around the business areas in the lunchtime period. And not just at lunchtime either. Every Thai person I’ve ever known gets the nibbles after a couple of hours.

Go to any big store; a department store or builders’ merchants. Head around to the back.

You’ll see one or more mobile food carts there.

And every ten minutes or so another staff member will head back inside with a polystyrene container.

The point is that Thai people think nothing at all of eating at a street stall or a food market. Most visitors to Thailand find this hard to do, for a number of reasons. But it’s at these street stalls

that you’ll find that ‘authentic’ Thai food you’ve been looking for, particularly the myriad of snacks that abound, both savoury and sweet.

A word of warning: the Thais love sugar. They put it in and on everything – in things no westerner would ever dream of; on toast and in soup. And it’s in all their snacks, too, particularly the fast-food type you’ll see in packets in the convenience stores. Head for a bag marked ‘savoury anchovies’ and you’ll get a shock. Little crispy-fried fishes, yes, but honey-glazed and frosted with sugar. To a western palate it’s like mixing beef gravy with Cherry Coke. So, even though you’ll come across savoury snacks a-plenty, be prepared for that sugar hit, too.

To get out of your hotel, out on the streets and around the food stalls, requires a certain mind-set.

Regard it as an expedition. Very few people will speak English. Everything will cost only pennies, at 10 or 20 baht, so you need to make sure you’ve got plenty of small notes. Take a shopping bag. Also take an empty carrier bag. In Bangkok there are food markets everywhere. But you’ll need to plan more carefully on Samui. There’s a big place near the traffic lights, on the main road in Bophut, for instance. And another one in Maenam. But both of these seem to serve meals, and not the little snacky-things that are so common on the streets of Bangkok. Your best bet is one of the temple fairs.

There are over 30 temples scattered around the island, and they regularly rotate a week-long fair between them. There’s no advertising; it just happens! The give-away is the long line of multi-coloured strip-lights on the road outside – ask your resort to find out where the current one is, and head out at night in a taxi. When you get there do a circuit to check it out. Then turn around and start buying. Don’t worry about the language, just smile and point. Buy a few of these and some of those; it’s cheap enough. Then taste them. If you don’t like them, that’s what the carrier bag is for. You’ll accumulate a lot of little bags of snacks, so the shopping bag makes everything easier.

Keep an eye out for what looks like little tortillas.

They’re called ‘kanom buang’. It’s a thin shell that’s something like a fortune cookie, filled with savoury chopped prawns or fish, mixed with coconut and chopped onion. Plus (naturally!) a dab of sweet meringue. There are quite a few variations on this theme, and the way to work out whether things are sweet or savoury is the appearance (meat, seafood, fish) and then the odour – give them a sniff too. It’ll be an adventure, with lots of surprises. Yes, you could sit in a restaurant instead. But it’s much more fun to go out and about – savoury snacking!

Rob De Wet

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3

Are you Being Served?

An astonishing number of restaurants from around the world have made Samui their home.

I once met a man on a sun-struck and deserted road in the interior of Samui. He was struggling with a massive leg of cured ham he was carrying. I slowed my motorbike, as you would in remote parts, and asked him if he wanted a lift. He looked at his ham, guardedly, and gave me an equally guarded, yes.

It turned out that his bike had broken down. He and the leg of ham had set off on foot - an hour’s walk, he reckoned. But the ham got heavier. We chatted a bit after I’d given him a lift to his door. He was Spanish, and this was just something he’d eaten all his life.

But where had he found such a thing on Samui?

“Oh you can get it here. Most of the time. But you have to order it, you know.” He gave me the name of the supplier, who I’d never heard of. “You can get most things on Samui,” he added. “People just don't think they can.”

He saw that I was a doubter. But the leg was proof of what he was saying: on a small tropical island that was covered in palm trees, you could actually, yes, get a decidedly Spanish leg of ham. He showed me its tags, all in Spanish. He lisped their provenance to me. We might have been in Andalucía. He even told me about the wine he’d drink with it, dark and fume-laden, and did I know it?

The point of all this is that for a long time, this small island has always a bit of a storehouse, quietly shipping in all manner of elaborate and foreign victuals. That tradition has continued and got stronger. More and more restaurants have opened to offer cuisines from around the

world. Diners are still a bit mystified how the chefs can import items from back home with seeming ease. It’s almost a point of honour amongst restaurant owners to be able to get hold of the most obscure items in an inordinately short time.

These days nobody would even blink at any kind of Iberian ham. Nobody bothers to list off with pride all the foodstuffs you can find on the island. If they engage at all is such an exercise it’s easier to list the things you can’t get. And to do that you won’t even need a full set of fingers!

A few visitors, coming to Samui for the first time, expect just to have to decide between traditional Thai dishes and blandly insipid international foods, something you might find in an out-of-the-way airport eatery. They don't expect to be spoiled by an entire gamut of restaurants serving not just the nation’s dishes but delights from around the world.

Thai is of course, de rigueur here and you can find hundreds of restaurants all serving the country’s best-loved dishes. From small shacks to palatial fine-dining temples, Thai is the reigning cuisine. How could it be otherwise?

Close behind it is ever-popular Italian cuisine. A pizza is pretty much as easy to find on Samui as a green curry. A good many of the island’s Italian restaurants have chefs from Italy, assuring the clientele that what they're getting is the genuine article. These restaurants rely on Italian suppliers who deliver all the goods necessary to make the perfect dishes. There are now easily over 100 Italian restaurants on the island.

You'll also find French restaurants, ranging from the homely to the sophisticated. The type of establishment that's successful as a roadside eatery in France is probably going to do well for itself here on the island, so great is the spell of French cuisine. As with Italian fare, some of the food will be shipped direct from France. One problem that you might come across is that in the smaller of the French restaurants, it really is like back at home: the menu will be in French and unless you speak the language you might have some difficulty understanding it.

Traditional German food is also popular on Samui, given the number of visitors and residents from Germany. There's a lot more than just humble bratwurst, and it’s easy to dine on real gourmet treats. And while you're doing so, quaff a tankard of German beer. You'll also find Swiss and Austrian restaurants as well as regional German restaurants. The choice is wider than most people would think.

Greek and Turkish food is also alive and well on Samui. There may not be so many of these restaurants, but a quick look at Google will list them for you. If you're in the mood for a tzatsiki and stifado or some börek, then Samui definitely won’t disappoint you.

Many Russians come on holiday to Samui, and there's also an entire community that lives here for at least part of the year. There are a few Russian restaurants and they all offer food from back home, often along with some regional varieties. Only a short time ago it was a bit difficult to get hold of Russian products here, but that situation’s changing fast, and now it’s

possible to feast on delicacies from back home relatively easily. With Russia being such a vast country with so many different regions, each with regional dishes, it can still be hard, however, to find treats from some parts of the country, especially those far from Moscow.

Indian food is also well-represented on Samui, and there are a good handful of restaurants catering for a full range of typical delights. If you're looking for a chicken tikka masala or some aloo gobi, then your search will hardly be a long one. Naturally, there are also plenty of vegetarian options, too. You might think that India and Thailand being so close, it’s not necessary to import much, and that’s partly true, but many traditional spices come directly from India itself – Thai and Indian cooking spices taste completely different. The cooking ovens, or tandoor, also come from the home country as these aren’t a Thai tradition.

Japanese tourists have always had a love affair with Thailand and particularly with the Gulf islands. Ask around in Osaka or Tokyo where people’s favourite beaches are and they're quite likely to mention Koh Tao or Koh Samui.

Visitors such as these are catered to by a few Japanese restaurants offering pretty much the same food from back at home. Again, imports need to be made, and crates of food are flown in from the big city markets – it’s seven hours flying time, so it’s no problem to guarantee freshness. Korean food is also now taking off on Samui, albeit slowly, with a couple of restaurants supplying all you'll need if you love ribs in soy sauce or a delicious spicy shredded beef stew.

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Australian restaurants started springing up a few years ago, and their signs almost always seem to feature a map of Australia. The food is on the hearty side with big steaks as well as seafood.

Incidentally, you'll also find plenty of meat on Samui comes from either Australia or New Zealand, while Wagyu beef from Japan is also highly popular. It has to be said that for all its love of seafood, Samui is a bit of a carnivore.

Perhaps the only anomaly when it comes to cuisine is a surprising one: although you can eat individual Chinese dishes in many places, Chinese restaurants are still under-represented here on the island. But that situation may change at a moment’s notice, especially given the sheer numbers of Chinese tourists now visiting the country.

If there's anything that unites these different cuisines, apart from finding themselves far from home and on the same island, it’s their sheer conviviality. Whatever you decide to eat, you can expect a warm welcome and excellent service. That’s a lot to do with being in Thailand, so although you may be eating food from a completely different country, the fact that you're eating it here on Samui somehow gives it a very laid-back feel. And then there’s the setting – seated overlooking a tropical sea is bound to give a happy spin to your dining experience, be it a Scandinavian baked fish dish or a meaty cassoulet. Bon appétit!

Dimitri Waring

Any Way You Like It Thai food is everywhere and it’s often all the same – until you go to Lamai’s Manathai resort!

I’ve been over here for a long time. And I still find the whole business of Thai food confusing. I mean, take any country you want; England, for example. Food is food. There’s Chinese, Indian, Thai and others. But English food is pub-grub.

It’s in the cafes and restaurants and hotels and pubs. It’s either good or it’s not, depending on your preference. And it’s the same everywhere.

But that’s not what happens in Thailand.

suspects: soups, noodle dishes, stir-fries and curries. The service is friendly and courteous, with the staff speaking good English. And you’ll immediately notice that the prices are really very modest: most dishes are in the 120 – 180 baht region, with the most expensive being just 250 baht. So far that’s enough to recommend it by itself. But, on top of this, every Tuesday night they’re running a very special ‘Thai Curry Night’.

In my early years I didn’t realise that there was a huge difference in the way Thai food was made; it all seemed the same kind of thing to me, wherever I went. The only difference from one place to the next was how hot it was! If you ate in a tourist hotel, it was fine. But if you ventured up a backstreet, then you took your life in your hands. In the hotel, they cut down on the chillies. Your backstreet place used the same ingredients and the same (traditional) recipe, but didn’t make allowances for foreign tastes!

Right away, as you walk up, it’s appealing; they’ve also got tables outside on the cobbles, bistro-style. The once-a-week offer here is totally unique, and intended to get you to sample a variety of curries in one go. You will have four curries delivered to your table in a 4-tier stainless steel pot – green curry, massaman curry, Penang curry and duck curry, plus rice. And you can discuss exactly how you want each one cooked, with the very pleasant and helpful Restaurant Manager, Khun Pom. Duck with red or green curry? Penang curry with prawns or chicken?

Maybe try a massaman with prawns or pork instead of the usual chicken? And you can ask for different degrees of spiciness, too; maybe take one curry mild and another medium to compare the difference.

But if, like me, you’ve been around the Thai block a time or two, then you’ll know it’s not just about the chillies. Different regions use different ingredients, from the very simple and fiery fare of the north-east to the gentler Malay-influenced coconut-enhanced dishes of the south. And then there’s the elaborate Royal Cuisine. Plus there are basic dishes and ‘deluxe’ dishes. People often don’t realise this. Take a chicken red curry. In one place that’s all you’ll get: the chicken and curry mix plus a few herbs and spices. But in another you get this but with large and small aubergines, string beans, shallots, perhaps a few mushrooms and even sweetcorn.

It makes a world of difference. And this is exactly what you’ll experience when you drop into ‘Pad Thai’ in Lamai.

During their stay on Samui, just about everyone passes through Lamai in one direction or the other – usually on their way to somewhere else!

But keep your eye out for Manathai Koh Samui resort. It’s impossible to miss. Not far from the tall chrome and glass landmark of The IT Centre, you’ll notice a wide cobbled avenue on the opposite side to the beach. The resort is at the far end of this avenue, and is refreshingly elegant and styled in an impressive colonial theme. Right across the road from this, tucked away beside the sea behind a high buff-coloured wall, is their excellent signature restaurant, Waterline (which I’ll come to in just a moment).

But out in full view, at the corner of the main road and the avenue, is their Thai restaurant, Pad Thai.

To look at it’s not old, it’s not quaint and it’s not ‘traditional’. Indeed it blends in so well with its neo-colonial surroundings that you could well miss it. That would be a pity, because it serves some of the best ‘deluxe’ Thai food around. As you walk in it’s open, airy and modern. The lighting is discreet, seating bench-style and comfy, and right opposite you is a curved wall where the corner should be – this is filled with a collection of fascinating photos that have been accumulated over the years.

The menu is straightforward and exactly what you might expect. There are all the usual

But here’s the thing. The cost is 399 baht. And, let’s say that your four customised choices have arrived, and you’ve discovered that you like the more spicy preparation and your favourites are the prawn massaman and the chicken red curry (and they’re all filled with large and small aubergines, onions and string beans, too). Well, just ask for two more of the curries that you like.

Leave the rest! You’ll get another two ‘personalised’ curries at no extra cost. At a stroke this solves the ‘I like my curry different’ problem.

It’s a superb idea! Plus there’s the added attraction of a strolling troubadour playing acoustic favourites, too.

And while you’re there, you’ll also be compelled to pop across the road and take a look at Waterline. Not only is it a super restaurant in its own right, but it throws a full-tilt beach buffet twice a week, too. Every Tuesday it’s the ‘International Sea Food BBQ’ with a range of all-you-can-eat seafood, fish, pork, and chicken plus all the accompaniments, including a salad bar and live cooking stations for pasta and fresh garlic bread. And there’s also a 3-piece band.

And on Thursdays it’s ‘Pong Lang’ night with Thai dancing and tables covered with all kinds of seafood and meat. Plus there’s a kiddies section too – children under 12 pay half price.

When you realise that some resorts price their weekly beach buffet at more than double the mere 750 baht here at Waterline, you’ll know right away you’re onto an extremely good thing.

But then, at Manathai, ‘any way you like it’ has several meanings – all of them in delightful surroundings and perfectly priced!

Rob De Wet For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7745 8560-4. www.manathai.com/samui

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Tropical Pick

Do farangs like farangs? A look at the guava.

If you’re a newcomer to Thailand, you’ll no doubt keep hearing the word ‘farang’. Well, actually, you won’t! You’ll hear ‘falang’, because the Thais aren’t too hot at saying the ‘R’ sound – in the same way you’ll hear everyone saying ‘loy baht’ instead of ‘roi baht’ when they’re playing about with 100-baht notes. This word, ‘farang’, gets thrown around a lot. Literally translated, it means ‘foreign’ or ‘foreigner’, and it’s used when talking about people and things.

Specifically things which are not native to Thailand, but curiously, when used in talking about people, it refers only to light-skinned Westerners.

Potatoes (which are not indigenous to Thailand) are ‘man farang’ (‘man’ meaning any kind of edible tuber). And chewing gum comes out as ‘mak farang’. This one is interesting as ‘mak’ is the betel nut, which is the only thing that Thais traditionally chew. My particular favourite has to be ‘naw mai farang’ which translated literally means ‘foreign bamboo’ – and that’s asparagus.

Following closely on the heels of this is a dish that’s been called ‘khaifu sai ahahn farang peng’. In Thai that means ‘an omelette made from expensive foreign food’! And then, just to throw a spanner in the works, there’s also the

fruit called ‘farang’ – which refers to what is generally known as the guava.

Don’t ask me! I have no idea why, nor does anybody else. The Thai language is quite probably one of the most economical and elegant in the world, and supremely logical with it. This is the only foreign fruit or vegetable that’s not expanded on, as in ‘foreign bamboo’ or ‘foreign chewy stuff’. It’s just . . . farang. The generally accepted theory about this is that it comes from the French word ‘Frank’, referring to the medieval Germanic tribe (the Franks) – the Thais would have said this ‘fer-angk’ and it’s easy to see how it could have evolved. But, seeing that it was Portuguese traders who introduced this fruit to Thailand initially, nobody is able to explain the French connection – other than it’s a convenient possibility. Or that all ‘farang’ traders looked the same, maybe.

The guava was first discovered in the 17th century (yes, by Portuguese explorers) growing in coastal regions of Central America. It was introduced into Florida on their return voyage, and then to Bermuda and the Bahamas. After which point it made its way into the East Indies,

Asia and India. This is a tree which flourishes in a warm, humid, tropical environment, and although Hawaii and Mexico cultivate the guava on a commercial scale, mostly it thrives wild and untended. In fact, it reproduces so quickly that in many places it’s considered a pest. And in Cuba, Malaysia, and Fiji (amongst others) it’s classed as a ‘noxious weed’ and subject to wide-scale extermination.

If you take a look around the world and check out what any fruit is called in different countries, you’ll discover that there are dozens of different names for the same thing. But the guava is one of the few that has retained its name almost universally – although admittedly local nicknames tend to vary a lot. The Spanish, French and Portuguese names are ‘guyava’, ‘goyavier’, and ‘goiaba’, respectively. But things go a bit off-course in the Philippines, where it’s called ‘bayabas’ and in Guam, where it’s abbreviated to simply ‘abbas’. And then stranger still in Thailand, where it’s simply called a ‘foreigner’! (Well it is a very straightforward and logical language!)

With most tropical fruits, the whole plant is used in one way or another and the guava is no

exception. The guava tree has a dense, fine-grained wood, and in India it’s a favourite for making decorative engravings for houses and boats. In Malaysia it’s been the wood of choice for long-lasting tool handles for hundreds of years. The leaves and bark are rich in tannin and are used in Indonesia and Malaysia to make a black dye for fabrics and floor coverings. And in Central America an extract is used in the process of tanning animal skins. The roots, bark and leaves are used throughout the tropics to cure gastro-enteritis, diarrhoea and dysentery. And you’ll find the crushed leaves being used on wounds, ulcers and rheumatic joints, and also chewed to relieve toothache – there are a lot of enzymes and amino-acids in a guava tree, as Western science is just beginning to realise!

Closer to home, in Thailand you’ll find the ‘farang’ growing happily all year round, and it’s usually eaten just before it gets ripe. If you spot one on a supermarket shelf or at a market stall, it’ll look quite like an apple, but somehow much lumpier. It’s about the same sort of size, and a light yellowy-green colour: although as it ripens it changes colour, becoming more yellow. Under to the skin there’s a thick layer of

firm white flesh that’s slightly grainy in texture.

And in the centre is a juicier pulp that contains the seeds. The way to eat it is to slice one in half, remove the pulp and seeds, and then cut the flesh into small slices. Interestingly this is one of the few tropical fruits that are not sugary-sweet. In fact, it’s got quite a sharp, bitter taste – which is why you’ll always see it accompanied by a variety of flavoured dips.

So keep an eye out. When you see someone with a small plate of apple slices, it’s automatic to think that’s exactly what they are. If, as Thais always so generously do, you’re offered a slice from their plate then, really, you need to take it.

And, as you look around at those big, innocent brown eyes which are so ready to break out into delighted giggles, casually ask if there’s a dip, too. Because if you don’t, then the look on your face as you take a bite will trigger the well-known Thai anthem – ‘farang not like farang’!

Rob De Wet

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. 077 233 082-3 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

Dare to Venture Hidden away, down the lane and by the sea, is where you’ll discover the superb cuisine at Silavadee!

There are two ways of looking at it. One is that life on Samui is fun, fun, fun. There are bars, clubs, nightlife, parties, beach clubs and lots of things going on. And if that’s what you’re after, you’ll stay close to the hub. You’ll want a resort that’s upfront and hip. But then there’s the other side of the coin.

And this view of Samui is far more serene. Tranquil quiet sand. Shady palms and lanes. Languid locals.

The real Samui, the island life – sunny, quiet, refreshing, relaxed. It’s actually all around, but it’s not always out in full view.

Enough philosophy! Let’s get practical. It’s no accident that many of the 5-star resorts that have sprung up in the last ten years have set-up out of town. One or two are hovering around the edge, sure. But as for the rest, if you didn’t know where they were, you’d never find them. There’s something perfectly seductive about having 5-star quality and service, yet being hidden away right on a deserted tropical beach – particularly when there’s all the shopping and nightlife you can dream of just 20 minutes away. And that’s what you’ll discover when you make your way to Silavadee Pool Spa Resort in Lamai.

Heading out of Chaweng towards Lamai, the turning to Silavadee is one of the first things you’ll see as you level out on the straight after the roller-coaster of hills. Turn off down a tiny concrete side-road on the left. And right away you’ll soak up the charm of Samui; little houses and huts on each side of the lane, the smiling folk sitting in their doorways, sweeping views across the bay, here a small resort, there a tiny shop. You’ll drop down towards the sea past the twin landmarks of Banyan Tree and Renaissance and turn into the lushly-landscaped entrance to Silavadee at the end.

You’ll need to ask for a buggy at reception: the hillside below is a maze of little winding paths that wend their way between the walled pool villas. It’s boldly yet subtly architected, lavishly fitted and modern, but with a flavouring of Thai tradition, being designed to key into the natural elements of the landscape, and fitting in, around, and amongst the huge rocky outcrops and big mature trees.

You’ll be heading for the restaurant. And that’s where the buggy will stop. And if you pause for a moment to take it all in, you’ll discover that there are actually three dining areas here, all of them effectively together in one block, although it’s not obvious from this viewpoint. They’re titled Sun, Moon and Star. And you will have just arrived outside the quietly-modern glass-walled Moon. Sun is above, a breathtakingly-elevated dining deck with sunset skies to marvel at. Similarly, Star is a laid-back rooftop bar, just perfect for sitting, sipping and snacking. But Moon is a cool essay in wood and glass – through which the massive boulders that characterise this part of the island contrast dramatically with the infinitely-smooth planes of sea and sky.

The cuisine here is superlative, just as you’d expect from a 5-star hideaway. There’s nothing trendy or hip about it: simply the very finest of ingredients creatively combined to provide a world-class culinary experience, with the evening dining emphasis on Western cuisine. It’s not a new approach. But what is new is the Executive Chef, Khun Jumpol Hiran, otherwise known more simply as Khun Bee. He originally hails from Krabi, on the south-west coast of Thailand. And his beginnings were humble, starting as a general helper in a small Thai eatery.

Twenty years ago, things were simpler – most cooks were women. But when Khun Bee moved over to a local resort he was impressed to see a chef, a man, running the kitchen. Encouraged by this, he began to look and learn, was promoted to chef-helper and began his culinary career in earnest.

“Suddenly I was hooked on a whole world of food that was unknown to me,” Khun Bee explained.

“The ingredients, the sauces, the techniques, the interplay of flavours; all these things were more subtle and complex than I was used to. I’ve since worked in city hotels helping with banquets, in seaside resorts that had Italian restaurants and then went on to become the demi-chef in charge of French cuisine in a huge international resort. But my most valued experience came when I was

invited to work in Cyprus. It opened my eyes to a different way of doing things, not just in cooking techniques, but particularly in the ordering and costing of the menu. It upset me that costing and profits were what drove the kitchen and shaped the menu. It was too cold and dispassionate. It meant that some of the best dishes were thought to be too expensive and thus cut from the menu. And that’s not the way I work at all!”

Khun Bee then worked in Sweden before returning to Thailand, where he became the Executive Chef at the Dewa Phuket Resort, before eventually ending up here at Silavadee. “For the first time, I’m now in complete harmony with the outlook of my managers,” he smiled happily. “At Silavadee, guests’ satisfaction and happiness comes before finance and profits. I’m encouraged to work with the very best of ingredients – 120-day grain-fed Angus beef, for instance, or imported lobster and scallops. My cooking now focuses on the delicate flavours of each, and I make my sauces to enhance this, not merely to accompany it. And I can spend more time on the individual presentation of each dish.”

And to celebrate Khun Bee’s presence, Silavadee is featuring a Chef’s Table every Sunday. This is an exclusive event with just five tables, and Khun Bee right there with you, creating three original dishes each time around. Obviously booking is an absolute must. But why don’t you make a point of dropping in one day anyway to see what’s on offer? If you don’t dare to venture out, then you’ll never know the delights that await you at Silavadee!

Rob De Wet For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7796 0555. www.silavadeeresort.com

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Thailand s Greatest Recipes Make it yourself: roti on the griddle.

People like this recipe so much that some have it instead of their birthday cake – it’s that good.

It’s found here and there throughout Thailand, but especially in the south of the country. And while it originated outside Thailand, much like pad Thai (which is essentially Chinese in origin), it’s become so established here that it’s acquired Thai status. It’s typical street vendor food, and the roti cart is always a popular point for people to congregate.

you'll see how it’s done and get a good enough idea how to proceed.

Roti is a base to which you can add all sorts of other ingredients, if you so wish. For example, some people enjoy nothing more than a roti with banana and egg, then topped with chocolate syrup and sweetened condensed milk.

That may sound particularly yucky, but this dish is so versatile that you can easily adapt it to your own taste. Rotis also freeze pretty well, so if you make more than you need you can keep them and simply warm them up when you're feeling peckish.

Many people think that it’s simply a dish that’s spread up into Thailand from Malaysia, but its roots are a bit more complicated than that.

There's plenty of history to this humble dish that shares common origins with the more famed massaman curry. Both recipes belong to a period that started early in the 1600’s, when Persian culture began to influence Siam. It was at that time that King Narai came to the throne, thanks in part to the Persians and Japanese living in the capital. During his reign, foreign settlements flourished, and he actively encouraged his court to trade with the outside world. Sunni Muslims settled just outside the city walls near the river, where they had access to cargo ships that moored there. Meanwhile, Shiite Persian Muslims

It might take years of practice to copy the street vendors’ method of pulling the dough and then lightly flipping it over. It’s harder than it looks.

But if you watch a demonstration on YouTube

Roti is basically the name given to a type of bread that is comprised of wheat flour, and which is fried in a pan. It’s a little like the paratha bread that you find in India, and the popular roti canai in Malaysia. Here in Thailand it’s a favourite breakfast for many, and is typically served with curries, fiery or not.

were granted residence within the city walls, side-by-side with the Chinese and the Siamese elite. They were mainly merchants who bought and sold luxury goods. As you can imagine, there would have been plenty of culinary trade going on too, starting with the swapping of tasty recipes.

After the fall of the capital Ayutthaya in 1767, the Muslim communities fled to Bangkok. They settled in communities around the Klong Bang Luang canal. Many lived on rafts in the early days. In this area you can find mosques and many traces of Muslim history. It’s still very vibrant and as often as not, you'll also be able to detect the aroma of Muslim food, such as massaman curry and roti.

King Rama I was from this same area, and he would have been familiar with both the dishes.

Further royal encouragement came from Queen Sri Suriyendra, whose family also settled in the same area. She developed her culinary skills as a child, and later went on to adopt dishes from the settlers who lived along the banks of the canal.

There are many mentions of Muslim recipes in the literature and poetry of the era, guaranteeing

that they’d never face extinction in peoples’ minds. And then of course, there's the sheer tastiness that keeps people coming back for more.

If you're into making breads, then you'll want to experiment with roti and make your own. It’s not difficult, but as with many products made with dough, a little practice is essential in order to get that street vendor taste.

Ingredients • 3 ¼ cups of white flour (non-bleached) • 1 tsp. salt • 1 tbsp. sugar • 1 egg • 1 tbsp. milk • 3/4 cup water • 1/2 cup cooking oil • 1/4 cup butter, melted • condensed milk and sugar to serve (optional) Preparation Put flour into a bowl and sift, then mix in the sugar and salt. Beat the egg and add this along with the milk, then stir. Now add the water and stir again, thoroughly mixing the ingredients.

Next, turn the mix out on to a wooden board

and then knead the mass until it has an elastic consistency. This should take some five minutes.

Now, form into a ball and allow to rest for at least half an hour. Cover with a damp cloth.

Roll the dough into a log, divide into 16 portions and shape into small balls. Brush each with oil and then return to the bowl, cover and let stand for at least another half hour.

Take each portion in turn, spread a little oil on top with fingertips and flatten with a rolling pin.

Stretch the dough till it’s almost transparent and shape into a snail-like shape. Then set aside on a greased surface.

Heat a griddle pan well-coated with oil over high heat. Flatten each portion once more until round, and then fry on medium heat. Heat both sides and brush the dough with butter. Serve hot with curry, or if you prefer, with sweetened condensed milk.

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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Finely Frogged!

Superb dining with a breath-taking outlook, superb service and ambience to fall in love with – at Dr Frogs in Chaweng Noi.

Quality is an elusive concept. It’s hard to define.

There are differing degrees of it, sure, and this varies from person to person. But, up there at the top, up with the very best, there’s no argument.

When it comes to dining, there might be variations in, say, the culinary bias or cuisine. But top quality shines out. It’s self-evident. And that’s what you’ll sense the moment you walk into Dr Frogs Bar & Grill.

It first opened its doors in 2007, and right away drew attention to itself simply because of the intriguing name – although the origin of this still remains a smiling secret. When it comes to quality dining, Samui is unusual; you don’t need to dress up. Because of the climate and the life-style, eating out is an informal affair. Yes, it’s certainly refined at Dr Frogs, but you won’t see anyone in a collar and tie, unless they’re part of a wedding party, perhaps. But, this aside, the restaurant was a success from day one. And it’s not an accident – although many others have copied its formula without success.

The location is perfect. Over in Chaweng Noi, just around the corner from Chaweng proper, the coastline is elevated, giving views of not only a wonderful seascape but down onto and over all of Chaweng Beach, too. At night the panorama is breath-taking. And it’s easy to find; heading up the hill and away from Chaweng, just watch for the frontage of Sheraton Samui – Dr Frogs is on the next uphill stretch after this.

Then there’s the layout and décor. The owners spent a long time thinking about all this. And they came up a design that was a cosy (air-conditioned) main room with an airy outer terrace perched up above the rocks. To this was added an outer garden area with its own terraced deck. Between the three of these there’ll always be somewhere that’s simply idyllic, whether you’re dropping in for lunch or a quiet romantic dinner date. Of course, all this was helped along by the elegant cream and olive colour scheme,

and the subtle colour co-ordination of the staff uniforms. And the lighting is thoughtful, too, with rich woods playing warmly against the hanging lanterns, soft bronzed wall lights, and the incandescent glow of the table candles adding to the ambiance.

But all of that is meaningless without cuisine to match. Marianni Massimo is the Italian master chef who’s been here for the last seven years.

And he’s established a menu that’s ‘Classic Italian and traditional Thai’, with an emphasis on the Mediterranean element of seafood. Over the years he’s honed and perfected his offerings, adjusting some dishes and adding others, until diners keep coming back for their favourites, often three or four annual holidays in a row. His success is partly due to the quality of his fare and his creative abilities. But also because he’s a man with no pretensions. There’s nothing hip or trendy about his cooking – it’s traditional home-cooked Italian fare, and all made with the best local fresh produce and imported Italian delicacies.

The menu is extensive, and it’s in place all day.

Lunch on Samui tends to be a leisurely affair, involving salads, soups, antipasti and a variety of pastas; the climate is just too warm for anything heavier. Pizzas are popular: thin and crispy in true Italian style. Chef Massimo makes everything in-house, including the stocks and sauces. But the chef’s salads are top of the daytime list – especially when combined with fresh seafood or locally caught fish, such as white snapper.

But, as delightful as a laid-back and tropical daytime visit is, it’s the evening dining experience which showcases the Dr Frog ambiance at its best; cosy, mellow and intimate. And now you can enjoy some of Chef Massimo’s more-lavish offerings. Many top eateries boast about the quality of their imported steaks. But you’ll have to go a very long way to find better than the 120-day grain-fed Black Angus Australian Fillet

Steak – especially when it’s combined with the tiger prawn offering, together with bell peppers, caramel shallots and sautéed mushrooms! Or the ‘Fatto In Casa Ravioli Rosso’ – homemade red ravioli filled with white snapper, and tossed in cream, saffron and clam sauce. The lobsters, which are freshly shipped-in from Alaska, are another feature; just try the exquisite ‘Lobster Linguine with Cherry Tomatoes and Garlic Cheese’.

But one rather special thing I want to point out isn’t on the menu, and is something few people are aware of. It’s the ‘Chef’s Specials’. Take a look around on the walls inside. You’ll see that there are four or five chalkboards scattered around above eye-level. Each one is presenting two or three dishes. These are Chef Massimo’s ‘try-out’ boards where he’s created something new to see how it’s going to be received. They aren’t changed on any kind of regular basis: when he’s made a couple more new ones then they’ll get added, and maybe one or more of the older ones will disappear. One here which catches the eye right away is the ‘Canadian Lobster and Linguine in Creamy Tomato Sauce for 2 Persons’. Or how about the ‘Pork Cutlet Pizzaiola Sauce, Oil and Garlic’? And the ‘Penne and Crab in Creamy Tomato and Garlic Sauce’ is really good, too.

There aren’t many restaurants on Samui that have stood the test of time, and have continued to thrive through thick and thin, and all of them simply glitter with quality. Most of these you’ll have to travel to. But one of the finest around is just on the edge of Chaweng – and that’s Dr Frogs!

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

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Elegantly Relaxed Exquisite, fresh healthy Thai food at Supattra Thai Dining.

If you want to try the best authentic Thai food from the centre of Thailand, all made with fresh, healthy local ingredients and presented and delivered with western panache. If you would like to be able to discuss each dish and possibly adapt the spiciness or content. If you want a spacious cosy romantic setting overlooking a mangrove forest. If you would love to drink a good quality wine with your meal, at a very reasonable price. Then look no further than Supattra Thai Dining in Bangrak.

The owners and partners, Supattra and Thomas Schaden, an unassuming husband and wife team, previously ran the highly successful and busy beachside restaurant Beachlounge Thong Sala on Koh Phangan. They left it in search of a quieter way of life with a smaller restaurant on Samui, where they still instil their traditional values and follow their very compatible passions.

Khun Supattra is the elegant, quietly spoken chef, whose desire for cooking stems from the middle regions of Thailand, where she believes the flavours of sweet, sour and salty are most balanced. She sources only the best and freshest ingredients on the island, and all seafood is caught by local fisherman in the waters surrounding Samui. You won’t find seafood here that has previously been frozen, imported or bred in a fish farm, and most definitely no MSG (monosodium glutamate)!

Thomas is originally from Austria. His passion is wine, and he loves nothing more than to seek out the best wines at the best prices. Alongside the restaurant is a small wine shop where all the wines are categorised and presented according to region and colour. There is an international selection of around 50 red, white and rosé wines which can also be found on the wine list in the restaurant. So, if you find one you really enjoy, you can purchase it before you leave. Not sure which wine will go with your meal, or want to know more? There is detailed booklet prepared

by Thomas, with all the information you could desire. And he wants you to enjoy good wine so much, that he keeps the prices really low. Now that’s service! The super-soft leather bound restaurant drinks list, details all the wines available alongside a selection of cocktails, beers, aperitifs, liquors and soft drinks.

The wooden Thai style building that houses the restaurant is open plan, and tucked away from the road, right alongside a mangrove forest, bringing nature and romance right into the restaurant. The ambience is cosy and relaxed, combined with elegant modern table settings.

The staff will discuss your order with you so that can get your food exactly right. Don’t expect fast food, this is slow food, cooked traditionally and from the heart. Khun Supattra really wants every customer to leave with a smile on their face having enjoyed a fantastic Thai meal.

So, what can you expect on the menu? Well for starters you have delicacies such as Tung Thong, tasty, crispy deep fried golden parcels filled with

vegetables and herbs. You can find Crispy Squid or Yam Nua, a spicy beef salad with cucumber and green leaves and of course, the nation’s favourite Chicken Satay served with a delicately spiced peanut sauce.

For a main, the Pla Lui Suan is an impressive centrepiece. A whole local fish, deep fried, taken off the bone and then put back into the skin, served with mixed garden herbs, perfect if you don’t like messing with the bones! Or try the Sea King Prawns, grilled fresh with lightly spiced lemongrass. If you like Thai curry, then maybe go for the Barracuda Fillet. It’s very lightly pan-fried and served with a delicious Panang curry sauce. The Chicken Mango-Coco tastes as good as it sounds, and has no chilli unless you ask for it! Tender chicken breast accompanied with a fresh yellow mango curry sauce. This is one of Supattra’s own fusion dishes and is definitely a winner. For the health-conscious among you, the Yam Hua Plee is a must, a delicate banana flower salad with fresh shrimp and chicken.

If you still have room, try a traditional Thai dessert of Bour Loi, literally translated as ‘lift up the lotus’. Warm coconut milk with tiny homemade balls of flavoured, coloured rice, with a hint of sweetness. A perfect finish to a relaxed and elegant Thai meal.

The menu can change, as it is dependent on what is fresh at the market every day. This is very much a dining experience, and Supattra is very open to suggestions and adaptations of her dishes to suit your own personal tastes.

Everything is homemade from scratch, and cooked to order so that you get exactly what you desire. The key focus is great service from the moment you enter to the moment you leave.

Great food, refined and friendly ambience, with excellent service. When you book a table, it is yours for the whole evening, so there is no rushing you out of the door for the next sitting!

This intimate restaurant is located in Bangrak, just metres from the Seatran Pier and Big Buddha temple. From Bangrak fresh market, take the road towards the airport. The restaurant is approximately 50 metres further down, on the right hand side. There is a car park just past the restaurant and wine shop. The official hours are 6:00 pm until 10:00 pm, Tuesday through Saturday, but there is definitely no rushing you home…so closing time is flexible. The wine shop is also open from 11:00 am until 2:00 pm.

So, come and dine in relaxed elegance, savour the taste of freshly caught seafood, delight in the intricacies of Thai preparation, herbs and spices and enjoy an accompanying glass of good wine or two. What a blissful evening!

Karan Ladd For reservations or further information, telephone 0 932 828 777 or 0 993 637 030 www.facebook.com/supattrathaidining

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It’s That Time of Year Again Making some New Year’s resolutions? Make it easy on yourself.

“I'm never going to drink again,” my friend Cathy said, squinting at the empty bottle on the lounge table (the others had been thrown out of her third floor window some hours earlier). It was a tempting resolution to make; her stomach was awash with alcohol, she had a killer hangover and her purse had been stolen while she was too drunk to notice. The resolution seemed to be a fairly rational one. Nobody even bothered to raise an eyebrow when, that same day, round 5:00 pm, Cathy had her first drink. So much for good intentions.

Have you noticed there’s little difference between the above scenario and the casualness of New Year’s resolutions? It’s basically the same formula at work: we look back with intense dissatisfaction at our own behaviour, and then fasten on to some fine and upbeat self-improvement ideas that now seem utterly crucial. The only difference between Cathy’s resolution and ones that many people settle on is simply the length of time it takes to shelve them.

To cut to the chase: what we all know is that resolutions tend to run out of steam, and before long we’re back in our old ways. But why? Firstly a lot of resolutions are incredibly vague. “I want to lose weight” seems a simple idea but it’s virtually meaningless. You have to know if you're on track, and when you’ve reached the weight that you have as your goal. Similarly, “I want to eat healthy food,” is equally insubstantial. Have you even defined ‘healthy’? And how are you going to overcome all the temptations that come your way?

Speaking of which, what’s the plan when facing an addiction? “I'm going to give up smoking,” you announce defiantly. Sure, it’s clear what that means, nothing vague about it. But what’s your

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plan to succeed in an area that is littered with failures?

Whether it’s giving up something or taking up a new habit, for many of us the breezy announcements made at the end of the old year barely make it weeks into the new year before collapsing and expiring on the calendar or, more likely, on the sofa . No amount of Tarzan-like chest-thumping gets most of us even past the first quarter of the New Year. Or perhaps we just muddle through with some partial successes.

Fortunately we live in an age where habits have been studied with scientific precision and there’s help out there. So, what avails in the game of change? Here are a few varied highlights from research that’s been done.

Firstly consider time. Are you really going to start your new life on 1st January? That’s your intention, but many will find their preparations are far from ready. The wise get going in November, planning out their intentions so that they get started in December, rather than in January. Time to overhaul their diet? Check out their fridges: the junk’s going out, the Doritos are trash canned and the new purchases are going in.

And those substitutes were researched long ago.

And the same goes for where to get them, how to cook them, and so on. If they're dumping donuts in favour of broccoli, they’ll know how to cook the faintly smelly vegetable – and make it tasty.

They won’t be suffering and weeping for their now gone trans-fat and sugar experience that they formerly cherished. Much like a military manoeuvre, preparation is all important; by January 1st, they're up and running. But they're also agile enough to know that there's nothing magical about the beginning of the New Year: a new habit can be started on at any date in the calendar.

When it comes to heavy-duty resolutions, will power is the weapon of choice. It’s just a question of being strong enough, of muscling through, right? But consider this example. Let’s say Jack is going to give up smoking. He’s a pack-a-day guy and has had the habit for a decade. That’s 73,000 cigarettes. It’s also exactly the same number of times he’s reinforced the habit.

When he gives up, he’s decided to use his willpower and struggle through the withdrawal period to freedom. Like many people in the same situation, this will probably work short-term, though it’ll be inordinately hard. His success will be down to his own strength. Unfortunately he has a lifetime ahead of him of being an ex-smoker, and sooner or later he’ll half-forget he’s been a smoker. His will power will no longer be functioning. Statistics say that he’ll probably be smoking again before the year is out. Will power plays a valid role – a surge to cross the obstacles and get some initial success. Then it fades, or moves on to other situations. It’s the same with all resolutions. You can’t expect it to stick with you for years to come.

craving, and that by sticking with the craving rather than satisfy it, they're setting themselves up for a better, longer, healthier life. Soon the craving will go, and they'll be left with the benefits of not smoking. And at no point will they ever have felt deprived.

It’s a less standard approach and is refreshingly different from any notion of cold-turkeying your way through withdrawal. Support systems also work admirably. For many, they owe their lives to Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous.

Research now increasingly details how important environment can be. The old adage ‘birds of a feather flock together’ is totally true. If you're friends with one or two overweight people then you're more liable to become overweight yourself than if all your acquaintances were slim. On a more positive note, if all your friends are off to the gym five times a week, then you're more likely to spend time looking after yourself whether or not you end up going to the gym.

Gillian Riley, an expert on addiction and habit changing, doesn’t believe in gritting her teeth to make those big changes. Her book on smoking has helped many break the habit, and what works for cigarettes works with other habits that people would like to ditch. Her method requires saying to yourself that you're free to indulge in the bad habit. Yes, you're free to go ahead.

Smokers on her course are trained to always have a packet of cigarettes with them, and allow themselves to experience the desire to smoke.

But that’s only one aspect. In an experiment to get office workers to drink more water, some self-discipline tips and tricks were given to the workers – and lo and behold most became more mindful and drank more water. It took some effort to change their mind-set, and even then it wasn’t all that successful. But other office workers didn’t even need to take on new ways of thinking to get far better results. They made no effort at all, in fact; the researchers simply changed their environment. They installed several water coolers at different points. That’s all. Water consumption shot up. Convenience is king.

In the next step they tell themselves that they can either light up, or simply accept they have a

Back to the gym. If your nearest gym is on the way back from work, you're more likely to go

there than if you have to make a special journey to get to one. It’s kind of obvious really, but something we’re inclined to overlook. If your environment makes it convenient for you to indulge in beer, cigarettes, evenings in front of the sofa with a packet or three of crisps, then you can change your habits more easily than you can imagine by having a serious overhaul of your home.

Once a habit is ingrained it’s easier to follow.

Contrary to what’s bandied about on the internet, it takes more than thirty days to establish a habit (unless it’s taking up eating chocolate bars, of course, in which case, it’ll be just a matter of hours). It may take half a year or more to install a new, tricky habit. What’s not so obvious is that all of us can begin to enjoy a new way of life quite easily, as long as we don’t feel we’re depriving ourselves. Taste buds acquire new tastes. It’s possible to wean ourselves off junk food and enjoy healthier alternatives. After a while, we may not be so ready to go back to the old ways.

Changing habits is a game for the savvy; success goes to the person who both thinks and acts.

Perhaps it’s a more unexpected ride than can be imagined, where even die-hard addicts who have no motivation at all, no will power to speak of, emerge as victors. Fortunately, these days, we have a huge number of books and tools to help us achieve success. Victory is possible for just about anyone. Maybe best of all, success isn’t limited to a giddy promise we make to ourselves in a festive season. Onwards and upwards!

Dimitri Waring

Not Just a Pretty Place Baitong Restaurant at Banana Fan Sea Resort Koh Samui boasts more than a wonderful location.

There’s the excellent food and service, too.

A line of gently swaying palm trees is at first all you really see of Baitong Restaurant. It’s located right in front of the beach, and charms from the moment you see it. Just to the south of the centre of Chaweng, it’s near all the action but far enough away to feel set apart. You can dine directly on the sand, take a seat at the terrace or eat in the open-sided dining room. No matter where your table is, you'll definitely feel part of the laid-back coastal vibe that this mid-sized restaurant exudes. With the waves lapping in the background and a breeze usually coming off the sea, it’s a great place to dine.

The menu contains nigh on a hundred separate dishes, and covers a full range of fare from international favourites through to Thai treats. As Baitong Restaurant is part of a resort serving guests from all over the world, there literally has to be something for everyone on the menu. And indeed there is.

Baitong is open from 7:00 am in the morning, when the day starts with a copious buffet breakfast with separate egg station. In addition there’s plenty of tropical fruit, along with cheese, muesli, yoghurts and cold cuts – an entire gamut of satisfying choices. And by the way, you don’t need to be staying at the resort to avail yourself of the restaurant; it’s open to everyone, and whether you're a guest here or not, the policy is to treat everyone as part of the family. You can truly expect a warm welcome when you come here.

Lunch is from 11:00 am through to 5:00 pm, and after that it’s dinner all the way through to last food orders at 10:30 pm. Guests are also welcome to come for a snack or to partake in one of Baitong’s happy hours, when there’s 30 to 40% off a range of drinks.

Speaking of drinks, Baitong also has a very attractive and cosy beach bar that also fronts the sands. You can either sit at the bar directly or at one of the small tables close by. It’s open from midday till midnight, and is an ideal spot to sit back and take a break. Either here or in the restaurant itself, you can enjoy drinks such as the Bananas Smoothie (no typo), a combination of local bananas and ‘ananas’ or pineapple. It’s blended with honey and mint to provide a delightfully refreshing drink. Or again, using local ingredients, savour the Martini & Mojito Twist which features lychees, coconut, pink guava and

passion fruit. Especially recommended is the Mango Rice Cocktail, based on the popular Thai dessert, albeit here metamorphosed into liquid form.

evening, from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm, you can enjoy the fabulous sounds of Philippine musician RJ, who can play pretty much any song you can think of on the acoustic guitar.

For international food, the menu has plenty of starters and salads, and then there's a full range of pasta and pizza, including a very satisfying lasagne au gratin, with your choice of either beef or spinach. It’d be hard to better sandwiches than Baitong’s grilled beef steak on French bread with French fries, or the grilled ham and cheese combination. Western mains include that favourite standby fish and chips, along with tartar sauce, and, of course, French fries. You might also like the duck in orange sauce, the cordon bleu or a schnitzel with tomato sauce and herbs.

Many guests opt for the imported pepper or sirloin steak, or for fish lovers, a filet of sea bass with creamy spinach and balsamic sauce.

If you're feeling in a romantic mood, then you and your loved one are bound to appreciate the special dinner that Baitong can put on for you.

It’s directly on the beach, and you'll be escorted to a decorated table that's surrounded by a heart of made of lit candles.

Baitong Restaurant also has a treasure trove of Thailand’s greatest dishes. They come from all the main regions, and make for a very eclectic dining experience. Everything is top quality, with fish being locally caught wherever possible; everything is completely fresh. You'll enjoy delicacies such as roasted duck curry in a deep, rich red sauce with kaffir lime leaf, sweet chilli and julienne chillies (you can by the way opt for the degree of spiciness you'd like – just ask the staff). Or how about stir-fried blue crab with curry and celery, or a generous serving of massaman beef or chicken? The Thai dishes also include a special section on vegetarian dishes.

Expertly prepared Thai food is the speciality at Baitong, and so the chef also runs his own cooking class, allowing you to replicate the nation’s best-loved dishes.

The ingredients used in the dishes are locally produced wherever possible, either on Samui itself or in one of the neighbouring provinces.

This is ecologically sound, and also supports Thai farms across the board. The food is made without cutting corners; everything possible is made from scratch, ensuring great tastes and purity.

Baitong also has theme evenings every week, but for particular days, you'll need to telephone the resort. You'll find a beach barbecue which features a fantastic cabaret show or an exciting fire-show, and then an Oriental market evening, featuring delicacies from the surrounding regions with accompanying Thai dance show. And every

A restaurant is invariably more than its food, location and all its themes; the teams that prepare, cook and, of course, serve the dishes can make or break a restaurant. For Khun Sarawut Khotamee, Banana Fan Sea’s General Manager, the staff are absolutely crucial to the success of the restaurant. His aim is to provide guests with top-quality food and service. It’s definitely a winning formula judging by the number of satisfied guests here, many of whom return to the restaurant and the resort with great frequency. His goal for his staff, incidentally, is that they're happy and fulfilled in their jobs. “It means that their contentment will be passed on to the guests, and all who come to eat here,” he says. It definitely works; staff here seem to enjoy their work, and the atmosphere is very convivial.

The chef, Khun Komsan Choydiros, and Food and Beverage manager, Khun Methee Meedeyt are equally keen to ensure that their guests are looked after, just like a member of the family would be. So if you have any special requests, or there's something you'd like that's not on the menu then they'll only be too happy to help.

Located on the beach road in Chaweng, Banana Fan Resort is about a kilometre south of Central Festival. Baitong is just a short walk down through the gardens of the resort. Hard work and attention to detail make this friendly and convivial restaurant a wonderful choice when it comes to eating Thai and international dishes of the highest quality.

Dimitri Waring For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7741 3483-6. www.bananafansea.com

www.siamwininganddining.com

13

Going Native Joining the locals at Kindee Healthy Eating.

Healthy eating is gaining ground, and rather than being a trend, it’s a whole culinary direction in itself. On Samui there are many spas offering light and healthy options, but they're yet to become mainstream choices when it comes to lunch or dinner. There are still relatively few restaurants that primarily focus on healthy eating (though alas in some cases the prices they charge even for simple fare mean that they're not affordable for everyone). Kindee is one of the newest kids on the health block, but doesn’t believe in charging people over the top just because they want to eat healthily. All their food is distinctly affordable, and this kind of restaurant is bound to become more and more in demand as time goes by.

Kindee has been open since February, and is the brainchild of Khun Apichaya Meepian, more often known simply as Khun Apple, who is Samui born and bred. Her family mostly live in Maenam, where there are now no less than three hydroponic farms, all offering good quality products. She became interested in healthy eating, and over the years taught herself the art of making great tasting salads, rolls and wraps.

The restaurant is open from 4:00 pm until 10:00 pm, daily except Wednesdays, and it’s easy to find. If you go south past Tesco-Lotus in Chaweng and then turn left at the traffic lights, the road passes Rajabhat Suratthani University as it heads towards Chaweng Beach Road and the restaurant is on the left, just a couple of hundred metres further on.

Once you step inside you'll see that it’s extremely clean – spotless, in fact. And though it’s on a busy road, it’s quiet as it’s glassed in, and pleasantly cool, thanks to the air-conditioning. It also has Wi-Fi, which you're welcome to use. Though the restaurant is small, you're welcome to linger. Many people, however, just get takeaways to eat later on.

Incidentally, parking is no problem as there’s vacant land right opposite with plenty of space.

The setting is relaxed and almost minimalistic, so it’s very easy to make yourself at home here.

Khun Apple, incidentally, speaks good English, so it’s a cinch to order. The menu has clear pictures of everything, too, so you can see what you're ordering without any difficulty.

The clientele is mostly Thai, and they obviously come here quite a lot, as Khun Apple and her staff seem to know a good many of them. Some just like the sheer tastiness of the food that’s on offer while others, she says, are aiming to become healthier and are deliberately choosing this kind of food. Whatever brings them here, they quite clearly enjoy the fare.

Khun Apple and her staff rely on hydroponic vegetables for a lot of the items, so you can expect a clean, fresh taste, with products that are bursting with goodness. Everything’s made from scratch, and you can see the staff working in the open kitchen, which is in fact just a corner of the restaurant.

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Once you're seated, Khun Apple or one of her staff will bring you the menu. You'll see there's plenty on offer. The first thing that's probably going to catch your eye is the array of colourful salads; some are vegetarian, others not. But all rely on quality vegetables.

You'll find a tonkatsu salad, which is topped with an entire pork cutlet, breaded in the Japanese style, hence the name, a chicken salad, and then other varieties with salmon and tuna. If you're vegetarian opt for the grill veggie salad or the grain salad. The latter comes with purplish sweet potato, Job’s tears and diced apple. You'll also find an egg salad with carrot and a crab stick salad. There's a variety of dips to go with the salads, and you'll find Japanese soy sauce, yoghurt and seafood sauce (this one’s quite spicy, by the way), then the dressings: thousand island, Caesar and roasted sesame. If you're not sure quite which one’s best, then staff can advise, but basically any of them go well with the ten salads currently on offer.

There are more than just salads, however. Turn the menu over and you'll find four different types of roll. These are delicately wrapped and come served on a plate. Wrappings vary between plain, sesame, riceberry or bread. You can have salmon, tuna or crab stick ‘zapps’ – these being spicier. Then there are tuna, chicken, smoked salmon and bacon wraps. As we've said, prices are very affordable. You can eat a simple salad here for just 50 Baht. Most items aren’t much more than that and portions are on the big side.

But there’s more to the restaurant than just salads, wraps and rolls. You can also find Korean soups. These are for sharing between two people or more. You can find mixed mushrooms and tofu, pork and seafood. Also on the menu is ‘budaejjigae’, a dish that not so many people are familiar with. Translated from the Korean, it simply means ‘army base stew’. It’s a thick soup and originates in the time just after the Korean War, when food was scarce in South Korea.

People had to be inventive, and got hold of surplus food from US military bases; they used hot dogs, Spam and ham to flavour traditional soups flavoured with red chilli paste and kimchi.

The dish has remained popular ever since, and here at Kindee you can try the restaurant’s very own healthier version. There are a variety of toppings to go with the stews, and again staff can help you make an informed choice. Prices for the soups are between 300 and 450 Baht.

They're very substantial, so come hungry.

This restaurant is doing well for itself thanks to the great value, and the fact that it’s offering something different from much of nearby Chaweng. As word goes spreads, it’s bound to become ever more popular; indeed it’s already going from strength to strength.

Dimitri Waring

www.siamwininganddining.com

15

Wok On! The humble wok is seen everywhere in Thailand and abroad – but where did it come from?

Let’s flash-back to about 1,000 years ago. This was the period when the Tai people from the Yunan district of China began to expand their trade southwards into Asia. And when the Mongol hordes invaded, a century or so later, there was a mass exodus into what is now called Thailand. These people were essentially Chinese and formed the gene pool which went on to establish the first Siamese kingdom of Sukhothai, in 1238. And they brought with them not only their language and religion (both of which were to change in later years) but also numerous types of rice and wheat noodles, soya beans, oyster sauce . . . and the wok.

Anyone with a practical mind will find it hard to imagine what’s so special about the wok. Ever since the Iron Age, mankind has been refining ore and melting and shaping metal for every conceivable purpose. And that includes cooking.

Flat pans with raised edges to contain the contents and the fat were used for frying. Bowls and pots were used to hold liquids. But for some strange reason nobody, anywhere, seemed to have previously made a utensil that was half-way between the two.

In actual fact the wok was popularised by those same nomadic Mongol tribes who created so much havoc in southern China. If they didn’t actually invent it, they certainly latched onto it, adopted it, and travelled with it, spreading its popularity everywhere they went. It was an ideal multi-pot for solids and liquids, you could make an entire meal in just one pot, and it was easy to clean and carry. In fact you can measure the success of the wok by how quickly the idea spread. It was unknown outside of China – there are no examples anywhere – until around the year 1300. And thereafter it began to appear in Burma, The Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia and, eventually Japan, all under different names.

They all mean ‘Chinese pot’ in translation, however. Even in the original Mandarin, ‘wok’ means simply ‘cooking pot’.

The wok was designed to be pushed firmly and with stability into an uneven bed of hot coals or embers – any sort of a fire would do. Traditional style pots, on the other hand, needed to be hung over the fire using some kind of support or tripod. The wok had no flat surfaces and was deep enough to allow the food that was cooking to be scraped up the sides and down again – by design the whole wok became equally as hot all over, unlike flat-bottomed pans with sides. In its earliest incarnation the wok had two small side grips. But this quickly evolved into one long handle that was far enough away from the fire to stay cool and allowed the cook to toss the food.

Examples found of woks from the 15th century show detachable handles that allowed for easier packing and transport, ideal for nomadic communities.

Another thing about the wok: it was made of heavy cast iron, as were all other utensils at that time, hence the advantage of having only one

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cooking pot. But it was also used for frying, using natural animal fats. Cast iron rusts quickly.

But it was soon discovered that woks didn’t – as long as you didn’t scrape them completely clean.

If you left them oiled with the residue of the cooking fat, over time the added high temperature and continued cooking built up a surface that bonded with the cast iron – a sort of medieval non-stick Teflon. And even today, cast-iron skillets and woks are carefully primed in this way until they are considered to have been broken-in and become ‘seasoned’. Indeed, some families are proud to be using woks that have been passed from generation to generation, and these are highly prized.

Today – some 700 years later – that humble saddle-bag cooking pot, the wok, is used all around the world. Although with today’s social stability, and with kitchens full of pots and pans, it’s now almost universally used only for stir fries. The undisputed experts in wok cooking are the street vendors of Asian food markets (and the Asian communities in other countries). These are the guys (yes, they are inevitably male) who spend up to 15 hours every day slaving over a hot wok, churning out dish after dish, non-stop at lightning speed, their hands a blur, for their never-ending ‘fast food’ customers. If you’ve never seen a real one in action, spend a while on YouTube. It’ll be an education.

But today’s technology has also forced some changes. Woks now come made of not only cast iron, but more-often carbon steel, too. And even stainless steel. Worse, some are even misguidedly Teflon-coated. (Teflon not only scratches readily but at the high temperatures needed for rapid stir-frying, breaks down and gives off toxic vapour!) The advantage of a cast-iron wok is that it retains heat evenly with no hot-spots, and forms a carbonised, seasoned skin. But this can happen with carbon steel, too, although it has to be especially hand-forged and made out of two layers of bonded steel for this to be effective. The stainless steel ones are much lighter and just as good, having a core of aluminium between two steel outer steel skins.

But they’re the most costly of the lot! And I’ve been told that a well-seasoned wok actually imparts its own distinctive flavour to a dish, which just can’t happen with stainless steel.

In Western kitchens you’ll see other variations too, such as flat-bottomed woks that can stand on the surfaces of electric cooking rings. And no doubt if you look hard enough you’ll find ones which can be used with ceramic induction plates or maybe even microwaves! A pale shadow of the real thing. Get yourself off to Chinatown and soak up the noise, heat and energy of an expert with a wok, with the steam and the flames all around. No contest! This is the heart and soul of the wok speaking to you with a legacy that’s travelled down through the centuries, No two ways about it – wok on!

Rob De Wet

Sumptuous Selections Chef’s Table at Sareeraya Villas & Suites offers an amazing variety of food thanks to its globetrotting chef, Cesar Liesa.

Just up the road from Chaweng’s busy heart, at Sareeraya Villas & Suites, Chef’s Table is a real gem of a restaurant. Take a seat here and you'll be looking out over an azure sea – it’s the island’s favourite beach after all, and you'll be able to enjoy views right down to the southern tip of the beautiful bay. The restaurant is pleasantly mid-size, a relaxing venue for chilling out and forgetting the cares of the world.

People come across the restaurant by walking along the beach, or by chancing upon Sareeraya from the street. The resort’s located on the northern part of Chaweng Beach Road, right opposite Samui International Hospital. Even though it’s so close to all of Chaweng’s raucous action, it’s a haven of tranquillity. And so Chef’s Table has made a name for itself thanks to its quiet yet spectacular setting, but equally so for its great food.

Chef’s Table is run by the extremely capable and affable Cesar Liesa, who’s able to produce an astonishingly wide range of dishes. That’s thanks to the varied experience he's had over the course of his career. He started off in the north of Spain, cooking his native dishes, before working in London and then doing a stint on the

prestigious cruise ship, Queen Elizabeth II. He also studied and worked in Paris, before coming to Asia where he’s worked in Singapore, Hong Kong, Ho Chi Minh City, Xiamen, Shanghai and Borneo. As if that weren’t enough, he’s also worked in the Caribbean and the Middle-East.

The fact that he’s managed restaurants featuring a dozen different cuisines has put him in good stead when it comes to the very international Chef’s Table.

The restaurant is not just run for the convenience of the resort guests; it attracts many people from outside too. As such, it has to cater for people of all nations, and Cesar, with his experience, is just the right person to satisfy all their differing tastes. He likes to know any requests his guests have, and if you have a hankering for something special, he’ll do his utmost for you, whether you've come for a snack, a banquet or anything in between. Incidentally, Chef’s Table is open daily from 11:00 am until last food orders at 10:30 pm.

Cesar’s created a dazzling line up of both western and Asian cuisine. The menu has excellent starters and salads before moving on to an entire page devoted to seafood, such as sea

bass, cod and prawns. If you're more in the mood for grill selections, then you'll enjoy the imported lamb and beef. Then there's a range of pasta and pizzas, mostly made in traditional style. If you're undecided between fish and meat, there's no need to sit on the culinary fence; simply opt for the very delicious Surf & Turf which features grilled lobster tail and Angus beef tenderloin.

Cesar and his team showcase their creativity when it comes to special events. For example, next month they're putting on a Valentine’s menu. With choices such as smoked duck or pate de foie gras and beef tenderloin or salmon fillet, it’s sure to popular, so make sure you phone ahead for a reservation. It’ll be on the 14th February from 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm and will cost 2,400 Baht per couple (all prices are subject to 10% service charge and 7% tax).

But no matter if you're unable to be there on the day, Sareeraya Romantic Dinners are a wonderful way to spend an evening with your beloved. You'll need to book at least one day in advance as places are limited. You'll find two Thai menus, two western menus and two Chinese menus. The prices are from 1,200 Baht

to 2,480 Baht per person. Each is lavishly filled with treats, and depending which you opt for, you'll sample delicacies such as a seafood platter, smoked salmon, beef tenderloin, lobster with ginger and chives and duck red curry. Each menu also comes with moreish desserts.

Cesar’s just introduced a couple of Chinese set menus for banquets, weddings and groups. For the first menu, you can enjoy dishes such as salmon with shiitake sauce, shrimp dim sum and sweet and sour chicken. And for the second, you can feast on duck rolls with Hoisin sauce, lobster with ginger and chives and beef or pork with oyster sauce. The first is 1,480 Baht per person while the second is 2,250 Baht per person.

Chef’s Table also holds two theme nights each week. On Mondays, come for the popular Thai Buffet & Beach BBQ (1,200 Baht) which features live music and barbecue treats such as crab, prawns and seafood, live cooking stations and a variety of Thai desserts. On Thursdays, you'll find Sareeraya’s International Buffet & Beach BBQ (1,400 Baht). Again there’s live music along with a wide choice of barbecued meats and seafood, plus salads and sushi and desserts. Both these events are held right at the beach itself.

Again, make sure you book ahead to avoid disappointment.

In addition, Sareeraya also offers cooking classes where you can learn to make Thai dishes. A Thai master chef takes you through all the steps needed to produce dishes such as green papaya salad. You can choose three dishes per class, and at the end you get to eat them. The classes are run daily except for Mondays and Thursdays.

Chef Cesar and his team pour their hearts into what they do, and whether you're coming for a special occasion or not, their dedication is impeccable. There’s nothing quite like dining in a restaurant that offers so much top-notch choice, and which has a profoundly romantic setting!

Dimitri Waring For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7791 4333, Ext. 5. www.sareeraya.com

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 Time to toast English wine.

Brexit aside, it’s time for every serious wine enthusiast to acknowledge that English wine has, at last, come of age. With 500 vineyards, nearly 2,000 hectares of vines, five million bottles of wine, and gold medals from international competitions, now is the moment to raise a glass to English wine producers.

And this is something that I am extremely pleased about. Not least because, for years, English wines were the butt of many a joke.

Especially across the channel, where even the suggestion of respecting English wineries, was met with a condescending smile. But who’s laughing now? English sparkling wines have beaten Champagne in so many blind tastings that the Champagnoise have had to swallow, along with the bubbles, their pride! And now they are investing heavily in England. Big-hitter Taittinger has acquired nearly 70 hectares in Kent, and plans to produce some 300,000 bottles of sparkling wine. Although in an interesting twist, of their making (French law), the sparkling wine cannot be called Champagne, it will be marketed as Domaine Evremond. And well-known brand name Pommery, has also decided to invest, with an arrangement with Hattingley Valley in Hampshire. (Whether, or not, Brexit will cause any setbacks in these arrangements, is yet to be known.)

The previously slightly quirky, English vineyards used to be the domain of retired army generals, hobbyists and celebrities. But now, the wine business has moved up a few notches, and is far more professional. Sites have been selected for their soil types, in particular the South Downs with its chalky soil. And south-facing, agricultural land in the southeast (but not exclusively) of England, with good drainage, is in huge demand with forward thinking wine growers.

Refreshingly, when discussing potential English vineyard farmland, the experts involved have resisted the use of the pretentious term ‘terroir’, they simply describe the geographical specifics, soil type and climate instead.

English wine grape choices have evolved. In recent years, emphasis has switched from varieties such as Seyval Blanc and Reichensteiner, to Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinoy Meunier, as sparkling wines move to centre stage. Indeed, bubbly accounts for well over half of all English wine made today. And it’s being seen in all the right places. Buckingham Palace is pouring it into the glasses of expectant visiting presidents and dignitaries. While the Queen blessed, and launched, the spectacular new luxury P&O cruise ship, Britannia, with a Nebuchandnezzar of English sparkling wine from Wiston Estate. And let’s not forget that thirsty guests enthusiastically received Chapel Down, a gorgeous white wine, made in Kent, at Prince William and Kate’s momentous wedding reception dinner.

Most wine experts would agree there is a vital clue to the fast progress, and success, of the English wine industry - climate change. The simple fact is, over the last 25 years or so, the

Manathai Koh Samui 18 www.siamwininganddining.com

Samui Ring Road

Lamai

Telephone 0 7745 8560-4

www.manathai.com

temperate climate band that provides the ideal wine growing conditions, has moved north. Just as the deserts of north Africa are creeping up into southern Spain, the highly esteemed and proudly boasted about narrow climate belt of the historic Champagne region (just east of Paris), is now, actually sitting over south east England!

(Sorry to any sensitive Gauls, but I’m just stating a climatic fact.) And England’s day has come! In hidden valleys and secluded glens, English vineyards are now making world-class sparkling wine, and have the medals to prove it. I understand it may be hard for old-school wine buffs to swallow, but the dynamic English sparkling wines rival the very finest Champagnes. A perfect example of this is the elegant Blanc de Blancs from Ridgeview Estate in East Sussex. And Gusbourne Estate, in Kent, makes sparkling wine to rival any I’ve tasted, with its bright intense fruit flavours, yet with a vibrant acidity. And acidity is a crucial component in sparkling wine, balancing the flavours and the effervescence with a sense of crisp liveliness. In England, climate change now permits grapes to ripen sufficiently to make excellent sparkling wine.

But not without a struggle, acidity can still also be a bane. The marginal climate means English winemakers face particular challenges, and there is no room for complacency. They need to work meticulously in the vineyards to combat mould and mildew, caused either by rain or dew. And face major threats from spring frosts. As any English person knows, only too well, they cannot count on good weather year in and year out. Regardless, English wine production is bigger and better than ever before. Scientists can debate climate change, and some politicians can deny it's happening, but the fact is that England's vineyards are flourishing like never before. And this is why it has attracted serious investment, from people in the know. Out in the vineyards there is a new blast of professionalism, many of the mangers and winemakers have cut their teeth in Australia and New Zealand, as well as in the classic wine areas such as Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne. There are some interesting debates, among wine enthusiasts, as to whether French winemakers should be employed in England. Some auguring that it is not a good idea, as English wine needs to develop its own unique character and expression. Whereas, at Exton Park on the Hampshire chalklands, French winemaker Corinne Seely has brought her undoubted expertise to the estate. Her Pinot Meunier Rosé won gold medal at the International Wine Challenge, and her Blanc de Blancs 2011 repeated the feat at the prestigious Decanter World Wine Awards.

Either with or without French knowhow, English wine has arrived in the big league. And surely, that’s cause for celebration amongst all but the most disingenuous wine lovers.

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

Rice Barge & Terrace Nora Buri's Signature Restaurant Chaweng North For Reservation Tel: 0 7791 3555 E-mail: ricebarge@noraburiresort.com www.noraburiresort.com

Chaweng Beach Road Chaweng North

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

Price THB 850 per person.

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

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

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

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

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

Thai menu THB 5,000 per couple.

International menu THB 6,000 per couple.

Advance reservation required

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

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