February 2016

SAMUI

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FEBRUARY 2016

Seafood Beach BBQ Buffet, Mondays & Thursdays Sareeraya Villas & Suites Call + 66 (0) 77 914 333 www.sareeraya.com

Love and Celebration With Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day, February is a great month to be on Samui!

A very warm welcome to you from Wining & Dining. This is probably the best time of year on Samui. The oppressive heat of the ‘summer’ months of April and May are in the distance, and there’s now sunshine every day, often accompanied by a cooling shower at night.

But it’s not only the weather that you’re going to enjoy. Apart from Christmas and the New Year, this is the only other month where you’re going to be swamped in festivities and celebrations. On the 8th of the month, there’s the main day of the Chinese New Year. So take yourself off to Nathon or Maenam.

Both of these places have big Chinese communities, and you’ll enjoy not only the riot of colour and ritual, but all the associated food and drink, too.

And then it’s time to get all starry-eyed on the 14th. A look through our pages will reveal some of the most romantic places and eateries on the island. And don’t forget that Samui has a lot of super spas, too. How about a romantic package for two?

And if you want to make a full day of it, then why not start out in our delightful Central Festival shopping mall? It’s cosy and it’s quiet, and not only is it a great place for buying those last-minute surprise gifts, but there’s some really laid-back places to eat, drink and streetwatch.

Have fun!

SAMUI

Graeme Malley Editor

Preeda Tuajob (Puy) Graphic Designer

Akaphon Phongninlaarphon (Don) Photographer

Seksak Kerdkanno (Klauy) Webmaster

Rob De Wet Feature Writer

Dimitri Waring Feature Writer

Natalie Hughes Feature Writer

Karan Ladd Feature Writer

Peter James Feature Writer

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

Henrik Bjørk Managing Director

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

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Terraced Secrets

We discover another hidden gem – this time tucked away at the elegant Mövenpick Resort Laem Yai Beach, Koh Samui.

You’re thinking about Samui in the wrong way.

I’m sure of it. Most people do – to begin with, anyway! It’s reasonable enough. Because the island of Samui is the final stage in a long sequence of steps. And all these steps are logical, clear-cut and precise. You make a holiday booking. You go to the airport at exactly the right date and time. Your ticket puts you on a plane in a reserved seat. You arrive as expected, in Bangkok. Then everything is neatly scheduled for you – another plane, a taxi to your resort and your rooms waiting ready, clean and fresh. Once you have booked the holiday, everything else is done for you. So it’s tempting to keep on like this.

But, really, you need to think like a pirate!

You can’t just walk outside and find a nice neat row of treasure chests all lined up, just for you.

You have to hit that mind-set which makes you want to explore. Of course, in this case the treasure comes in the form of some of the best restaurants in the world, run by some of the world’s finest chefs. But to find them, you’ll need what all pirates need, a good treasure map.

In many ways, that’s exactly what we are at Wining & Dining! And so, with no further ado, here is this month’s ‘X-marks-the-spot’. Get

yourself on the ring-road, in a counter-clockwise direction. In other words, taking Chaweng as a marker, head in the general direction of Nathon, but with the first landmark being the traffic lights near to Fisherman’s Village. Keep on the ring-road, passing through Maenam on the north coast, and then onto Bang Po. You’ll know you’re getting close when the big hill appears. Crawl up it, and then down the other side, passing the landmark of Four Seasons as you descend. Slow down and keep your eye out for the next and only small side-road to the right, just as the hill levels out. Then follow the signpost down this track for a few hundred metres to the resort.

If you’re the sort of person who gets bored after three days without a party – don’t bother. Here the air is cool and still. It’s quiet. It’s peaceful. It’s totally tranquil. Sometimes, even the birdsong seems just a bit too loud. The beach is narrow – there’s not a lot of space between the restaurant’s terrace and the water – but it’s the cleanest, smoothest patch of fine white sand you’re likely to see. Everything is serene: as you cross from the reception area, you aren’t aware of any of the accommodations. They are all private little villas, tucked away behind the lines of walls that lead towards the sea. Everything’s low, clean and

modern, but with Asian motifs, simple, tasteful and elegant; there’s space and greenery, order and calm, everywhere you look.

The resort’s signature restaurant, The Terrace, appears over on the right-hand fringe of the beach, perched up above the sand. It’s cool and shady and follows the Thai convention of being open-sided (on two of its sides). In the daytime, the dark wood of the heavy, strong, simple furniture simply adds to the mellow sense if it all.

But in the evening, with the warmth and glow of its accented and subdued lighting, it becomes a little oasis of harmony, a bubble of ambiance, away from the world and tied to it only by some of the best food anywhere on the island.

The man in the kitchen is Executive Chef, Simon Volante. He’s had a lauded rite of passage, kicking off right away at the 5-star London Mayfair Hotel, before moving on to The Royal Garden and The Carlton Tower. Every position he’s held has been 5-star, as he’s risen through the ranks gaining authority and status, with a further 12 years in top restaurants in Los Angeles, Boston and Washington DC, before eventually landing the Head Chef position at Samui’s Six Senses. Simon is a quiet man. He’s passionately

serious about his cuisine, but he’s not drawn to blowing his own trumpet. “It’s European modern, really, but with hints of Asian spices and flavours,” he told me. “Nothing heavy. No creams or butter. Light and fresh, with the accent on quality and presentation.”

You really need to experience it for yourself. But to paint you a picture, how about his ‘Roasted Breast of Chicken with Potato and Parsley Puree, Thyme, Honey-glazed Shallots, Sautéed Shimiji Mushrooms, Pickled Baby Carrots and Pan Juices?’

Or, as a seafood sampler, his ‘Crispy Sea Bass with Sweet Fondant Potatoes, Spinach Puree, Tomato and Cardamom Vinaigrette, Chive Crème Fraiche and Salmon Caviar?’

Which sounds impressive. And it also gives everyone the idea that this is an expensive and exclusive restaurant. Well, it’s a high-end 5-star establishment, yes. But, following the accessibility trend that’s becoming more commonplace, all the prices are extremely affordable - surprisingly so.

In fact, a Sunday afternoon Euro pub lunch back home could well work out more costly. Plus, of course, everyone is more than welcome to drop in during the day and check it all out. Come by in time for the sunset, enjoy the happy hour, use the

complimentary Wi-Fi and get a feel for it all.

There’s also a selection of nibbles, snacks and light-bites too, if you’re feeling peckish.

And while you’re there, ask about the shuttle service that runs to Chaweng and back. It’s really for the resort’s guests. But it goes out to Central Festival in the morning, coming back at 5:00 pm.

And if there are empty seats then I’m sure you’ll be welcome. And, doing it this way, you won’t even need a treasure map to discover this hidden gem, and the secrets of The Terrace!

Rob De Wet For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7742 1721 ext. 7. www.movenpick.com

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Olivio - a must for visitors and locals alike.

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

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Pound for Pound There’s nothing finer than a sound pounding when it comes to som tam!

It may come as a surprise, but a few hundred years ago, there was no spicy food in Thailand.

It’s always been a feudal nation to one degree or another, and back then, there were a handful of aristocrats and millions of peasants. The farmers and the fishermen – for that’s what they were – didn’t lead exciting lives. And they got by on rice plus a bit of meat. Or rice plus a bit of fish. Plus lots of fruit. And then Magellan shook people up by proving the earth wasn’t flat after all, because he didn’t drop off the edge when he sailed around it. And, after that, everything changed.

This colossal upheaval came about during the 15th century, and then everyone threw themselves into sailing ships not much bigger than a motorway bus and sailed away into the sunset. In just one generation, hundreds of new plants, fruits, herbs and spices had been discovered and were being traded all over the Western world. And further afield, too. It was the Portuguese who first arrived in Thailand with a boatload of goodies, in 1511. Amongst other items, they introduced chilli peppers from

South America. But it took another 250 years for paw-paw to arrive. And this fruit first turned up not at The Royal Court, but somewhere way down south, near the border with Malaysia.

That’s interesting. Because already a pattern had emerged. The aristocracy were the first to get new things. And then, gradually over the years, these new fruits, herbs and spices filtered out, via the Thai merchant classes, into the general population. But the little chilli peppers had taken the nation by storm. Let’s face it – if your daily diet is about as exciting as wet cardboard, then what could be better than blasting it with red-hot peppers? It didn’t matter if it tasted of nothing because you didn’t have to worry about tasting it anymore.

And so, by the time that ‘paw-paw’ turned up in the south of Thailand, all the farmers and fishermen already had chilli steam coming out of their ears. Paw-paw (or ‘papaya’ as it became known) wasn’t exactly top of the heap when it came to flavour. Green and unripe, it was sour and crunchy, but with a musky aroma that has

been likened to feet. Yes, feet. And with a really unpleasant aftertaste. Turning yellow, riper, it became softer but smellier, in a tangy sort of way. But what the heck! With a heap of chilli, a cup of fish sauce, shrimp paste and tamarind juice, you couldn’t actually taste it anyway.

To an onlooker, the captain of a trading ship for instance, this must have been seen as a blessing.

Every other country wanted rich, ripe, sweet fruits like mangoes or pineapples or rambutans.

But in Thailand, he could get rid of all his papayas.

By this time, the Royal Court had moved to the central plains of Bangkok. And when papaya eventually arrived there, it was regarded with caution. They settled on a work-around, taking it ripe and with a lot of palm sugar added. But in this period (the early 1800s) there was an influx of workers from the impoverished North East region of Issan. And it was they who ‘discovered’ papaya and ‘exported’ it back to Issan via the newly-built railway. Where it was seized upon as something exotic, given a total

makeover, slathered up with chillies, lime and garlic, and became a regional favourite almost overnight.

In the 200 years since, the subject of papaya and papaya salad has become something of a Thai regional talking point. It’s true to say that, within Thailand, green papaya salad is now a universal item – even a sort of unofficial national dish.

Som tam. One of the several meanings of the Thai word ‘tam’ is ‘to pound’. The ‘som’ part actually translates literally as ‘orange’, but in context comes across as ‘citric’ and thus, in this instance, means ‘sour’. You take your sour, unripe, green papaya, peel it, and you slice it into shreds with the Thai equivalent of a fine-blade potato peeler. It’s crispy and tough.

So you put it in a big ceramic pestle and bang it obsessively with a heavy, smooth mortar. As one of my Thai friends put it “. . . make papaya bok-bok!”

And this is a sound that you’ll hear all over Thailand. Bok, bok, bok. It’s the noise that’s made by the crushing of shreds of unpalatable,

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fibrous, sour fruit. But people from Issan and Laos get all possessive about it. They consider it to be their national dish. They call it ‘tam mak huhng’ and get really upset if you say it’s ‘som tam’. It’s sour, spicy and salty. American cowboys might call it a ‘man’s dish’ – but then they wouldn’t touch it with a branding iron anyway. You get the idea. Papaya salad made in any other way is for tourists or wimps.

Despite this, som tam has evolved into different versions, and almost every Thai has their opinion on what makes the best som tam, often ordering it tailored to their tastes. Some like it sweeter, others saltier, and yet others prefer it sourer. But it’s the balancing of these three flavours, along with the freshness of the ingredients that gives it the powerful and rather addictive punch that it’s famed for.

Rob De Wet

Adventurous Evenings A different theme every night of the week at Coast Beach Bar and Grill.

Start your adventure at the southern end of Chaweng Beach Road. Opposite Zico’s, you will find the entrance to Centara Grand Beach Resort Samui. As you enter the resort, turn right and you will find the designated car park. Follow the signs to Coast and right on the beautiful, pristine and panoramic expanse of Chaweng Beach, you will start to sense the excitement!

Coast has the quaint look of a whitewashed beach house. Expansive pinewood decking underfoot, wooden and natural wicker-look furniture and crisp white sail-canopies protecting much of the outside dining and lounge areas from the intense daytime sun. This all adds to the seaside theme of the restaurant. In the daytime, the cushions in the seating area are turquoise-blue, setting the scene and bringing those mesmerizingly blue shades of the ocean, right into the restaurant. In the evening, when the romantic table candles are lit, the atmospheric lanterns and sculptural lighting is switched on, the cushions are switched for a deeper more romantic shade of burgundy. There is a multitude of seating arrangements to choose from, you are literally spoilt-for-choice - all with lots of space between them. There are tables and chairs, sofas, novel seating in hanging baskets, sunken circular daybeds and even love-beds – all at the very edge of the beach, just metres from the sand and lapping waves.

Nothing has been overlooked at Coast; it is an exceptionally stylish, sophisticated and yet

adventurous and fun dining venue.

Whilst it is a beachside restaurant, there are also three air-conditioned indoor ‘pavilion’ areas. All follow the beach house theme, with lots of whitewashed wood, and dazzling turquoise-blue accessories to set off those ocean hues. The cosy pizza pavilion has a full working pizza oven and seating for 10 people. If you want to peruse the wines on offer, head to the cheese and wine pavilion. It has a walk-in wine cellar where you can make your selection. Here it feels somewhat akin to a delicatessen, with a large array of cheeses, cold cuts and delicacies to tempt you.

There is seating for about 20 guests here. The third pavilion is the largest, with its own bar and seating for up to 40 people. It can cater for private parties, and is also utilised in the case of bad weather.

Coast Beach Bar and Grill is open for lunch from 12.00 noon until 6.00 pm, and for dinner from 6.00 pm until 10.30 pm. The hugely talented and experienced Executive Chef, Luis Rodrigo Zamora, believes in using only the best and freshest ingredients, sourced both locally and internationally. He is always looking for ways to perfect cooking techniques and insists on maintaining a sophisticated level of simplicity in his dishes.

The menu has a vast and eclectic selection of international cuisine for lunch, dinner and

‘all-day’ dining. All dishes are clearly labelled, identifying vegetarian dishes and those that contain nuts, pork or alcohol. The wide variety of dishes takes you from Tasmanian salmon salad, black truffle risotto, Australian wagyu beef burger with foie gras, brie and arugula, to the seafood platter meant for sharing, including Maine lobster, tiger prawns, New Zealand mussels and rock lobster, all with a green salad and the chef’s home-made spicy jalapeño sauce.

The menu also has a choice of 12 different pizzas, pasta, steaks, burgers, salads, various international selections, cold cuts and 10 different kinds of cheese. There is absolutely everything you could possibly desire, all superbly cooked and presented with perfection.

Oh and don’t forget the amazingly scrumptious desserts such as the caramel brownie cheesecake or grapefruit and champagne sorbet. These really finish your meal off, and leave you feeling pleasantly satiated.

Every Sunday there is a special Family Brunch from 12.30 pm until 4.30 pm. It is a lavish buffet featuring delicacies such as Tasmanian salmon, tiger prawns, imported cheeses, cold cuts and sushi alongside Thai dishes, Sunday roast and desserts. A special ‘grill station’ offers freshly grilled meats and fish to order, and so much more! For all you parents, there is a special children’s food corner and kid’s beach club, with organised activities, games and even a magician to add a touch of mystery and intrigue. Mums

and dads, you can relax on the complimentary sun loungers around the pool, knowing that your children are in safe hands and being entertained.

And if all that is just not adventurous enough for you, every Monday through Saturday evening there is a special themed event, with additional menu choices.

Monday is Beach Barbecue evening, from 7.00 pm until 10.30 pm. Situated on the stunning expanse of Chaweng Beach, listening to the gentle breaking of waves, you will find a buffet with a wide range of perfectly barbecued meats and seafood, alongside appetizers, salads and desserts.

Tuesday from 5:00 pm until 7:00 pm is Italian Aperitivo. This is a new take on the well-established happy-hour. It is an Italian style two hours of madness! Order a drink and you will receive a complimentary plate of antipasti from the full buffet of delicious Italian delicacies.

A local celebrity DJ will keep the happy glow alive throughout the evening.

Wednesday sees Rat Pack Martini Night from 7.00 pm until 10.30 pm with specials on the menu such as Crepe Suzette and lobster dishes.

Guest singer Michelle presents live Jazzy tunes from the era, to set the scene and atmosphere.

Thursday is definitely not to be missed by the ladies. The Little Black Dress Evening from 7:00 pm until 11:00 pm is a hugely successful and fun idea for a ladies night out. Just wear your favourite little black dress and get treated to a free set menu dinner and dessert. The resident DJ plays the latest tunes for a chic and sophisticated evening. Around 9:00 pm is competition time, you lucky ladies are in with the chance to win a bottle of the finest sparkling wine, but there can only be one winner!

Flambé Friday starts at 7:00 pm and features, as the name suggests, additional flambé dishes on the menu, all served with great drama and gusto, high flames and fun at your own table.

Saturday Surprise is, well, a surprise. Saturday evening is changeable and Coast likes to keep you in suspense. Whatever event is scheduled, you can be guaranteed of great food, fantastic music and definitely an adventure.

Karan Ladd For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7723 0500 extension 595. www.coast-samui.com

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A Dish Named Desire The thousand-year search for aphrodisiac foods.

Imagine it. Every time you want to spice up your sex life, all you need do is to get busy in the kitchen. A few choice ingredients set out on a plate, maybe blended together, maybe not.

Whatever, it’s more like taking a few pills, than eating a meal. And then, voila, just a while later, you begin noticing the effects – soaring arousal for both you and your partner. And all of this comes courtesy of no more than some savvy food shopping.

Somehow it seems like a pipe dream. But is it?

We all know people who swear by certain foodstuffs, and perhaps we can even list a few aphrodisiac foods ourselves. But deep down we know they probably don’t work that reliably, and we probably can’t be bothered to research them – or, hopefully, we just don’t need to. But many others are still busy looking for a fix to up their libido. That supposedly simple search for those elusive kitchen ingredients is still on-going. In fact it’s been going on for centuries and centuries. We know for a fact that the Ancient Romans were busy grinding up spices, eating ridiculous amounts of certain fruits and promoting certain foods over others – all in a giddy search for increased potency, desire and just plain enjoyment.

Let’s face it, they – and everyone else who’s ever tried – have failed to find even one magic food that stands out from all others for

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guaranteeing arousal just after it’s been digested.

Yet the research goes on, mostly not on a particularly scientific basis, yet with enduring zest. So surely, there are some discoveries to report? Indeed there are. Though it’s not that instant fix that so many of us would like to find.

But certain natural foodstuffs can aid in increasing desire.

Chocolate is beginning, once again, to figure prominently as a health tonic. Phenyl ethylamine is a mood enhancer contained in chocolate, which produces dopamine, which in turn is responsible for moods. The more dopamine is released, the better we feel. But, it turns out, there’s not that much phenyl ethylamine in chocolate.

Now that you're in Thailand, here’s a further incentive to go for spicy foods: fiery peppers contain capsaicin, a chemical that increases circulation and stimulates nerve endings, sparking arousal. It’s easy to imagine that’s what happens with these hot, hot peppers but did you know that asparagus and avocados are also brilliant when it comes to mood boosting? Both of these green vegetables contain much-needed vitamin E, which in turn enables your body to produce sex hormones such as testosterone, oestrogen, and progesterone.

Pumpkin, flaxseeds, salmon and walnuts are also important for the diet in that they contain omega-3 fatty acids. Fatty? Acids? It hardly sounds like a good combination for arousal, does it? But over time, these acids will boost your system, and your sex life will be all the better for it.

Oysters meanwhile, are commonly associated with arousal. Why? Because they're full of zinc, which increases testosterone. Watermelons contain nitrous oxide, a substance that makes blood vessels relax, thereby providing more arousal, while bananas are great for muscle strength and will provide a boost for stamina.

Vanilla is said to be a mild nerve stimulant, and some people like to chew on a vanilla pod or two before hopping into bed.

You can of course always revert to drugs and strange natural products. Alcohol and marijuana are considered top of the list, simply because they take away inhibitions. Then there’s bark and beetles to chew on. Cantharides are crumbled pieces of the blister beetle. The name comes from the blisters that humans get when they touch the beetle, and eating it is considered very dangerous. Yohimbine is the bark of the yohimbe tree, which is an age old means to boost sexual powers, though you have to take it in such quantity that it becomes toxic. A bark ‘n beetles soiree sounds like it could be a medical emergency in the making rather than an exciting time between the sheets.

There’s no real verdict yet on aphrodisiac foods.

But what about their opposites – anaphrodisiacs? The word simply means anything that causes desire to decrease. There's a good case for concentrating on these rather than aphrodisiacs, because once you take away all that flattens your sexual response, you’ve effectively brought it more centre stage. Crisps, beer and cigarettes have never been associated with high performance sex; neither have TV and a sedentary lifestyle. If you can avoid fried foods, trans fats, sugar – all the usual suspects that you know about already – then you’ll be better off when you want to feel intimate. Let there be arousal between you rather than doughnuts.

Before we go on, there’s a rather obvious though unheeded law that comes into operation here, as it does many facets of life: the Law of the Two Biscuits and Four Kilometres. Sounds obscure? It demonstrates a universal point. Let’s take two people, Person A and Person B. Person A eats two biscuits per day, while Person B walks four kilometres. These habits distinguish them from each other. Health wise, these two habits don’t seem very significant, do they? Eating two biscuits hardly counts as a bad habit, while walking four kilometres isn’t so far to walk. So they're about the same, right, when it comes to health?

Well, it all depends how long they continue their habits for. A few months doesn’t add up to much. But over ten years, Person A will have eaten 7,300 biscuits, while Person B will have walked an incredible 14,600 kilometres. (That’s like walking from Paris to Tokyo and then half the way back again!)

It’s exactly the same with sexual health.

Everything you do to boost it – like eating healthily – counts to your well-being, and anything you do to diminish it will eventually be detrimental. A diet rich in vitamins, minerals and exercise is going to put you more in the mood than beer, crisps and hours on your butt. It’s exactly the same as your bank account – those credits and debits add up and present a picture.

And you want it to be the best possible picture, right? Swapping metaphorical biscuits for kilometres will undoubtedly bring you more good times in bed – over time.

But you can always hope for the best and spend months on Google, and maybe you'll come across some highly obscure nut, fruit, seed or insect that you’ve never heard of and which will completely turn around even the unhappiest of sex lives. The search continues after all!

Natalie Hughes

Stellar Duo, Spectacular Dinners

The professionals behind the exotic Full Moon at Anantara Bophut Koh Samui Resort know just how to please.

Drive along the ring-road through Bophut and you'll come across an unusual sight, an elegant Thai-style gateway that seems to guard an ornate palace straight out of a story-book. A wooden bridge lined with flickering torches crosses a moat, so you know that you're entering territory that’s separated from the world outside. A lane fringed with giant trees leads you through a lush garden towards the palace itself, which turns out to be a resort. Once past the open-air lobby, the view opens up to a 200-metre long lily pond that stretches all the way down to the restaurant.

From your table, you gaze upon a breath-taking vista of the infinity edge pool, the beach and Koh Phangan. It’s quite a sight, and is definitely something you’ll always remember.

Since Anantara opened its doors in 2005, the restaurant, Full Moon, has been making a name for itself in quite a few ways. Over the years a number of excellent chefs have overseen the restaurant through various transitions, and have made it one of the best known dining spots on the island. Try the Beef Tartar, Orzo Paella or Octopus Carpaccio, some of the restaurants delicious signature dishes. There's an abundance of seafood as well as plenty of other choices.

Dishes are guaranteed to be satisfying and use only the freshest of ingredients.

Full Moon is a very contemporary and chic place to eat and drink. Perhaps even more importantly, it never rests on its laurels but is always seeking to innovate. In other words, creativity abounds here. And for that to happen, it’s necessary for an excellent team to be in place. The current heads of the team are its Executive Chef, Christoph Lindner and the Food and Beverage Manager, Julien Valeix. Both are extraordinary professionals who have been tried and tested in many different culinary situations.

Christoph comes from Germany and is fluent in both English and French. He studied at the cutting-edge Paul Bocuse Institute in Lyons, France. He then went on to hone his skills in classical French cooking, and has worked with Michelin-starred chefs. He decided to come to Thailand in 2007, and has worked in Phuket, Bangkok and for the last few years on Samui. He has worked at a number of 5-star hotels and well-known restaurants such as Akaryn Boutique Resort & Spa and Opus One Phuket. He’s a gifted chef who also knows how to organise staff – he’s coordinated over a hundred chefs at times, training personnel and coming up with new and exciting menus. He’s also had his own restaurant, and has acted as a consultant for a prestigious restaurant in Bangkok. Obviously, for Anantara, he’s a great person to have on board.

Julien Valeix, meanwhile, is no less crucial to the smooth running of the restaurant. Hailing from Paris, he has worked in various well-known 5-star hotels in the capital, such as the Plaza Athenée, Hotel de Crillon, Le Meurice and Le Ritz. He’s worked under chefs Alain Ducasse, Jean-Francois Piège and Michel Roth. Perhaps even more astonishing are the people that Julien has been a butler to. These include the prime minister of Lebanon, Raffik Hariri, The King of Morocco and Nelson Mandela. He’s obviously used to making sure that his guests are extremely satisfied.

and was recently snapped up by Anantara Bophut. He works tirelessly to ensure the smooth running of the restaurant, and in addition to all the daily duties, he’s responsible for the many events that are held at Anantara, be they weddings or special occasions. Running a resort isn’t just about planning breakfast, lunch and dinner; there’s a lot more involved, and it requires someone who’s passionate as well as organised, seriously talented as well as rigorously trained. Any team can sling out a variety of dishes throughout the day, but to be great requires a specialist team who are inspired to make dishes that are as memorable as they are tasty, and be able to consistently answer the needs of a huge array of diners. Both Julien and Christoph are skilled at making sure that diners have a thoroughly enjoyable experience while at Full Moon.

Restaurants such as Full Moon are also very enthusiastic when it comes to putting on special events. Such events aren’t their life-blood, but it’s a chance to be pro-active and perhaps even introduce something new to their peers. This year, for example, Full Moon is holding a number of wine dinners, and they plan to have one roughly every month or so, the first being on Friday the 4th of March. The dinners are aimed at people living locally on the island, along with guests from Samui’s resorts. Each menu will be put together by three chefs, and there will be a wine-maker or representative who will introduce the wines and pair them with each of the courses. The March event will include Thai celebrity chef, Khun Thammasert Chootong from Bangkok, and feature organic foodstuffs from the Royal Project in Chiang Mai, a body which aims for sustainability along with great tasting produce. The wines will be supplied by BB&B, who will present fine quality wines from Gérard Bertrand, a leading expert from the South of France, who has flagship estates in Languedoc-Roussillon. The price, per person, for the dinner is 1,900 Baht++.

It looks like 2016 is going to be a great year for Full Moon. With culinary duo Christoph and Julien at the helm, diners will be assured of amazingly good food and drink, along with plenty of innovation. Prices will reflect great value for money, and it’s envisaged that Full Moon will become one of the leading restaurants on the island. And, inspired by the Royal Project, a philosophy of sustainability will be practiced wherever possible.

The resort is located on the ring-road, just 500 metres from the Bophut traffic lights as you head from Chaweng towards Nathon. Don’t be put off by the urban nature of the drive there; once you arrive you'll be transported to a place that’s completely set apart from all the hustle and bustle; not only that, but Full Moon is architecturally stunning and certainly has the cuisine to match.

Dimitri Waring For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7742 8300. www.samui.anantara.com/full-moon

Here on Samui, he's been the Food and Beverage Manager at Rocky’s Boutique Resort,

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

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

Coming Across Smooth An look at what fruit juices and smoothies are all about.

Have you ever noticed that we all tend to talk in brand names? Think about it. When did you ever say “I’m going to vacuum clean my carpet”?

Never. Because everyone unthinkingly calls it a Hoover, no matter what name is printed on the side. You plaster your computer with Post-Its, not ‘tiny little yellow sticky paper tabs’. You wear Wellington boots and Macintoshes. And these are only the ones in common use – there are a million more which are all about status “ . . . pass me my Rolex, I’m off out in the Beemer”. And the way that such words phase in and out of our language is connected with time, or rather the passage of it.

Middle East and South America it was mixed and blended with herbs, spices, fruit and fruit juices.

And fruit juice itself is as old as The Garden of Eden and that first apple. There’s absolutely nothing new in any of this. But the clue to how things began to change is in those dictionary definitions. Something significant happened between the turn of the 20th century and (as it happens) the 1940s. And, as ever, it was America that led the way.

So what’s this got to do with fruit drinks or smoothies? Easy. Take the entry in Webster’s International Dictionary, 1900 edition. Smoothie – ‘one who behaves or performs with deftness, assurance, and easy competence; especially: a man with an ingratiating manner toward women’. And the same word from the 2013 edition – ‘a thick, smooth drink of fresh fruit pureed with milk, yogurt, or ice-cream’. And there’s a good reason for this.

The first thing was that household refrigerators began to appear, in the 1930s. Now, for the first time, Joe Public was able to enjoy iced drinks and keep fresh fruit and milk for more than just a few hours at a time. Then, in 1932, Stephen Poplawski of the Stevens Electric Company invented another kitchen appliance that we also now take for granted – the kitchen blender. It was initially designed for mixing rather than chopping, and aimed at the emergent ‘soda fountain’ market, an iconic niche unseen outside the USA. Now it was possible for out-of-season fruits to be frozen, and then later conveniently blended into milk shakes.

Yoghurt is a very old thing, created, known and used for thousands of years. The Romans enjoyed it. All over ancient Asia, India the

The obvious gap – that of being able to chop and puree as well as blend – was filled almost at once by another inventor, Fred Osius, who

created and manufactured the first true blender with steel chopping blades, the ‘Miracle Mixer’, in 1933. This was problematic and unreliable, and was quickly pirated by his partner, Fred Waring, and improved. The all-steel industrial-strength ‘Waring Blendor’ thus appeared a year later, and became the mainstay of soda joints throughout America, right up until World War Two popped the bubble of American small-town life. But by then the ‘smoothie’ had already made its appearance.

Once again, it’s all a matter of words and names.

In his teenage years, Steve Kuhnau was a soda jerker. But in 1973 he opened his first ‘Smoothie King’ health-drink bar, (and then went on to franchise them across the USA and become a multi-millionaire), at which point the word ‘smoothie’ entered into the American vocabulary.

But the same drink – a blend of milk and/or yoghurt with fruit, sometimes together with ice-cream – had already been around for quite a while. After the war, this as yet un-named ‘smoothie’ gradually changed from a sticky milk-shake/soda-pop item in the 50s, into something healthier. As the hippy ethos emerged in the ’60s, so these blended drinks gained popularity, prompted by the growth of the macrobiotic and health food movement.

But it wasn’t just health-freaks and hippies who were interested in alternative forms of liquid nourishment. At that time a young bodybuilder named Arnold Schwarzenegger used to swig a manly pitcher of beer after his intense workouts – according to the Budweiser adverts on TV. But concurrently another champion bodybuilder, Jack Lalanne, advocated blends of organic yoghurt with raw juice and vitamin supplements, and went on to host a television show where he touted the benefits of healthy eating and juicing.

And, in effect, before anyone knew that a smoothie was a smoothie, the foundations were laid for the drinks we’re familiar with today.

Today ‘smoothies’ are everywhere, even in fast food outlets. But it’s a lot to do with marketing and the feel good factor. Not all smoothies are the same, but it’s a trendy word to use, so what the heck! On the one hand you’ll get a ‘smoothie’ made with a dash of milk and cheap sugary yoghurt, plus a spoonful of industrial sweetener syrup, a few squirts of ‘permitted juice flavouring’ and a scoop of synthetic ice-cream.

Yum. But at the other extreme there’s a world of goodness waiting.

restaurants do these. Real fresh fruit, peeled and diced on the spot, then liquidised in a blender.

At which point you shout ‘stop!’ and prevent them from adding the usual half-cup of palm sugar syrup and topping it up with crushed ice.

If you take your own yoghurt and ask them to add it in, they are happy to oblige and, after all, you’re a crazy foreigner. So that’s OK then.

Secondly, consider exactly what it is we’re talking about. Liquidised and blended ingredients. And this can range from wheatgrass to green vegetables to live shoots, all mixed in and blended together with whatever additions you want. There are whole food shops and health spas all over the island. Each and every one of these will offer you their own special and healthy smoothie blends and mixes. One or two will even make them with alcohol. And that’s a great deal smoother than a cocktail, whichever way you look at it!

Rob De Wet

Seeing you are reading this on Samui, let’s do it Samui-style. Firstly, juices. Most small, local Thai

Discover authentic

Indian Cuisine

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

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Samuii 2012 WINNER

2013 WINNER

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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

Starring at Olivio One of the island’s most romantic Italian restaurants is still going strong.

Picture this: a small town on the coast, somewhere in Tuscany. It’s early on a summer’s evening. The sun’s heat has died, but you can still feel the warmth seeping up from the street.

The village is set on a hill. The narrow streets twist downwards towards the sea. It’s silent. But it’s a dense kind of quiet, fringed with the light murmur of voices that come and go with the breeze. Somewhere there’s a faint clatter of plates. A car edges by, lights low, swaying across the bumps in the street. You follow. A lighted window glows. Somewhere, music, faint in the air. The street is narrow, the houses, high. You make your way between them, to where the sea whispers. You turn a sharp bend and there’s a sudden and welcome blaze. The cobbled street is etched by the light, along one side is a density of green and, right next to a gap in the green is a sign, burned onto wood. The sign says ‘Olivio’.

And, believe me, this is exactly what happens when you go to Olivio – well unless you get a taxi right to the door, that is. This is Thailand and you’re on Samui. There are totally Thai things all around: wide roads, blazing neon, street stalls, wooden houses, curly roofs, hustle, bustle, karaoke, dancing troupes, smiling crowds, barking dogs, touting tailors, beeping taxis – except here.

As soon as you come off the main Chaweng Beach Road that sweeps around, past, and up to the left, you somehow touch onto a little time warp of the Mediterranean coast. Everything seems to narrow and slow down. The cobbled road is real. So is the rest of it, including the charming Baan Haad Ngam Boutique Resort, of which Olivio is the signature restaurant. The resort is deceptive. It rises up the hill, away from the discrete entrance to Olivio and the swimming pool that’s alongside. From street level, you won’t realise that there are 50 luxuriously-appointed rooms and villas tucked away into its subtly-designed ascending U-shape.

The continental sensation continues: the interior colours contrast and harmonise, with bold primary walls setting off the ochres and pinks of the fabrics and furnishings. But down and alongside the pool and restaurant, hidden away in its own private and secure area, are the seven exclusive pool villas that represent the pinnacle of affordable luxury. They’re outstanding, as is the 5-star quality of personal service that goes with them.

All of which goes to set the scene for Olivio. It’s not merely a nice restaurant at the edge of the sand somewhere. In this little patch of Chaweng you’ll find one of the few spots that are truly pretty – not only sand but rocks too, and a curving sandbar with little fishing boats, complete with islands dotted around in the background, and the whole sweep of Chaweng Bay, with all its twinkling lights reflected off the water.

There are quite a few Italian eateries on Samui.

But there are perhaps only two or three where the Italian people themselves opt to go to eat, and Olivio is one of them. Much of this is due to the way in which the restaurant was originally conceived. It was set up and run by an internationally-renowned Sicilian master chef, who had 20 years’ experience of creating 5-star cuisine. The menu is biased towards southern Italian dishes with, obviously, seafood taking centre stage. But there are items from other regions, too. Plus, of course, an excellent range of Thai dishes, too.

One of the aspects that adds to the integrity of the dishes is that many of the ingredients are brought over from Italy – it’s not easy to create authentic flavours solely from local ingredients.

And so things like sun-dried tomatoes, black truffles, herbs, spices, ricotta and several types of cheeses all add to the impact. The other thing that stamps everything with serious intent is that

a range of pastas are hand-made each morning – angel hair, fettuccini, ravioli, plus the strips for the lasagne – as well as the light and crispy bases for the pizzas.

Needless to say, in a restaurant with this pedigree, all the produce is of the finest quality, with prime imported beef from Australia, salmon from Norway, plus the cold cuts from Italy, as already outlined. It’s hard to choose, but if you had to select just one dish that sums up Olivio, it could well be the ‘Capelli d’Angelo con Gamberi’ – the homemade angel hair pasta with prawns and garlic, with white wine and tomato sauce.

And, in addition to all of this, you’ll see a set of chef’s specials, not on the menu, but chalk boarded as an added enticement, and changing every week or so. Plus, just to make things go with a swing, there’s the daily happy hour.

Except, here, it’s all afternoon. Right through from 2:00 pm until the sunset has faded at 7:00 pm. And that’s all cocktails and beer at two-for-one. Guaranteed to make every sunset simply blaze with colour!

But it’s February. It’s the month of romance and love and declarations of undying affection. And, naturally, every single resort on Samui will be jumping on the Valentine bandwagon, with offers of romantic dining under the stars. In all honesty, apart from the price and location, just how many possible variations on this theme can there be? Olivio is also offering a candlelight romantic Valentine dinner for two. Five courses on a Tuscan terrace. Down a little cobbled street with glowing lights, and a sky full of stars overhead. Starring for one night only – at Olivio!

Rob De Wet For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7723 1500. www.baanhaadngam.com

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

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

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Tantalizingly Thai Krua Bophut scores points for high-quality, affordable Thai cuisine, service and ambience.

Don’t miss this jewel of a restaurant in Fisherman’s Village. It is easy to walk straight past it ... don’t make that mistake. Search it out, find it and let all your senses, but especially your taste buds do the deciding. Krua Bophut specialises in Thai food for the international traveller’s palate. It is part of the highly acclaimed Bo Phut Resort & Spa, so they know a thing or two about the wining and dining requirements, as well as exceptional customer service, for even the most discerning of visitors to Samui.

You will find it at the far end of Fisherman’s Village towards The Wharf Shopping Plaza, on the beach side of the road. It has an arched doorway with the name above and a lighted sign for ‘dining on the beach’. They also display a selection of the freshly caught ‘fish of the day’ on ice, in a small wooden boat. Strangely there is also a Thai post-box right outside the entrance. If you are driving, there is free and convenient parking at The Wharf car park which is accessible from the ring-road.

From the outside, Krua Bophut is very deceptive.

It has the look of an authentic Thai restaurant in a classically antique wooden Thai house, which it is. But it's also a little nook of spotlessly clean nostalgia, complete with ambience and tranquillity. But it doesn’t stop there; outside there is also a private courtyard and a lower terrace, just above and alongside the beach. The close proximity to the beach allows you to relax at your table and luxuriate under the twinkling stars and palm trees, whilst listening to the waves lapping on the shore and watching the yachts drift along the coastline. Soft, low volume, atmospheric and relaxing music is played, allowing conversation to flow naturally. Glass vases on the table contain candles, this natural low lighting in the evening just adds to the ambience and relaxed atmosphere. The staff are friendly, attentive and informative, but discreet.

They have all been well trained to meet your needs, and have a good level of English. As you can imagine, this is a very popular spot, so be sure to book ahead at busy times.

Krua Bophut specialises in Thai cuisine, all made with the highest quality, fresh ingredients. This is most definitely not ‘street food’. Alongside traditional Thai dishes such as pad Thai or

Penang curry, you will find a large variety of dishes to tempt you. There is the seafood platter with lobster, prawns, fish, squid and mussels or the steak on a lava stone. Many dishes are offered with several alternative ways of cooking them and different sauces. If for example you see fried white snapper with tamarind sauce, you could ask for red snapper, steamed, with a garlic and pepper sauce. The chefs are skilled at amending their dishes to suit. There is always a variety of fish available, for example, there could be both white and red snapper, sea bass, tuna, barracuda or shark ... whatever the fisherman have managed to catch at this time of year.

All choices of appetisers, soups, salads, main dishes and desserts are itemised on the easy-to-read menu for you, and there is a ‘chilli-coding’ enabling you to identify the spicier or milder dishes. The savvy management at Krua Bophut have also included two hugely popular set menus, which are both excellent value for money. Set Menu A is moderately spicy and Set Menu B consists of milder dishes. Both give you the chance to try a variety of different Thai foods that you might not have tried otherwise. Portion sizes here are generous, and all main dishes have steamed rice included in the price if it goes with the dish.

Krua Bophut has a sizeable wine cabinet boasting a wide range of quality wines and champagnes. All have been researched and sourced, so that whatever dishes you finally opt for, there is definitely a wine to compliment them.

Be sure to search out this unique dining experience during your stay on Samui. Krua Bophut offers an exceptional location and design, outstanding food, fantastic service and great memories. It’s open from 1:00 pm until midnight every day. Don’t miss out.

Karan Ladd For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7743 0030 or 0 7724 5035. www.kruabophut.com

www.siamwininganddining.com 11

Granny’s Delight You won’t find it in the kitchen, so you’ll really have to hunt to find out what betel nuts are all about!

Every month I pay my rent. It’s a nice little house, far from the crowds, off the beaten track.

It’s owned by a Thai girl who’s married an Australian. But they’re living in Perth. And so, on the first day of each month, I head off into the jungle to go find her granny. She’s one of the real ‘Samui folk’. She was born and bred here, her family tree going back before any of them can remember. She used to seem offhand; she’s seen too many foreigners turn up, only to be gone again next month. But I’ve been here a while now. So every month there’s a little ritual that we perform.

We greet and ‘wai’ each other, I hand over my rent money and she offers me a seat. On the table are the usual daily bits and pieces, plus a nice little bamboo basket. In it is a tangle of stuff; a wood-handled knife, some kind of black iron cutter with twin handles, a yellow plastic jar, a small zip-lock packet of white paste, a crumpled plastic bag, a handful of glossy green leaves, plus a dinky miniature wooden mortar and pestle. She brings us each a glass of water, then sits in silence, wrapped in utter concentration for the next five minutes.

A little green fruit comes out of the plastic bag and is expertly quartered with the knife, ending up looking like a tiny hard-boiled egg. The

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quarters then have their green skins peeled off, and are attacked with the twin-handled cutter until only strips remain. These shreds are popped into the mini-mortar and pounded to a fibrous pulp. She takes two leaves, opens the zip-lock pack and uses a gnarly forefinger to smear white paste onto each. A big pinch of the pounded fibre is rolled into a ball and pressed onto one leaf, and then again, on the other.

Then a shake of some orange powder from the plastic jar. She expertly wraps each of them up into a little green parcel, and pops one of them into her mouth, using a finger to ram it up against her gums at the back. And then, with a huge grin that displays hideously bright red gums and black teeth, she offers me the other one.

The first time she did this, I hesitantly accepted.

She watched me like a hawk. Then she started chewing on her lump and motioned me to do the same. At first, it was mildly spicy, a little like cinnamon or nutmeg. A faint smell of menthol.

A woody kind of flavour, not unpleasant. And then my mouth flooded with saliva. She was ready for this and pushed a little silver bowl my way, while in the same movement twisting sideways and ejecting her own mighty squirt of spit in a jet that shot straight into a big tin can, three feet to one side. Another blood-red grin at

me while I tried to dribble a mouthful of red spit discreetly into my own pot. Another hoot of laughter at my shyness.

almost disappeared completely, surviving only in rural areas (particularly in the Northeast) and practised almost entirely by elderly women.

And we sat like this in silence, chewing a little and spitting a lot. Ten minutes passed. And then I started to feel light-headed and pleasantly dizzy, and my heart started thumping. I remember blinking like an owl. Then, suddenly, the mess in my mouth tasted like toilet cleaner mixed with lemons, and with a shudder, I spat the whole lot into my bowl and grabbed for the water – to the sound of more hoots and shrieks, this time accompanied by several loud leg slaps.

That was my first and only time of chewing betel nut. Still, every month when I go to pay my rent, granny goes through the same silent ritual of making two ‘quids’ (as they’re called).

And I wait. And when I politely decline, she hoots and slaps her thighs again. But now she brings me a beer instead, as if I’ve somehow earned it by my betel baptism.

The nuts are the fruit of the ‘Areca catechu’ palm. The leaves come from a different plant, a vine by the name of the ‘piper betel’ (from the ‘Piperacae’ family). And the paste is made from lime. Not the citrus fruit, but the caustic chemical that’s used in cement. On Samui, it comes from burning seashells in a hot fire and crumbling the white residue into water. And then, to offset the bitterness, various additives are used, such as cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg or, my granny’s favourite, powdered dry ginger with a pinch of tobacco. The effects of a chew have been likened to that of drinking about six cups of strong coffee. The alkaloids are a stimulant, and they create a feeling of euphoria and alertness. However, a moment’s thought suggests a reason why this has fallen from favour – any mini-mart now sells the same thing (minus the caustic calcium hydroxide) in a little brown bottle with the picture of a bull on the front.

At one time, all over Thailand, every house from the richest to the poorest had its own little betel-kit, just like granny’s. Indeed, it was popular in The Royal Court, and large numbers of custom-crafted solid gold betel sets still survive. But the tradition has been dying out.

And, over the last two generations or so, it’s

But, even so, the place of the betel nut is an intrinsic part of the culture of not only Thailand, but all Southeast Asian nations from India to Southern China and down to The Pacific Islands.

Even the title of Malaysia’s ‘Penang’ means ‘Island of the Betel Nut’, named after its main crop in times gone by. Formal or cultural events, such as weddings and occasions of state, all included betel nut ceremonies. In Taiwan today, it’s actually still rife, and causing a great deal of concern due to its addictive nature and the detrimental health effects of a mouthful of corrosive slaked lime and tobacco mixed together.

But I’m not going to say that to granny. For her generation it’s still a way of life, and I feel privileged to have shared it – it’ll be gone soon enough, in any case.

Rob De Wet

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

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

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

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

Open Hours: 12:00 – 23:00 hrs.

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

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Dragons and Dumplings The Chinese New Year is not only lots of fun, it’s filled with hidden meanings, too!

The Thais are a fun-loving people. And given half a chance, they need no excuse for a party.

And so of course, they look forward with glee to the New Year. Sorry – let’s make that New Years.

Because the Thai nation celebrates not just one New Year, but three of them. The Western New Year on December 31st is fêted with relish. Plus, naturally, they all go bananas with water guns at the Thai New Year (Songkran) in April. And then, swinging along on different dates, linked to each year’s Lunar Calendar, everyone goes crackers again in celebration of the Chinese New Year.

Around 15% of the population of Thailand are estimated to have descended from the Chinese settlers, who began to arrive in the early 19th century, and then became integrated into Thai society. But that’s taking the nation as a whole.

Down here, on Samui, and all down the eastern coast of the Gulf of Thailand, the percentage is far higher. Chinese traders (and not a few of them brigands and pirates!) called in for commerce and restocking on their route to coastal Malaysia and the Indonesian islands. This influx, together with all its cultural aspects and influences, is as close as non-colonised Thailand has ever come to experiencing cross-cultural pollination in terms of language, religion, tradition, music and food.

The actual date of Chinese New Year is different each time around - between January 21st and February 20th, according to the phases of the moon. This year it’s going to happen on Monday February 8th. Each of the 12 segments of the calendar is attributed to the personalities of different animals, and the full cycle rotates over this period. This year it’s the Year of the Monkey again – and a monkey is disposed towards being lively, alert and curious and impetuous and they crave enjoyment, activity and stimulation.

Samui has several prominent Chinese centres, in Nathon, Maenam and Hua Thanon. And the first hint of something happening is that, all at once, the area will be hung with hundreds of red and gold illuminated lanterns, up high, bridging the streets from side to side. To most visitors, the Chinese New Year is all about the riotous street processions complete with huge man-powered dragons and lions and accompanied by an ear-splitting din of drums, gongs and firecrackers as it moves from house to house. But before all this there have already been weeks of preparations, much as it is with Christmas in the West. Houses have been given a symbolic cleansing and scrubbed from top to bottom, complete with fresh paint, and gift-lists will have been drawn up with new clothes and presents bought. Plus, all the traditional and festive foodstuffs will have been bought and stored in readiness – more of this in just a moment.

The lanterns appear 10 days before the street procession, which is known as ‘The Nian’. And then it all winds down 15 days later, with the serene Festival of Lanterns – so there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye of a casual observer. Everything in the outward show of these ancient ceremonies has a symbolic meaning. Take the food, for example. Prawns represent long life and happiness, dried oysters promote good luck and harmony, and the fish dishes bring good luck and prosperity, along with eggs and roast pork. Eggs in particular are essential on many Chinese festive occasions, because they are symbolic of fertility, birth and a new beginning. Teal eggs are traditional, but in Thailand, quail eggs are more typically used.

The roast pork with red sauce (moo deng) is considered a portent of good luck and symbolises fire, which is just the job for getting rid of bad spirits. The commonly found edible angel-hair seaweed brings prosperity – and dumplings boiled in water signify long-lasting good wishes for a family. All these elements are included in the family meal on the evening before New Year’s Day. And afterwards everyone stays up to revel in the midnight unleashing of firecrackers and fireworks – and then leaves the lights on in the house all night, just to make doubly-sure that no stray ghosts or evil spirits are still hovering!

You won’t be able to see most of this. But what you can see are the processions (don’t forget, they are on the afternoon of the 8th of February). During the morning, the middle road in Nathon will be closed to traffic, but you’ll find easy parking in the nearby government offices and also near the ferry pier. Maenam has a spectacular Chinese Temple, and the two roads alongside it and leading to the sea (Soi 4, walking street and the one parallel to it) will also be closed off for the procession. Parking is trickier here – best to take pot luck up on the ring-road somewhere.

And in Hua Thanon – who knows what! The stunning and gigantic statue of the Hainan Warrior God of Wealth and Prosperity at its entrance has recently been completed. But if this awe-inspiring 40-foot edifice is anything to go by, get yourself down there, complete with camera. One thing’s certain: when it comes to putting the fear of god into ghosts and gremlins, there’ll be none of them anywhere near this fearful warrior! But wherever you end up, enjoy yourself and ‘Gong Xi Fa Cai’ to you . . . or ‘Gong Hey Fat Choy’ – depending on whether you prefer Mandarin or Cantonese!

Rob De Wet

Take a bread cake and bakery Tel: 088 502 3112 Location: Samui Ring Road (nearly opposite Big C)

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

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

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

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Looking Forward to the Past An insight into why healthy eating is such a big part of our lives today.

Today it’s simply insane to ignore our health and diet. We’re working steadily at keeping fit, going to the gym, exercising regularly, jogging, cycling, and walking. We instinctively scan each item at the supermarket, checking for sugar, fat and additives. Automatically we veer towards anything that’s labelled organic. More and more people are cutting red meat from their diet.

There are now more vegetarians than ever before. Television channels and magazines are clogged with advice about health, diet and lifestyle. Google ‘healthy eating’ and you’ll instantly pick up more than 67 million pages.

Yes folks, everyone is working hard at being healthy.

But take a step back and think about all this.

It’s obviously a vital topic. Everyone accepts that it’s necessary. But nobody seems to be asking why. Spend a few minutes on Google again. Key in ‘why do we have to work so hard to be healthy’. You’ll find no – repeat, zero – pages or articles at all. Yes, there’s ‘why is it so hard to stick to my diet?’ Or ‘I don’t have the willpower to lose weight’, or stuff to do with stress or psychological attitudes. But nothing on target.

Let’s look at the first paragraph above. Let’s pick out some perfectly normal keywords:

‘gym’, jogging’, ‘supermarket’, ‘additives’, ‘vegetarians’, ‘television’, ‘Google’, ‘lifestyle’, ‘diet’ – all of them unthinkingly part of our daily vocabulary. This is the key. So let’s go back over the years, slowly, decade by decade, until the point arrives where any one of these words cropping up in conversation would cause a puzzled silence. Because when you get to this point, this place back in time, you’ll find the reason why we have to force ourselves to be so health conscious today.

Over the last century, eating habits in first world countries have changed dramatically. Our lifestyle has been influenced by all kinds of changes in the way we live: increased spending power; easy access to motorised and public transport; far more jobs which are sedentary; social female-equality; advances in technology that include preserved tinned or frozen foods, domestic freezers and microwave ovens, television, computers and the internet. The days where you walked or cycled miles to school or work have passed. Playing computer games or maintaining your blog has replaced playing outside in the streets or fields. Local markets have been ousted by megastores. The majority of mothers go out to work, and the family cooks and eats as effortlessly as possible at the end of the day.

The result: an overall decline in physical fitness, an increased pace of life and levels of stress, and a daily diet which has effectively reduced the intake of fresh food and replaced it with long-shelf-life products crammed with chemical preservatives and additives. The effect: a global increase in obesity – and afflictions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, intestinal cancers, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Interdialytic Weight Gain (IWG), Systemic Lupus plus heart and circulatory disease as a result of lack of exercise and poor diet. People were beginning to grow up unhealthy, and then dying much earlier than their grandparents’ generation.

Well, sedentary jobs, demanding careers and the internet are not going to go away. But negative aspects like food additives, battery farming and chemical fertilisers are declining rapidly.

Increasingly more ‘verifiable’ foods are available now, with an upsurge in small, independent local organic farmers finding ready outlets for their produce. We need an intake of six basic building blocks to be healthy – carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals and water. Given this fact, a diet that includes fish, meat, eggs, rice or whole grains, plus fresh fruit and vegetables is everything our body needs. The operative word here is ‘fresh’. Any sort of preservation process reduces or eliminates the natural bacteria and

microorganisms that we need, as well as affecting protein molecules and the vitamin content.

Today, if anything, the pendulum has swung to the other extreme. There’s a substantial move towards an exclusively vegetarian diet. ‘Live food’ figures prominently in this; seeds and grains that have germinated and sprouted. Indeed, there are even a significant number of instances where active cancers have gone into remission due to an extreme change of lifestyle and diet. However it’s debatable whether such a radical approach to everyday living is beneficial or not. Remember, we’ve been talking exclusively about first world countries. But a look at the emerging nations, particularly those in Asia, shows that (other than the odd pocket of deprivation) very few people suffer from any of the diseases and ailments mentioned above.

Also, it has to be said, that so-called ‘experts’ have changed their minds about all this in the last few years. Sugar? Red meat? Animal fat? Even ice-cream or fast food? They’re all OK for you! If (and it’s a significant ‘if’) you take a little care with your overall diet and make an effort to adjust the way you live. The effects of stress on the human body has become a major arena of research, and results indicate that long periods of tension cause all sorts of changes, the main one

being a lowering of resistance to infection and disease. In 1995, there were fewer than 300 ‘gyms’ in the UK. Today this has risen to more than 6,000, and this trend is reflected everywhere. And the same experts are venturing to suggest that the after-effects of physical exertion induce the physical and mental relaxation that’s needed for a healthy body.

It’s all about balance and maintaining harmony.

And the bottom line is that there’s very little that you can eat which will seriously harm you in the long run. But make sure you eat fresh fruit and vegetables regularly. Switch to whole-grain bread (or rice) for the fibre that your digestive system needs. Boil or bake your potatoes to vary your fat intake. Red meat? Fine, but in moderation, and make sure you also eat poultry and fish.

Exercise regularly and make a point of finding ways to relax every day, even if just for a short time.

We need to go back to the past, or at least re-create something with a similar and simpler feel. We live in a busy and modern world – but that’s no reason to sit back and let it punish us!

Dimitri Waring

Sab 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.

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Sabe b inglae Restaurant Sabeinglae

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

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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

Nights at Nora Exuberant theme nights at Nora Beach Resort & Spa offer more than just wonderful food.

From the moment you walk in through the spacious atrium, you sense you're in good hands at Nora Beach Resort & Spa. Everything you see is beautifully appointed, with many natural materials used. And there’s a sense of being somewhere special; this is a resort that has soul as well as style. Nora Beach is located in a beautiful tropical garden, filled with palms and other tropical trees, with villas that nestle between them, and winding paths that head down towards the sea and the restaurant, Prasuthon. It’s a wonderful walk and you'll probably want to savour it; you can gradually see more and more of the sea the further down you go, all the while surrounded by nature. It might sound as if the resort is hidden in some far-off corner of the island, but this isn’t the case at all. It’s just on the northern edge of Chaweng and couldn’t be easier to find: simply head north out of Chaweng along the beach road, go past Samui International Hospital, and you'll see the resort just over a kilometre later, on your right.

The restaurant is headed by Chef Sittichai, who is gifted at both cooking and presentation. You'll see carved fruits and vegetables that have been turned into edible works of art adorning dishes.

The waiting staff are also great, by the way, and not only make you feel welcome but are quickly by your side when you call them over. They're a wonderful team and make their restaurant a laid-back, easy-going kind of place to visit. Chef Sittichai offers a sumptuous à la carte menu, featuring Thai and international treats of all kinds. And since this is a resort restaurant, you can come at any time of the day to enjoy the dishes here.

But the resort’s also offering something else, more spectacular still. On Tuesdays and Thursdays they have theme nights, which are well-worth attending not just for the food but the performances that go with them.

Every Tuesday you can enjoy a Thai Dinner Buffet with an amazing range of excellent Thai dishes that range from soups and salads through

to delicious mains. In case you're wondering, there’s also a varied degree of spiciness. Many people, Thais included, don’t particularly like over-spiced foods and so the dishes here vary in heat.

But there’s more than just food, tasty as it is.

You'll also be entertained at the same time. The evening’s performance can vary, but it’s always professional. For example, you might find a troupe of traditional Thai dancers, who put on a very enjoyable show, backed by a band featuring instruments, such as a bamboo xylophone or the delicate sound of the Thai four-string lute. The dancers naturally wear ornate traditional outfits, and seem to have stepped out of the past.

On Thursday nights, if you come between 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm, you'll first be able to partake of free weekly cocktails and canapés.

Then the evening itself starts, a buffet and barbecue of international delights. It’s held right by the beach, though if the weather is bad, it'll be moved to the restaurant’s spacious sala while losing none of its appeal.

While you eat, a troupe of Polynesian dancers in traditional costumes entrance diners with performances that feature dances from all round the Pacific region. The show includes fire dancing, with flaming sticks being juggled; if you're close enough you'll feel the heat coming from them. It’s a vibrant spectacle and is something that people of all ages enjoy – children are mesmerized.

The food meanwhile is a literal banquet, an unlimited buffet, so it’s a good idea to come hungry! There’s enough food for a party of sumo wrestlers and you’ll definitely leave feeling full and satisfied. There’s not just a lot of food, but a staggering variety, too. Suffice to say that you simply won’t be able to try all of it – there are simply too many dishes.

You'll probably want to start with appetizers, and you'll find plenty to tempt you. There’s crab meat roll with avocado wasabi sauce, smoked salmon, and various salads, including a spicy roasted pork salad, crispy seafood with grilled vegetables, then baked chicken and mixed sushi and sashimi. These all go well with the lobster soup that you'll see in a large tureen. Next, you'll find a barbecue station featuring roasted honey ham, mackerel, squid, blue crabs, mussels from New Zealand and king prawns.

Everything is delicious. There are also plenty of other mains, and you can help yourself to grilled lamb chops with garlic and rosemary, fish fillet, duck breast in tamarind orange sauce (this by the way is a Nora original), stuffed tomatoes and cheese, and a choice of butter-fried rice or baked potato. Chef Sittichai also has a range of wines to suit every pocket, as well as plenty of beers, cocktails and soft drinks.

Desserts on offer range from assorted seasonal fresh fruit and banana flambé to Chef Sittichai’s excellent chocolate mousse. And naturally, there’s also ice-cream, too.

Needless to say, for both these evenings it’s really recommended that you make a reservation, as these events are very popular.

With excellent food and shows, it’s guaranteed that you'll have a great time here and no doubt be coming home with plenty photos of the spectacle. With two theme nights per week Nora Beach Resort & Spa ensures you'll be both well-fed and entertained in its beautiful seaside location.

Dimitri Waring For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7742 9400. www.norabeachresort.com

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

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The Wine Page Battling the wine bores.

Recently, it seems that everyone, and his dog, wants to learn about wine. Wine courses and tasting groups are cropping up everywhere. And wine in the media is becoming more and more mainstream. Even conservative universities, possibly nervous about their dwindling enrolments, are coming up with oenology courses. Some wine enthusiasts go so far as applying for jobs in wineries. And others gather wine knowledge working in high-class restaurants.

However, all these methods will take time. And they won’t save you from a dull evening when you realise that you‘re having dinner with an alleged wine expert. Most other compulsive bores, like the sports fanatic, the stock market guru, the hi-fi buff, or the conspiracy theorist, can be handled. The wine expert is tough. After all, at the dinner table the stuff is inescapable.

The bottle is right there in front of you, ready to be opened, possibly to be decanted, then to be swirled, sniffed, examined and sipped until you‘re ready to start climbing the walls. Pleading ignorance though, is not only cowardly, it’s also a bad tactic. To the committed wine bore, particularly if he or she is the host, the wine

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dummy is a gift from heaven. No, it’s fight fire with fire, or nothing.

Here, then, is a short course in wine tactics. The sole purpose of which is to cover your (perceived) ignorance in polite wine company.

The expertise offered here consists of a selection of simple words and phrases, all in ‘winespeak.’ A most useful phrase to memorize is this: “It dies on the middle palate.” What does it mean, you ask? Never mind. Just say it with a straight face, when the supercilious host asks your opinion. With a bit of practice you can begin building sentences based on this phrase.

For example, start with: “superb, but…” Or you may wish to add: “but it finishes well.” But be careful, this is a wine put-down. Your host might have reverted back to cold beer by 10:00 am the next day. After all, even Philippe de Rothschild can’t argue with your middle palate! Then there is the word, bramble. Do you know what a bramble is? It’s some kind of a bush, right? Do you know what a bramble tastes like? Of course not, who eats bushes?

Nevertheless, that’s what you‘re going to say, if the wine is red. “It has a distinct bramble taste.”

Samui Ring Road

Lamai

Don’t worry. It appears on wine labels, and it’s a safe bet those marketing people don‘t know what it means, either. For sure, your pretentious host hasn’t got a clue. And you have the satisfaction of turning the tables, knowing he is bamboozled by your mystifying wine jargon.

More useful terminology to use is shortened wine varieties names: Cab, Zin and Chard.

These are three embarrassing little abbreviations much favoured by California wine cultists. They stand for, of course, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Chardonnay. “We had a tasting of 10 Zins, and every one of them was superb.”

“He‘s a good winemaker, but there‘s too much oak in his Cab, and not enough in his Chard.”

You get the picture.

Then there is, “the nose is very forward.” Nose is, of course, a synonym for smell. And the only acceptable substitute when using winespeak.

You can say the wine has a lovely nose, or a peculiar nose, or even a distant nose. And believe it or not, the polite way to say that the wine’s aroma smells terrible is to remark that it has an off-nose. Finish is a good wine word. A wine whose taste lingers is said, naturally

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enough, to have a long finish. And body is an accepted term. “This wine has excellent body.”

Note, never say: “This wine has an excellent body.” That would be silly. Although someone (we won't say who) once got away with it, by adding that it had narrow shoulders but very broad hips. Body simply refers to the substance of a wine. And strangely enough, wine also has legs. This is determined by swirling a partly filled glass of red wine, and waiting for it to settle. If the glass is clear (squeaky clean) and the wine any good at all, you should be able to see colourless lines still making their way down the inside of the glass. These are called legs, presumably in keeping with our obsessive desire to equate wine with the female human body. The Germans are a bit more elegant on this one. They call them kirchenfenster, or church windows, because as the lines come down the sides of the glass they form nearly perfect Gothic arches.

Finally, you’re now ready to handle oak. As in: “Thank God New World winemakers are no longer obsessed with oak.” Oak is the taste imparted to the wine by the oak barrels in which it is sometimes stored. Enthusiasts like to

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argue over oak the way dogs fight over territory.

At the moment, oak is mostly out in wine circles, unless of course, it’s subtle oak. Be warned though, oak is a tricky term. You’d better have some idea of what you’re talking about if you chose to you use it. There is nothing a wine bully likes more than to be able to say to someone who has just pronounced a wine oaky, than: “Sorry, but this one was fermented and aged in stainless steel. It‘s never seen wood!”

Hopefully, you can use these words and phrases to your benefit, without knowing your Muscatel from your Muscadet. (Although, I am guessing some of the food and beverage professionals reading this, believe it’s very wrong of me to advocate such brazen trickery.) It might just get you through an evening surrounded by aggressive wine snobs. And you may come to realise how many of them know almost nothing about wine either.

Peter James

Opening Times 10am – 1am

Silavadee Pool Spa Resort

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

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

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

Open: 17.00-23.30hrs.

The Height

Sun Deck

Wine and Cigar Lounge

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

Open: 17.00-22.30hrs.

Exclusive dining on the deck with breathtaking views.Enjoy International delights in a romantic se ing 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, Sura hani 84310 Thailand Tel: (+66) 077 960 555 Fax: (+66) 077 960 055 www. Silavadeeresort.com www.siamwininganddining.com

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Rice Barge &

Terrace

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

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

Chaweng Beach Road Chaweng North

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

T Price THB 850 per person.

Thurs ren 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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