July 2013

Romantic Dining

SAMUI

at Chaweng Beach

www.siamwininganddining.com

1st _ 31st JU JULY 2013

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There’s plenty to be jolly about this July. Read on to find out what’s happening on Samui’s culinary scene.

As usual, Samui Wining & Dining keeps you up to date on where to go to experience the best the island has to offer on the restaurant and bar circuit. We also share some insight into popular or unusual ingredients to build your foodie knowledge.

dining options, and this month we give you an overview of their restaurants. And ladies, if you’re staying on Samui’s northern shores, and need a girls’ night out, do try Prana Resort’s Ladies Night on a Thursday evening – read inside to find out more.

If you’re after a fine-dining experience with views to match, Conrad Koh Samui has several

We highlight several popular Thai eateries on the island – firstly, we introduce you to the chef

at The Farmer Restaurant & Bar, and secondly to Krua Bophut’s signature dish. And if you’re unsure what Thai dish to choose, an extensive buffet of local favourites can be enjoyed at Bandara Resort’s Chom Dao restaurant. But if you fancy ‘going native’ and eating like a local, you’ll be pleased to discover Uncle Jai’s at the Namuang Waterfall.

And our wine story this month features Mexican wine – really. Most people only associate this Latin American country with tequila, but they make wine too. So raise your glass to a good July and as the Mexicans say, “Salud!”

SAMUI

Graeme Malley Editor

Angkanang Somwang (Peung) Graphic Designer

Ugrit Komlue (Grit) Photographer

Seksak Kerdkanno (Klauy) Webmaster

Rob De Wet Feature Writer

Rosanne Turner Feature Writer

Colleen Setchell Feature Writer

Peter James Feature Writer

Annie Lee Feature Writer

Johnny Paterson 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. 2013

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Take care n

Whatt iis th there in i common between b t a JJapanese kamikaze gourmet, a blue-blooded trilobite and kamik Jurassic Park? (Don’t you just love these Jurass challenging food-story openings?) Well – let’s add challe more. What sought-after seafood delicacy is a bit m widely available throughout South East Asia (and widel parts of America too) but is actually totally inedible? And, finally, what has any of this got to inedib with eggs? do wi could go on. I could mention that the I coul ‘horseshoe crab’ (we’ll get to the explanations of ‘horse all the things above in just a minute) isn’t actually a crab at all. In fact it’s not even really horse-shoe shaped. But to give it a more appropriate sort of a shape name sounds either disgusting or gets silly - or both. We could perhaps start off with ‘giant flat underwater cockroach thing’ or ‘inedible under prehistoric living fossil crab’; but that’s going prehis nowhere fast. This ‘crab’ is a) quite literally a nowh prehistoric creature that hasn’t changed in half a prehis million years; is b) actually related to the spider millio family (arachnids); c) contains no nice soft crab meat – if you accidentally eat any part of the

atch of the Day

not to catch more than you bargained for, when you tuck into Thailand’s traditional horseshoe crab! i inner shell h ll you’ll ’ll gett quite it di dizzy and d sick, i k and d d) it bleeds. Yes, just like when you stamp on a big fat spider, this underwater delicacy bleeds. Okay, the blood just happens to be blue – but we’re not colour-prejudiced . . . are we?

All of which is probably enough to make you want to rush out and buy a couple of kilos of nice, normal, familiar lobsters. But hold hard, my hearties. This big flat oddity is not only a rarity, it’s also something of a cult. It needs skilful preparation if you want to eat any part of it, is considered to be restorative and healing, and on top of that is now being harvested commercially for its pharmaceutical value. Plus the fact that it tastes quite err . . . nice – although a bit fishy – if you prepare and cook it properly. And that brings us back to eggs.

Think sturgeon. Think caviar. Think roe. This huge, flat ‘crab-thing’ is only eaten when it is filled with thousands of crab-thing eggs – crab roe. Horseshoe crab is not difficult to cook, but whoever removes the eggs (i.e. the cook) must

know the correctt way to k th t do d this thi to t preventt the th toxic parts of the crab from spoiling the eggs. If the eggs are contaminated, you can get ‘somewhat ill’. This flat little fun boy (well, actually fun girl) is in the same arena as the puffer fish.

This is where the kamikaze gourmets come into the picture. Japanese haut cuisine likes to rise to the challenge of preparing and cooking the deadly puffer fish – fugu. It has to be done just right. It contains a neurotoxin called tetrodotoxin, for which there is no known antidote. (There is now a test kit available which works along the lines of a pregnancy test kit to check for restaurant-based tetrodotoxin!) And so does the horseshoe crab – although, it has to be said, it’s in much smaller doses. (Oddly, you find this in the rough-skin newt too. But that’s yet to make it onto menus.) The trick seems to be to cook it all first. Don’t attempt to crack it open and start scooping. Boil it, fry it, bake it – whatever – then whack it and scoop out the roe, which is both green and orange coloured. Expert

opinion are i i seems tto vary about b t which hi h colours l okay to eat. So the basic advice here is to only eat the horseshoe crab at a restaurant which has plenty of customers. A paucity of diners speaks for itself.

Flippancy and ineffable humour aside, this flat and curious living fossil is having a bad time right now. It’s a bit sad that it’s been able to hang about for so long (its main problems used to be only the clumsy feet of dinosaurs stomping about on Jurassic beaches) and yet today it’s dying out. Another of today’s problems is that the roe is also considered an aphrodisiac in these parts and can command a high price. This has led to theft, poaching and over-harvesting.

Populations have also plummeted (gone a bit flat?) due to taking large numbers to supply both the eel and whelk bait industries. Additionally medical research has decimated their numbers.

The crab has blue blood which is rich in copper, and has been found to clot almost immediately in the presence of certain toxins and bacteria,

making ideall ffor numerous research ki it id h projects. j t (The human flu vaccine was developed on the back of this funny little fossil.) Even studies done on the eyes of the horseshoe crab have caused advances to be made in the study of human optics. And the shell extract is also used in the manufacture of dressings for the treatment of burn patients. Some of these special dressings have been shown to speed up healing time of injuries by up to 50 percent. So – if you get a chance – try some before they’ve become finally extinct!

egg to t make k an iinteresting t ti if somewhat h t crunchy h omelette. (Nothing that a hefty dollop of garlic mayo won’t fix.)

Yum kai meng da is the only way that Thais usually prepare horseshoe crab eggs – the roe is mixed into salad such as yam khai maeng da (i.e. som tam salad) to give it an extra bite. But much of the time the cooked trilobite is simply flipped over onto its back and thumped with a big spoon. The prehistoric shell collapses under this unexpected technological assault, obligingly splitting in two, one half acting as a kind of bowl and the other containing all the roe. Also the roe can be removed after cooking and mixed with

Rob De Wet

It’s unlikely to be on the menu in your resort – in the same way that you’ll not find fugu there. It pops up from time to time, most-often in food fairs and festivals, although some local beachside restaurants in Bang Po are reported to stock it.

But if you’re here for more than a week, look out for it. It’s a must. It’ll be almost like eating fried dodo-bird! Get some while you can!

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

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

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

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Their claim to fame is ‘healthy fast food’.

Smoothies are popular as they only take a few minutes to prepare and make a quick and tasty breakfast or snack. This meal-in-a-drink is also customisable, with only your imagination limiting the flavour combinations. And, like fresh juices, smoothies are a great way to get more raw food into your diet.

So what is the difference between a smoothie and a juice? Well, let’s clear that up right away.

A fresh juice is made in a juicer using fruit and vegetables. Juices are high in enzymes and nutrients, but don’t contain any insoluble fibre, as the juicer spits out the pulp. Juices are simple for the body to digest, and obviously, if you can get organic fruit and vegetables, even better.

Smoothies are different – they’re made in a blender, not a juicer, so they contain fibre.

Smoothies include fresh fruit and also veggies, such as carrots and leafy greens, but you can add plenty of other ingredients too. Some of these additions are healthy, and some not so much. For instance, if you make a smoothie with frozen yoghurt, store-bought juice, and a bit of fruit, you’ve inadvertently incorporated added sugars and possibly additives and preservatives too, creating a smoothie that is super high in sugar with few nutrients.

On Samui, you’ll find fruit shake and smoothie stands all over the island – a perfect way to cool down in the tropical heat. The shakes are made to order, but, if you’re watching your sugar intake, ask them to leave out the sugar syrup that is automatically added.

So let’s focus on how to make a truly healthy smoothie. If you’re planning on making your own, the first step is buying the best blender you can afford. You’ll find industrial (pro) or economical ones available. The pro ones are powerful and can blend just about anything – even golf balls – not that we recommend them, as they’re a little bland! The cheaper models will unfortunately limit you to using softer fruits and vegetables in your combinations. A high-speed blender allows you to incorporate healthy frozen fruits and ice, and lets you blend them with ease, creating a creamy-textured smoothie. A high-speed blender is also good if you’re adding greens, because it breaks them down and blends them into the mix completely – nobody wants chunks of spinach stuck in their teeth after drinking a smoothie…

You can have single fruit, mixed fruit or even fruit-and-veggie combinations in a healthy smoothie, and to make it as cold as possible, blend in a few ice cubes at the end. If you’re making a smoothie for one to two people, you will need anywhere from one to two cups of fruit – fresh or frozen. There aren’t any limitations but remember that blending anything without removing the pips will create a grainy texture, such as with passion fruit. Frozen fruit is very convenient as you can keep a variety in the freezer and take out handfuls as required – it also makes a creamier smoothie than fresh fruit, and you can even freeze whole peeled bananas.

Once you’ve decided on your fruits, you might want to consider adding some greens – although this isn’t to everyone’s taste. Perhaps start by adding carrot to your pineapple or orange smoothie and ‘condition’ yourself into adding greens. Leafy greens are low in carbohydrates, but are very high in vitamins and minerals, balancing out what can be a lot of natural sugar if you’re making a fruit-only smoothie. Choose mild greens that won’t affect the flavour of your smoothie, such as a small head of baby bok choy, or a few handfuls of baby spinach.

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Something else to consider is the addition of protein to your smoothie. The most appealing way to do this is by using natural yoghurt. Or perhaps try adding peanut butter to your banana smoothie for a great taste and extra vegetable protein. Hardened smoothie-drinkers sometimes add raw egg yolk or protein powders, but again, this isn’t to everyone’s liking.

Luckily, on Samui we have an unlimited supply of coconut water and coconut milk, both of which are known for their health benefits and make a great liquid base for a smoothie. Fresh herbs such as mint or basil go well with fruit too, and for added fibre, raw oats can be blended in. If you have a sweet tooth and must add sweetener, opt for honey rather than sugar.

Juice or smoothie? Which should you go for?

Well, both have their benefits so why not try to incorporate both into your diet. Here’s a rundown on the benefits of each.

Juices provide quick nutrition as the nutrients in freshly-pressed juice enter your bloodstream almost immediately after consumption, as there’s no fibre for your digestive system to deal with. Because of this, they’re also easier to digest so juices are better for those needing to cleanse or heal. Also, because of the quick absorption, juices offer an instant energy boost.

You won’t feel bloated after a glass of juice; it’s light, and you won’t ruin your appetite. There’s less oxidation involved in juicing. With blending, air is whipped into the drink, exposing it to a greater level of oxidation, which can destroy some nutrients. You are however more limited with juicing as some fruit and vegetable are simply too hard to juice.

The benefits of smoothies include the addition of fibre, as blending retains the fibre rather that ejecting it. Smoothies can be a complete meal by adding proteins and fats such as coconut milk, yoghurt or peanut butter, and satisfy your appetite for two to three hours. There’s no wastage when making a smoothie and you don’t need to feel guilty about tossing the pulp as with juicing.

So are there any negative points to juices and smoothies? Well, yes actually. As with everything, moderation is key. Smoothies often contain ‘hidden’ sugar and calories in the form of sugar syrups, sweetened yoghurt, ice-cream, and even peanut butter – which although healthy, is high in calories. Even without added sugars, smoothies and juices can be high in sugar from the natural fructose found in fruit.

Again, this is only a bad thing if you’re watching your sugar intake for either weight management or if you’re diabetic. Some dentists say that too many smoothies can be bad for your teeth due to the high concentration of fruit acids and sugar – but brushing your teeth after drinking a smoothie can help counteract this problem.

If you’re new to the smoothie scene, Samui is a great place to start. Either try out the numerous fruit-shake stands – you’ll soon find your favourite ‘shake lady’ – or visit the local markets and stock up on a selection of tropical fruit, and start experimenting with delicious flavour combinations.

Rosanne Turner

Smooth Operator

Smoothies and freshly-squeezed juices.

Are these just a passing fad, or do they offer real health benefits?

Thai Up Your Thursday Nights

Have bright spiralling lights caught your eye when driving around the island at night? As you get closer, the sounds of laughter and music drift from the venue, and the aroma from delicious food stalls wafts through the air. If you’ve been curious to know what it’s all about, but too shy to venture into what seems like a ‘local’ event – don’t be. You’d be welcome to join in the fun at these community fairs.

Temple or community fairs are an integral part of Thai society. From small villages to cities, this is where the local communities gather to enjoy food, music, fun and games. They usually take place in temple grounds, but any unoccupied piece of land will do. In more conservative countryside areas, it’s taboo for teenage boys and girls to meet or socialise other than at these temple fairs, where there are plenty of eyes around to keep young hormones in line and ensure everyone behaves appropriately. Boys send secret messages to the girls to meet at the fair, and try escape the chaperones in the crowds.

The girls dress up, and the boys try to impress them by winning prizes in the shooting and darts games. Live bands, karaoke and good food all make for a fun night out.

So what does any of this have to do with Bandara’s Chom Dao restaurant? Well, Resident Manager, Khun James Taywakone, wished to recreate the atmosphere of the temple fairs on the beach in front of Bandara, to offer visitors to the island a taste of real Thai culture. So if you’re walking along Bophut Beach on a Thursday evening, you’ll be drawn by the spiralling neon lights, then by the sound of music and laughter, and then by delicious aromas wafting from the food stalls… sound familiar?

Khun James has done an excellent job creating a more sophisticated version of a temple fair, and it takes place every Thursday evening. But instead of eating your takeaway food from disposable containers while walking around, relax in comfort at white-clothed tables that are set in the soft sand at the water’s edge. Surrounding the dinner tables are food stalls – each one manned by a chef.

Rather than serving readymade food, dishes are prepared to order at these ‘mini show kitchens’, so they can be made to your liking – mild, medium or Thai-style.

To be able to make the most of the evening and sample as many authentic Thai dishes as possible, the show-kitchen buffet is charged at a per head rate (650 baht per adult, 320 baht for children under 12 and under fives eat for free).

Considering the quality on offer, this is well-worth the price.

Having the dishes prepared in front of you means that curious foodies can see not only what goes into their favourite Thai dish, but also how it’s prepared. It also offers the opportunity to sample dishes you may have been too nervous to order before.

So what can you expect in the deal? Well, for starters there’s a great bite-size appetiser that’s not available on many menus – Miang Kum. Here, you take a leaf and fill it with bits and bobs such as diced peanuts, toasted coconut, lime, chopped chillies and fresh herbs. You wrap the leaf into a cone and pop the whole thing into your mouth for a burst of flavours to get your taste buds tingling and ready for the rest of the spread.

Other starters include both deep-fried and fresh vegetable spring rolls, fish cakes, shrimp cakes and deep-fried chicken dumplings with sweet-chilli sauce.

Head to the soup stall next, where you have a choice of tom yum goong (spicy prawn soup with lemongrass, chilli, lime and mushrooms) or tom kha gai (chicken and coconut milk soup with Thai herbs and mushrooms).

Other Thai favourites include phad Thai, which most people are familiar with (if you’re not, it’s fried rice noodles with prawns, tofu, bean sprouts and peanuts) and, less familiar to foreigners but well-worth trying, phad se-iew (fried flat noodles with meat). Moving from the noodles, try stir-fried chicken with cashew nuts, sweet and sour stir-fried pork or mixed vegetables in soya sauce. And of

course, it wouldn’t be a Thai buffet without the curries, and several are on display here.

Be sure to save space for dessert. Thais have a sweet tooth and their desserts are deliciously different to Western sweets. Mango with sticky rice is a firm favourite, but if you’ve over-indulged with the rest of the buffet, there are lighter options. Ice-cream lovers will enjoy nam kang sai – shaved ice. A ‘snow flake’ is decorated with syrup, red beans, taro, potato, breads and condensed milk. Or try nam kang teang – an iced popsicle with flavoured syrup.

Bandara Resort and Spa’s Chom Dao restaurant offers a unique event on Thursday evenings.

The equivalent of the West’s petit fours, to be enjoyed as a light dessert or on their own, are kanom khao grab pak – steamed rice skin dumplings, as well as kanom ko – sticky rice dumplings with grated coconut; these are definitely more-ish and you can watch them being rolled in the coconut while warm.

The evening definitely makes for a fun family night, and guests are given tickets to use at the game stalls. Shoot at targets or throw darts at balloons to win prizes – the kids will love this!

And if you’re after a few gifts or souvenirs, several stalls are dotted around selling handmade jewellery, bags and toys, and a sketch artist is on hand for an impromptu portrait.

So if you’re looking to fill a Thursday evening, don’t miss ‘Thai night’ at Bandara Resort & Spa. Perhaps arrive early to catch the sunset and enjoy a few drinks at the beachside bar to start the evening off perfectly. It will definitely be on your list of nights to remember.

Rosanne Turner For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7724 5795. www.bandarasamui.com

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The Supremes David Bec kh am

Bruce Lee

Victoria A da m s

Happy Birthday

We highlight ht some off the h more curious events of the month of July.

daniel e f Radclif

7 Sun 7 14 21 28

2013 July Mon 1 8 15 22 29

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1stt – This was the day, in 2010, that Malaysian Han Besaw saved her husband from a tiger by driving it off with a soup ladle. ladle He was out hunting when his wife heard his screams and went to the rescue.

Fri Sat 6 5 12 13 19 20 26 27

8thh – Disaster struck Barn Barnum num & Bailey’s Circus on fire-eaters set the big-top this day, in 1944, when ffire-eate deaths. It was later revealed ablaze causing 160 death that the canvas had been cleverly ‘waterproofed’ by soaking it in a mixture of paraffin and beef lard!

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2 – Memorable tunes? This was the day, in 1920, that the unforgettable favourite, ‘Chili Bean’ was recorded by ‘Frank Crumit and the Paul Biese Trio’.

3rd – On this day, in 1970, Ray Davis of The Kinks flew to New York and back simply to legally alter one word in one of his songs. He was forced to change ‘Coca Cola’ to ‘Cherry Cola’ due to an advertising ban on the BBC! th

4 – This was the day, in 1999, that ‘Posh Spice’ – aka Victoria Adams – married footballer, David Beckham, thus creating a partnership reported to be jointly worth £115 million. th

5 – Tupperware on the beach? This was the day, in 1946, that French designer, Louis Réard, named his new two-piece swimsuit after the atomic tests on Bikini Atoll. Just as well, really, as Tupperware had also just been invented!

6th – English police in Paignton, Devon, said they were trying to identify a bus passenger, recorded by a CCTV camera defacing his leather seat, on this day just a year ago. Police said footage from the bus recorded the man biting a chunk out of the seat, causing about £200 worth of damage. th

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7 – Would you believe it? Today is National Junk Food Day in the USA!

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9th – It was on this day, in 1822, that the American, Charles Graham, patented the first ever set of false teeth, as later proudly worn by President George Washington.

15th – This was the day, in 1869, that Hippolyte Mège-Mouriès patented artificial butter. Over time the name ‘Mège-Mouriès’ slowly changed to ‘margarine’.

16th – ‘Brad’s Drink’? This imaginatively-titled beverage changed its name on this day, in 1903.

The syrupy drink actually began selling when its creator, Caleb Bradham, re-named it to ‘Pepsi Cola’.

10th – All shapes and sizes? Today is National Black Cow Day in America.

11th – Bluebeat singer, Mille Small, topped the charts today, in 1964, with her single, ‘My Boy Lollipop’. The backing track featured some ‘tasteful’ harmonica ‘licks’ by the very young Rod Stewart.

18th – 1952, and the zippy ‘Cheeseburger in Paradise’ as sung by Jimmy Buffet, oozes its way to number 84 in the US Hot 100.

13th – Not often seen on Samui, today is the feast day of St. Anthony of Padua, patron saint of starving people.

14th – A patent for liquid rocket fuel appeared on this day, in 1914. It’s rumoured that inventor, Robert Goddard, had just returned from a trip to Thailand, where he’d studied firsthand the effects of that volatile whiskey named Mekong.

wassup doc?” A question that, even today, Elmer Fudd is still pondering on.

22nd – This was the day, in 2010, that Thai Airways introduced a range of their ready-packed in-air flight-meals to actually take away. Seven different polystyrene-packed ‘meals’ became available at airport shops in Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai.

28th – Summer temperatures soared in America, and an enterprising reporter made the news with pictures of an egg frying on the steps of The Whitehouse, on this day in 1944, when a high of o 48 C was recorded.

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17th – Remember the song ‘Buttered Popcorn’? I doubt it! But the name of the group lingers on, as it was the first recording made by The Supremes and released on this day, in 1961.

12th – A Florida teenager says he shot himself in the forehead in an attempt to wake up from a nightmare after he ate hallucinogenic mushrooms, on this day in 2011. Fortunately, the only gun he had handy was a plastic BB pistol!

brought down by an allergic reaction to a painkiller.

19th – Today is ‘Flitchday’, as it has been ever since 1104 in the English village of Dunmow. A side of bacon (a ‘flitch’) is offered to any couple who have been married for a year, if they can prove that they’ve never wished to be single again during this time!

20th – On this day in 2009, Canadian, Krystal Boyce-Gaudreau, opened a can of green beans to find a blanched grasshopper staring at her. She was later informed that grasshoppers live in bean fields, are the same colour, and “ . . . sometimes they slip through.”

21st – Kung Fu superstar, Bruce Lee, died on this day, in 1973. After surviving a diet of nunchucks and throwing stars for years, he was finally

23 – On this day in 1904, the world’s first-ever ice-cream cone appeared, at the St. Louis World’s Fair. Vendor Charles E Menches ran out of paper wrappers and made-do with a pile of borrowed waffles instead, giving rise to a tradition that was to sweep the globe.

24th – They were observed screaming, gyrating and throwing themselves around. No, not a Justin Bieber audience, but a whole village in Aux la Chapelle, France, suffering from ergot poisoning due to tainted wheat, on this day in 1374.

25th – Death by turnip, some time later, in 1989, when Englishman Leslie Merry was struck by a turnip flung from a passing car. He subsequently died in hospital, of a ruptured spleen.

26th – “My friends, I am a jelly doughnut.” On this totally unforgettable day, in 1963, President John F. Kennedy uttered these immortal words when addressing the German people. He had meant to say, “I am a Berliner at heart.” But ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’ doesn’t actually mean that!

29th – Keep on going – today is ‘National Drive-Thru Day’ – in America, of course!

30th – The was the ironic day, in 1784, on which French writer, Denis Diderot, a leading light in the ‘Age of Enlightenment’ movement, met his end after eating an apricot his wife had warned him not to touch. His final words before becoming enlightened were, “How the devil will it hurt me?”

31st – And a gruesome endnote – this was the day, in 1869, that something fell from the sky over a large area of the Californian coast. Thousands of small chunks of what seemed to be flesh, bone and skin covered a huge area and it was assumed to be the remains of several cows. But nobody knows quite what or how, even to this day!

Rob De Wet

27th – More immortal words, as on this day, in 1940, Bugs Bunny uttered for the first time, “Err ...

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Culinary Delights Being spoilt for choice at Conrad Koh Samui.

There are many, many resorts and hotels on Samui, and visitors to this beautiful island have an incredible selection to choose from. Some visitors like to stay in the busy areas where they can enjoy the daily hustle and bustle, where they can shop to their hearts content or prowl the streets at night sampling all the different foods on offer at the various restaurants that line the street.

Chaweng is popular for this and you’ll find many beautiful boutique resorts along this stretch of coastline.

But maybe you’re after some good beaches and not so much nightlife, so perhaps you head to Lamai, maybe you like it a little quieter still, with the option of some smaller restaurants, bars and pubs at night and you head to Bophut or Bangrak.

But what happens if you want total peace and quiet. What happens if you have had enough buzz and activity during your normal day-to-day life and now you just want to get away from it all?

You don’t want thumping nightclubs; you don’t want to walk the streets looking for your next meal. You want a beautiful room, maybe an option of preparing some simple food yourself, and you want to be treated to first class cuisine while looking out across the sea. Does that sound like you? Then Conrad Koh Samui is where you need to be…

Tucked away in the far south west corner of the island, you have to zigzag up the hillside and when you arrive at the top, you’re treated to a view that literally blows you away. The azure Gulf of Thailand is spread out in front of you, and from this very high vantage poin, you can see across to the mainland as well as the various little islands dotted around the coast. It really must be seen to be believed.

You have a selection of one or two bedroom villas to choose from, each with their own infinity plunge pool, all brimming with luxury features.

The decor includes beautiful original artwork pieces and Thai silk furnishings. If you fancy some home cooked food, your villa’s kitchen is

fitted out with all the latest appliances so you can easily cook up a meal. Sit on your private balcony and take in the ocean views while enjoying a coffee from your espresso machine, or, of course, a drink from the well-stocked minibar.

But even though the villa’s kitchens are beautiful, the dining options at the Conrad might be more tempting. All restaurants use fresh, local or imported, organic produce, and with five to choose from you’re sure to find something to satisfy your taste.

‘Jahn’ is Conrad’s ‘culinary crown jewel’. It offers authentic Thai and pan-Asian cuisine. An opulent dining experience, dress code is formal for this luxury restaurant. Seating just 28 guests in a candle-lit dining room, it is only open for dinner.

You can enjoy a unique view of the moonlit ocean and nearby islands through the floor to ceiling windows while dining. The Executive Chef, Konrad Inghelram, has been here for almost three years and his impressive career has seen him not only working for four different Michelin-starred kitchens, but also mentioned in many magazines such as OK!, Men’s Health Magazine, Evening Standard and Time-out. He also collaborated with Albert Roux for menu and concept development at the Sofitel St. James in London. Along with his team at the Conrad, you’ll know you’re in exceptionally good hands when it comes to dining.

If you’re serious about wine, visit the Conrad’s wine cellar and exclusive dining area called ‘The Cellar’. This private wine cellar houses over 3,000 vintages and is perfect for very special occasions or interactive wine-tasting evenings. The chef and sommelier have worked together closely to create a perfect menu to enjoy in this atmospheric room.

The Cellar, and its exclusive dining experience, is available by reservation only.

Thailand. Here you can enjoy wine, spirits and of course, cocktails.

If you prefer something a little more casual, visit the beach level poolside restaurant - Azure.

Situated right on the side of the resort’s large infinity pool, you’ll feel like you’re sitting in a landscaped garden. They even change the music and lighting at twilight to reflect the colours of the evening sky.

If a more vibrant, lively atmosphere is what you’re after, then visit Zest, Conrad’s smart/casual all-day restaurant. Situated high on the hillside, they offer Mediterranean specialities which you can enjoy either inside or outside while again, admiring that incredible ocean view. They have an unusual refrigerated display here which showcases some of the beautifully prepared ingredients that are later used in some of the dishes.

Maybe, even though you love the view, you’re keen to get out onto those blue waters, how about enjoying one of four dining options on the Conrad’s luxury boat charter service. Enjoy different ‘Picnic Baskets’ with a selection of prawns, chicken or smoked salmon or try the ‘Destination BBQ on the beach’. You’re guaranteed to feel pampered.

With all this on offer at Conrad Koh Samui, you’re certain to experience fine cuisine in a little corner of paradise.

Colleen Setchell For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7791 5888 www.conradkohsamuiresort.com

Why not enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail outside at the Aura Lounge? Perched high on the hillside and with comfy oversize furniture and blazing fire pits, this is the place to view the amazing Samui sunsets over the golden waters of the Gulf of

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

(Fisherman’s Village) 16/16 Moo 1, Bophut, Koh Samui, Suratthani 84320 Tel: 077 430 030, 077 245 035 Free Parking!! Opposite the restaurant

www.siamwininganddining.com

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8 www.siamwininganddining.com

Nora Beach Resort & Spa is one of a number of prestigious hotels that are located away from the hustle and bustle of Chaweng. Meaning that it’s right on the fringe, in the northern part of the bay, just a few minutes ride away from the centre, yet perfectly and peacefully placed. The ‘Nora Group’ is very much a local enterprise, and this was the first of the ‘Noras’ to appear.

It’s a large and luxuriant resort, sitting high on the cliff and with layers of terraces drifting down towards the beach and the two restaurants. Since this resort first appeared, the group has added another three super getaways, culminating in the sumptuous 5-star Nora Buri Resort & Spa, just a little way along the coast.

Today the person in charge of the smooth running of the resort is Khun Prajuabphan Sakakorn – more generally known as Khun Jeff.

He’s an interesting man and very accessible.

Purposeful, rather than earnest, yet readily moved to the point where the grins begin to emerge. He takes his work seriously, and has become known for tackling problems head-on.

And yet he’s affable and easy-going by nature.

But, curiously, his career began in another direction altogether.

Khun Jeff was born in Bangkok, and on leaving school gained a degree in Political Science. His aim was to work his way up in local government, after first securing a junior posting in one of the regional offices. But the way things work in Thailand is that such batches of vacancies fall open every two years.

Thus, with a gap to fill, and with the help of a friend, he took a junior post – but in a hotel.

And not just any hotel, either. Khun Jeff started in the employ of the 5-star Royal Orchid Sheraton & Towers, one of the nation’s most prestigious hotels.

“My job wasn’t quite as grand as it sounds,” Khun Jeff smiled modestly. “I was very much a junior, a trainee, and I started by doing a great many small things to learn the basics. In fact, I spent a total of five years in the ‘front office’, covering all aspects. At which point I became interested in a different sector of the business.”

The fact that eventually Khun Jeff was to remain with this hotel for a total of 15 years speaks volumes. He’s not the sort of person who light-heartedly dances their way up the career ladder – two years here and one year there.

He’s thorough, dedicated and conscientious. “I realised,” Khun Jeff continued, “that there are just two core elements to any successful hotel.

The first one is to get the guests into the hotel in the first place. And the second is to ensure that they are not only delighted with their stay but they want to come back again.”

You’re probably wondering what happened to Khun Jeff’s political ambitions – remember the stopgap job he took whilst waiting for the next round of vacancies? The answer’s simple. He got hooked on working with people. It didn’t take long before the prospect of sitting in the same office each day with a dozen other co-workers had lost its appeal. As he himself says, “People are complex. You can’t rubber-stamp them with clear-cut rules and regulations. Every person, every couple, carries their own dynamic. Every problem has a different solution. And if a similar thing comes up again then it has not been satisfactorily solved. It’s not only a challenge but it’s fascinating!”

worked his way up the ladder, until he finally emerged as Assistant Director of Sales and Marketing. It doesn’t take long to say that; but it took him another seven years before he left – a total of 15 years with the same 5-star employer, in 12 different posts – by which time he considered this part of his apprenticeship complete! The next step was to put himself in a position where he could ‘keep the guests coming back’: he now needed to find a position as a hotel manager.

His next significant appointment was with the world-renowned Minor International Group, which operates over 1,000 restaurants and 30 5-star hotels worldwide, including such spangled names as Marriott and Four Seasons – plus the new brand name of Anantara. Khun Jeff was in on the opening of this brand, as Director of Sales and Marketing for the Anantara Group.

And that’s how he came to Samui. “I’d visited the island before” he explained. “Although I was then based in Bangkok, now I was coming to Samui for meetings every month.”

Two years later, in 2009, the Nora Group opened their 5-star flagship, Nora Buri Resort & Spa. The general manager from Nora Beach took the top post there, leaving a vacancy in his wake. Khun Jeff applied, and was accepted for the position. And then his work began in earnest. He worked his particular brand of marketing magic on the superb beach restaurants, upgrading them and creating one of the most lavish beach barbecue buffets on the island – believe me these have to be experienced! And they’re exceptional value for money, too.

And he introduced an exacting staff-training program to regulate, monitor, encourage and reward all his employees, from the gardeners to the waiters to the cleaners. “It’s not enough to just say we really care about our guests,” he mused. “It actually has to happen. All our staff must understand how to respond to guests and their problems. We have 114 rooms here and it can get very busy. But I’m always on hand to help and support my staff. We not only need to create a great atmosphere for guests, we want them to remember us and come back again.

Guests have to leave us with a warm feeling and fond memories!”

It’s an unusual scenario. All in all Khun Jeff has spent a total of 19 years in international hotel chains and has worked for long periods in every discipline. And now he’s not only getting guests – he’s keeping them. Because at last he’s running all the marketing as well as keeping them happy when they’re here – he’s Group Director for Sales and Marketing, too. And all of this is exactly the reason Khun Jeff came to us here on Samui!

Why Here?

We talk to Khun Jeff, General Manager at Nora Beach Resort.

Rob De Wet For further information, telephone 0 7742 9400. www.norabeachresort.com

Realising that the first aspect to get to grips with was the ‘getting people in’, Khun Jeff took another (once again junior) position in the hotel’s sales and marketing division. And, once again, methodically learned the ropes and

Pure Asian Experience

Monday Beach Barbeque Held in front of Chom Dao beach restaurant, the buffet comprises a wonderful selection of fresh seafood such as prawns, fish and squid, as well as grilled and roasted meat including New Zealand Lamb and Australian Beef, plus sushi, salads, main dishes and delicious desserts.

Only 1,100 THB per person.

Children under 12 half price. Children under 6 free.

178/2 Moo 1, Tambon Bophut, Koh Samui, Suratthani, Thailand, 84320 Tel: +66 (0) 7724 5795 www.bandarasamui.com E-mail: stay@bandarasamui.com Hotline reservation 089-653-6199, 084-357-9597

www.siamwininganddining.com 9

Imp There’s not only a huge range of eating options at Impiana Resort, but it’s rollicking good value for Something occurred to me the other day. I’ve been writing these stories for over eight years now – and that means getting out and about to dozens of different resorts. People have given up trying to calculate exactly how many resorts and hotels there currently are on the island. But with 25 or so 5-star resorts alone, there has to be another couple of hundred that are one notch down and hundreds more that are less well endowed. And every single one of them has guests. These guests like to go out and explore – and that certainly includes restaurants. But during the day almost all of them stay close to home.

book and the beach? A range of nine different multi ice-cream combos? A shady thatched beach bar with an all-day ‘snackwich’ BBQ where you can pick ’n’ mix your own sandwiches – with or without fries? Where everyday there was a ‘Beer ’n’ Bites’ special running. An air-conditioned hospitality lounge for when the sun gets just a bit too fierce, with free coffee, tea, juices and cookies, and big, comfy sofas? Not to mention three separate happy hours (of two hours each!) with a wide range of beers, spirits and cocktails at half price (two-for-one). Wouldn’t you feel like trotting off there for the afternoon, every now and then?

They’ll go out on occasional day-trips, sure. But mostly they laze by the pool. They paddle on the beach. They check their emails and surf the web or read a book. They nibble unthinkingly at the same daytime menu of salads and snacks, over and over again. But – what if there was a resort just a few minutes away which had lots and lots of different ways to fill those gaps between the

Impiana Resort Chaweng Noi, as the name suggests, isn’t actually in Chaweng. It’s in the neighbouring cove, in Chaweng Noi. But before you turn over on your sunbed and go back to sleep – the team there are canny enough to have predicted just such a sun-soaked reaction, and have laid on a shuttle service to run you there and back again. (Brownie point number one.)

Impiana has been around for quite a while, but ever since the current management took over some years back, there’s been a non-stop policy of innovation, upgrading, and progress forward.

On a daytime basis you might assume there’s not so much to be offered. But the paragraph above should have set you straight on that one. And, in addition to all that’s gone before, there’s a super evening fine-dining restaurant, plus a different theme night or BBQ on the beach every single night of the week.

There are actually two restaurants here at Impiana, one above the other in a two-floor block overlooking the beach. The lower is Sabai, the resort’s shady and open-sided all-day restaurant which runs almost up to the big thatched beach bar. Upstairs Tamarind Bar & Lounge is split into two areas: the lower terrace commands the sea view and, stepping up from this into the main body, there’s a comfy open-sided lounge and a bar area that has more than a few pub games. There are currently plans

afoot for a complete re-model – but that seems to be the norm everywhere at Impiana!

But brownie point number two comes for the evening activities. Every evening sees another dining theme on the beach. On Monday it’s Thai Night with a classical dancing show. Tuesday it’s Catch of the Day with a big selection of fresh grilled seafood. But Wednesday is less orthodox, with the innovative ‘Steamboat Dining’. Here you’ll be presented with a table-top charcoal cooker and invited to go back and forth to enjoy an all you can eat buffet – cooked by your own fair hand.

Thursday’s here are good news for the veggies amongst you: there’s a whole range of hot and cold vegetarian delicacies which, together with the selection of herbal and fruit teas already available, should top off your evening nicely.

Every Friday there’s a good old all-you-can-eat beach BBQ, neighbouring onto Saturday’s similarly-themed Surf ’n’ Turf. And to round off

the week, every Sunday features the Roast Chicken Buffet Dinner, with mashed or roast potatoes, gravy, a choice of vegetables and an open salad bar. And, to accompany all of this, each night there’s a live acoustic duo who will lull you with ballads to begin with and up the tempo when you’re on the wine course. All requests cheerfully accommodated!

But back in more detail to the best bits (and yet more brownie points). The happy hour that you’ll need to focus on is initially the one that runs between 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Firstly it’s coming up to sunset, and then it also slips perfectly into the evening’s beach dining. There’s a shuttle bus leaving from McDonald’s in the centre of Chaweng at 2:30 pm – perfect if you’re just up for an afternoon of basking and brunching. Or you could go for the evening performance by heading out from McDonald’s on the next bus at 5:30 pm – the last shuttle back to Chaweng leaves the resort at 10:00 pm.

For reservation please call: 077 246 222 Bang Rak Beach, Koh Samui www.punnpreeda.com info@punnpreeda.com

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piana Cornucopia money too!

Or you could combine the two and really vary your day, dipping in and out of the pool, the free nibbles in the hospitality lounge, all those gourmet ice-creams, the Beer ’n’ Bites and snackwiches and those happy, happy, happy hours, prior to and including the evening theme dining on the beach. After which you couldn’t but fail to agree with the title up at the top – there’s a veritable cornucopia to be discovered, at Impiana Resort Chaweng Noi!

Rob De Wet For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7744 8994. www.impiana.com

www.siamwininganddining.com 11

T rop ical Pic k

July’s Fruit of the Month – the Avocado.

You can blame it on the ancient Aztecs. They really loved their ahuacate. They believed that it was endowed with mystical powers – particularly with regard to matters of virility and the production of strong warriors and priests. And, so, given the fruit’s shape, this belief led directly to its name ‘ahuacate’ – which was to create a great deal of embarrassment, several hundred years later.

avocado was first discovered by the conquistadores, back in the 16th century. They soon shipped the seeds back home, by way of the West Indies, Indonesia, the Philippines and India. And it thrived everywhere that was more-or-less tropically humid. But, although it grows happily throughout Asia, it’s never really caught on in these parts. The occasional dessert item, perhaps, but nothing to write home about.

You see, around about the time that the 20th century was getting under way, the avocado wasn’t called the avocado. ‘Midshipman’s butter, ‘butter pear’, avovago pear, alligator pear: the California Fruit Growers Association reckoned that it’s had over 20 English names and around 50 others worldwide. Including the one by which it was generally known in America at that time – ahuacate. Which, unfortunately, is Spanish for testicle. And, thus, in 1911, it was announced to the world that this fruit was ever hereafter to be known as ‘avocado’. I guess that, when it comes to fruit, some people have got plenty of cojones!

But! Pause to consider! That avocado that you’re spooning at breakfast near the pool. Or the guacamole that you’re enjoying at that little Mexican restaurant in Chaweng. There’s a 95% chance that it had ‘Made in Thailand’ stamped on it. And, odd though it might sound (because avocados are not what you might consider to be a typical Thai fruit), a great many of them are grown right here in Thailand. And for that we have to thank the King of Thailand, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

By the mid-20th century, northern Thailand had become the number-one exporter of opium, worldwide. Many of the impoverished hilltribe

And so it’s back to Mexico again, where the

peoples, for whom subsistence living and slash-and-burn agriculture was the norm, found that opium was such a profitable cash crop that it was worth the risks to grow and sell it. To combat the growing drug trade, The King established a project where he encouraged the hilltribes to cultivate certain fruits and vegetables, with a guaranteed purchase, in exchange for giving up opium production. Everyone thus had a living wage, the ‘Mafia’ dangers of the drug lords were eliminated, and Thailand got rid of a huge international problem. He effectively replaced the ‘traditional’ crops of opium poppies with cost-effective alternative products, such as coffee, lettuce, grapes, strawberries and ... avocados.

And, although these are not grown on a scale that lends itself to huge exports, there’s a ready commercial market in areas that cater for the millions of foreign visitors that come to Thailand each year.

But, having said that, there are Thai companies that are exporting these fruits, particularly in their cut-and-frozen state. They send frozen packs of avocado, passion fruit and dragon fruit all over

the world. It’s not viable to export the fresh produce, but this is a good alternative.

And there are all sorts of other things that you can do with avocados, as well as just eating them! The extracted oil is rich in vitamins A, B, and E (as is the fruit, itself) but it’s considered too costly to produce commercially. However, it does show up in a number of high-end beauty treatments, as it lends itself to making facial creams, hand lotions and ‘designer’ soaps. And, somewhere at the other end of the social scale of things, the dried and crushed seeds make an effective rat poison.

Another curious use of the same crushed seeds is that, in some parts of Indonesia, they are used as a remedy for dandruff. This is no doubt the reason that you see very few Jakartans with mice in their toupees. Well, one of the reasons, anyway.

But, on a more earnest note, the same seeds exude a milky fluid, high in tannin, which turns a deep red in contact with the air. This fluid was used as an ink by the Spanish conquistadores to create legal and military documents – and such is

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the permanence of this ‘ink’ that, even though the original parchments are decaying, the writing is just as good today as it was back in the 1500s.

And, so, to finish with – a little decorative souvenir of Thailand for you. Save one of your avocado stones and take it with you when you leave. Take a couple of toothpicks and push them into the stone on either side, like little arms. Place this across the rim of a glass tumbler and fill it with water so that the stone is suspended with its bottom half-inch in the water. Keep it topped up, and watch the roots and leaves form. And when it’s beaming at you later from its pot in the corner of your living room, you’ll recall fond and sunny thoughts of your breakfasts by the pool on Samui.

But you might need to trim it a bit. It’ll grow to about 80 feet!

Rob De Wet

One for the Ladies Prana Resort’s Amala Restaurant offers a ‘girls’ night out’ special on Thursday evenings.

Who says there’s no such thing as a free lunch?

Or in this case, a free drink. At Prana Resort’s Amala Restaurant in Bangrak, drinks are free – for ladies anyway. Now the feminists will be throwing their hands up in horror proclaiming that they don’t want special treatment, and the men will be glumly proclaiming it not to be fair.

But let’s face it. Why would anyone turn down a free drink with no strings attached? And there really are no strings attached to this deal.

So ladies, drop the hang-up. Yes, yes, men and women are created equal. But we’re also different and we need to celebrate our differences and take any opportunities for what they are – in this case, a chance to get together with girlfriends over a few drinks and a chat.

So what’s the deal? Every Thursday evening from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, drinks from a selected list are free for ladies. Now these aren’t cheap and nasty cocktails, watered down and just presented as a gesture. These are good

quality cocktails, and a good selection too, so you’re bound to find a mix to your taste. And if you’re not into cocktails, choose from San Miguel Light beer or a glass of Monte Chilena Chardonnay from Spain. Guys, don’t worry, you haven’t been entirely forgotten, and while the ladies can keep their wallets closed, you’ll have to open yours half a notch as drinks are half price for you.

To get you in the mood, here’s what you can expect to find on the free cocktails menu: There are old favourites such as a classic martini and a gin fizz. And if you like a margarita, there’s a choice of red berry or blue. If you prefer it shaken not stirred like 007 but with a feminine note, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the mango or watermelon martinis. A twist on the usual minty mojito is the ‘berry nana mojito’ with vodka, berries, banana, lime and mint leaves.

And keeping with the fruity theme, try a melon colada or the banana daiquiri.

Although ladies tend to control themselves better than men, it’s always a good idea to line the stomach when having a few drinks. During the free drinks ‘happy two hours’, guests have the option to order from a selected tapas menu.

No, the food isn’t free too – come on, they have a business to run after all – but the tapas are well-priced at 99 baht per plate, a two-dish combo for 160 baht, and a four-dish combo for 220.

If you’re not familiar with Amala Restaurant, you may not know that it’s a strictly vegetarian eatery. But not to worry – this award-winning restaurant understands that vegetarian doesn’t mean boring, and their interesting array of tapas is testament to that. The menu offers a fusion of European and Asian snacks to choose from. To get your taste buds going, here’s a sample of what’s on offer: Oven-baked pumpkin with cheese, hash brown with cheese, oven-baked tomato with risotto, deep-fried wonton with quail egg, baked tofu with asparagus, bruschetta

with mushroom and cheese, crispy seaweed rolls and seaweed salad to mention but a few.

Of course, when ladies get together the company is important, as is the food and drink.

But the setting makes the occasion too, and at Amala you can’t go wrong. The airy contemporary building is located right on Bangrak Beach, angled perfectly to catch the setting sun. It’s elegant and sophisticated, yet relaxed at the same time. Colourful herbs form a feature growing in a spiralling hydroponic planter, ready to be plucked by the chef as required. Gather at the dining tables, relax on the sofas or even enjoy a dip in the pool, cocktail in hand. Why not make an evening of it and stay for a healthy dinner – to ease the diet guilt from all those free cocktails. Dress up or dress down, it’s up to you. Walk-ins are welcome both from the street and off the beach, but if you plan on staying for dinner, perhaps make a reservation to ensure a table.

And if you can’t make it on a Thursday evening, not to worry as happy hour happens every evening at Amala Restaurant from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, on a 50% off basis. The price you see is the price you pay, no plus plus here.

So ladies, why not gather up a few of your good friends – let the guys tag along too if you like – and enjoy ‘Ladies Night’ at Amala Restaurant. Because here, there is such a thing as a free drink.

Rosanne Turner For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7724 6362. www.pranaresorts.com

Enjoy your lunch or spectacular sunset dinner at the open air Pavilion restaurant overlooking the sea and the intimate atmosphere of a small luxury villa resort.

Discover authentic

Authentic Thai and international cuisine and wines.

Indian Cuisine

Join us for a relaxed and unforgetable dining experience!

Samui Noori India Restaurant - Chaweng Centerr Chaweng Beach Road, opp. Chaweng Buri Noori India Restaurant - Chaweng South at Chaweng Cove Resort outh Noori India Cooking Center - Chaweng South Soi Colibri, opp. Centara Grand Beach Resort ort

Open daily from 7.00 a.m. to 10.00 p.m. (ask for free pick-up service) Santi Beach – Lipanoi Tel: 077-420008 – Fax: 077-420009 e-mail: samui@siamresidence.com www.siamresidence.com

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

www.siamwininganddining.com 13

Ye Gods!

Alcohol seems to have been totally intertwined with religion throughout history.

Drinking alcohol is a cultural and social pastime for many, just look around you. But it’s nothing new. For eons it’s been an intrinsic part of many religions. Celebrations, rituals and festivals have always included copious amounts of free-flowing booze. But is it a gift from the Gods? It certainly seems so!

a blessing from God that brings merriment and a potential danger that can be unwisely and sinfully abused. Since nearly all Christians base their views of alcohol, in whole or in part, on their understanding of what the Bible says about it, the Bible is the single most important source on the subject, followed by Christian tradition.

Throughout the first 1,800 years of church history, Christians consumed alcoholic beverages as a common part of everyday life and nearly always used wine in their central rite, the Eucharist or Lord’s Supper. They held that both the Bible and Christian tradition taught that alcohol is a gift from God that makes life more joyous and that overindulgence, which leads to drunkenness, is a sin. In the mid-1800s, some Protestant Christians moved from this historic position of allowing moderate use of alcohol, to either deciding that not imbibing was wisest in the present circumstances, or prohibiting all ordinary consumption of alcohol because it was believed to be a sin. Today, all three of these positions exist in Christianity, but the historic position remains the most common worldwide.

And in general terms the bible also speaks of wine as a bringer and concomitant of joy, particularly in the context of nourishment and feasting. Wine was commonly drunk at meals, and the Old Testament prescribed it for use in sacrificial rituals and festal celebrations. The Gospels record that Jesus himself miraculously made large amounts of wine at the wedding feast at Cana. And when he instituted the ritual of the Eucharist at the Last Supper during a Passover celebration, he says that the wine is a “New Covenant in [his] blood.” That said, many Christians have differed on the implications of this statement.

Alcoholic beverages appear repeatedly in the Bible, both in actual usage and in poetic expression. And, on the whole, the Bible is ambivalent towards them, considering them both

History tells a similar story of mythical gods closely associated with alcohol. Bacchus was the Roman god of wine. Dionysus was credited by the Greeks with bringing wine to mankind. They still celebrate a three-day festival in his honour each year in Athens. Ninkasi was the Sumerian goddess of alcohol and known as the ‘Lady who

fills the mouth.’ Osiris was the Egyptian god of agriculture and two of its most important products, beer and wine. Aegir was the Norse god of the sea and brewed beer in a kettle.

Spenta Armaiti was a Persian goddess charged with guarding the vineyards. Mayahuel was the Aztec goddess of alcohol. And Mbaba-Mwanna-Warsea was an African goddess who produced rainbows to signal celebrations and was also the goddess of beer.

Then there are the Christian patron-saints that keep those who make, serve and consume alcohol safe. And there is a near legion of these fine folks. Saint Luke (1st Century), Saint Barbara (d. 235 AD), Saint Medard of Noyon (470-560), Saint Adrian (b. 303), Saint Lawrence (d. 258), Augestine of Hippo (354-430), Nicholas of Myra - also known as Santa Claus (4th Century), Saint Veronua, Boniface of Mainz (680-754), King Wenceslas (907-929), Arnold of Soissons (1040-1087) and Arnou of Oudenaarde (11th Century) are all recognized as patron-saints of brewers. Wine, winemakers and vineyards have their protectors, including Vincent of Saragossa (d. 304), Urban of Langres (d. 390), Martin of Tours (316-397) and Walter of Pontnoise (d.

1099).

Distillers have Louis IX of France (1214-1270),

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canonized for leading crusades. Merchants selling beer and wine, vine growers and bartenders claim Amand of Maastricht (584-679).

Saint Brigid (475-525) was credited with turning dirty bath water at a leper colony into thirst quenching beer (she’s welcome to come and visit me any day!). Saint Benedict (480-547) established the Benedictine order, whose rules include hospitality as a key element. This allowed monks to start brewing beer and selling it to locals and travellers. Medieval monks were renowned as the finest creators of beer and wine and were allotted about five litres of beer per day. They were allowed to drink beer (but not wine) during fasts, and it is said of the customs of England in the day that at least a gallon of beer per day was the usual allowance per person, even for nuns. That’s a lot different from the nuns that taught at my school; you couldn’t even get away with chewing on a wine gum!

Church, but brewers claim him as their patron-saint. It is said that Gambrinus, King of Flanders, was the first to use hops and malted barley in beer. Historians argue that Gambrinus may actually have been Jan Primus (John I, 1251-1294) who was the Duke of Flanders, Brabant, Louvain and Antwerp. Others say he was Jean Sans Peur (John the Fearless, 1371-1419).

A gift from the gods you ask? Well a quick walk around some of the bars here after midnight and you might consider alcohol a curse. On the other hand, I know there have been a number of times I would have nominated a talented brewer, distiller or vintner for sainthood after trying one of their finer creations. Certainly those who turn grapes and grains into enjoyment for the masses deserve it.

Johnny Paterson

Saint Columbanus converted Swiss pagans about to sacrifice a large kettle of beer by telling them God wanted them to enjoy the drink in his name. Saint Arnold of Metz (580-640) is accredited with saving countless lives during the plague by telling people to drink beer instead of impure water. It quenched many thirsts and was definitely preferable to the Black Death. King Gambrinus is not an official saint of the Catholic

k k Duc Duc .1 Tasty s ’ r e s No

Farm Samui’ ed Vot

Vis Visit The Farmer and experience the real meaning of “Back to Nature” whilst en enjoying the best of local Thai, Western and seafood dishes.

Farmer’s Duck

Exclusive Lunch Promotion at The Farmer

Pizza Margherita

Crispy fried duck served with herb sauce, rice, gourd soup, fresh tropical fruit, 1 bottle of water.

299 Baht

12:00-15:00 daily

1 scoop ice cream, 1 bottle of water.

250 Baht

The Farmer Restaurant & Bar 1/26 Moo 4, Maenam, Koh Samui Tel: 077 447 222, 077 247 979, 083 092 2632 www.thefarmerrestaurantsamui.com email: info@thefarmerrestaurantsamui.com Free transfer for dinner guests Nathon - Maenam - Bophut. Other areas 300 Baht return. Для гостей из районов Nathon - Maenam - Bophut - трансфер бесплатный. Гостям из других районов острова мы возвращаем 300 батт от стоимости такси.

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TOP TEN 2011 www.tripadvisor.com

Kitchen King Turning left off the ring-road in Ban Tai, just 300 metres on the left after a sharp left-hand bend as you reach the end of Maenam heading west, head up a long driveway towards The Farmer Restaurant & Bar and you immediately know it’s going to be something different. Besides the big water buffalo grazing nearby, you notice the bright green of expansive rice paddies surrounding the restaurant, and the palm tree covered hill in the distance. If you stop and listen, you can hear frogs and ducks happily croaking and quacking their way through the water. It is peaceful, calm and tranquil. During the day, the green of the rice paddies is beautifully striking against the blue sky, and at night the area is lit up with lanterns giving it an almost magical feeling.

Delicious and creative fusion at The Farmer Restaurant & Bar.

A thatched pavilion is where the main seating area lies but there are many other tables outside on a decking area around an ornamental pond. Here you can dine under the stars, lanterns on your table, softly glowing, creating a lovely ambiance.

Small glass vases with rice plants are the simple yet effective table decorations, and dried rice plant stalks and stems lie pressed under the table glass for a gentle reminder of where you are.

Creating more magic at The Farmer is Head Chef, Khun Adisorn Kwanthep, or Khun Aoh. He has been at The Farmer since it opened two years ago and brings many years of experience with him. Originally from Hat Yai, Khun Aor learnt to cook while growing up, cooking for his friends and family. He then worked in various restaurants learning as much as he could before finally moving to Samui. Here he worked for five years under the executive chef at Le Meridien, increasing his knowledge about International cuisine. He left Samui and then spent a few years working at the luxurious 5-star Lebua at State Tower in Bangkok, before returning to head up the kitchen at The Farmer.

Although cooking and menu planning are always on this mind, when he’s not working he finds time to relax by running or spending time on his motorbike.

And while he enjoys his relaxation in the fresh island air and around nature, he finds inspiration for his new dishes or how to improve his current ones. Even though he enjoys cooking International dishes (and from the many reviews on TripAdvisor, it’s something he clearly does very well), his favourite ingredients are Thai, including cumin, lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime.

International flavours that’ll leave your taste buds singing. The one dish that caught our eye was the ‘Mussaman Lamb Shank served with mashed potato and arjad sauce.’ That really does sound like the best of both East and West. A dish that he created that is proving very popular here at The Farmer is the ‘Mixed Thai Appetiser’, which is a selection of dishes that enable diners to sample a few of his incredible creations.

Khun Aor displays his experience of International cuisine mixed with his passion for Thai food in many of the dishes on the extensive menu. Lamb, duck and beef feature highly on the menu as does lobster. In fact the ‘Phuket Lobster Farmer Style’ dish is another firm favourite with guests, being a slight variation on traditional Lobster Thermidore.

The ‘Caramelized duck breast with farmer vegetables and fine noodles in honey orange sauce’ is a simple example of how he seamlessly combines East and West.

Two firm favourites as voted by diners are the ‘Farmer Dirty Duck’ and ‘Panaeng Lamb’. Khun Aor noticed our expression when he said ‘Dirty Duck’ and went on to explain how duck breast is slowly cooked in a sauce and then fried until the skin goes a golden crispy colour. That’s more like it, one Dirty Duck for me please.

Khun Aor does something very special and unique at The Farmer. It’s called ‘Five coloured herbal rice’. Small servings of rice, all individually wrapped in small parcels created from banana leaves. The special bit comes when you unwrap them and discover that they are all different colours, blue, yellow, pale green, pale red and white. Don’t worry though, they are all coloured with herbs or spices so there’s nothing artificial to be found here, but it is very different. This dish of beauty is served with all the Thai main courses.

Another treat that this creative chef has perfected is ‘Coconut Custard’. Yes, as the name suggests, it is a twist on a normal custard mix with added fresh coconut milk. It sounds deliciously indulgent.

The Farmer is open seven days a week from noon until 10:00 pm for both lunch and dinner. The staff is known for being friendly and attentive, and their knowledge of the various dishes will ensure you know exactly what you’re ordering.

The Farmer also has a very popular ‘promotion lunch menu’. From noon until 3:00 pm every day, they offer dishes such as Pizza Margarita, ice cream and a bottle of water for just 250 baht (which includes both service and tax) or how about Crispy Fried Duck, rice gourd soup, tropical fruit and a bottle of water for just 299 baht. They have prawn, chicken and pork dishes on offer too for 550 baht. It’s becoming extremely popular so make sure you try it out.

So if you’re looking for something a little different, head over to The Farmer and indulge in some creative fusion.

Colleen Setchell For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7744 7222 or 0 830 922 632 www.thefarmerrestaurantsamui.com

The menu here is innovative and creative.

Khun Aor has created wonderfully complementary combinations of Thai and

Weddings, Celebrations, Parties & Honeymoons River Prawn Tom Yum

Rock Lobster

Sunset Dining in Spectacular Surrounds Enjoy breathtaking sunsets while discovering our culinary delights at The Terrace, one of Koh Samui’s best beachfront dining destinations.

A holiday or a visit to The Passage would not be complete without sampling the food at The Terrace. Nestled on the beach, this majestic open-air restaurant affords diners a perfect view of the spectacular sunset over Laem Yai Bay and the distant islands.

Sea Food Taco

Lamb Chop

Beef Lasagna

Phuket Lobster Thermidor

Carbonara Pizza

This epicurean dining nirvana serves up the finest catches from the sea so our guests can feast like kings. Pay homage to our specialty – the royal triumvirate of lobster, tiger prawn and oysters.

Engage your senses as Executive Chef Moo takes you on a culinary journey, and discover the flavours that resonate in Thai-European fusion cuisine.

The Passage is not just a resort. It’s also a great location for weddings and honeymoons. The resort offers specially designed packages to suit your personal style and budget.

So come and experience the wedding of a lifetime at The Passage Koh Samui.

The Passage Samui Villas & Resort Laem Yai Beach Reservations 077 421 721 www.thepassagesamui.com www.siamwininganddining.com

15

Going Native Joining the locals at Uncle Jai’s

The northeast of Thailand is its poorest region, but its cuisine is the he most ubiquitous.

Its friendly and capable people, eople, the Issan, are to be found all over the country, ntry, traditionally in manual work, but increasingly ingly in every sector.

Wherever they are, they nurture a deep nostalgia for their rural roots and their yummy cuisine.

Fortunately for us, this means one can find Issan food everywhere, most usually in a casual, relaxed setting. Follow the ‘pok pok’ sounds made by a wooden mortar and pestle and you will find at its source a broad, friendly face patiently preparing that most popular salad called som tam for an equally patient queue.

Literally meaning ‘sour-pounded’, som tam is made by smashing a variety of fresh ingredients including small tomatoes, dried shrimp, garlic, lime, chilli, sugar, fish sauce and peanuts with strips of raw grated green papaya in a mortar and pestle.

The action of the pestle ensures that th the flavours are and blended well an then lightly crushed against the agains papaya papay without witho pulverising pulveri yielding a it, yieldin crisp tangy nutty, sour, spicy, n sharp and sweet tantalizes the flavour that tantalize palate. clients The vendor makes each salad to order, clien favourite calling out their preferences and their favou ingredients, while the vendor ‘pok poks’ and then empties the contents of the mortar into a plastic bag with an elastic band for take-away, or onto a serving plate before starting with the next order.

The most important decision you need to make is how many chillies you want to spice up your salad. And you need to make this decisive choice early in the process as the chilli factor is determined at the onset of the pounding. The range is generally one to ten tiny chillies, but if you are really heat-shy, you could start with none, as the residual chilli flavour in the pestle may be enough of a homeopathic dose for you.

Variations to the salad abound, and the above mixture is generally called som tam Thai. You can replace the shrimp and peanuts with salted black crab (som tam pu), or for a truly authentic Issan version, with fermented fish (som tam pla ra). Or both. Alternatives include salted egg, with rice noodles or sand crabs. All these salads need to be eaten shortly after being pounded as any substantial delay will render the vegetables limp and soggy.

Som tam is easily the most popular snack in Thailand, and is eagerly wolfed down as breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between by millions in all walks of life every working day. On holidays too, a classic pastime such as a group outing to a waterfall can only be counted as successful if there’s an opportunity to eat som tam with barbequed chicken (som tam gai yang).

And as luck has it, Lung Jai’s (or Uncle Jai’s) is the closest restaurant to Samui’s famous waterfall at Namuang. The correct road is the most westerly entrance (closer to Nathon) of the two waterfall roads. Don’t take the Namuang 2 waterfall entrance off the main ring road, as while this may bring you to the Safari Park, it is nowhere near the delicious array of Issan delights of Uncle Jai’s simple establishment.

The path to the restaurant from the car park is lined with vendors selling local fruit and knick-knacks. For 20 years, this little no-name shack has been ready and able to feed the

pilgrims visiting the waterfall, and needing a pick-me-up. Lung Jai and his cook Khun Nid are relaxed and friendly, bringing out the food dish by dish. Within earshot of the strident forest cicadas and soothing cool streams leading from the falls, you can plonk down on the simple cement garden furniture, arranged in the shade of tall forest trees where it is delightfully cool.

Hungry, you order straight from the laminated menu. We asked for som tam Thai with one chilli, and som tam pla ra (the real McCoy) with six. And rice.

Sticky rice. This glutinous strain is first soaked and then steamed in a woven basket. And guess what? It’s a perfect accompaniment to som tam, best eaten with your hands by moulding a ball of the sticky rice to pinch at some salad and mopping up the juices.

Issan food is famously spicy but each dish can be modulated by the chilli factor. Another apparently essential ingredient is MSG, and my fear on asking for it to be omitted is that the cook will often increase the sugar content to compensate, and so spoil the salad. Here however, the spicing is perfect, both for the moderate one chilli salad and for the mega-dose with six for my Thai companion.

the people famously eating a wide variety of creatures you may not consider palatable, including insects, frogs, and reptiles. Often these will be presented as larb, a perennial favourite which is similar to namtok but generally more finely minced and served with mint.

As a salty and sour complement to the grilled flavours of the barbeque, we enjoy a spicy sauce called nam chim cheo, which comprises chilli paste, fish sauce, lime, coriander and crispy rice. An accompanying plate of unadorned raw vegetables including green beans, basil and cabbage is a crunchy and refreshing contrast to the spicy meal.

While the casual character of the food stands here may seem disorganised, the food is clean and tasty, and in all the years I’ve eaten from Issan vendors stands, I’ve never had any discomfort. The fare is honest, simple and basic, a delicious blend of fresh vegetables, solid carbs and a little protein, and perfect for a picnic outing.

Annie Lee

We also order roast chicken and namtok mu, a dish comprising of sliced grilled pork neck, chilli, lemon, fish sauce, spring onion, coriander and crispy rice. Traditionally in poor Issan, protein comprises a small part of the meal, with

Authentic Thai Cuisine California Cuisine Succulent BBQ Seafood 16 www.siamwininganddining.com

A Salad with a Difference Krua Bophut makes the most of Samui’s Seafood.

You’ve probably walked past Krua Bophut many times as it lies at the quiet, western end of Fisherman’s Village. The beautiful teak traditional Thai-style building is hard to miss, and you might be forgiven for thinking it isn’t busy because of the lack of patrons seen in the restaurant as you peer through the open wooden shutters. Don’t be fooled though, the best place to dine at this restaurant is down on the beach. Okay, so it’s not directly on the beach but the ‘beach level’ has been filled with sand and you get to wiggle your toes in it while trying to decide what you’re going to eat.

Soft, relaxing music is played, but not loud enough to drown out the wonderful sound of the waves lapping on the sand. The glass vases on the table with candles, sand and shells remind you where you are, and the soft lighting and fire lanterns on the beach create a wonderful calm oasis. Tall palm trees sway gently overhead (don’t worry, all coconuts have been removed) and as you sit in this pretty garden area, you’ll truly feel you’re on a tropical island.

Krua Bophut is well-known for their seafood.

They use a local supplier and everything is caught

locally (which is not hard when you’re based on an island). The white snapper is used in a lot of the dishes, as are prawns and soft shell crab.

As you sit down, the waitresses, dressed in their beautiful, traditional Thai outfits, will take your drinks order while giving you some time to read through the extensive menu.

If you’re new to Thai food, or if you just can’t decide what to order, they have two set menus, one spicy and one slightly milder. They cover all the popular dishes along with some less well known ones. Tom Yum Soup, Som Tam (Green Papaya Salad), coconut ice cream and banana fritters are much-loved dishes, but have you tried roasted duck curry or stir-fried white snapper with three spices? There is a wide selection of dishes on the à la carte menu to satisfy every taste, from mild to spicy. A ‘one chilli’ symbol signifies mild and if you order a dish with a ‘three chilli’ symbol, prepare to be blown away.

The signature dish here at Krua Bophut, isn’t fish or curry or even their delicious home-made coconut ice cream. It is actually a salad. But the ‘Krua Bophut Salad’ is no an ordinary salad, and

although it is described as ‘a shrimp salad with herbs’, this is a massive understatement. Shrimps are those small things found in ‘prawn cocktails’ at office parties, not the large, beautiful pink, steamed prawns sitting on top of a very colourful salad you can expect here.

This dish’s popularity can be judged on the feedback the restaurant receives from its patrons.

If they are going to eat a salad, this is the one they’ll order and it was very clear why. When you think of salad, what do you think of? Lettuce, tomato, cucumber and some dressing? Well, this salad is indeed served on a bed of lettuce but that is the only similarity. Freshly grated coconut and finely chopped onion and garlic are all fried until almost brown then added to a fresh, mildly spicy dressing of freshly squeezed lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and Thai chilli paste which is poured over steamed, succulent prawns and topped with finely grated lemongrass, a few dried chillies, a sprinkle of crushed peanuts and finally a sprig of coriander. And of course, being Thailand, don’t forget the ornately presented carrot art as garnish on the side.

Your mouth will be dancing with flavours.

Nothing in this dish is marinated, it is all freshly prepared and you can certainly taste that when you take your first mouthful. The lime dressing works perfectly with the tender prawns, really bringing out their flavour. Close your eyes and the lemongrass and chilli flavours fill your mind with images of Thailand. These two tastes really symbolise the flavours of this land. Finally, the peanuts add an interesting texture and after you have swallowed, you’re left with just a subtle reminder of the chilli paste. A great combination of flavours.

Krua Bophut flavour their dishes with fragrant herbs rather than salt, pepper or too much chilli.

You’ll find sweet Thai basil, lemon grass, coriander, mint and many other herbs in their dishes. There’s nothing worse than leaving a restaurant with a horrible bloated feeling from too much stodgy carbohydrate or fat. Here, you’ll certainly not have to worry about that as all the dishes are nutritious and healthy. Citrus flavours, chillies, herbs, fresh fruit and vegetables as well as a good selection of seafood make this a very healthy night’s dining. Prawns themselves are a very good source of protein and contain omega oils which are known to be good for your heart.

They are a very nutritious food. So you can eat here and know it won’t increase your waistline.

The restaurant also offers a free signature cocktail for returning guests. The “Krua Bophut Punch” is made with mixed fruit juice, Thai whisky and red Grenadine. Enjoy it with a cool slice of watermelon on the rim.

You really do feel looked after at Krua Bophut.

From the minute you arrive and a crisp white, fabric napkin is placed on your lap, to the excellent staff and their ability and willingness to explain anything on the menu, your time at this ideally located restaurant will be special.

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

www.siamwininganddining.com

17

Viva El Vino!

The Mexican Wine Revolution

Whenever Mexico is mentioned, most people don’t immediately think of wine.

Tequila, tacos, sombreros, moustaches, colourful blankets and donkeys, maybe, but wine? Well it’s time to forget all the old Mexican clichés, and think again.

One hundred years ago, señors Madero, Villa and Zapata led the Mexican Revolution. Today, Mexico is going through a different sort of upheaval, a wine revolution. Small producers, mainly concentrated in Baja California’s Guadalupe Valley, are charging ahead with the declaration, “Viva El Vino!” The major force in this movement, the most significant evolution in Mexican wine since Spaniards first planted vineyards at the Santo Tomás Mission in 1791, has been Hugo D’Acosta.

An internationally renowned winemaker who came to Baja from mainland Mexico in the late 1980s to work at the large Santo Tomás winery, D’Acosta soon began to explore side projects in the Guadalupe Valley, including his family’s winery, Casa de Piedra.

The dry and barren landscape of this Mexican state peninsula, commonly (but slightly confusingly) known as Baja California, does not necessarily lend itself to the notion of fertility. It’s a land where only rocky interludes, or a solitary cactus interrupt the wide-open views.

Nevertheless, this dusty yet rich terroir is also home to one of Mexico’s home-grown successes. The region has a temperate climate, with warm days and mild evenings, making for the perfect environment for wine production. But despite the favourable conditions, the Mexican wine industry is still relatively young. Many vineyards have been in operation only since the 1980s (or later) and are only just beginning to find their feet.

The sales of Mexican wines began slowly, but in the past few years the industry has experienced something of a boom. Of the wine purchased within Mexico, three out of ten bottles are made domestically. And efforts have been made to break down the hitherto negative connotations regarding wine, making it more attractive to a wider market. Though there is still a lot of work

to be done in order to nurture a stronger culture of wine drinking nationwide. As a result, the number of wine drinkers has doubled in the past five years, an upsurge largely stimulated by a free-thinking new generation, wanting to break out of the tequila drinking Mexican stereotype often portrayed in popular media.

In almost every way, Baja California is a textbook American west coast wine valley, with coastal influences that ensure those vital cool nights, even during the growing season’s hottest months. The vineyards belong to top Baja producers, including Casa de Piedra, Viñas de Garza, Vinisterra, Rincón de Guadalupe, Hacienda La Lomita, Monte Xanic and Viñas Pijoan. And there is a mixed bag of grape varieties that can handle the warm conditions. The region produces mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Tempranillo, Syrah, Zinfandel, Grenache, Cabernet Franc and Nebbiolo among the red wines. And Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Viognier among the white wines. Alcohol levels can run high, due to Baja’s balmy environment. And occasionally, the wines can display hints of saline, because of the ocean-influenced ground water used for irrigation.

Overall, the general consensus is that Baja is on the right track, and ranks as a North American wine region worthy of being discovered. Mexican vineyards, which often concentrate on producing more boutique wines at the upper end of the price range, find themselves competing against more affordable foreign imports. Consequently, those buying wine ask themselves, why buy a Mexican brand for US$20 per bottle, when they can find a foreign brand for nearly half that price? So in order to make Mexican wines more accessible, there is no other option than to offer them at a competitive price. And indeed, most major wine manufacturers are putting a lot of emphasis on building a portfolio of younger, fresher wines in order to attract a broader consumer base, and finally move away from the notion of wine consumption as an elitist pursuit.

younger generation, and gain an advantage over less expensive foreign imports. Monte Xanic, a medium-sized vineyard producing about 500,000 bottles of wine annually, has recognized this need. The vineyard will begin to include on their wine bottles QR codes, a relatively new technology that can be scanned by the consumers’ cell phones, to guide them to a website informing them on such things as the aroma, bouquet and compatibility of a particular wine. Wine manufacturers are also branching out to social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, a move they hope will give them greater contact with younger wine drinkers.

This type of marketing has a very good chance of succeeding with the tech-obsessed young. And it will come as no surprise to learn that the more commercially astute wine companies worldwide are now adopting this high-tech promotional formula.

Mexico is a great example of how the new generations, in countries that do not have a tradition of wine consumption, are finally embracing it in the 21st Century. There can’t have been a better time in history to be involved in the wine industry. Combine the population explosion in the developing world, with ever-growing demand for wine from these nations’ young people (whose disposable income is continually rising) and you can see the potential for exponential growth. And it’s only human nature to want to drink one’s local wines. Most people want to feel proud of their nation’s achievements. There is a certain security in the knowledge that you can produce something as good, if not better, than everyone else. And making comparable wine to one’s illustrious neighbour, California, in Mexico’s case, is particularly attractive to the current highly ambitious young generation of Mexicans.

Peter James

Vineyards are continually looking for creative ways to make their wines appeal to

At The Sea Koh Samui, Bang Por Beach

THB 800++ / person Every Saturday from 6 - 9 pm

Free flow delicious THApas (Thai Fusion Tapas) paired with 2 glasses of fine wines

THB 600++ / person Every Sunday From 10 am - 4 pm

T 077 960 567 E info@TheSeaSamui.com W TheSeaSamui.com TheSeaSamui 7/64 Moo 5, Bang Por, Mae Nam, Koh Samui, Suratthani 84330 Thailand 18 www.siamwininganddining.com

Events @ the beach front Bistro Monday, Wednesday and Saturday: Live music.

Tuesday: Thai night with live Thai music and dancing Thursday: Lobster night Friday: Rustichella pasta night Saturday: All day tapas Sunday: International BBQ night with a live cabaret show.

Probably the most beautiful Restaurant on the island. Dine outside in the lush gardens by the pool or inside the open air ‘dining room’. The exceptional Aziz and his team present a modern take on Classical French Cuisine.

www.siamwininganddining.com 19

Fine Beach & Hillside Dining at Samui's Newest Venue Quality Thai, Seafood & International Dishes The Ultimate Samui Dining Experience!

No visit to Samui is complete until you have dined at The Barge

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

Chaweng Beach Road Chaweng North Tel: 0 7742 9400 Fax: 0 7742 9498 E-mail: reservation@norabeachresort.com www.norabeachresort.com

It’s all happening at Nora Beach Resort & Spa Monday Night Buffet Dinner with South-East Asian Cuisine With live cooking Teppanyaki and entertainment by Flair Bartending Show Wednesday Night Enjoy our Beach BBQ with entertainment by Samui Dance & Fire Dance Show Saturday Night BBQ Seafood Buffet with entertainment by “The Beauty Cabaret Show” Daily Cooking Class & Fruit Carving Class Learn to cook 3 Thai dishes - Baht 1,500 net / person Fruit Carving Course - Baht 1,400 net / person Prices are inclusive of chef hat, apron and certificate Advance reservation required Happy Hour Buy 1 Get 1 Free at Pool Bar 3pm - 5pm & at Lobby Lounge 7pm - 8pm and 10pm - 11pm Private Romantic Dinner Only you and your loved one dining on the beach with private chef and waiter/waitress Available daily. Advance reservation required For further information please telephone 0 7742 9400

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