February 2015

Seafood Beach BBQ Buffet, Mondays & Thursdays NEW DISHES AVAILABLE

SAMUI

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FEBRUARY 2015

Sareeraya Villas & Suites Call + 66 (0) 77 914 333 www.sareeraya.com

Seeing Red February is a month of celebration on Samui, with St. Valentine’s Day on the 14th and Chinese New Year on the 19th.

As a lot of the early settlers on Samui were Hainanese fishermen, there are widespread Chinese influences on the island with many of the local folk having direct Chinese descent. So it’s not surprising that there are beautiful Chinese temples here, and that there are many celebrations going on for Chinese New Year. The ferry port town of Nathon, in particular, will be festooned along its main streets with red Chinese lanterns, making quite a spectacle in itself.

streets of Samui bestowing good luck on businesses and individuals alike.

Firecrackers will be going off throughout the day and, although they’re heralding the ‘Year of The Goat’, the traditional Chinese lion will be making its way through the

So, whether you’re joining in the Chinese celebrations for their New Year, having your own private celebration of love, or both, you’re certainly in the right pace for doing so!

And the other reason that you’ll be seeing red is because it’s St. Valentine’s Day. This is the festival that you’ll probably know all about, as it’s THE time in the year when couples go out to eat somewhere special to celebrate the occasion.

Thai Wine in Oasis You will never really know a country unless you experience all it has to offer, and that includes eating local food and drinking local wines. This January, ‘Samui Wine Oasis’ in Chaweng Beach will be hosting its annual ‘Thai Wine in Oasis’ to help you get to know the delights of Thai wine and how it matches with Thai cuisine.

Regarded as the highlight of the tasting calendar, this event showcases Thailand’s most respected producer - Chateau des Brumes, Village Farm Estate.

See page 22 for February promotion

SAMUI

Graeme Malley Editor

Preeda Tuajob (Puy) Graphic Designer

Akaphon Phongninlaarphon (Don) Photographer

Seksak Kerdkanno (Klauy) Webmaster

Rob De Wet Feature Writer

Alison Stephens Feature Writer

Dimitri Waring Feature Writer

Catch of the Day Revealing the secrets of scallops.

Natalie Hughes Feature Writer

Peter James Feature Writer

Rosanne Turner 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.

You’re one of three types of people when it comes to scallops. You’re a lover, you’re a hater, or you’re simply a first-timer. Regardless of your current status I’m here to inform you of the nitty-gritty - where they come from, what a fresh scallop looks and smells like, how many eyes they have (100), and most importantly, how they get onto the plate sitting in front of you.

Let’s start with the basics. What is a scallop? At first glance it’s simply two shells stuck together with something edible in the middle, but let’s get more technical shall we? I did promise the nitty-gritty.

Scallops are molluscs that have two convex shells hinged together. The shells are both beautiful and similarly shaped. Inside, the white muscle that opens and closes the two shells, the nut, is one of the two edible portions of a scallop. The reproductive gland, the roe, is also edible, although not as widely consumed.

Interestingly, many scallops have both female and male organs, and throughout their lives these scallops alter their gender. A few, however, have a definitive gender and begin to

reproduce at the age of two. Through what is called spawning, these breeders can produce hundreds of millions of eggs per year.

There are several hundred different species of scallops, with a few that are regularly eaten and widely available. The top two are the Atlantic deep-sea scallop and the bay scallop. The deep-sea scallop is large, while the bay scallop is small, and both run in the same season.

October marks the beginning of this season, which lasts until the end of March. Beginning in December and ending in May, you’ll find fresh calico scallops are in season. However, regardless of the month if it is scallops you want, it is scallops you will find, as both fresh and frozen scallops are available all year-round.

Scallops are found in all of the world’s oceans, but never in freshwater. Interestingly, some have the capability to swim short distances either for migration or escape from predators, while others stay cemented in place for the duration of their life. Those that are cemented tend to be the ones sitting there on your plate, harvested using scallop dredges or bottoms trawls, or hand-caught by divers. The latter method is

more eco-friendly, as it produces less negative impacts on the ocean floor. This method also produces a fresher scallop, as more often than not it goes directly from the sea to the market.

Scallops are extremely perishable, and for that reason they are usually shelled, washed and frozen as soon as they are caught.

So how do you know you are getting a good scallop? Here are a few indicators to make the lovers love more, the haters hate less, and to help the first-timers make the right call.

First, use your eyes - fresh scallops should never have browning. Instead, they should have flesh that is white and firm. Frozen scallops should have no freezing inside their packaging, and should look shiny. Second, use your nose. Smell is widely unused, either out of awkwardness or inconvenience, both of which should be set aside. Fresh scallops should be odourless, or have a slightly sweet scent. If possible, always smell your scallops before purchasing.

Scallops contain a variety of nutrients that can promote cardiovascular health, and can also offer protection against colon cancer. They are an excellent source of vitamin B12 and phosphorus, and are also a good source of protein, selenium, as well as zinc, magnesium, and potassium. So not only will your taste buds thank you, but so will your overall health.

So now you know the facts. My job is done the nitty-gritty has been presented and now it’s up to you. Will you remain a lover? A hater? Will you cross the line and no longer remain a first timer? If so, just remember, a hundred eyes may or may not be staring at you.

Alison Stephens

Different types of fish are known for their health benefits, but other seafood can be just as beneficial, including, you guessed it - scallops.

c Siam Map Company Ltd. 2015

Distribution at Bangkok Airport courtesy of Bangkok Airways.

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

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A drink from Paradise...available on Earth

New branch now open at Central Festival!

Located at Tesco Lotus Chaweng, Tesco Lotus Lamai and Central Festival 2 www.siamwininganddining.com

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

Olivio - a must for visitors and locals alike.

Olivio ~ beachfront at Baan Haad Ngam Boutique Resort 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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Up the Road It’s worth making a trip up to the north end of Chaweng – where you’ll enjoy the super dining at Nora Beach Resort.

Most people shudder when they hear the word ‘buffet’. All too often, it brings to mind images of dull hotel breakfasts, finger food wedding spreads or teenage birthdays. In other words – any time or place there are lots of people who need a quick and easy food fix. But hold your horses! The concept behind buffets is perfectly sound. And if you apply the principle to first-rate food that’s cooked to perfection, plus live cooking stations for the meat and fish, attentive staff, and top quality table settings, then the experience changes radically.

Particularly if you set it all up on a tropical island at the edge of the sea and under the stars.

They started off here with Nora Beach itself; a spacious and luxuriant layout that’s cunningly terraced down the hilly land that’s found in this part of Chaweng. Then they surprised some of the locals by aiming at the other end of the holiday market and building two budget-style hotels, away from the beach. But then, in 2009, they came out with a lavishly luxurious 5-star offering with their flagship, Nora Buri – revealing that they had cleverly created a spectrum of accommodation that drew in everyone from backpackers to jetsetters alike.

And naturally, at the top end of their pitch, they established some outstanding dining.

The main problem with buffets is the sheer quantity of food that needs to be provided in order for it to work. That means you need lots of customers to cover your costs. You could always try to drop the price to attract folks, but then you’ll have to cut back on both quantity and quality. What you need is a good reputation. Good word of mouth. You need to grow in stature. And this is just what has happened, over the years, at Nora Beach Resort & Spa, just about the last resort there is on the strip, up at the very northern end of Chaweng Beach Road.

The setting, here at Nora Beach, is just about picture-postcard perfect. Situated right at the edge of the sand, the restaurant, Prasuthon, is actually quite large, being able to seat up to 120 people if need be. It’s very neatly designed so that all the space is broken up – to start with there’s actually two separate open-sided sala-style buildings. There’s the main ‘room’ together with the pleasant outside deck that forms a deep terrace overlooking the beach, and there’s also a spacious area running along the entire far side of all this – and they’re all at slightly different levels, linked by wooden decking. It’s all very attractive, made of warm, rich timber, and wherever you sit there’s a sense

The Nora Group is something of a local legend.

of intimacy and privacy.

The menu here is really very good, and comes courtesy of another island legend, Chef Sitthichai Saephu – more usually known by his nickname of Khun Sit. He previously worked at top restaurants in Phuket, before coming here after the fateful tsunami of 2004. And his pedigree is such that his European offerings are as effortlessly authentic as the regional and Thai dishes that form the other side of his menu.

It’s easy enough to sit back and simply run the same menu year after year. But, twice a year, Chef Sit completely overhauls his menu, revamping his offerings with a fresh approach and featuring new signature dishes. And currently you’ll find that there’s a subtle hint of ‘East meets West fusion’ running throughout.

Right now ‘King of the Sea’ is top of the pops here, a mixed seafood dish featuring scallops and king prawns, combined with a fillet of sea bass together with mango sauce with chilli balsamic, and presented with mange tout, baby corn and a side salad.

If you’re already a seasoned visitor to Thailand then you’ll enjoy picking from the authentic Thai dishes on offer. But if you’re not too sure, then there’s a useful set menu that conveniently

groups some of the most popular items all together. The four courses come with a starter (Asian Flavour) which contains spring rolls, chicken satay and deep-fried prawn pancakes.

Then there’s a soup (tom yam gai) and a main course of either massaman or green curry. And to finish off there’s the traditional dessert of mango sticky rice. It’s also worth mentioning that the prices here not what you’d expect for quality dining. Most of the items are in the 250 – 350 baht price range, and the most expensive dishes only run to around 450 baht or so.

But it’s the theme buffet evening which always seem to attract the most attention, although you’re quite welcome to choose from the à la carte menu instead, if you wish (which is useful if one member of your group has a smaller appetite or if you come with children). Every Thursday there’s the all-you-can-eat ‘Beach BBQ’ where you can pick from a variety of different cuts of hot and cold meats, including chicken, pork and beef, plus a range of fresh seafood. And not only is there an open salad bar but also live cooking stations preparing fresh seafood and meat cooked just the way you want it. Go and order your choice, sit back, and it will be delivered to you in just a few moments.

Located in the beautiful Fisherman’s Village on Bophut Beach, our experienced chefs proudly present authentic Thai cuisine and Southern Thai dishes. Fresh seafood is a must with great quality at reasonable prices.

Enjoy the tranquility of the beach, the twinkling stars and the whispering waves along with the beautiful music. A superb dining experience and great memories.

And then on Tuesdays you’re invited to enjoy ‘Siam Kingdom’, essentially an entire range of Thai offerings (with a variety of cold cuts and barbecued items too) but with the advantage of being ‘all you can eat’. There’s a splendid display of Thai dancing that runs for an hour starting at 8:00 pm. And it’s also worth knowing that there’s a happy hour in place from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, with all spirits and liqueurs, plus Corona beer, at half price. Also, on the subject of pricing, be aware that the prices on the menu here are what you’ll actually pay - there’s no tax or service charge on top, it’s already included.

Very few resorts get outside diners coming in for their buffet nights. But here, at Nora Beach Resort, the price is excellent, the choice varied, and they get a great many guests coming in to enjoy their buffets. And all you need to do for this – is just go up the hill!

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

(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 5

It’s quite staggering, really. We take life as it comes. We go to school, then work in a shop or go to college. Get married. Have babies. We’re busy. Our lives are full. And yet there are just so many things we know nothing about. And even more things that we simply take for granted. We never think twice when we turn on a tap or flick a switch. We use telephones that, a generation ago, were the stuff of Sci-Fi movies.

We buy things online from all over the world.

All around us, every day, there are a thousand things we just take for granted. And one of these is pepper.

Yes, pepper. The powdery stuff that we shake on our food. It’s just there, on the table. And, like salt, the only time we ever actually notice it, is when it’s not there! And yet, these two things together, salt and pepper, have a value that’s timeless. At one time, salt was so rare and so hard to come by, it was worth its weight in silver. For a long time the Roman Empire paid its soldiers in salt. And likewise pepper was priceless; although, to be honest, the same holds true for most of the spices we know today. All these things, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, turmeric and pepper, together with saffron, used to be the rarest of the rare. Unlike other spices which grew in cooler climes (nutmeg,

cinnamon, mace, cloves), these spices were found only in hot, humid conditions, growing near sea level. And, until the machinery of the Roman Empire moved across half of the northern world, all such spices were indigenous to India, the near and middle East, and some parts of the tropics.

But what opened everything up was the explosion of discovery in the 15th century.

Adventurous seafarers realised that you didn’t just drop off the edge when you got to the horizon and so, enthusiastically, kept on going.

During the first half of the 15th century, the Portuguese explored the coasts of Africa. In 1492, Christopher Columbus sailed further west into the Atlantic Ocean. And, a few years later, Vasco de Gama reached India by sailing all the way around Southern Africa. Columbus might have been a top-notch sailor, but a botanist he was not! And so, one way or another, he really went and messed up the whole concept of ‘pepper’ for the next 30 years or more!

But, if you think about it, even today, pepper can mean several things. There’s the ground pepper that goes on our steaks, the blistering ‘chilli peppers’, and also the big, colourful capsicum peppers that aren’t spicy in the least.

In fact, what we think of as pepper (and the stuff that was so valued in Roman times) is the ‘peppercorn’. This is botanically classified as ‘Piper Nigrum – and to prove the point about just how diverse all this is, Piper Nigrum is just one of about 1,000 species in the piper genus that is part of the larger family of peppers called Piperaceae.

And so it’s hard to blame Columbus when he brought his ‘peppers’ back to Europe. He discovered three varieties. One was an aromatic berry he called the ‘Jamaican Pepper’ (today this is known as allspice). His second peppery discovery was the capsicum. These big apple-sized fruits were straightforward enough.

But the confusion started to pile up with the third set he found – the red-hot chilli peppers that also came in red, green and yellow, and were also capsicum, albeit of a different family branch. And then, to muddle things even more, the Spanish word for pepper is ‘pimento’, so all were dubbed ‘pimentos’, whether they were spicy or not.

It’s interesting to look at all of this in the context of Thailand. Back in this period 99% of the Thai people were farmers or fishermen, with a bland diet of rice and vegetables, chicken or fish. And

when, finally, they had access to such flavourings and spices, they seized upon them with relish. Anything was better than eating a never-ending diet akin to moist cardboard.

Suddenly, their food actually tasted of something, even if it was mainly only blisteringly hot chillies!

But, getting back to the table variety of pepper (the peppercorns), even these come in a whole variety of different flavours. The Piper Nigrum is a climbing shrub that, left wild, grows up to about 30 feet, but is usually pruned back to 12 feet in cultivation. Its flowers are slender spikes with about 50 blooms on each, and their berry-like fruit eventually grows into long strings of peppercorns.

The flavour of these peppercorns can change, depending on where the pepper is grown, when it is picked, and how it’s processed. The most common are the black peppercorns – these are the peppers that we put into our pepper mills or are sold ready-ground. These are simply the mature fruits of the plant. The green variety is exactly the same thing, but picked before they’re ripe – they’re milder and softer in texture, and used a lot in Thai cuisine. And the white ones are simply the seed of the mature

plant but with the black husk removed. This is really just an aesthetic choice as they’re usually only used to season dishes where the black colouring would stand out too much, like potatoes, soups or pasta.

And then there are the rarer pink and red varieties, often favoured by gourmet chefs. The red ones are the same fruit as before, but picked exactly at the point just before it begins to turn black. The pink, however, is actually from a different plant, the Brazilian or Peruvian pepper tree. The flavour here is similar to black peppercorns, but not as acidic and slightly fruity.

So there you have it. All you need to know about pepper, and you’ll never have to take it for granted again.

Rob De Wet

Crush Me, Shake Me This month we take a look at pepper.

Your private Holidays in Samui

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R e s o r t

Thai & International cuisine in Lipa Noi / Koh Samui Phone: +66 (0) 77 420 008 | samui@siamresidence.com | www.siamresidence.com

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Island Oasis

Samui Wine Oasis lives up to its name, offering a tranquil escape from the crowds.

Most visitors to Samui will visit Chaweng at least once. And most will experience what Chaweng is renowned for - hip and happening bars, dance clubs, restaurants advertising cheap cocktails and beer, music pumping from every establishment becoming a bit of a blur, and vendors enticing you to their stalls, promising the deal of the decade. Add to that a few drunken tourists, swerving scooters and honking taxis and Chaweng can overwhelm the senses.

But if all of this craziness threatens to drive you to drink, you’re in for a bit of luck, as slap bang in the middle of the madness, lies Samui Wine Oasis. And an oasis it is indeed. Now while you can most certainly get a great cocktail or a beer here, it’s the wine (as the name suggests) that makes this place well worth a visit. Wine, unlike beer, is meant to be sipped slowly and savoured. There’s nothing rushed about enjoying a good bottle of wine, and it leads you to automatically relax and unwind, while also encouraging good conversation. After all, the best wines are the ones we drink with friends.

As Jessica Altieri wrote in her book, Kiss My Glass, “Wine is just a conversation waiting to happen.”

During the month of February, Samui Wine Oasis are promoting their ‘Classic Night in the Garden’. Nothing complicated, no set menus – just delicious food, a great wine selection with daily promotions, and the perfect romantic setting for Valentine’s month. Here you can sit under a canopy of tall trees glowing with fairy

lights, at tables set with white table clothes, silverware and candles, and sip on a perfectly chilled bottle of wine, watching the world go by and take the time to enjoy good company.

Choose from several dining areas, from the wooden deck under the trees and vines, to the elegant yet laid back dining room overlooking the tasting room and cellar, or move to the barrels at the street front if you’re just after some drinks and want to do a spot of people watching.

While the rest of Chaweng seems to be set on ‘fast forward’, at Samui Wine Oasis, life slows down to a more relaxing pace, and what better way to enjoy it than over a good bottle of wine and a tasty meal. Better yet, for the month of February, Samui Wining & Dining readers will enjoy a complimentary glass of sparkling rosé as a welcome drink with their meal. From 4:00 pm, when the restaurant opens until 8:00 pm, guests can enjoy the ‘Early Bird Special’, with daily promotions on beer, cocktails and house wine.

Samui Wine Oasis is the brainchild of Khun Napasoon Chayuntaradilok, better known as Khun Laem, a pilot with Thai Airways, who has travelled the world with his wife, Khun Piyamas, and developed a love of wine during his travels.

He is lucky enough to have visited wine regions around the globe, and has attended several winemaking and wine appreciation courses abroad. Khun Laem wanted to share his appreciation of wine, and spread wine culture within Thailand, so opened Samui Wine Oasis in

2012, promising to provide top quality wines at reasonable prices – no easy achievement with Thailand’s tax on wine being 200 – 300%! Yet, he’s managed to live up to his word. While Khun Laem takes care of the ‘bigger picture’ of choosing the wines to be stocked in the restaurant and wine shop, Khun Piyamas focuses on the ‘smaller picture’, helping guests to select the best wine to accompany their meal.

Whether you fancy Thai food or international cuisine, she knows what will go best with your dishes to bring out the flavours.

Staff training is on-going at Wine Oasis, not only in wine knowledge, but also customer service and in the kitchen. All staff are trained in wine service – from the temperature of the wine, the glass it’s served in, the manner in which the wine is opened and poured, and all bottles are kept in the climate controlled cellar and wine fridges. Being an airline pilot, Khun Laem understands the importance of good customer service, and he brings in outside consultants to assist with training the staff. He believes that there are three main elements to a successful dining experience - excellent quality of food and wine; friendly, efficient service; and an inviting atmosphere. And like a three-legged stool, if one element is missing, no matter how good the other two elements are, the structure collapses, and the dining experience is not enjoyable.

Now while wine drinking can be an expensive habit, especially in Thailand, at Samui Wine

well as fusion dishes. A display of fresh seafood

Oasis you’ll find a wide selection of wines, all personally selected by Khun Laem. Some are priced as low as 490 baht per bottle. In fact most bottles are under 1,000 baht in the ‘casual wines’ category. For those looking for something a little more special, make a choice from the ‘smart wines’ selection, ranging from 1,400 to 1,900 baht per bottle, and for a special occasion, select a bottle from the ‘classic wines’ range, which are priced from 3,300 baht to 7,500 baht per bottle – so there’s something for all pockets. Wines are sourced from around the world, including Argentina, Italy, France, Australia, South Africa, Chile, USA, New Zealand, Austria and Spain. Khun Laem is also keen to promote local Thai wines, which have made their mark in the wine world in recent years, so you’ll see a selection from Thai wine estates too. All these wines are also available to purchase from the temperature-controlled wine shop, if you’re looking for something to take home.

on ice at the front of the restaurant lets you make your selection, and have it prepared to your liking. And if your palate is not yet accustomed to Thai chillies, you can choose to have it mild to medium. A few menu highlights include Thai shrimp cakes, coated in toasted almond slivers, fresh Vietnamese spring rolls or an assorted Italian cold cut platter or cheese platter to start. The menu is diverse, with a vast selection of appetisers, salads, entrées and desserts, and European favourites include pastas and steaks.

To accompany the quality wine, all meals are prepared with the finest and freshest ingredients, by a Thai chef with more than 40 years of experience in the kitchen. The menu offers local classics and international cuisine as

Rosanne Turner

Samui Wine Oasis is attached to the beautiful Chaweng Garden Beach Resort, easy to find along Chaweng Beach Road, a few hundred metres north of Central Festival, and is open daily from 4:00 pm to midnight.

“Wine makes every meal an occasion, every table more elegant, every day more civilized.” – Andre Simon, French wine merchant and writer.

For reservations or further information, telephone 0 848 361 855. www.samuiwine.com

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Please bring your sweethearts and loved ones to celebrate Valentine’s Night with us in the Dining Room Beachfront Restaurant with live entertainment. Saturday February 14th @ 7.00pm.

Aziz our Executive Chef has created a menu to tempt every appetite.

Amuse Bouche - Poached USA oyster in Champagne, capellini, Avruga caviar and Champagne beurre blanc First - Sesame and poppy seeds crusted foie gras bon-bon, grilled brioche, caramelized peaches and balsamic crema Second - White asparagus soup, pickled devil egg, and asparagus tips “a la Flamande” Third - Sauté Hokkaido scallop, Santa Barbara sea urchin, white truffle sauce, shaved Parmigiano Reggiano Sorbet - Blood orange sorbet with compressed melon Main For Her - Roasted fillet of Dorade Royale fish with lemon thyme, artichoke barigoule, mushrooms ravioli and baby spinach Main For Him - Tajima wagyu tenderloin “cuit sous vide”, porcini mushroom puree, glazed Belgian endive, confit shallot and Madeira reduction Dessert - Assiette of The Dining Room chocolate temptation, fresh berries, Tahitian vanilla and bourbon ice cream Then join us for an exceptional Chinese

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New Year’s Eve buffet and show. Wednesday 18th February @ 7.00pm

Steaming Ahead

When it comes to coffee, Boncafe have the most amazing machines to go with the beans.

For over six years now Boncafe has been supplying great coffee and tea to cafés on the island. And if you live here chances are that you’ve discovered the wonderful coffee blends that they have on offer. If you fancy enjoying a cup of coffee you can visit their store on the ring-road, about 500 metres from the traffic lights in Bophut, on the left-hand side after the petrol station when travelling from Chaweng to Maenam.

Most coffee stores offer just coffee but Boncafe takes things a step further – they stock the machines to make the coffee. So if you’re looking for a coffee machine then this is the place to visit. Their technicians are very knowledgeable about all the machines, and attend training courses every six months to keep up to date. They’ll visit you at your own convenience if you are opening a new café and have purchased one of the professional machines from them, in order to train you how to operate it. So if you’re thinking of going into the food and beverage business and want to stand out from the crowd while offering great coffee, you’re probably wondering which machine you should opt for.

For coffee lovers and those knowledgeable about the coffee shop industry there can be only one

name when it comes to the crème de la crème of espresso machines. That name is La Marzocco.

An Italian family-owned business, it makes some of the most reliable machines out there. The only supplier of these machines in Thailand is Boncafe. When you hear people talking about the machine, there’s great affection for the brand and the quality it affords as well as the reliability.

The company was established in Florence, Italy, by two brothers, Giuseppe and Bruno Bambi in 1927, and is still under the guardianship of Giuseppe’s son today. After listening to their customers and taking their advice they changed the design of the espresso machine and changed the whole face of the espresso coffee industry. It was a simple concept. In 1939, they changed the vertical boiler to a horizontal one which not only made it easier to use, but also meant that several cups of coffee could be filled at the same time.

No more waiting in line for patrons.

So why choose a La Marzocco machine above another? If a coffee shop is your new venture you’ll be investing quite a bit of money in the décor, the furniture and the frontage of the shop, but it’s the coffee machine you choose that will essentially be the backbone of your business. All cafés should in some way be an extension of the

owners, a place where they themselves feel relaxed and thereby their customers will want to visit to spend some time unwinding. So it follows that the machine they choose to work with should be reliable, and one that they feel comfortable with. Café owners will tell you that that they choose La Marzocco because of this; generally a machine will last a lot longer than others on the market, usually from eight to ten years. Manufacturers will tell you that this is a technological cycle so you’re probably going to be looking at updating your model after that anyway. But reliability is for many the biggest advantage of this machine. Every machine is still handmade and the inspection process extremely thorough, with every single component being hand checked.

La Marzocco uses a dual system which gives it a huge advantage over most other machines which rely on just the one boiler to make the coffee and to provide hot water and steam for cappuccinos and lattes. With the dual boiler the water is preheated and ready. For great tasting coffee, baristas will tell you the ideal temperature is 94°C, which brings out the bitter roasted flavour of the beans. If you have a lower temperature then you’ll have a more acidic-tasting coffee. It takes about 20 minutes for the dual boiler system to reach the required

94°C but once at that point there’s greater stability in the temperature, which you need if you’re going to be pulling a lot of shots. The last thing you want you want is to be waiting for the water to heat up again. Each machine has two steam wands for cappuccinos and lattes and one hot water spout for tea.

Their newest model is the La Marzocco GB/5 AV, and not only is the quality extremely high but it’s also a very stylish piece of machinery. The design is very artistic and modern with sleek lines. It’s made entirely of stainless steel affording it greater stability and durability.

Boncafe currently has two models in their showroom; both are fully handmade, programmable, and easy to use. Technicians at Boncafe will provide training in using the machines at the convenience of the customer, and are of course available for any slight repairs or questions customers may have. So if you want to stand out from the crowd then this is the machine to opt for.

But let’s say you’re looking for a great little machine for your home. Then you can’t go far wrong with the Saeco Lirika which comes at a very attractive price. It’s extremely easy to use and has a programmable menu. Its separate steam and hot water wand provide creamy

cappuccinos and lattes. Short or long shots can be dispensed. And with its stylish state-of-the-art display it makes an attractive addition to any home.

In the coffee shop industry competition is fierce these days but if you want to be exceptionally good and have a reliable machine then you should invest in La Marzocco. While the price tag is slightly higher than other coffee machines, in the long run the investment will pay off. Look for the symbol of the lion – the emblem of the city of Florence where the producers of the machine hail from.

A visit to Boncafe’s showroom will enable you to see this full range of not just coffee beans, but also the elegant machines that will produce a perfect cup time and time again.

Natalie Hughes For more information telephone 0 7742 7486-7. www.boncafe.co.th

www.siamwininganddining.com

9

Bistro for Beloveds H Bistro’s ‘Dining Under the Stars’ takes romantic evenings to new heights.

If you’ve ever been to a typical bistro, you'll know it’s a fairly humble kind of eatery. The word itself, bistro, turns out to be Russian and means ‘quick’, and legend has it that Russians in Paris would call out to the cook to be quick with the food; they were hungry and couldn’t wait. It was therefore an early version of fast food, with hearty stews typically being served – anything to satisfy the appetite.

The bistro is open all day, as it’s part of a resort, and also offers some highly romantic options when it comes to evening dining. And the most romantic of them all just has to be their ‘Dining Under The Stars’, a flame-lit meal for you and your beloved, right on the beach itself. Your table is not only decorated, but is placed inside a four-post gazebo, making the setting even more luxurious.

Fast forward to today’s world and a bistro might still be that simple eatery serving up tasty food or it might be quite the opposite – a restaurant focussing on fine dining. At H Bistro, it’s the latter and you'll find it’s a top-notch restaurant, albeit with a modest name. But once you're here, you certainly won’t want to hurry your meal – this is a romantic place to savour the quality and creativity of the cooking, which is of the finest kind.

The beach here faces north, and some seven miles across the sea, the island of Koh Pha-Ngan rises from the water. As night comes, the island’s hills steadily darken while its coast is marked by a necklace of lights. To your right, you'll see more lights, those of Fisherman’s Village and Choeng Mon. The glittering evenings are delightful but are made even more bewitching by the vast array of stars right overhead. If the night’s cloudless, you'll find yourself gazing up at infinity itself – surely the most romantic accompaniment for any evening’s dining.

H Bistro is now in its fifth year, and has a cachet for excellence. You can find it at Hansar Samui Resort & Spa, which is along the beach at Fisherman’s Village – head along the beach road westwards and you'll soon come to it. If you're approaching from the ring-road, take the small turning just next to Anantara Bophut Resort, some 600 metres after the traffic lights at Bophut as you head towards Nathon. Follow the road till you get to the resort.

The staff are extremely attentive and you'll be well-looked after; they're very discreet but always seem to know just when you need them.

They are relaxing presences in themselves, and will only add to the quality of your evening.

The courses, meanwhile, arrive just when you’re ready for them – few resorts are this good at

timing; perhaps the waiting staff are all chosen for their intuition! There are a good many others working behind the scenes, notably the chef, of course. And here you're in excellent hands.

It’s not every day that the person who cooks for you is thoroughly at home making dishes for royal families, political figures and other dignitaries, but the chef in question, Stephen Jean Dion, used to be private chef for no less than the King and Queen of Jordan. He spent two years with them, and as you can imagine, his skills had to be top-notch. You can rest assured that he knows how to make your dinner a truly wonderful experience.

His style is French-Mediterranean, and he cooks the kind of food he grew up with, but at the highest and most delicious level possible. He’s from Montreal and has always had a love of cooking; he started training as a humble apprentice when he was just 18 years old and fresh out of school. He worked at one of Canada’s most famous restaurants, Les Halles, in Quebec, before setting out for Singapore and Malaysia, and then to the prestigious Hilton Nailert where he was chef de cuisine. It was from there that he seized the opportunity to go to Jordan and work for the King and Queen there. Afterwards he returned to Thailand, and following stints at top restaurants in Bangkok,

Hansar Samui were quick to see that he would be a major asset.

For ‘Dining Under the Stars’, Stephen’s creativity comes to the fore. Not just any old menu will do if you’re aiming to make a memorable romantic dinner. As you can imagine, many a chef might come up with a great menu, and then just repeat it time and time again. But for Stephen, as a true professional, being innovative is necessary if you're going to keep on pleasing your guests. So the romantic menu changes on a regular basis. You can come back the following month, say, and eat something quite different – but still every bit as good. (Check out the resort’s website for details.)

At the time of going to press, the first of the starter dishes consisted of pan-fried scallops en cappuccino, Scottish langoustines, celeriac, and Schrenkii caviar. This was the lightest of dishes, with every smidgen of it filled with flavour. The same applied for the rest of the dinner, which consisted of another five courses.

Kampot pepper juice. Each of these two dishes was an amazing medley, where all the separate ingredients complemented each other perfectly.

It was followed by an equally wonderful dessert, an amber caramel mousse with fleur-de-sel ice-cream, cacao tuile and gooseberry.

These are just a few examples of Stephen’s creations, and diners are consistently delighted by what he’s able to do. And when it comes to a romantic evening under the stars, Stephen and his team are sure to exceed your expectations, and provide a wonderful time for you and your companion.

Dimitri Waring For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7724 5511. www.hansarsamui.com

Mains were a beautifully cooked Scottish label rouge salmon with squash spaghetti, Peruvian asparagus, pickled ginger and coriander juice.

This was followed by slow-cooked lamb rump, with cipolini, onion puree, pimentos, baby leek, Chambertin cheese with grainy mustard and

Weddings, Celebrations, Parties & Honeymoons 2014

River Prawn Tom Yum

Rock Lobster

Sunset Dining in Spectacular Surroundings

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 Enjoy breathtaking sunsets while discovering our culinary delights at The Terrace, one of Koh Samui’s best beachfront feast like kings. Pay homage to our specialty – the royal triumvirate of lobster, tiger prawns and dining destinations. oysters.

A holiday or a visit to Mövenpick Resort Laem Yai Beach Samui would not be complete without sampling the food at Indulge yourself with a journey of culinary discoveries at Mövenpick Resort Laem Yai The Terrace. Nestled on the beach, this majestic open-air restaurant affords diners a perfect view of the spectacular Beach Samui. The Terrace perfectly blends a selection of Thai classics with international dishes. sunset over Laem Yai Bay and the distant islands.

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Mövenpick Resort Laem Yai Beach Samui is the perfect destination for a dream island wedding, unforgettable honeymoon, anniversary getaway or private birthday party.

Exchange vows on Koh Samui’s most beautiful sunset beach as the sky turns to a thousand shades of brilliant colours.

Mövenpick Resort Laem Yai Beach Samui Phone +66 77 421 721 resort.samuilaemyai@moevenpick.com www.moevenpick-hotels.com/samui-laem-yai-beach

www.siamwininganddining.com 11

Tropical Pick February’s fruit of the month – the pineapple.

It was born in Brazil. And it’s got a huge family – there are more than 2,000 brothers, sisters and cousins. But it’s got its feet firmly on the ground (unlike most of the rest of its family – they prefer to hang about.) It might not be the most interesting of the lot, but it’s got a rosette, bracts, and a terminal bud. And it might not be royalty, but it’s also got a crown.

The first time you see a pineapple actually growing, it comes as a bit of a surprise.

Seriously. It’s true. I mean, there’s this chunky, knobbly, round fruit, with a spiky crown of leaves. And most of the time it just sits around on the fruit shop counter – well, that’s where most of us usually see it, anyway. And, before I came to Thailand, I’d never ever seen a pineapple tree – or, for that matter, ever thought about what it would look like either!

So it came as a shock when I saw my first one.

A low nest of straight, spiky leaves was sitting on the ground. And rising out of this was a stick about as thick as my finger and a foot long. And stuck on top of that – was a … pineapple. A

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pineapple lollipop. I think that God must have made all the trees first – and then he made pineapples. And, having run clean out of trees, he decided to just stick the pineapples straight in the ground. An effective sort of compromise – all things considered.

And this is a little strange. Because, as mentioned, the pineapple is one of the members of the huge family Bromeliaceae, known as bromeliads. Most bromeliads are epiphytic – that is, they grow supported by other plants, but without harming them as a parasite would. And a great many of these are aerial, too – hanging in the air, with long, dangling roots. Although some bromeliads look like mosses or lichens, the vast majority of them produce stunning, complex flowers. And this is the reason they are valued. For their brilliantly decorative blooms.

But the pineapple sits humbly on the ground, and then goes on to produce, not a blazing bloom, but … (yawn) … a pineapple.

The pineapple (bromelia ananas) was first discovered by Columbus’ crew, growing in the

regions of Brazil and Panama. One of them wrote of it as being “in the shape of a pine-cone, twice as big, which fruit is excellent and it can be cut with a knife, like a turnip and it seems to be wholesome.” Its resemblance to a pine-cone gave rise to the fruit’s English name of pineapple – while its Latin name, Ananas, comes from the word ‘nana’, which was, simply, the local people’s name for it.

In fact, worldwide, there are few deviations away from these basic names. All the Spanish-speaking peoples call it pina. It’s known as nanas by the Dutch and French. And in most of South East Asia, the name is nanas.

But if you really want to make an impression in Thailand, ask your waiter for a plate of saparot (say it ‘sapa-lot’.) He’ll like that.

Actually, the pineapple is quite a complex creature, in spite of its low-level, low-key presentation. Firstly, it’s got very shallow roots.

And so, to compensate for this, the leaves grow in a spiral, forming numerous small ‘wells’ to trap rainwater. Additionally, the leaves are

actually absorbent – and pineapple plants get most of their water in this way – from dew and rainfall.

Another curious thing is the way that the fruit forms. When it’s time to bloom, the stem elongates and puts out a head of tiny purple or red flowers. Each of these flowers (sometimes up to 200 of them) forms a combined drupelet – which then fuses together to form the one, single, fruit head. But, just to make things even more exciting, sometimes things can go a bit wrong.

(that will become the fruit-head) don’t get pollinated. Because when this happens – seeds form. Guaranteed, you’ve never bought a pineapple that has had seeds. Did you ever consider this? By rights, they should have. But pineapples are one of the very few plants that can form fruit without being pollinated.

And when seeds do form, the fruit becomes bitter. So it’s a much better bet to buy your pineapples from the street-stalls or markets.

That way you know they’re good. Or you could just ask your waiter for one.

Now and then a plant puts out two or three heads, instead of just the one. And, often when this happens, these multiple heads all fuse together and give rise to what must be the ‘Franken-pine-apple’ of the fruit world. Really weird.

Pineapples are not the most exotic of fruits. But even ugly ducklings have a story to tell. And when you can claim multiple drupelets, compound heads and 2,000 family members – then maybe life’s not so bad. And on top of all this … you taste nice and people want you.

Mind you, if you do come across pineapples growing wild, don’t bother trying to eat one.

When they’re farmed and cultivated, then a lot of care goes into making sure that the flowers

Rob De Wet

SIP, SAVO U R , LO UN G E, A ND L I N GE R Stay all day and move with 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 sophisticated dining experiences, showcasing grills and seafood. Aſter dark, the beachside ambience becomes candlelit and alluring with a sizzling collection of cocktails.

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

www.siamwininganddining.com

13

Savvy Sabienglae Staying close to your roots may just spell success in the restaurant business.

They're everywhere, sometimes next to each other. Occasionally in long rows, one after the other. New ones open all the time. Others close or change hands. It’s a pattern that’s been going on for years and years on Samui. When was the first? Nobody can remember. We’re talking about restaurants, literally innumerable on the island.

But someone must once have been the first to sell a bowl of rice with a curried topping to a holidaymaker – and that was the start of it all.

There are enough success stories on Samui to turn even the most jaded defeatist into a go-get-‘em entrepreneur. Sabienglae is one such story that really does stand out; it’s a name known to most people who live on Samui. But few people realize that the owner, Khun Amnart Chotchoung, has just opened a third Sabienglae. Obviously his restaurants are doing very well, but the reasons behind their success are more to do with the old Samui and its traditional ways than today’s incarnation as a fast-paced modern destination.

“I grew up amongst boats,” Khun Amnart says, “I was born and raised on Samui’s west coast, at Baan Taling Ngam. Things were different in those days and the island was a simpler place, just coconuts and fishing really.” But he watched the boats coming in with their fresh catch, and perhaps it was his familiarity with them that made him think years later of opening up a restaurant. He knew where to get his provisions from - knew they were fresh. And though he

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wasn’t sure how to make them really tasty, he knew someone who did – his wife, Khun Ying.

“So ten years ago, we decided to go into the restaurant business,” he says. “We started off small, and when I say small, I mean really small.” Indeed, his restaurant had just seven tables. It was enough for the time being, and it did well for itself. Khun Amnart isn’t one to be boastful and insists that it was no great achievement. “Back then, there really wasn’t so much competition. There weren’t as many restaurants as you see today.” True enough, but still, there were many entrepreneurs who were opening up restaurants, and no week went by without someone, somewhere on the island unloading chairs and tables from a truck and placing them on a sand, wood or concrete floor and opening up to the public.

He soon found that the seven tables were popular and he was short of seating. He began to think of expansion. Only to find that soon, once more, he had more diners than seats. The process repeated itself quite a few times, and though he doesn’t say it of himself he became extremely successful. He now has 800 seats in three restaurants – a staggering achievement if you think that just a decade ago he wasn’t at all sure if his original small restaurant would do much more than survive the ever-increasing competition.

Khun Amnart is a quiet, friendly figure who you

can catch most days in one of his restaurants, and he seems slightly bemused if anything by the fact he’s grown so successful. Asked what his secrets are he doesn’t come out with some snappy business formula and instead, almost at a tangent, speaks again about the old Samui and how things were. But his point is that the old traditions of cooking and keeping food simple still work for today’s visitors. Over the years he’s added to those and now offers a whole gamut of different dishes, but there’s the feel in his restaurants of a heritage preserved. He’s very much a person who enjoys nature and the original feel of the island – his restaurants all honour his Samui roots and aim to serve great dishes in likeable surroundings. You won’t find pretension and artifice in any of the three restaurants, or in the dishes themselves.

The restaurants are enormously popular, and not just with holidaymakers, but local Thai’s and expats too; people who relish genuine Thai food. They come for all manner of reasons, for shared meals with family, for a casual snack, or a big party even. Whether you come alone, or with your partner, or with a group, you're sure to find something you like – the menu has some 250 dishes on it, and everything’s great value for money, with excellent prices no matter what you decide to eat.

The third Sabienglae opened at The Wharf, in Bophut. The new mall started operating at the end of last year and is doing well for itself.

Sabienglae is located right in its most popular area – next to the sea. You can’t miss it as you walk along the beach road at Fisherman’s Village. And if you're driving along the ring-road, you just need to turn into The Wharf, which is about a half kilometre from the Bophut traffic lights as you head towards Maenam.

There’s plenty of parking, by the way, and it’s open from 11:00 am until 11:00 pm, every day.

The restaurant has a stylish façade of bricks – unusual here on Samui – and has been well-designed throughout. It’s very roomy and seats and tables are well-spaced; there’s no sense of clutter or jumble. The two floors are both pleasing to the eye and the feeling is definitely relaxed and chilled. You can sit indoors or out, but whatever you choose you'll appreciate the open feel that the entire restaurant has. Upstairs you'll find a beautiful terrace and two larger function rooms where parties can be held. It’s definitely one of those places where you can take refuge from the heat.

You'll also enjoy the views of the sea and the neighbouring island, Koh Pha-Ngan. Downstairs you can people-watch from the patio just outside the restaurant, or sit in the large dining room, which is open to sea-breezes.

The food is mostly Thai, and as mentioned there’s plenty of it – a whole armada of Thai favourites. There are starters, soups, salads, noodles and rice dishes of every kind. If

seafood’s your thing, you can dine on lobster, crab, mussels, snapper, grouper and so on. You never need to worry that the fish has been around too long: the restaurant has water tanks that hold fresh fish, and Khun Amnart also buys fresh-caught fish from his suppliers. It’s prepared in various ways and everything’s clearly explained in the menu, so you know exactly what you're getting – always useful if you're not familiar with Thai food. The menu also has photographs of the individual dishes. It goes without saying there are also plenty of meat and vegetarian dishes.

There’s also plenty of Western food, from a simple hamburger to filet mignon. You'll be welcome whether you’ve come for a snack or a full-scale meal. Nothing on the menu is expensive, and it may come as a surprise that you're dining so well for so little. You'll probably want to come back here again, or perhaps visit the other two Sabienglae restaurants. The first is near Lamai (just past Hinta-Hinyai on the ring-road heading toward Nathon) while the second is in Chaweng (just south of Tesco-Lotus). Both have similar menus and the same excellent prices.

Dimitri Waring For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7743 0094-95.

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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15

Doubly Delightful Two restaurants. Two menus. One building. Nora Buri Resort & Spa know just how to spoil you with both Thai and international favourites.

If you're familiar with Thailand’s larger waterways, you'll probably have seen one of the old-style rice barges. They're very graceful, slow-moving vessels that nowadays are a great tourist attraction, and tend to serve lunch or dinner as part of a cruise. But in times gone by, they were used to transport rice up and down the rivers. Traditionally, they were made of wood, and for protection from the sun, their canopies would be a broad leaves of banana trees or pandan leaves that were sewn together.

Here on Samui, there are no major waterways for barges, but nonetheless, you'll find a top-notch restaurant where the amazing architecture is directly inspired by this riverine transport of yesteryear. Well, by now you may be thinking the restaurant’s a refurbished rice barge, but it turns out to be a building, though one that instantly calls to mind the old barges – the roofing in particular mimics the canopies of the barges. The building’s definitely anchored to Samui, but even though it’s not going anywhere in a literal sense, there’s nothing stagnant about it; it’s a vibrant place to dine, and over the years has acquired a deserved reputation for both its Thai and international menu.

Simply known as ‘The Barge Building’, it has three floors and is built on the steepest of slopes.

The rice barge that the building resembles seems to be heading out directly into the sea itself. It’s definitely looking forwards, and with a

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confidence that’s not just architectural but culinary too. The building is technically home to two restaurants, The Barge (international menu) and Rice Barge & Terrace (Thai menu). They're located at Nora Buri Resort & Spa, just a few minutes’ drive north of Chaweng; take the beach road, and keep on going (don’t take the turn-off to the airport) and you'll soon see it the signposts for the resort.

The food is as impressive as the architecture.

Starting with the international dishes, there’s a plethora to choose from and the wines to go with them. Brendan Semmens, the chef de partie for Western cuisine here, says that the focus is more on Mediterranean-style cuisine, though he plans in the year ahead to add in some more Asian influences. “We provide the freshest of ingredients and make sure that everything’s as it’s supposed to be,” he says. “There’s no corner cutting of any kind. The food’s honest, ensuring that diners have maximum satisfaction and get their money’s worth.”

Brendan has come up with some brilliant dishes.

For starters, the vegetarian Carpaccio might seem to be a contradiction in terms, but it works out well and is an excellent way to begin your evening at The Barge. The dish consists of beetroot, along with red radishes, goat’s cheese, and capers and is served with a rocket salad. It’s delicious, and being quite original, probably something you’ve not had before. One of the

things that The Barge promotes is its seafood, with a popular dish being the fillet of sea bass, which is accompanied by lemon potatoes, cucumber and coriander salad and a delicious sauce vièrge. Naturally, you'll find plenty of other equally good dishes to choose from – and there’s a great selection of vegetarian food, too.

You'll also find special theme nights at The Barge. On Monday nights you can enjoy their sumptuous Cowboy Steak Buffet, which as the name suggests is a barbecue of assorted meats. It also includes a cabaret show and musical accompaniment by The Barge Band. It’s a fun way to spend an evening, especially if you're a meat lover. And on Wednesdays, you can enjoy the Hawaiian Seafood Buffet, with a variety of fresh seafood on offer, along with a selection of meat dishes, too. And there’s entertainment in the form of a Polynesian dance troupe.

If you would like to have an extraordinarily romantic evening, then you might want to avail yourself of something rather special that’s on offer: you can dine in the open right by the beach. There are three different menus and all are extremely tasty. You'll definitely need to make a reservation, however, as places are limited, with your table being in a decorated gazebo.

You can enjoy a main course of grilled rock lobster with black pepper sauce served with grilled vegetable and butter rice or grilled

Australian lamb chops on vegetable ratatouille served with mashed potato & red wine sauce. Or how about a Thai and seafood barbecue, with fish dishes from a charcoal grill? These are just a few examples, but whatever you choose, it’s guaranteed to be truly delicious.

On the uppermost level you'll find Thai cuisine at Rice Barge & Terrace. The restaurant has an air-conditioned section, where you can sit on Thai triangular cushions and enjoy a very relaxed atmosphere, or there’s a patio with great views out over the sea. Naturally, it’s possible to mix menus; it’s no problem and all you have to do is tell the waiting staff you’d like to see both the Thai and international menus.

The Thai dishes are real treats, with many old favourites and some that you may not be quite so familiar with. As with the international menu, all the food is the freshest possible, guaranteeing great tastes. A couple of the dishes that Khun Chalermkiat Suwannasri, the group food and beverage director, recommends are the gaeng poo mar, which is blue crab in a yellow curry, accompanied by rice noodles or the pla salmon tord, which is fried salmon with a penang sauce.

It’s particularly creamy and delights those who try it.

Dishes tend to be highly photogenic – presentation’s definitely not skimped on – and you'll often find beautifully carved fruits and vegetables that accompany the dishes. If you're

not sure what to have, then you might want to opt for a Thai set meal. You'll be served an exquisite selection of dishes, a choice that’s a real treat for diners. Every evening you can enjoy gentle music that is played by a professional musician on a kim, a wooden xylophone, one of Thailand’s traditional instruments.

With so much attention to detail and with the greatest care taken with the food preparation, you’d be forgiven for thinking the price is going to be exorbitant. It comes as a surprise that this isn’t the case at all; despite dining in the architectural gem of a building, the bill when it comes is entirely reasonable – you'll have dined truly well, but without even coming close to breaking the bank.

Dimitri Waring For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7791 3555. www.noraburiresort.com

www.siamwininganddining.com 17

Signs of t he Times English pub signs are found all around the world, including here on Samui, but where do the names originate?

No matter where you go in the world, there’s usually a British-owned pub. And they’re most easily identified by their names. There’s no need for Union Jacks. If a bar is called ‘The Red Lion’, ‘The Royal Oak’, or ‘The George and Dragon’; you just know what to expect.

But why such names, and how did they originate? Some are obvious, others relate to historical events, people or places, and in more recent times, some are just downright bizarre.

We can trace the placing of names on buildings back to the time of the Romans. They would make stone signs depicting a goat to front a dairy, a mule driving a mill for a bakery and Bacchus (the Roman God) to denote a wine merchant. Unsurprisingly, following the passing of the Romans in Britain, merchants and early tavern owners began to adopt visual signs to advertise their wares to the mainly illiterate population. Initially, they took the form of religious symbols such as ‘The Sun’, ‘The Star’ and ‘The Cross’. Later, they also became influenced by heraldic coats of arms of landowners and local occurrences. Former tradesmen and military personnel who became innkeepers would also reflect their past and allegiances by giving their pubs names, such as: ‘The Bricklayer’s Arms’ or ‘The Ship Inn’.

Undoubtedly, the most common pub name in the UK is ‘The Red Lion’: there were well over 600 at the last count, and countless more have come and gone in the past. Most originate from the reign of James I. He was already James VI of Scotland when he ascended to the English

throne, in 1603. He ordered the heraldic Stuart red lion of Scotland to be displayed on all buildings of importance, including taverns. As it was by royal decree, many innkeepers simply changed the name of their tavern.

Other royal-related names have come and gone, too. ‘The White Hart’ and ‘The Horns’ date back to the time of Richard II. ‘Bear and Staff’ appear on the coat of arms of both the Earls of Leicester and Warwick. ‘The Ostrich’ and ‘Plume of Feathers’ feature on the crest of The Prince of Wales. ‘The White Horse’ is the sign of the House of Hanover and is also the emblem of the county of Kent. And fans of the UK soap opera EastEnders will be familiar with ‘The Queen Vic’.

Names starting with the word ‘Three’ are usually based on the coat of arms of London livery companies (trade associations). For example: Three Arrows – The Worshipful Company of Fletchers; Three Castles – The Masons; Three Hammers – The Blacksmiths; and Three Tuns – Brewers and Vintners.

Historic events, particularly battles and wars, are often commemorated. ‘The Saracen’s Head’ and ‘The Turk’s Head’ relate to tales of the Crusades.

‘The Rose and Crown’ pubs are named after the Battle of Bosworth Field in which King Richard III was killed. Henry Tudor, as the victor, proclaimed himself King Henry VII though he had no real claim to the throne. To legitimise it he married Princess Elizabeth of York who was so beautiful she was known as the Rose of York.

Hence the ‘Rose’ is for the Princess and ‘Crown’

for Henry VII. History rarely remembers the losers!

After the 1651 Battle of Worcester in the English Civil War, the defeated Prince Charles escaped the scene and climbed an oak tree to evade his pursuers (it’s now known as the Boscobel Oak).

After the hunters gave up, Charles escaped to France. On the restoration of the monarchy he became King Charles II and, to celebrate his good fortune, the 29th May (his birthday) was declared Royal Oak Day. Pubs called ‘The Royal Oak’ commemorate this. Royal Naval ships have also carried this name.

Other names derive from famous figures in history. ‘Lord Nelson’, ‘Robin Hood’, ‘Prince of Wales’, ‘Duke of Cambridge’, ‘Cromwell’, ‘Rabbie Burns’ and ‘Sir Barnes Wallis’, to name but a few. The latter used to be called ‘The Railway’ but was renamed in honour of the inventor of the bouncing bomb. Some others are named after the town or city itself. Quite a few have even been named for sporting heroes and sports teams. Cricket has ‘The Cricketers’, ‘Test Match’, ‘Trent Bridge Inn’ and the ‘Larwood and Voce’, two internationally renowned fast-bowlers who played for Nottinghamshire and England between the wars. Pubs near football grounds often carry a reference to the team or former players. ‘Hammers’ is the nickname for West Ham United and is the name of a nearby pub, too. ‘Magpies’ is on Meadow Lane, home of Notts County F.C. Next to Southampton F.C.’s ground is a pub named after former player Matthew Le Tissier. Lester Piggott, the jockey has

had ‘The Jockey’ pub in Baughton, Worcestershire named for him, and ‘The Henry Cooper’ in London’s Old Kent Road immortalizes the former champion boxer.

Two old taverns have given rise to a popular saying. In Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire, there are pubs called the ‘Cock’ and the ‘Bull’, respectively, and are close neighbours. There was great rivalry between the clientele of the two houses and each would tell increasingly unbelievable stories of their own prowess. The tales were, of course, nonsense. And, as times went by, any stories containing fictitious rubbish became known as cock and bull stories.

Other names describe the actual pub itself. ‘The Glynne Arms’ in Himely, Staffordshire is always known as ‘The Crooked House’. Because of mining on one side of the house, the pub has such a pronounced list that it’s difficult to put a glass down on the table without spilling it. It’s said that after you leave the pub and turn around, if you find that it has miraculously levelled out, you’ve drunk far too much!

Some pubs are named for puns or corruptions of foreign words. ‘Elephant and Castle’ is not only the name of several pubs and bars, but it’s also an area of London. It’s popularly believed amongst residents of this London borough that a 17th century publican named his tavern after a Spanish Princess ‘La Infanta del Castille’, who was betrothed to King Charles I of England.

However, the prohibition of this marriage by the church led to a war with Spain, so it would

probably not have been a popular name. A more likely explanation is that the name derives from the arms of the Worshipful Company of Cutlers or, perhaps, from the arms of the City of Coventry. Their arms depict an elephant carrying a castle shaped howdah – a seat for two or more people usually found atop elephants and camels. London Underground Railways actually named five of its stations after nearby pubs: ‘Elephant and Castle’, ‘Angel’, ‘Manor House’, ‘Royal Oak’ and ‘Swiss Cottage’.

A couple of others provide handy excuses for husbands when their wives call and ask then where they are. Plymouth, in the south of England, has a bar called ‘Nowhere’, there’s also one called ‘Nowhere Inn Particular’, and quite a few named ‘The Office’.

There are a plethora of others, but one thing you should note, certainly about the ones here on Samui, is that it’s not just great beer and familiar surroundings you’ll encounter. Just about every one of them has earned an excellent reputation for food as well. If a night of home away from home is just what you need, simply look out for the ‘inn-signia’!

Johnny Paterson

Sabeinglae Restaurant

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.

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

18 www.siamwininganddining.com

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

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

Keeping a Low Profile It’s a beautiful beach by day but every evening staff at The Sunset Beach Resort transform the sands into a top fine dining area.

Form follows function, as the architectural saying goes. Especially when it comes to restaurants.

They’re easy to spot: you'll see a sign, a building, then there are tables and chairs, and at the back a kitchen. Anyone can recognize a restaurant, even if it’s way off, right in the distance.

But strange as it might be, it turns out that some restaurants are pretty hard to spot. If you walk along the beach in Baan Taling Ngam, in the daytime, you won’t see any dining area at all.

You may or may not see a tiny hut towards the back of the beach, though ‘hut’ isn’t the best description; it’s more a small table with a straw roof. Next to it, there’s a post, also quite unremarkable, except there’s a bell on it, and an invitation to ring it if you would like a drink.

Since it all blends in with the backdrop, you might just walk on, completely unaware. But the truth is that you’ve just strolled right through the heart of one of Samui’s best fine dining areas.

During the day you won’t see it – because it simply isn’t there.

At night, it’s a completely different matter. Once the sun goes down, you'll see a few tables and chairs placed on the sands. Not many, just enough for a few diners. And you'll see the cooking staff busying themselves at the small hut and you'll realize that, tiny as it might be, it is in fact a mini-kitchen, with just enough space for a chopping board and some burners.

But this is not some fly-by-night operation; it’s just the latest in discreet, fine dining. Everything’s run by the prestigious Sunset Beach Resort & Spa, a low-key yet opulent hotel that looks out over the beach here. It’s located on the west coast’s Taling Ngam Beach, just next to the InterContinental Samui, as you head northwards to Nathon.

The beachside dining area is run by the executive chef at the resort, Khun Songwut Singrueng, who’s more often known as Chef Khaek. He started his career quite humbly, washing dishes while he watched how other chefs went about creating great dinners. Once

they realized he had aptitude, they started asking him to help out. The results were amazing, and soon he was able to command jobs as a chef, moving to ever more prestigious restaurants, both at home and abroad. Notably, he joined Hilton in Malta, where he worked in their Blue Elephant restaurant, which has a great reputation for its authentic Thai cuisine. On Samui he’s worked at The Tongsai Bay, Impiana and InterContinental, where he specialized in beachside cooking – just as he’s doing now at Sunset Beach.

You'll find him an affable person, who will do everything to make you feel at home. He’s a very laid-back sort of person – exactly the right sort of chef to be running it, completely professional and able to provide you with a top-notch dining experience. Chef Khaek’signature dishes, by the way, are Soft Shell Crab with Garlic Pepper Sauce, Laab Salmon and Rib Eye Steak with Black Pepper Corn Sauce.

Diners tend to come early as the sunsets here are spectacular – the west coast is famed for them.

The sun sets behind The Five Islands, and if you look further to the south, you'll see the serrated outlines of the mountains on the mainland. As backdrops go, it’s very impressive. You won’t see many buildings at all. The beach is wonderful for swimming, with its gently shelving sands. It’s also romantic – just look at the gently swaying palms and the greenery of the hills around. A great setting for a restaurant. At night the air seems to have a special softness here, and you can sit out under the stars, unbothered by passers-by – there are very, very few.

It isn’t just the dining that’s ultra-discreet; you can also take the resort’s private boat out at sunset and enjoy a wonderful outing, which takes in The Five Islands, just off-shore. While on board you can enjoy drinks and snacks before returning to dry land once more as evening comes. It’s a very popular way to spend a couple of hours, and will certainly complement dinner on the beach.

Once you're seated at one of the tables on the sand, your evening will truly begin. But first you'll naturally have to choose what you're going to eat. You can enjoy a Korean-style barbecue, where you cook meat or fish at your table on the electric barbecue that will be brought to your table. It’s a cinch to operate: just lay the food on the barbecue and wait until it’s ready. The results are simply delicious.

But maybe you’d prefer to have your dishes brought to you and if so, you'll love the kantok dinner. A kantok is a wonderful experience, with lots of delicious food placed on a large tray for you and your partner to share. It’s a very authentic Thai way to eat, and is hugely popular with visitors to the country. Various tempting favourites are on the menu, and you can ask for them to be spicy or mild.

You can also opt for a western-style menu, with your own chef to barbecue everything and your own wait staff in attendance. Again, it’s a romantic experience and is sure to delight.

If you fancy an outing, a trip to the local market with Khun Khaek can be arranged, where he’ll choose the freshest of produce for your private beach dinner, while explaining the local ingredients as he goes along.

Dinners on the beach at Sunset Beach Resort are truly memorable experiences combining great food with an amazingly romantic atmosphere.

But should you come back during the day, you'll find this elegant fine dining area has simply vanished. Until, that is, the sun begins to set once again.

Dimitri Waring For reservations or further information telephone 0 7742 8200. www.thesunsetbeachresort.com

Discover authentic

Indian Cuisine

The restaurant where every evening becomes a memorable occasion.

For reservations please contact: Anantara Bophut Resort & Spa, Koh Samui Tel: +66 (0) 77 428 300 Email: bophutsamui@anantara.com Skype: bophutsamui

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

Samui 2012 WINNER

2013 WINNER

2014 WINNER

www.siamwininganddining.com 19

!

What Makes it Unique?

Discovering the secrets of Malaysian cuisine.

Ask anyone who has visited Malaysia and they’ll come back talking about the food - the amazing Indian restaurants, the incredible variety of vegetarian Chinese dishes, and the...

And that is essentially what makes Malaysian cuisine so unique. It’s a showcase of the multi ethnicity of the country itself, the population being basically made up of three groups: the Malays, Chinese and Indians. Then there are also influences from other cultures, such as the British, the Portuguese and the Dutch, all of whom at one time or other colonised parts of the country. What you get when you try Malaysian food is a symphony of many different flavours.

There are also many different meals. Malaysians take great pride in the fact they eat can eat up to six of them a day. First is breakfast and given the multi-ethnicity of the population, a Western style breakfast is becoming increasingly popular, although traditionalists still stick with a bowl of noodles or a rice dish to start the day. Eating continues at intervals right up till it’s time for bed.

For lunch and dinner there’s maybe a dish for each diner plus vegetable or rice dishes for

everyone around the table to share. When dining in a restaurant there is usually no distinction in Malaysian cuisine between an appetizer and a main course, and all dishes are brought to the table when they are ready in no particular order.

In more traditionally-run places, customers start with a plate of rice and simply help themselves to some of the pre-cooked food that is on offer in a buffet-style layout. If you ever visit Penang you will see Chinese-style vegetarian and Indian restaurants employing this system.

So what of the dishes that make Malaysian cuisine truly unique? Nasi lemak is often described as the national dish of Malaysia. It’s a fragrant rice dish where the rice is cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf. The rice is served with a hot chilli sauce known as sambal. The other ingredients are fried peanuts, fried anchovies, sliced cucumber, and hardboiled egg.

Malaysians consider rice to be the main feature of the dish and all the other food is complementary to the rice.

A British-influenced popular food that is enjoyed by many throughout the day is kaya toast bread, which is served with coconut jam, sugar, coconut milk, eggs and pandan served on toast

or sometimes crackers. There are now restaurants throughout Malaysia that serve this popular snack all day.

What is extremely interesting and unique about Malaysian cuisine is how everyone has adapted.

You’ll find Chinese restaurants that are Halal certified. And while Chinese restaurants serve a lot of pork dishes, they offer chicken alternatives for the Muslim community. There are also lots of cross cultural adaptations in the food, so the Chinese have taken the Indian curry and dropped some of the spiciness and made the soup more watery and made it essentially their own. While the Indians and the Malays take the Chinese noodles and spice them up so you end up with Indian and Malay fried noodles.

Hainanese chicken is a very famous dish in Malaysia, but it is very different to the original dish from the Chinese province of Hainan. In Malaysia the tropical flavour comes through with the use of pandan leaves in the cooking of the rice, and the spiciness of flavour is added when it is served with chilli sauce. As you’ve guessed by now, Malaysians do in general like their food on the spicy side.

Travelling around Malaysia you’ll also notice that certain places are famous for their own adaptations of dishes. Penang’s famous specialty is Hokkien char, which is a yellow noodle soup with prawns and pork or chicken in halal style.

The dish is garnished with a hardboiled egg, sambal and a sprinkling of poached prawns.

Satay is one of Malaysia’s most popular foods.

You may think that it’s an Indonesian food, and indeed the origins of the dish are hotly contended by both countries. You will often find it written ‘sate’ in Malay and it’s comprised of marinated grilled meat most usually beef or chicken on skewers, served with sliced cucumber and onions as well as compressed rice and a spicy peanut dipping sauce. The town of Kajang is famous for its sate where the dish is known as sate Kajang. The meat chunks are bigger than normal and are served with a sweet peanut sauce and a portion of fried chilli paste.

Another famous dish that has been taken and adapted from its neighbours is Malaysia’s take on the Thai dish of tom yam. In Malaysia the soup is much thicker and the taste sweet, spicy and sour. The soup is thickened with pounded chilli paste which gives it a unique bright

Magic Alambic Rum Distillery on Samui

Pure alcohol made from a selection of fine fruits and sugarcane brewed French-style.

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Nathon

Visit our Garden Bar for tasting and buy some bottles of rum.

Tel: 0 91 816 7416, 0 7741 9023 E-mail: ludovic.trantoul@gmail.com www.rhumdistillerie.com 20 www.siamwininganddining.com

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orange-red colour. Dried chillies are used instead of fresh ones giving the soup an extra kick, and the lime of the original Thai dish is replaced with tamarind. And the Malaysian variety is also heavily seafood based.

Desserts are also an example of the diversity of the population. However a common feature of Malaysian desserts is the use of coconut milk, pandan leaves and palm sugar. For example there’s ais kacang - also known as air batu campur, which consists of a base of shaved ice, coloured syrup, and evaporated or condensed milk with a variety of toppings. These may include ice-cream, sweet corn, peanuts, and red kidney beans. Other desserts include mooncakes, sago puddings, rotis and pandan cakes.

When it comes to Malaysian food there is so much on offer and so much variety that you’re sure to find not just one dish that you can call your favourite but instead a whole list of them.

Natalie Hughes

Let’s Meet at the Coffee Club

Answering their own tag line, The Coffee club is a master in the restaurant business.

As social beings the act of ‘meeting up’ to talk is inevitable. Most often we choose to talk over meals, possibly over a drink, or maybe coffee.

The thought of simply going somewhere to talk does not usually happen, but instead another act is done while the talking commences - hence the food, drink or coffee. So where do you want to meet? A sandwich shop? Sushi? Fast food? Coffee shop? Bar? The list of answers to this question is endless. So as a business in the food industry, how do you make sure you are the answer to this question? With 30 million annual customers it seems The Coffee Club has it all figured out.

Having opened in Australia, in late 1989, The Coffee Club has now grown across nine countries.

With more than 6,000 staff members, and over 40 million cups of coffee served every year, directors Emmanuel Drivas, Emmanuel Kokoris and John Lazarou had no idea that twenty-five years after that opening day they would own one of the most successful coffee houses in the world.

Created to provide more than just a place to have coffee, The Coffee Club strives to not only meet

high standards, but to set them in all facets of the hospitality business. It is a place that is casual yet sophisticated, a place that is stylish yet affordable, a place where contemporary lifestyles can foster creativity while filling an appetite.

tea mixed with sweetened passion fruit was a refreshing burst on the first sip. The simple mix wasn’t overwhelming, but instead balanced to perfection. Tasting better sip after sip the drink was gone before I knew it.

The Coffee Club offers many different types of dining experiences from café to bar to restaurant.

At the counter choose your favourite pastry and match it with a breakfast coffee. Decide instead to go for lunch, the busiest time of the day for The Coffee Club (and for good reason!), and choose from the extensive full table service menu. Or go for dinner and drinks with The Coffee Club’s Chef’s Choice options and long list of spirits, wines and beers.

For a starter I was presented the Chicken Quesadilla. Spicy BBQ sauce, chilli, capsicum, and mozzarella cheese sandwiched in a crispy tortilla. After a few bites the spiciness set in, but the wonderful sauce on top calmed my tongue.

With ingredients laid throughout the quesadilla, the starter was thin yet filling, every bite an explosion of flavours.

For myself I chose the dinner option. As I decided what I wanted to eat only one goal came to mind: try everything on the Chef’s Choice menu. And with an empty stomach and high expectations I dove in, mouth first.

I began with a drink, the Passion Fruit Iced Tea. Presented in a jar with a flower and a straw, the

Next I had the Prawn and Lobster Bisque Pasta.

The spaghetti with prawns, chilli and lobster shellfish bisque sauce was cooked just right. Over half way through I had to force myself to stop knowing I had more to come, which proved to be a difficult task!

The next dish was Poached Eggs with Smoked Salmon and Corn fritters. The smoked salmon and corn fritters, roasted tomato, poached eggs and

rocket created a great combination of flavours.

The yolk drizzled over the other ingredients combining the tastes for a refined and healthy dish.

In the background soft music played, creating a sophisticated space - something relatively hard to find in the heart of Chaweng. With The Coffee Club’s professional and attentive staff matched with the overall ambiance it isn’t surprising many people choose to dine here. Located in Central Festival, The Coffee Club is the calm in the midst of a storm.

being the answer to their tag line: “Where will I meet you?” With the philosophy of providing good food, great service and excellent coffee it is no wonder people choose to meet at The Coffee Club.

Alison Stephens For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7741 0505.

For my last endeavour I had the Pulled Pork Kim Chi Burger. Although I did not have much room left, I ate over half of it. The burger, Asian slaw and a fried egg drizzled with a great sauce matched with thick French fries on the side was too hard to pass up.

From their exquisite food to masterful ambiance to great service, The Coffee Club is a great stop at any time of the day. With its expansive consumer base, The Coffee Club has met their initial goal of

CHAWENG BEACH LAND FOR RENT

Currently houses a resort but is perfect for redevelopment as a restaurant or wedding venue etc.

Land for Rent: 15-20 years Land Size: 30x110m (Beachfront 30m) Chaweng Beach Road, Chaweng South

A truly remarkable experience for all the senses Location: Ban Taling Ngam Reservation: 0 7742 8200 E-mail: reservation@thesunsetbeachresort.com www.thesunsetbeachresort.com

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www.siamwininganddining.com 21

The Wine Page A look at the wines of South Africa.

I have to admit that my wine palate is so often bias towards the southern hemisphere, I could probably qualify for a call up from the Springboks, Wallabies or All Blacks rugby teams.

(Okay, in my dreams, although I’m certainly heavy enough!) But I've always had a soft spot for South Africa. Partly, because I'm eager for the country to move beyond its tortured history, and the memorable Rugby World Cup victories in 1995 and 2007 were a great catalyst. I also lean towards South Africa because of what I can taste in some Cape wines - a depth of character that makes them more than just standard-issue, sun-splashed, friendly-labelled new world bottles. And a flourishing and respected wine industry would be a potent symbol of the new, more civilized, post-apartheid era.

Surrounded by two vast oceans, with a felicitous Mediterranean-style climate and a rich array of soils and microclimates, South Africa has enormous winemaking potential. Despite all this, no South African wine has ever profoundly impressed me. I've yet to experience that one orgasmic-like moment. And I had started to wonder if it would ever happen. But I do believe I’ve detected the whiff of satisfaction, in the form of the aromas emitting from some dynamic wines made by new generation winemakers, who look poised to deliver on South Africa's seductive promise.

Not to say that South Africa hasn't already turned out its share of commendable wines. Its winemaking tradition dates back to the 1600s.

Indeed at one time, a South African dessert wine called Constantia (now Vin de Constance) was among the world's most prized. Napoleon had cases of it shipped to the island of St. Helena, where he was in exile. No doubt, to sip whilst gazing upon the Mona Lisa, which hung on his bedroom wall!

More recently, Hamilton Russell Vineyards, a winery in Walker Bay, on the Atlantic Ocean, has produced impressive Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. In the Stellenbosch region, South Africa's answer to Napa Valley (complete with swanky hotels, fancy boutiques and hordes of free-spending, perpetually-buzzed Asian wine tourists), De Toren makes first-rate Bordeaux blends. Rudi Schultz creates fine Rhône-style Syrahs, and Raats Family Wines (granted, not the most auspicious of names) offers something hard to find in the new world - a good Cabernet Franc. Then there is Chenin Blanc, which many people believe was one of the original grape varieties introduced to South Africa. Certainly, it's the country's most widely planted grape variety, with an abundance of old vineyards.

And of all the South African white wines I've tasted over the years, the Chenins have most

The event features wine tasting and pairing with Thai food. Learn the secrets of matching Thai wines with tasty and spicy Thai food.

Taste and discover Thailand’s finest wines at this popular annual tasting event held at ‘Samui Wine Oasis’ restaurant, in the heart of Chaweng, every day in January and February, from 18:00-20:00.

Only 450 baht+ per Thai Wine Tasting Set. Including House Sparkling, Village Cellar Chenin Blanc, Village Cellar Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvign

impressed. The finest are richly textured white wines that, with their brisk acidity and slight tropical character, seem like a perfect marriage of old world and new.

Of course, Pinotage is South Africa's signature red grape variety. It’s grown almost exclusively there, making everything from low-quality table wines to complex, concentrated wines with flavours of black and red fruits, spice, leather and chocolate. Although many (less conventional) wine buffs laud the merits of, the often gorgeous, Pinotage, it has suffered from a bad reputation for much of its short life, possibly because it's an acquired taste. But determined South African producers are currently seeking to reverse this trend with some thoughtful winemaking. Pinotage, a hybrid of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut, was first developed by scientist Abraham Perold, in 1925. The few seeds yielded were planted in his garden, and consequently forgotten. Some years later, another researcher found the vines, grafted them onto disease-resistant rootstocks, and the first commercial plantings were finally made in the 1940s.

The heart of South Africa’s fine-wine area is just east of Cape Town, and traditionally around the wine towns of Stellenbosch and Paarl. These ‘Cape’ regions are home to most of the countries

famous wine estates, several of its best and most successful cooperatives, and its three biggest wine companies. And Paarl has long history as a centre for sherry and fortified wines. For most of the last century, South African sherry and port-style wines had been the best imitations of the Spanish originals, to most people virtually indistinguishable. However today, the demand for table-style wines is so great, that more and more Chardonnay, Cabernet and Sauvignon Blanc are being planted in the fertile Paarl vineyards. And in a marked contrast to a generation ago, contemporary innovative South African winemakers have roamed the world in search of inspiration and technique. Steadily, the quality of the wines has been rising.

Nevertheless, South African wine producers must still look longingly at the sales figures of Australia. And the column inches devoted to New Zealand and South America. The prevailing sentiment in the Cape is that their own wines, however deserved, have yet to truly make their mark internationally. They have not been helped by seesawing exchange rates, and other region’s geographical free trade agreements, to which they are not party.

Another factor is South Africa's shortage of well-known brands to do the footwork of, say, Yellow Tail and Jacob's Creek for Australia, and

Montana for New Zealand. Kumala is the biggest South African wine brand, in the biggest export market, the UK, but has the disadvantage of not actually being South African. Indeed, Kumala is quite difficult to find in the country for which it was designed as a spearhead. It was conceived in Shropshire, England. And now, having been British owned, Kumala has suffered the indignity of falling, almost accidentally, into American hands through a series of takeovers.

Coincidentally, another American wine giant, Gallo, has recently been sniffing around the Cape wines, and is set to launch their Sebeka range, in conjunction with one of South Africa's still important co-ops, Swartland. (Although it's unlikely that this rediscovered region would feature heavily on the label.)

Here in Thailand, the South African brand Goiya is readily available and reasonably priced. The Shiraz Pinotage is a good example of South African wine style. It’s a unique masculine red, with plenty of dark fruits and tannins. And if this wine were to play rugby, it would be a menacing prop-forward, in a Springbok shirt!

Peter James

Reader offer: 4 course meal with wine pairings Thai Shrimp Cakes or Oasis Spring Rolls Village Cellar Shiraz Rose

Tom Yum Goong or Tom Kha Gai Village Cellar Chenin Blanc

Phad Thai Andaman or Pad See-Ew Village Cellar Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon

Massaman Lamb or Green Curry Salmon Chateau des Brumes

950 baht+ per person including 4 glasses of wine from Village Farm Estate.

Samui Wine Oasis Restaurant, Chaweng Beach Road, Chaweng centre in front of Chaweng Garden Beach Resort. For reservations please call 0 848 361 855 22 www.siamwininganddining.com

Silavadee Pool Spa Resort

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

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

STAR

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

Open: 17.00-23.30hrs.

The Height

Sun Deck

Wine and Cigar Lounge

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

Open: 17.00-22.30hrs.

Exclusive dining on the deck with breathtaking views.Enjoy International delights in a romantic setting with your loved one. Please reserve in advance.

Refreshments, cocktails and snacks with a selection of premium wines and cigars to enjoy the breathtaking view.

Open:18.00-22.30hrs.

Open: 17.00-23.30hrs

Silavadee Pool Spa Resort 208/66 Moo4, Koh Samui, Suratthani 84310 Thailand Tel: (+66) 077 960 555 Fax: (+66) 077 960 055 www. Silavadeeresort.com www.siamwininganddining.com

23

Monday - Cowboy Steak Night Assorted BBQ Meat Buffet Entertainment: The Barge Band Tuesday, Friday and Saturday Lobster Basket Set: 3,300 for 2 persons Seafood Basket Set: 2,300 for 2 persons Inclusive of Salad, Soup and Side dishes Entertainment: Duo Band Wednesday - Hawaiian Seafood Night Variety of Fresh Seafood & BBQ Meat Buffet Entertainment: Polynesian Dance and The Barge Band Sunday Chef Creation Set Dinner and A La Carte Menu

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

Rice Barge Authentic Thai Cuisine

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

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

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

Price THB 850 per person.

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

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

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

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

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

Thai menu THB 5,000 per couple.

International menu THB 6,000 per couple.

Advance reservation required

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

24 www.siamwininganddining.com