November 2017 by Siam Map Co., Ltd.

SAMUI An underground tunnel telling the story of Poppies and leading you to Samui’s most established restaurant

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Monday & Saturday: Thai Buffet & Beach BBQ THB 900 Net Thursday: International Buffet THB 900 Net

NOVEMBER 2017

Sareeraya Villas & Suites

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

Drip Drop Get ready to get wet … and be fed! Browse through our newspaper and you'll see the plethora of food that's on offer; the briefest of reads will show you the massive diversity that's to be had. As we enter rainy season you may find yourself with time on your hands, due to downpours. While you're waiting for the sun to come out again, what better chance than to avail yourself of some of the fine fare that’s on offer? Whether you chance upon a small eatery serving a basic menu where you can satisfy your hunger with an authentic curry, or have booked yourself into a fine dining restaurant for Wagyu steak and a noble French wine, you'll be surprised at the quality of what’s on offer, and beyond that the sheer friendliness of the people here.

Naturally, Samui being a Thai island, the majority of establishments serve Thai food – just about every dish from every region in the country. But there’s plenty more besides, with cuisines that come from every continent. You'll find Italian, French, Greek, Turkish, Scandinavian and Russian cuisine from Europe; Brazilian, Tex-Mex, Mexican and international from the Americas; Indian, Chinese, Japanese and Korean from Asia. And that’s by no means an exhaustive list. Whatever you choose to eat, Samui is a wonderful place to enjoy food of all different kinds and, adding to the pleasure, you’ll probably experience eating a under the shade of palm trees with fantastic sea views. Enjoy!

2017 "Delicious Destinations" 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

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SAMUI

SAMUI An underground tunnel telling the story of Poppies and leading you to Samui’s most established restaurant

Monday & Saturday: Thai Buffet & Beach BBQ THB 900 Net

www.siamwininganddining.com

FREE COPY

Thursday: International Buffet THB 900 Net

NOVEMBER 2017

Sareeraya Villas & Suites

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

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

Karan Ladd 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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The Wow Factor Experience is everything at Krua Bophut restaurant.

Prepare to be blown away by this restaurant! I had three courses and actually said ‘wow’ out loud after each one! The amazing subtle flavours, textures and presentation of the food, the perfect service along with the naturally warm ambience created within the restaurant, all mean I will definitely be going back and taking some friends along to share the amazing experience.

towards the heart of Fisherman’s Village from The Wharf, it’s the first restaurant you come to on the beach side. Outside is a display of the days locally caught fresh seafood, giving you an idea of what you could have for lunch or dinner. This ever-popular, traditional Thai restaurant, right by the sea, really does deserve its great reputation.

With easy parking at Fisherman’s Wharf Shopping Plaza, just a two-minute stroll away, it’s an ‘easy to find’ venue. As you wander

As soon as you enter the restaurant, you begin to relax. Not only do they serve authentic, aromatic and tasty Thai food, but the building is

in the traditional Thai style, with an old-world charm and plenty of atmosphere. You have the choice to sit outside by the beach under the trees and stars, watching the yachts gently bobbing on the water, in the garden courtyard or inside where you will find high ceilings, tiled floors, quirky furniture, antiques and the pleasant comfort of gentle air conditioning. Even when busy, the restaurant area feels very spacious and welcoming. Soft, low-volume background music is played, allowing your conversation to flow naturally and easily. In the

Fresh local fish and seafood, cooked in authentic Thai way by the owner Supattra. Great international wines! Just a few tables in an open Thai sala style restaurant facing a mangrove forest. Tel. 093 2828 777 Open 6:00 pm, closed Sunday & Monday www.facebook.com/supattrathaidining Seatran Ferry

Big Buddha Market

Airport

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evening, there is low-level lighting and candlelight on your table, adding to the atmosphere of classic elegance and sophisticated romance. You will immediately notice that all the staff are well trained and obviously well looked after by their employer. Wearing traditional Thai silk outfits, they are happy, helpful, friendly and attentive, yet discreet in their work. Everything is done with a smile, and any questions are courteously answered. Nothing is a problem.

Efficient and modern service with a homely feel, it’s the perfect place for lunch, dinner or a light snack. Krua Bophut specialises in Thai food, all made with the highest quality, fresh local ingredients. Alongside traditional Thai dishes such as pad Thai or Penang curry, you will find the ‘Seafood Platter’ with lobster, prawns, fish, squid and mussels and the ‘Steak on a Lava Stone’. Many dishes are offered with several alternative ways of cooking them and different sauces. Have your

fish fried, steamed or grilled, with tamarind sauce or garlic and pepper sauce. The chefs are skilled at amending their dishes to suit. There is always a variety of fish and seafood available, but also chicken, pork, beef and vegetable dishes. Appetisers, soups, salads, main dishes and desserts are all itemised on the easy-to-read menu, and there is a ‘chilli-coding’ symbol enabling you to easily identify spicier or milder dishes. There are two hugely popular set menus,

which are both excellent value for money. Set menu A is moderately spicy and set menu B has milder choices. Both give you the chance to try a variety of different Thai foods that you might have missed otherwise. Portion sizes here are generous, and all main dishes come with steamed rice where appropriate. The ‘Spicy Fried Fish Salad’ is amazing. Gorgeous, succulent pieces of fish, fried in a thin and oh-so-light and crispy batter, accompanied with fresh salad, crunchy noodles, basil and a

really light, spicy and amazingly flavoursome sauce. I followed with the ‘Fish in Green Curry Sauce’. More tantalizing flavours and both dishes were superbly presented. I requested smaller than normal size portions which wasn’t a problem at all. Lucky for me as I couldn’t resist trying the banana fritters with ice-cream! ‘Ooh, la la’ and just ‘wow’ again! Be sure to search out this jewel of a restaurant and let all your senses, especially your taste buds, enjoy the entire experience. Open from

1:00 pm until midnight every day, if you want a table on the beach, be sure to book ahead, especially on Monday or Friday evenings, when the village walking street market is in operation.

Karan Ladd For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7743 0030 or 0 7790 2888. www.kruabophut.com

Welcome to Olivio Italian Cuisine - sit back and enjoy the very best of Italian and Thai food in a relaxing atmosphere. We’re renowned not just for our great tastes but our beautiful beachside setting too. Olivio - Beachfront at Baan Haad Ngam Boutique Resort & Villas Chaweng Beach. Free round trip transfer from Chaweng, Bophut and Choeng Mon. For reservations, please call : +66 77 332 950-7 Fax : +66 77 332 958 E-mail : booking@baanhaadngam.com www.baanhaadngam.com

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Thai Recipe Goong Ob Woonsen or Clay Pot Shrimp and Noodles.

Everybody who’s into cooking seems to love the idea of cooking Thai. But perhaps rather oddly, few cooks outside Thailand want to go to the effort of buying a Thai-style clay pot. ‘Can I make do with something else?’ is the question at the back of their minds. Yes, is the answer, sure you can, and the recipe you'll find below is easy to adapt. That said, compromising isn’t always your best friend. You can miss out on a lot by skimping. If you make the effort to go and buy a clay pot, preferably one that sits atop a charcoal burner, then you'll be cooking in a very traditional style. In goong ob woonsen, the flavours come in layers of their own, starting with pork, then that time-honoured combination of ginger and black pepper along with yummy noodles and prawns, finally rounded off with plenty of vegetables, all crisp and succulent. By the way, if you can’t find coriander roots, you can always use stems instead, though the resulting flavour may be a little different.

Many pots are quite small, and may only hold half of the recipe, so you may be restricted by the size of your container. However, that said, when it comes to shrimp, you can use as many as you like and cut back on other ingredients. The bacon isn’t entirely necessary, so don’t worry if you don’t have any. If you don’t want to invest in a Thai-style clay pot, then you can use a covered stoneware casserole dish and place in the oven for the same time, at around 375 degrees. It should turn out just fine. A Spanish or Catalan glazed clay pot with lid will be an equally good alternative. Please don’t even ask about microwave possibilities – we’re trying to keep things traditional here!

woonsen in Thai • 3 strips bacon, cut into rectangles • 1 cup Chinese celery, cut into smallish pieces • 2 ½ tbsp ginger, sliced very thinly • 1 tbsp garlic, chopped • ½ tbsp black peppercorns (use more if you prefer hotter) • 2 coriander roots • 2 ½ tbsp oyster sauce • 1 tbsp thin soy sauce • 1 tbsp dark soy sauce • 1 tsp sesame oil • A small cup of water

Once the clay pot is done cooking, you'll end up with a plate of noodles spiced with the scrumptious flavours of black pepper and ginger.

The first thing to do is to place the noodles in a bowl of water for about 15 minutes. (Make sure the water is warm.) This gives you ample time to get all the other ingredients ready.

Method:

Ingredients: • 12 shrimp, deveined • 3 ounces of glass noodles, known simply as

The spice paste comes next and is easy to make. Use a traditional mortar and pestle, if you have one, otherwise use a blender, though the results

may not be quite as good. Mix the garlic, ginger, black peppercorns and coriander roots, but leave the peppercorns right until last, as they need to be coarse rather than fine – this will impart more flavour to the dish and give it a slightly crunchy texture. Next, prepare the soy sauce mix by combining the oyster sauce, both types of soy sauce, along with the sesame oil and water. Now it’s time to layer the clay pot. First, however, remove the noodles from the water, drain and set aside. Then take the clay pot and put in the bacon, which should entirely coat the bottom. Next, add the ginger and the spice paste, the drained noodles, shrimp and, last of all, the soy sauce mix. You're now ready to start the final process, the actual cooking. Should you be using a charcoal burner then make sure that the charcoal is nicely glowing throughout; it’ll take some time to get to this stage. Otherwise, put the pot on a stove, and

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using a heat diffuser, cook for about 25 – 30 minutes over medium heat. Add in the vegetables some five minutes before the cooking is finished to ensure that they're delightfully crisp. (If you're not worried, however, it’s easier to add them in to the pot before the cooking process starts, as the final, top layer.) Once the pot is ready, mix all the ingredients together using chopsticks or a salad spoon and fork and serve onto individual plates. Alternatively, just let your guests dip into the clay pot!

Dimitri Waring

Out of Sight

But not out of mind – Trade Wind, a quality restaurant right on the beach at Bophut’s Samui Palm Beach Resort. It’s been said before. But it’s still true – for every restaurant you can see out on the road there are another 100 hidden away. Of course, that’s not to say all of them are good. Certainly, for each good one there are many that are merely average. But one of the best things about this publication is that we find the good ones for you! And one of these is certainly Trade Wind restaurant. Trade Wind is the signature restaurant of Samui Palm Beach Resort, situated not so far from Fisherman’s Village, running in a huge plot of landscaped grandeur between the ring-road and the beach. There are some very fine resorts along this stretch: they were all built back in the days when effortless landscaping was more important than how many bungalows you could cram into your plot. And Samui Palm Beach is a prime example of this sort of 5-star opulence. You’ll get an idea of this when you navigate your way to its entrance on the ring-road – the big white boundary wall goes on forever, almost 300 metres! The car park inside, and the reception block, is misleading: you really get no idea of just how big it is here until you begin to make your way through and towards the beach. And on the way you’ll be surprised to see the sweeping curves of one of the biggest swimming pools in Thailand! You’ll come out in a huge open space overlooking the sea, with another pool in the foreground and lush sweeping lawns beyond (this layout and seascape is one of the things which make this resort so popular for weddings). The contemporary-styled Trade Wind is over in the right hand corner, bordering the pool and lawns. It’s both luxurious and laid-back, open and airy, intimate, and delightfully decorated and fitted, with walls of opening glass doors.

Between this and the sea there’s a big terrace that’s perched up above the beach. But the area immediately outside the restaurant building is filled with gigantic bamboo umbrellas, under which there are groups of tables on the patio right next to the sea. The service is exactly as you might expect. You’ll immediately be greeted and shown to your table. And, once seated, the drinks menu and the main menu will appear instantly. One of the pleasing aspects here is that the resort has its own bakery, and the selection of breads and breadsticks which will then appear on your table is most satisfying. The menu is Thai and International, and the items on offer reflect an excellent and varied selection of quality dishes using prime ingredients – and if you’ve never tasted Thai dishes made with corn-fed chicken or imported Australian beef, then you’re in for a pleasant surprise! The menu is appropriately sectioned, beginning with the Thai offerings and a selection of ‘starter’ nibbles such as spring rolls, satay sticks and crunchy deep-fried delights like prawns and chicken wings. There’s a plentiful choice of salads. Plus nine different assorted curry dishes, all of which can be individually tuned you your ‘hotness’ preferences. And then a big range of stir-fries under the ‘main dish’ section, including chicken, pork and beef and several seafood options. Plus a whole sea bass or red snapper, steamed or fried. The international side of the cuisine eases in with a selection of soups followed by several pasta and risotto platters – and there’s also a big choice of pizzas to go for, too, including a couple of quirky ‘fusion’ offerings – ‘Tom Yum Goong’ and ‘Pad Ga Prao Gai’.

But the real delights appear when you try to decide from the ‘mains’. The main dishes here are super, particularly the ‘Grilled Duck Breast with Sour Onion, Mashed Potato and Red Wine Sauce’. But it’s hard to choose between this and the Fillet Mignon; ‘Beef Tenderloin, Wrapped Bacon, Vegetables, Mashed Potato and Mushroom Sauce’. Although the ‘Australian Wagyu Beef Sirloin (with Green Peppercorn Sauce, served with Roasted Capsicums, Asparagus, and Mashed Potato)’ is also the high on the list of favourites. But the real test of any quality restaurant is the desserts. Inexperienced chefs usually play it safe and offer only ice-cream or seasonal fruits. But here at Trade Wind you can indulge yourself with Crêpe Suzette, Tiramisu, Panacotta or Crème Brûlée, amongst others; a terrific way to wind-down the evening! Apart from the delightful surroundings, the quality of the cuisine and the standard of the service, Trade Wind has yet one more thing to recommend it. And that’s the cost of an evening’s first-class dining. It might be hosted at a 5-star resort, but let me say that the bill you’ll get really doesn’t reflect this. And certainly you’ll be prompted to return to Bophut, to Samui Palm Beach Resort, and their Trade Wind restaurant.

Rob De Wet For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7742 5494 -5. www.samuipalmbeachresorts.com Facebook: samuipalmbeach

Located in the beautiful Fisherman’s Village on Bophut Beach. Our experienced chefs proudly present authentic Thai cuisine and Southern Thai dishes. Fresh seafood is a must with great quality at reasonable prices. Enjoy the tranquility of the beach, the twinkling stars and the whispering waves along with the beautiful music. A superb dining experience and great memories. Fisherman’s Village l

Tel. 077 902 888, 077 430 030 l www.kruabophut.com

Free Parking available at the Wharf!! www.siamwininganddining.com 5

Cheeses Pleases

A look at Authentic Cheeses Samui and how it came about.

Tell me if this is true for you. Every time you go on holiday you think about ways you could live there. You know what I mean – holidays are wonderful, so much so that you imagine staying forever. You keep an eye out for things you could do. A business you could start, a job you might be qualified to do. Whether it’s sunshine or snow slopes, don’t you always wonder how you could stay there forever? If you are more mature, you’re thinking about retirement. But, for the rest of us, we’re on the lookout for a way to get to our own personal paradise and make a living. True or not? And this was exactly what happened to Pascal Silvestre. Pascal is French. And he’d been coming to Samui on holiday over an eight-year period – he’d fallen in love with the island. Pascal was born in Tours, and had settled into a specialised occupation, working in a factory that made machinery and equipment for making cheese – he actually worked at this for 27 years. Today, this has all become a very specialised and controlled science, and a long way from the olden days when it was all a bit of an interesting adventure, and great fun seeing if everything came out as you expected – or not! Now you need to measure precise amounts, be able to control the temperature and acidy of the ingredients used, the times of the various processes, and be able to measure and adjust each or all of these things to produce consistently repeatable results. Cheese making has become something of a speciality, governed by a precisely sterile working environment and a whole bunch of international standards, not to

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mention laws related to hygiene. And so it’s not surprising that specialised cheese-making equipment has been developed to conform to all these requirements. And Pascal made equipment for the making of cheese. It didn’t take more than a few visits to Samui to realise that there was no cheese being made here. Yes, you could buy all manner of imported cheeses from the specialist importers. But these were all mass-produced and not freshly-made, and were full of additives and chemicals that gave them long shelf lives. But all these additives also took away the essential nature of cheese – to be able to freely mature over a period of weeks and change their condition at each of the stages of maturing. To sum it all up: there were now so many gourmet restaurants on the island that real, fresh, specialist cheese must be in great demand. But all that was available were these sanitised sealed packs of ‘plastic’ cheese with an impressive name on the label. Surely there was a need for real, gourmet, freshly-made cheese? And, it turned out, yes, there was. And so Pascal started to spend all his spare time with a friend who made cheese for a hobby, then went to college to study everything more-in depth. And he finally took the plunge and moved over here full time, with his wife, Sandrine, in the early part of 2014. It took a while to find the right premises, then more time to get everything up and running. Thus ‘Authentic Cheese Samui’ didn’t really get off the ground until December 2014.

Today he deals mainly with the big hotels and their restaurants. He has his shop right out on the main ring-road, just where the hill from Lamai to Chaweng begins, across the road from ‘First Lucky Travel’. But he’s delighted to see ordinary folks coming in to buy just the odd cheese or two. He has a moderate assortment of both goat and cow cheese in his shop, but is happy to take orders as long as the amount you want is justified, or if you don’t mind waiting a while until there’s an order for a batch of it. And I have to say that the logs of goat’s Bûche Blanche et Cendrée (dusted with a flour or food ash crust) are out of this world. Likewise, the more usual varieties of fresh cow’s Camembert or Brie. Not to mention the wonderful assortments of Fondants Frais (which can be made to order), sprinkled with pepper, garlic, smoked grape, almonds, chilli . . . whatever you want! All you have to do is to drop in and visit Pascal. At which point you’ll discover that every one of his cheeses pleases more than you can imagine!

Rob De Wet For more information, telephone 0 848 405 869 Facebook: Authentic Cheese Samui.

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Chopstick Challenge Chopsticks embrace culture, cuisine and etiquette.

“This is my favourite thing in the whole world,” announced a child at the table, pointing to a paper wrapper. It didn’t look much. We were in a Japanese restaurant in Bangkok, surrounded by imported decor from the home country: all sorts of things to look at from Hokusai prints, to carp flags and sake labels. The tiny paper seemed, in comparison, unremarkable. It was the type used to sheathe the disposable chopsticks used in the restaurant. It was printed with a delicate pink design of sakura, cherry blossoms. Simple, but beautiful. Yet so disarmingly ordinary – the world population of chopstick wrappers must be in the millions – that you’d be forgiven for overlooking it. Such wrappers are part of a general chopstick culture that embraces China, Japan and Korea, and which dates back many years. It’s not known which tribe first got into the habit of using chopsticks, but the practice of using ‘zhu’ as they were originally known, goes back over 4,000 years. Chopsticks back then were first used to stir soups and catch individual pieces in the broth. Later people started to eat with them. Their appearance in Chinese history is definitely

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one of the signs of civilization; before chopsticks were invented, people used to eat with their hands, making meals an extremely messy procedure. Nobody questions the existence of chopsticks. Just from their form you can tell that they've always been the simplest and most effective of tools when it comes to seizing morsels of food. But simple as they may be, chopsticks are quite hard to use correctly, and it takes time to become agile with them. And then there’s the etiquette that goes with them. If you're in Thailand then you're lucky as it’s not so complicated here. You can use chopsticks for Thai noodle dishes, such as pad Thai, or Chinese dishes, but otherwise the fork and spoon are used. There are still a few rules to remember. Don’t leave them stuck vertically into bowls. Don't use chopsticks to eat rice. And very notably, don’t point at people with chopsticks, as pointing is considered very rude. Don’t therefore even let your chopsticks rest on the table if

they're pointing towards someone. That’s about it. When you've finished your dish, simply place the chopsticks on the bottom of the bowl. In Japan it’s a lot more complex. More so as there are some funerary procedures that involve chopsticks, and these should never be used when eating food. For example, at a funeral, bones will be passed using chopsticks before being placed in an urn. Under no circumstances should you pass food to another person using your chopsticks and expect him or her to take it with their own chopsticks. Similarly don’t plant your chopsticks in your bowl of rice – this will also remind Japanese diners of funerals, as will crossed chopsticks on the table. Use the chopstick rests or that paper wrapper to rest them on. In China, some of the rules are similar. Again there’s a funerary tradition involving chopsticks, so don’t stick them vertically into any bowl and then abandon them – they’ll look like incense sticks at a funeral. But there are other usages too that are frowned on, such as using the sticks to

tap the bowl you're eating from – it’s a sign that you're a beggar and in need of food. Don’t point with the chopsticks or pick through communal food with them, in search of the best bits. Obviously that’ll be seen as selfish behaviour. Should you suck the ends of the chopsticks, people will think you're uneducated. No matter what country you are in, chopsticks are simply too amazing to be contained by the bounds of mere etiquette. They go way beyond and, in the right hands, or should we say fingers, can be formidable fighting tools. Yes, it’s entirely possible to win fights with chopsticks (though you may lose if faced by someone wielding a paper-and-bamboo fan, another unexpectedly lethal weapon). Any seriously good practitioner of martial arts who has included chopstick training can terminate any meal within seconds, leaving his or her dining companions dead at the table. But back to more peaceable uses of chopsticks. They make a great gift. You are unlikely to buy a knife and fork for someone as a present, but in

China it’s quite acceptable to buy chopsticks for friends or family. Many chopsticks are collectibles and this comes as no surprise when you look at the beautiful painted scenes on them – they look like artworks. Chopsticks require practice, but if you can learn how to use them, you'll feel all the more confident. As a visitor to South-East Asia, even if you never use them here in Thailand, there are plenty of other places where your training will put you in good stead. You’ll no longer feel edgy when eating in a Chinese, Japanese or Korean restaurant once you're adept with using two sticks to eat with. Put in the effort and in no time you'll be adroitly enjoying many a meal just the way the millions of people do – chopsticks in hands.

Dimitri Waring

Bean a While

Boncafe turns 26, and celebrates another milestone in coffee culture. In the west, coffee has been in fashion for some four hundred years, whilst in Thailand, though the country has its own coffee plantations, coffee is a relative newcomer to the beverage scene. It’s thanks to a handful of entrepreneurs, such as Boncafe, that you can now enjoy your cup of Joe just about anywhere in the nation, and of course, on Samui, too. Even a few years back, Samui seemed to be the last place on earth to go for a coffee. If you ordered one, you'd probably end up with a half-filled plastic cup of hot water and be given grim-looking sachets containing instant coffee, creamer and sugar. That was the way to go back then. Boncafe is largely responsible for changing that. These days, on Samui as elsewhere in Thailand, you'll see that coffee culture has emerged with a vengeance. Everywhere there are sleek cafés, gleaming chrome machines and staff who know all about coffee. If you're reading this in a coffee shop then it’s quite likely that Boncafe provided the coffee machine on the counter, regularly service it, provide the beans to go inside and trained the barista. And on top of that they may even have given practical advice on the coffee shop itself – decor, layout, accessories and so on. Even if you never see the Boncafe logo, you've probably drunk some of their coffee as it’s so widespread here on Samui. They're acknowledged experts, and credit goes to them for promoting coffee culture everywhere. They're seasoned hands when it comes to this, and have been in business for just over a quarter of a century; November 22nd turns out to be Boncafe’s 26th birthday.

The firm was originally established in Singapore, in 1962, with the brand gradually becoming well-known across the region before setting up in Thailand, in 1991. Incorporated as a joint Thai and Swiss venture, Boncafe (Thailand) is today a highly convenient one-stop solution offering a full gamut of products and services, not just in the hospitality industry, but also for individuals. Coffee beans are sourced and roasted at their facility in Thailand; Boncafe uses Arabica coffee bean from the north and Robusta from the south of the country. Once packaging is complete, the coffee is transported all over the nation. The coffee machines that Boncafe sells are high-standard and are imported from manufacturers in Switzerland, Italy, the United States and other countries. There's a variety of prices but all offer great value. There are also capsule coffee machines and accessories for all equipment. But since not everyone drinks coffee, Boncafe are also into teas and other drinks too. For example, they're currently promoting a new product, Houjicha, a roasted green tea. It’s an innovative drink in that it doesn’t taste like the usual green tea, but a combination of chocolate, coffee and barley rice. This is due to the brewing process, which incidentally results in 1.5 times less caffeine, making it popular with older drinkers and children alike. Boncafe also offer a range of instant mixed drinks, with the ingredients mostly produced in Thailand to create convenient and tasty products such as Bonchoco instant chocolate beverage, and Bontea Mix, a variety of peach, lemon, and apple teas.

These are just a few examples of what Boncafe are up to. They are constantly striving to develop existing product lines and to make new ones, the idea being to ensure that the food service industry can reap the benefits of the latest and the most cost-effective products that are entering the market. It pays to keep in touch with their latest developments by dropping in to their showroom. It’s in Bophut, just opposite The Wharf, and is open Monday till Saturday from 9:00 am until 6:00 pm, except public holidays. Every few months they'll have some new product on the market – or several. You'll be assured of a very friendly welcome by the entire team here. They're extremely dedicated and will be able to answer all your questions. It doesn’t matter if you're intent on setting up a coffee shop or just simply want to enjoy coffee at home. If nothing could be simpler than getting delicious and dependable coffee – or indeed other drinks – on Samui, then it’s largely thanks to Boncafe!

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

www.siamwininganddining.com 9

Leap-Frogging the Competition Forging forward with new conviction at Dr Frogs Italian Bar & Grill.

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Oysters with Bloody Mary shots, Filet Steak with Jumbo Prawns, Barracuda Balls with Spicy Tomato Sauce, the Thailander cocktail, Chablis by the glass, Monday night saxophone vibes with Nok and 9:00 am yoga classes with a perfect sea view. Dr Frogs is definitely not resting on the laurels of their long-term success. With an energetic restaurant manager who has a passion for exceptional hospitality and customer service, the restaurant continues to forge ahead. Along with the highly talented eight-year resident Italian chef, Massimo Mariani, changes are being made. Situated on the cliffs of Chaweng Noi, overlooking the Gulf of Thailand, the ever-popular Dr Frogs commands breath-taking views of the panoramic coastline and the turquoise blue ocean below. The restaurant consists of two covered, open-sided balconies with wooden decking and fans throughout. The gorgeous view and welcome ocean breeze throughout the entire dining area make it an idyllic spot to sample some of their renowned authentic Italian or Thai cuisine.

The restaurant opens its doors every day at 7:00 am for gourmet breakfasts, with healthy and nourishing choices. Try Dr Frogs signature breakfast; poached eggs with asparagus, olives, feta cheese, rocket, polenta and toast. Or design your own combination. The welcome variety of choice includes; feta or cream cheese, smoked salmon, steamed spinach, sausages and bacon, as well as cereals, fruit salads, pancakes, Thai breakfast favourites, teas and real Italian Vittoria coffee. Seek out the healthy drinks menu, offering delights such as Green Pina Colada Smoothie, Energy Booster or Recovery Angel! Come and join the 9:00 am yoga class at Boujis Boutique Resort situated right next door. It’s then just a hop, skip and a jump up to the restaurant for breakfast! Follow with a shimmy over to the sun loungers around the resort pool for some well-earned holiday relaxation and the possibility of a later snack from the poolside menu. Dr Frogs also has an ‘all day menu’, chock full of classic Italian favourites. Starters, salads, meat

and seafood mains, pizza, pasta, risotto and desserts. Maybe start with the Cosce Di Rana Alla Provenzale - Pan Fried Frog Legs in Garlic and Parsley Butter, (sorry I couldn’t resist a namesake dish!). Then try the Ravioli Verdi; Ricotta and Spinach in Green Ravioli with Sage Butter and Parmigiano or the Australian Fillet Steak and Jumbo Tiger Prawn served with your choice of potatoes. Homemade Gnocchi is very popular and there is a choice of three sauces. From the Thai menu, try Gai Hor Bai Toey; Shallow Fried Chicken Wrapped in Pandan Leaf with Plum Sauce or Tod Mun Goon; Deep Fried Prawn Cakes with Sweet Chill Sauce, both designed to be shared! Lobsters, French oysters and Australian mussels, along with prime Australian beef and New Zealand lamb are all imported to maintain freshness and quality. At Dr Frogs, all the stock, sauces and soups are made on site, and only the freshest vegetables are used. And the desserts are all awesome and homemade. Try the Mango Crème Brûlée with wild berry compote or the ever-popular Tiramisu.

The updated wine list now includes even higher quality wines at lower prices. There is a great selection of Chianti and Pinot Grigio from Italy, Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, amongst many others imported from Italy, France, Argentina, America, Chile, South Africa, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria and Australia. And you can buy more wines by the glass, including a rather special Chablis, imported directly from the Burgundy region in France. The bar is extremely well stocked and has a great selection of specialist whiskies and a new selection of Grappa and some surprise special cocktails. Yes, there is still the Bellini (Prosecco and peach juice) and the Negroni (gin, Campari and vermouth), but now Dr Frogs have introduced the Negroni Sbagliato, which has a story behind its creation. Sbagliato in Italian means ‘bungled’, ‘wrong’ or ‘broken’. Apparently, a very busy bartender picked up a bottle of prosecco instead of gin, and so a new and delicious cocktail was born.

Dr Frogs comes highly recommended and can get busy, particularly in the evenings. On Monday and Wednesday there is live music. Ensure you book ahead to experience their meticulous cuisine, awesome service and idyllic cliff top view. Find them on the ring road between Chaweng Noi and Lamai, situated between Boujis Boutique Resort and the viewpoint. Open every day from 7:00 am until 11:00 pm, Dr Frogs is ready and eager to leap-frog you forward into new experiences.

Karan Ladd For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7744 8505 www.drfrogs.com

www.siamwininganddining.com 11

Japanese Joys

From fine dining to humble eats, Japanese cuisine is alive and well on Samui.

Red lanterns line a lane. Women with equally red umbrellas in ornate kimonos side-step formally dressed salarymen. Everyone wears an inscrutable expression. Japan, eh? Japan gets a bad rap when it comes to clichés and false assumptions. Fortunately, as more and more people go there, the truth spreads. Always a place for fun, neither the country nor its population cares much for formality outside prescribed situations. Japan is particularly laid-back when it comes to eating and drinking (especially the latter). But the prejudices endure and impact Japanese cuisine when it’s transplanted overseas. Basically put: people are a tad nervous about eating Japanese. They shouldn’t be. It’s not mired in elaborate rituals unless you're in a very elegant restaurant or it’s a particularly special occasion. Take a look at the fundamentals of the cuisine in its most traditional sense, and you'll see it’s very simple: rice is served with miso soup or a handful of other dishes. Side dishes tend to be pickled vegetables, or ingredients cooked in broth. Seafood abounds, due to Japan being a series of islands. It’s often grilled, but raw is highly popular - sashimi or in sushi. And since most of Japan has a rigorous winter, ingredients are

seasonal, and there’s a big emphasis on freshness. It’s hardly complicated, even when you factor in what seems to be the strangest set of national opposites ever: Japan is both the most traditional country in the world and the most modern. The cuisine reflects this, and it’s become a mix of centuries-old dishes and ancient cooking methods, combined with western ingredients and eye-popping surprises. Don't be surprised if the cook uses a typical sashimi recipe then tops it with cream cheese before lightly toasting with a blowtorch! Drinks to go with the food? These are a lot more familiar. You don’t need to be a wine buff and worry about pairings – wine is still second to beer. Beer is the staple, a Japanese love-affair, with popular breweries exporting the world over – then there’s sake, ditto for exporting. Japan is less mysterious than many people make it out to be. Across the board, the accent is on simplicity, and that certainly applies to the food, which over the last few decades has become increasingly in vogue throughout the world, including Thailand.

Here on Samui, Japanese food used to be a rarity. That’s all changed, and more and more places offer typical Japanese delicacies on the island. Where to go? Here’s a current list of great restaurants on the island. At Central Festival, on the ground floor you'll find Tai by Red Snapper, which has a patio that looks onto the busy beach road outside. Food choices are very wide-ranging at Tai, and you can also find gluten free and vegetarian dishes. The restaurant is well known for its sushi, barbecue food and an irrepressible tom yum soup, if you'd like Thai. It directly faces popular Zen Sushi & Sake which boasts a chic contemporary setting and lavish menu, including as, the restaurant name suggests, all manner of sake drinks. Upstairs at you'll find Yayoi, with Ryuichi Sakamoto music and a few yuzen patterns on the walls – it’s entirely pleasant and laid-back. Check out the specials, with some of the cheapest prices around. And if you like things spicy, there are a few fusion dishes. Popular chain restaurant, Fuji, at Tesco-lotus in Chaweng, serves a medley of Japanese dishes in an air-con dining room (you may need to dress

warmly) and is a hangout for shoppers and business people alike. Just south of Tesco-Lotus, you'll find newcomer Mr. Toki at the traffic lights on the ring-road. Mr. Toki specializes in Japanese-Thai fusion, and has an interesting selection that melds both with pizzazz. Continue south along the ring-road and you'll come to Musashi Ramen and Sushi Bar (behind Buffalo Steak & Wine) which offers an array of Japanese delights including nabe, Japan’s answer to one-pot comfort food – always easy and delightful to eat, yet rarer to find in Japanese restaurants in Samui. Ageha Sushi opposite Tesco-Lotus in Lamai has two Japanese chefs serving authentic dishes ib an elegant interior. Try their sushi, sashimi and ramen for sheer deliciousness. Russian-speaking guests appreciate there being a Russian waitress on hand to solve any communication problems. Kobori Japanese Restaurant in Maenam, just down from the traffic lights, offers popular Japanese dishes and seems to be a hit with the island’s foreign residents. Eat inside and admire Hokusai prints, Japanese calligraphy and the antics of the chef who may just appear in full samurai armour. Feel free to dress up in Japanese

traditional clothing – the restaurant boasts a large stock! Popular Kobori has now opened a second branch on the seafront in Nathon. For a sophisticated beachside setting, head for Namu at W Retreat. The setting is as contemporary and as minimalistic as things can get, and the food’s got a cachet for excellence. Take a seat at one of the tables in the dining room, or do as the Japanese do and eat at the bar. Why? Because then you get to see the chefs at work. Watch while they prepare your dishes. It’s quite an experience and you'll see for yourself how fresh everything is. The chefs’ hands and the deft way they move seem reminiscent of magicians’ – yet there's no fakery here. These are mostly very old and authentic dishes, though with a good few modern touches. The magic comes when you put the food in your mouth. If you've never eaten Japanese before, give it a try on Samui, and you'll be won over by tastes that are all to do with health, flavour and freshness. And no need to verse yourself in elaborate etiquette either – simply take a seat and enjoy, like the Japanese do.

Dimitri Waring

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

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Food Fans

Excellent food, setting and service make Baitong Restaurant at Banana Fan Sea Resort Koh Samui a place to return to. Journey down Chaweng’s beach road – party central for some – to discover one of the island’s most sought after places to eat, Baitong Restaurant, and experience for yourself just why so many people like to dine in the complete harmony of this unexpected beachside idyll. Despite being so centrally located, the restaurant turns out to be a complete oasis. Set in the gardens of Banana Fan Sea Resort Koh Samui – you'll need to walk down beautiful paths that take you towards the sea – it’s a restaurant that ticks all the boxes. Reasons why you should go? There are plenty. The Setting If you enjoy the soundtracks and backdrops of nature, you're in the right place. Dine directly on the beach and you'll hear the lapping of the waves close by. And if you approach the restaurant from the beach, you'll hardly see the restaurant due to the palm trees. Part of the fun is the extremely languid setting – whether you're on the beach itself, the restaurant terrace or the

open-sided dining room, it’s a bit like being in a cocoon. Sit back and enjoy being in a tropical setting that’ll delight all your senses.

perfectly-prepared filet of sea bass or enjoy the best of Thai dishes such as roasted duck curry or stir-fried blue crab.

The Food

Freshness

A few decades ago, hotel restaurants didn’t need to worry about variety or even excellence. Nobody cared – Samui was hardly on the map, so people were happy to get whatever was going. That era has gone, so too have the restaurants that couldn’t keep up with the change. Baitong did. It’s got a cachet for great food and for satisfying diners who come from just about every country in the world. A heritage of excellent cuisine over the years means that all tastes are catered for, and the restaurant continues to bring its guests outstanding experiences, whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner (it’s open daily with last food orders at 10:30 pm). The menu lists almost a hundred dishes, and covers a full spectrum of fare from international favourites through to Thai treats. You can choose a pepper sirloin steak, a

Baitong ensures that all its ingredients are top quality and many come from Samui itself. Others are from nearby on the mainland or further afield. Some ingredients are of course impossible to find in Thailand, and these are imported from abroad. The idea is to keep costs down whilst guaranteeing maximum freshness. The culinary staff have a very dedicated approach to preparing the food, and make everything from scratch whenever possible. The results speak for themselves - across-the-board great tastes and satisfied diners.

more usually known as Khun Art, doing the rounds, and making sure that his diners are enjoying their food. He doesn’t just do this out of mere politeness; he’s ensuring that the restaurant is delivering the best quality meals. Since he’s talking to dozens of guests every day, he's also well-informed about new trends in dining, and what further additions guests might like to see on the menu. An equally important aim is to provide guests with top-quality service. “Guests should be looked after just as a member of the family would be,” he says, “and this is the attitude of everyone here. We do our utmost to promote this kind of atmosphere in the restaurant, whether it’s welcoming and helping to look after children or seeing if our guests have any special requests.” Convenience

head out of the tranquil restaurant and fifteen minutes later be in a bar, night club or other laid-back spot to enjoy the rest of the evening. Staff will order you a taxi, but many places are within walking distance. Baitong Restaurant is run by people who care deeply, and eating here is a real treat. Equally good, prices are all affordable. Take the time to dine there and enjoy feeling at home in a wonderful tropical setting.

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

The Staff Visit the restaurant for lunch or dinner and you're more than likely to see the resort’s General Manager, Khun Sarawut Khotamee,

Many of the diners like to come here for a meal after perhaps shopping or swimming, while others use the restaurant as a springboard for Chaweng’s late night activities: it’s a cinch to

MUST TRY THAI CUISINE FOR A TRULY AUTHENTIC GASTRONOMIC EXPERIENCE

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Going Native

Joining the locals at Pa Maitree Khanom Jeen.

Stepping into Pa Maitree Khanom Jeen is always a rewarding experience. You're about to savour some of Thailand’s most traditional food, albeit in an extremely modern setting. The eatery also doubles as the owner’s house, so there's something quite homely about coming here. The restaurant is run by Khun Duangsuda Baimuang, who is more usually known as Khun Ma’am. She is very friendly and professional and also turns out to be very good at speaking English. She puts this down to having worked for some years as a hotel receptionist at a local resort. This is definitely a family business; Khun Ma’am’s mother and grandmother established the restaurant 26 years ago. It started off very humbly, and has always been in exactly the same place, but some years ago the entire house was given a total makeover, so many people think Pa Maitree Khanom Jeen is a relative newcomer.

To say the food is thoroughly tried and tested is a bit of an understatement. The recipes themselves are, as we've said, traditional, but the exact preparation methods and ingredients have been in Khun Ma’am’s family for generations. The results are good enough to draw people not just from round the island, but much further afield; Pa Maitree Khanom Jeen is pretty well-known even in Bangkok, ever since a well-known Thai actor chanced upon the place and spread the word. The family even appeared on a television show, demonstrating the noodle dishes that they make. People simply drop in (opening hours are 8:00 am until 3:00 pm daily) and take a seat at the tables here. Everything inside is extremely clean – spotless, in fact, and pleasantly cool thanks to the fans. You're welcome to linger, though for many this is the place that they come to for a

quick bite to eat during their lunch break. Incidentally parking’s no problem as there’s plenty of space on the road. To get to the restaurant, simply turn towards the hills at the traffic lights in Maenam, and it’s just a few metres away on your left. The sign is only in Thai, however. Fronting the street you'll see stainless steel pots that contain the different curries – this alerts you to the fact that you've got the right place. You can expect clean, fresh tastes, with ingredients that are filled with goodness. Everything’s made from scratch, and you’ll find just five dishes that are available, all of which are accompanied by rice noodles (no rice is served here). The dishes are rice noodles with a curry of either crab meat or fish, a delicious green chicken curry, a spicy yet sweet sauce with peanut, then spicy southern-style curry or a jungle curry. You can finish off your meal with

the extremely colourful house dessert, which consists of sweet violet potato kept in syrup in a large glass jar. There's also a variety of chilled drinks to quench your thirst. You'll also find on your table – entirely complimentary – a large basket of greens and edible leaves that are the perfect accompaniments to the curry. You can also add hard-boiled eggs too at a little extra. Prices are amazingly cheap by the way, averaging 50 baht a meal. Your food will arrive almost instantaneously as it’s ready, cooked and waiting for the day’s guests. It looks like it’d be easy to run a place like this, but as laid-back as the restaurant appears, it’s the product of a lot of hard work, and is underpinned by routines that require an inordinate amount of grit. Khun Ma’am has to get

Discover authentic

Indian Cuisine

Noori India Restaurant - Chaweng Center Chaweng Beach Road, opp. Chaweng Buri Noori India Restaurant - Chaweng South at Chaweng Cove Resort Noori India - Central Festival at Chaweng Beach Road Noori India Cooking Center - Chaweng South Soi Colibri, opp. Centara Grand Beach Resort For reservation (English) - 0 867 407 873 or 0 7730 0757 For reservation (Thai) - 0 839 687 912 E-mail: nooriindia_samui@yahoo.com www.nooriindiasamui.com

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Samui 2012 WINNER

2013 WINNER

2014 WINNER

up at 4:00 am each working day when suppliers drop by, and then it’s off to the local market just down the road to select the best produce. Everyone who works here seems to remain exceptionally cheerful whilst being very efficient. With the sheer tastiness of the food, a convenient location and friendly staff, Pa Maitree Khanom Jeen is a great place to drop into. It's not surprising that the restaurant has become more and more popular over the years. Highly recommended, this is definitely on Samui’s culinary map when it comes to traditional Thai fare.

Dimitri Waring

www.siamwininganddining.com 15

It’s a Wrap! Flip through Thai cookery books and you'll find plenty recipes that call for leaves. Thai cuisine boasts quite a few traditional delights that don’t require serving up on dishes. Instead, they come in their own biodegradable containers – leaves. What could be better? No washing up and no pollution. It sounds like a scenario for the future, but for Thai people it’s more an age-old tradition, and one that makes even more sense in today’s age of plastic bags, polystyrene boxes and throw-away cutlery. In fact, for hundreds of years in Thailand, as in most countries, everything was bio-degradable. Sadly, this tradition has been mostly lost, but it certainly lives on in a gamut of wrapped ‘dishes’ that are healthy, delicious and which leave no trace at all. Walk through any market, temple fair or attend any social gathering where food carts are present and you're almost sure to come across ‘khanom jah’. It might not look much, since all that you see are long flattish parcels of leaves. But open up any of the parcels and you'll find inside a delicious sweet. A bit of caution, though: in many cases khanom jah isn’t prepared in quite the original way. Some cheating may have been going on; instead of tying the ends together, metal staples are often used. Not so good for the teeth so discard them and scoop out the contents of the leaves and

enjoy. But don't eat the leaves – they're for wrapping purposes only. How did this leaf cuisine start? Nobody now knows, but the habit of chewing on parcels of food wrapped in leaves is thousands of years old, and you'll still find it’s done today. On the winding roads of southwest China, crossing into Laos and finally Burma, it’s still a popular tradition for drivers, travellers and merchants to chew on leaves. After all, one of the main products being traded is tea. Tea leaves are steamed and then fermented before being sold. They're rolled into small balls, put into the mouth and chewed, allowing caffeine to trickle into one’s bloodstream. It’s a rather rough taste, so the leaves are often made more palatable thanks to the addition of shallots, peanut and lime. In Burma, fermented tea leaves have gained the status of a national dish, ‘lahpet’, considered a gesture of hospitality and an ancient symbolic offering of peace. The most famed of all the Thai recipes using leaves is undoubtedly ‘miang kham’ – a wrapped hors d’oeuvre that is a favourite for many people. It’s basically made from putting together various ingredients and wrapping them up in

‘cha-plu’ or wild piper leaves. Each parcel is small, precisely one bite, hence the name, which translates as ‘one-bite parcel’. Miang kham is well-known throughout Thailand and is very often to be found in the central regions, where during rainy season the leaves grow in abundance. The recipe takes just over an hour to make, and is perhaps an ideal way to pass the time while watching the endless rain outside. And, this being one of Thailand’s most delicious foods, one bite of miang kham is a total distraction from the weather. It is a pleasurable combo of sweet, sour and salty with notes of piquancy and spiciness. If you're in the north of Thailand, you'll come across a simple dish in the markets, known as ‘aeb’. Quite a few different versions exist and some vendors will sell a medley. Try catfish, minced pork and tilapia fish. The ingredients may vary but you'll usually find lime and chillies present, along with a mix of spices and herbs. The aeb rests on a barbecue, wrapped in banana leaves. Be careful when you open the parcel as it’ll be filled with steam. Who can forget the inimitable Thai fish custard, hor mok? The dish may sound a little strange but

it’s definitely popular; you'll find it in many Thai markets up and down the country. Its ingredients are fillet of fish, red curry paste, coconut milk, palm sugar, kaffir lime leaves, basil leaves and herbs. The hor mok is usually steamed or baked, with banana leaves forming a kind of ramekin. Very easy to eat, just scoop out the fish custard with a spoon. Rice can also be eaten in tiny green bales, tightly wrapped in string, known as ‘khao tom’ while delicate pyramids of ‘khanom peakpoon’ await at markets and make a delicious pudding, flavoured with coconut. It’s easy to get started with leaf cuisine. You can also go ahead and improvise, using banana or plantain leaves. The leaves aren’t eaten but are used for making a sealed container which is then steamed, boiled or simply heated through. The leaves give a distinct aroma to the food, and give humble dishes an instant upgrade. To proceed, cook your food, if it’s meat or fish, until it’s completely done. Then take a banana leaf and quickly hold it over a gas flame for a few seconds. Now you can wrap your food in it. If you're cooking rice, then the rice should almost be ready. Add whatever spices and herbs you see fit (ginger, chillies, kaffir lime leaves,

whole cinnamon, turmeric and onions are all good) and then prepare for the final step. If you're very dexterous or have had a lot of practice with folding leaves, you can fold them and tuck the ends into the parcel. It’s quite tricky and a simpler way is to tie the bundle with some cooking twine or use toothpicks as a fastener. Place a large pan over low heat and then place the banana package in the pan. Cook on both sides for some ten minutes, turning the parcel over two or three times in the process. Afterwards, you can let stand for a few minutes. Lucky you if you're living in Thailand, and have a few banana trees growing in your garden. You have a dependable source of wrapping for many cooked dishes, and you can get really inventive with your recipes. It doesn’t need to stop there either. Use banana leaves instead of plates, and you'll be eating in a truly minimalist style. Save on washing up and compost the wrappings and ‘plates’ and you'll have extra leisure time as well as a healthy garden!

Dimitri Waring

GENUINE NEAPOLITAN PIZZA

ON CHAWENG BEACH, OPPOSITE CENTRAL FESTIVAL

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Provi d i n g Mythinformation It’s time to de-bunk a few wine myths.

One of the curious, and perhaps frustrating, things about wine is that some of the conventional wisdom about its appreciation falls into the realm of misconception or myth. Even today, wine is shrouded in mystery, and many wine charlatans are still getting away with murder. It can be challenging for the newcomer, and sometimes even the expert, to sort it all out. Quite why wine attracts so much misdirection and fraudulent characters only too willing to try to take advantage of wine drinkers, goodness only knows. My advice is to believe your own palate and have the courage of your own convictions. You can listen to all the sales pitches and hype you like, but remember, talk is cheap. Any highly recommended wine should taste great – it’s as simple as that. You know as much as anyone what tastes good to you, so don’t be bullied or swayed by persuasive arguments from the so-called experts. Some of them may not be as expert as they claim. And many, more than likely, have ulterior motives. They unashamedly take full advantage of the fact that wine appreciation is highly subjective. To help you make up your own mind about the wines you want to drink, here are some of the infuriating wine myths that stubbornly refuse to die:

1. ‘The more a wine costs, the better it is’. While there may be some relationships between cost and value, exceptions abound ... thank goodness! 2. ‘Old vines make better wines’. Occasionally ancient vineyards make delicious, concentrated wines. But, by and large, old vines generally produce fewer and fewer grapes until the grower eventually rips them out. 3. ‘Sulfites are unhealthy for everyone’. Sulfites, a natural preservative, occur in all wines. A tiny percentage of people have a potentially life-threatening allergy. And, indeed, these unfortunates know what they must avoid. Sulfites are not a threat, in any way, to the rest of us. They may be a contributing cause of hangovers, but not as much as the alcohol content. And, of course, the quantity of wine consumed the night before! 4. ‘Natural cork is the only good wine closure’. Natural cork is traditional, even romantic, but a high rate of ‘taint’ and failure is prompting an almost universal move to alternative closures. All the progressive wineries, if they have not done so already, are now changing to the screwcap. The screwcap vs. cork argument is won. Contrary to popular belief, the cork is not needed to let the wine breathe – the ullage (air

space in the bottle) does that. Give it a few more years, and natural corks will be history.

True Zinfandel is red, ripe and gorgeous, unlike its sickly white cousin.

5. ‘Screwcaps are the sign of cheap wine’. (See above.) I suppose there is some truth in that historically, screwcaps have been used for cheap wine.

11. ‘Wine labelled ‘Reserve’ is the best’. Whilst some countries legally define ‘Reserve’ for wines that receive special treatment in the wine-making process, the term is unregulated in many other countries, and may be used indiscriminately, purely as marketing hype.

6. ‘Europe makes the best wine in the world’. Europe benefits from an ancient tradition but, in the diverse world of wine today, no region can claim supremacy. We are in a golden era. Wine has never been so high in quality. And every wine-growing region of the world is making some future classic wine gems. 7. ‘You can tell a good wine by smelling the cork’. You can tell a good bottle by tasting the wine. And, yes, I know the cork-smelling ritual is traditional and fun, but there won’t be any corks around soon anyway, so let’s get over it. 8. ‘Wine critics are always objective’. Hah! Wine critics are as human as the rest of us. 9. ‘Only experts understand wine’. A particularly pernicious myth this one. No doubt promoted by a few peculiarly insecure wine experts. 10. ‘Zinfandel is a pink wine’. White Zinfandel is a pink rosé-style wine made from a red grape.

12. ‘Old wine is better than young wine’. Yes, a few special (read expensive) full-bodied red wines greatly benefit from ageing. But most wines simply fade and lose their fruit. So many of the New World wines are made ready to drink, that ageing is becoming an anachronism, similar to natural corks! 13. ‘Old wines are always valuable’. (See above.) Many old wines are worthless. This myth has legs because so many of these very old wines are never actually drunk. They are just passed between the hands of investors, who by nature, of course, are only interested in profit. 14. ‘Always decant wine’. Unless a wine is either immature or contains sediment because it’s so old, there’s rarely any need to decant. And wine can breathe just as quickly in the glass.

15. ‘Legs on the glass indicate quality’. These ‘tears’ that drip down the inside of your wine glass may reveal high alcohol content, but tell us nothing about the wine’s quality. 16. ‘Never serve red wine with fish’. Although the basic rule offers a useful guide, the many exceptions can be delicious. Pinot Noir with salmon, for example, is one of the great contemporary wine/food matches. 17. ‘Never serve red wines chilled’. Red wines served too warm will taste flabby and unfocused. In a tropical climate, such as Thailand’s, room temperature is far too warm. Red wines will need to be chilled to 18 degrees centigrade (and lighter reds benefit from chilling even more). Despite this, in my line of work, I occasionally encounter indignant resistance to the chilling of red wines. Usually from ‘old school’ European gentlemen, who cling to the belief that chilling a red wine is a Cardinal Sin! Oh, and if you like a quiet life, never get these diehard traditionalists started on their opinion of screwcaps!

Peter James

Beachside Dining at its Best

餐厅-歡迎中國貴賓

Romantic Dinner I Seafood Basket with Lobster For reservations, please call 077 956 055 www.siamwininganddining.com 17

Halal on Samui Halal food isn’t always easy to find, just ask where to go.

Samui can, once again, say it offers an extraordinary variety of different cuisines, cooking traditions and foodstuffs. There’s seemingly no end to all the diversity, and most visitors to the island are first surprised and then very satisfied to find out just how much is on offer here when it comes to food and drink. An increasing demand is being seen across all of Thailand for Halal food, simply because there are so many Muslim visitors now choosing to come here on vacation. The government estimates the Halal food industry is already worth billions of baht every year, and seeks to spotlight how the nation is becoming ever more Halal-friendly to its visitors. Halal foodstuffs in Thailand are well-regulated, and increasingly producers are keen to get Halal certification. At the turn of this century years there were only 500 food plants that had Halal certification. That number has grown exponentially; now it’s over 6,000. There’s always been Halal food in Thailand, since the nation is already home to a very sizeable Muslim population. Always considered to be Buddhist, Thailand is at least 5% Muslim, so Halal food is part and parcel of the culture here. Samui is of course no different. It too has many Muslims,

and even a Muslim fishing village, in Ban Hua Thanon. This is all good news if you're in search of a Halal restaurant here. Halal simply means ‘permitted’. When used to refer to food it means that it’s been prepared according to Islamic precepts. Besides a strict ban on pork or food that contains it, meat has to come from animals that are slaughtered in the prescribed way, which should also be as painless as possible. Under Islamic law, animals have rights, and these centre on proper rearing, proper feeding, proper transportation and proper slaughter. It’s therefore definitely not permitted to cook anything alive, such as lobsters, which are routinely thrown alive into boiling water. Halal food on Samui is already well-known and, as with the rest of the country, there are signs outside restaurants indicating that they serve Halal. However, if you're on vacation you'll maybe still need a helping hand to find it. Some research on Google is called for, but so too is asking local people; they're sure to be able to point you in the right direction. You can also ask your hotel receptionist; every hotel will have at least a few Muslim employees who’ll be happy to give some help. Indeed, your hotel may even offer some Halal food and just be waiting for guests to ask for it.

Many of the dishes that you'll try will be fairly standard Thai ones, eaten by local people. But Halal fare isn’t confined to any one culture, and some of the dishes have very ancient roots that go back to early Middle Eastern civilizations, while others are based on Moorish dishes or those of Byzantium, Persia and so on. The famed Silk Road with all its caravans and trade between Europe and China lay to the north, but its influence on culinary matters reached far to the south and the regions that were one day to become Thailand. Similarly, there were also influences from the south, with foods from Malaysia and Indonesia being adopted by Thais. Muslims first started to settle in Thailand or Siam as it used to be called, in the 13th century. They were merchants and traders who wished to establish permanent bases here and most came from Arabia. They brought with them not only their recipes, but the Halal methods of preparing meat. Later other traders followed in their footsteps, coming from Persia and the south, Malaya and Indonesia. For hundreds of years the process went on, but from the beginning the Muslim faith has been given support by both the royal court and from the government. Halal customs and traditions have therefore been at home here for generations.

Thailand has always sought to have friendly relations with Muslim countries, whether close to home or much further away. This reflects too in the diversity of foods to be found in Thailand. Thai food, itself is a combination of spicy, sweet, sour and salty flavours but with differences according to which region you find yourself in. Head south from Samui and you'll find more coconut milk and turmeric in your food, while if you head off to the north-east you'll find the cuisine depends more on limes. But no matter what kind of Thai food you opt for, you can be sure that, as long as the type of meat is permitted, then it can be made according to Halal rules. Muslims have certainly added to what’s broadly known as Thai food. Halal reflects all of these different dishes, and in the south, home to a greater density of Muslims, there are an infinite number of Halal restaurants. Many Muslim holidaymakers give up on Halal and simply opt for general foods that don’t call for any special certification. But simply driving around will be rewarding in itself. You're bound to find Halal places. Most will be small, often family-run. Currently there are no big food concerns on the island that are entirely Halal-orientated. A trio of favourites are to be found in the Chaweng to Maenam stretch, and are highly popular: Fareast Restaurant close to Central Festival in

Chaweng on the Lake Road, offers a variety of both Thai and Middle East food. If you have a craving for Indian cuisine and dishes such as meat curries, spicy vegetables and naan try Noori India, again in Chaweng, with two outlets on the beach road but also with a small outlet in the food court at Central Festival. Meanwhile, over in Maenam head for Roman Turkish Restaurant, where you can feast on kebabs and a huge variety of Turkish food, all of it, of course, Halal. There are even food carts and very small eateries that specialize in Halal food. For example, if you're looking for chicken from a spit you can find in Bangrak, close to the Family Mart opposite Seatran Pier. At Nathon night market, held in the port, you'll also find a couple of Halal vendors. As time goes by, there’s ever more Halal food to be found on the island, but for the moment, it’s still in a phase where it’s limited. But put in a little effort and you’re sure to be rewarded with some excellent meals, all Halal.

Dimitri Waring

Sabienglae restaurants offer traditional fresh seafood and cuisine in an authentic southern Thai style. Come and enjoy our unique dishes, many of which you won’t find elsewhere on the island, in a relaxing atmosphere. An experience to truly complete your holiday.

Sabienglae Restaurant

The Wharf Samui, Fishermans’s Village For reservation please call 077 332 651

18 www.siamwininganddining.com

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

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

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

OďŹ&#x20AC;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 19

Rice Barge &

Terrace

Fine Beachside Dining at the Rice Barge & Terrace Authentic Thai Cuisine WEEKLY CALENDAR MONDAY Candlelight Set Dinner for 2 persons at Rice Barge Thai Cuisine and The Barge TUESDAY - GRILLED NIGHT Chef Special Thai or Western set menu for 2 persons at Rice Barge and The Barge WEDNESDAY - HAWAIIAN STYLE Hawaiian Seafood Buffet THB 1,290/person Children 6-12 half price (Special price for advance reservations) Entertainment: The Barge Band and Polynesian show. Free Management Cocktail & Canapes 6-7 pm THURSDAY Thai or Western set menu for 2 persons at Rice Barge Thai Cuisine and The Barge EVERY DAY Thai Cooking Class - Reservation in advance Bartender Master Class - Reservation in advance Happy Hours: Swimming Pool: Hillside 1pm-2pm. Beachside 2pm-3pm Lobby Lounge 6pm-8pm, Rice Barge 6pm-7pm The Barge 6pm-7pm Private Dinner THB 3,500, 7,000, 8,500, 11,000 net Reservation in advance SATURDAY - WEEKEND DAY Rice Barge & Terrace Authentic Thai Cuisine Chef Signature Set Menu THB 3,000 for 2 persons SUNDAY - FAMILY DAY The Barge Western Cuisine & Seafood Chef Signature Set Menu THB 3,000 for 2 persons

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

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all happening at Nora Beach Resort & Spa Tuesday Night- Around Asia Night. We invite you to experience a variety of traditional Thai dishes. Price THB 850 per person. Entertainment: Ponglang & Pink 8 Duo Band. Thursday Night - Hawaiian Night. Enjoy our chefâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s special buffet creations. Price THB 950 net per person. Children 6-12 years old half price. Entertainment: Fire Show & Pink 8 Duo Band. Thai Cooking Class Learn how to cook 3 authentic Thai dishes with our Thai Chef. Inclusive of chef hat, apron, certificate and recipe. Fruit Carving Class Inclusive of chef hat, apron and certificate. Daily Happy Hours 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. Set menu THB 4,000 for couple. Thai menu THB 6,000 per couple. International menu THB 8,000 per couple. Advance reservation required

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