April 2015

Seafood Beach BBQ Buffet, Mondays & Thursdays NEW DISHES AVAILABLE

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www.samuiholiday.com

APRIL 2015

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

April Showers Visitors this month might get very wet on Thai New Year’s Day, but the food remains as excellent as ever.

While spring may be in the air in Europe, here on Samui it's a time of sizzling afternoons, the brightest sunshine of the year and nights that seem endlessly languid. But the hot weather is also a time when the year comes to an end, and the Thais celebrate their own New Year’s Day. It’s on April 13th, and if you're here you'll experience a day-long water fight that involves the entire country. Yes, you read that right!

The whole nation basically turns out armed with buckets of water, hoses, and super soakers to participate in the giant fight. It’s fun and virtually impossible to avoid. Everybody agrees that the combination of heat and refreshing water makes for a wonderful occasion. It’s certainly a good time to be visiting the island.

But celebrations aside, and no matter what season you decide on for your visit, you’ll realize how fortunate you are to be here when you see the food that’s available. Samui isn’t afraid to proclaim itself a culinary destination with literally thousands of restaurants catering to all different tastes. From road-side eateries to temples of fine dining, Samui has some tasty surprises for all who come to its shores. What’s just as amazing is that virtually every foodstuff in the world can now be found here.

When it comes to food, whether you live on Samui or are just visiting, you’re spoiled for choice. The island’s amazing food is all yours to enjoy, and we hope in these pages to show you just a few of the many possibilities that await you.

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 April, ‘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.

Samui Wine Oasis Restaurant Chaweng Beach Road, Chaweng centre in front of Chaweng Garden Beach Resort

For reservations please call 0 848 361 855

SAMUI

Graeme Malley Editor

Preeda Tuajob (Puy) Graphic Designer

Akaphon Phongninlaarphon (Don) Photographer

Seksak Kerdkanno (Klauy) Webmaster

Rob De Wet Feature Writer

Dimitri Waring Feature Writer

Natalie Hughes Feature Writer

Peter James Feature Writer

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

Henrik Bjørk Managing Director

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

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

Pastures New Organic farming comes to Samui.

You’ll probably never suspect that agriculture plays such an important role on Samui. You’ll come here and leave again without ever realising. Lying on the beach, lazing by the swimming pool, visiting the shops, going to parties – that’s what Samui’s all about, isn’t it?

It’s a holiday destination, and its businesses are all centred around helping holidaymakers to have a good time. But this is only a part of the story.

Most people only ever see the coastal areas of Samui, but the interior of the island is totally covered in green. Once you leave the orbit of the ring-road and head inland, everything changes. Far fewer hotels, bars and restaurants.

Far fewer people. It’s a green and silent world and it’s one where agriculture still reigns supreme.

For all its emphasis on catering to tourists, Samui has always prided itself on its agricultural know-how. For generations, fishing and farming have been crucial to the economy. The island is carpeted from one end to the other in palms; take away the ring-road and the towns and Samui is one vast plantation, with a million coconuts harvested per year. Farming remains crucial - go to any of the local markets here and you'll see an abundance of different fruits and vegetables, sustaining the island’s population and keeping it healthy. Farming here follows time-honoured traditions, but farmers are starting to embrace variations in how they produce their goods. Hydroponics is slowly gaining popularity, and now it’s the turn of organic farming.

Khun Benjaphon Iamvatcharin, more usually known as Khun Best, represents a group of organic farmers who have land mostly in Lipa Noi, one of Samui’s most unspoiled areas. The group got together about a year ago, after Khun Best met one of the farmers. He had always been interested in organic farming and started buying produce from them, as well as spreading the word about what they were doing. Soon more people started placing orders, and this in turn encouraged the group to keep on going.

“It’s a difficult business to be in,” says Khun Best, “as they have to compete with cheaper prices and it’s difficult to find markets. Added to this there’s the fact that not so many people know about organic food in Thailand. It’s been a bit slow to catch on, though that situation is changing.”

Meanwhile, the group – as yet it has no name – is seeking government accreditation. It’ll take a few months and is no easy process. The Thai government can only certify that a farm is organic after rigorous testing. The soil should be free of chemicals for a start, and it can take years for them to be filtered through the soil.

The air should be pure – it’s impossible to do organic farming if it’s polluted. No pesticides or chemicals should be used, of course. Even if you get everything right, you may still not get the accreditation. Khun Best cites an example: “If you have a farm which is trying to be organic next to a more usual type of farm, where pesticide is used, then the organic farm will fail in its mission and also not get accreditation – simply because the neighbour is using chemicals and by doing so will affect all the farms around

it.” Organic farming therefore requires quite a bit of community support, and those engaged in this kind of farming have more than just the usual amount of red tape to deal with.

If organic farming’s so difficult to do, is it such a good idea? This is the question that many people ask. After all, the customer has to pay increased prices for organic products and may simply go elsewhere. Khun Best has no doubt that organic farming really is worth pursuing, and the produce worth buying. “Let’s say you just touch – even though you do not eat – some fruit. About 60% of any chemicals on the fruit are absorbed through the skin into the body.

That’s an incredible amount.” He then cites the example of pineapples. “A lot of spray is used on them. Not to get rid of bugs, but simply to make them grow quickly. If no spray is used, then they simply take longer to grow, that’s all.

Now, if you eat a pineapple like that, you may think it’s healthy, but you’re also ingesting poison. The main reason for eating organic is simply to avoid all those chemicals. There’s also more vitamin C in organic fruit, more anti-oxidants and more goodness. It doesn’t cost that much more to eat organic produce, either.

And if more people start doing it, and there’s more demand for it, then pollution will become less. We won’t be killing ourselves by living in unhealthy environments.” He says he’s given up eating kale, cucumber and long green beans, unless they're organic, as they are the worst offenders when it comes to the amount of chemicals inside them.

Khun Best says it’s because of his mother’s influence. “She wanted me to be healthy,” he says, “and gradually she realised that many aspects of life weren’t really healthy at all, so she gradually started implementing better ways of doing things. Because she changed these things, like the way we were eating, it’s made me conscious of health and ways to promote it.”

Along with his wife, he’s created a store and café that focuses on healthy living. (It’s called Lamphu Thai Botanicals and is virtually opposite the entrance to Tesco Lotus on the ring-road in Lamai.) The couple aim to make everything reasonably priced. The store isn’t 100% organic but is certainly 100% committed to encouraging everyone to live in a healthy and fit way. It’s filled with healthy and tasty foods and produce.

Khun Best is optimistic about Samui and feels that in the future there will be more organic farming; it will catch on as people increasingly demand healthier food. Meanwhile he’s committed to helping people and businesses understand the relevancy of organic farming in today’s world. Farmers will be encouraged to go organic once consumers understand the need for pure foods, and will seek to grow the foods that they demand. A long wait until that day comes? It’s already happening, even here on Samui.

Dimitri Waring For further information telephone 0 869 090 37.

Asked how he got interested in organic foods,

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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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eing the Wood Seeing for the Trees Black Fores Forest st Distribution helps you get to grips with what wines to buy.

You probably associate the words Black Forest with the famously tasty cake or the beautiful wooded area in the south of Germany. What you may not know is that on Samui they are synonymous with some of the island’s best wine imports. The company’s actually based in Phuket but has a branch here on Samui.

Black Forest Distribution has been in business since 1991, and cut its corporate teeth back in the days when it was difficult to find wines in Thailand. A lot has changed since then, but the company has kept up-to-date with each development and has a great reputation amongst its clientele for its knowledge and the way it keeps on delivering great wines. The world of wines, as everyone knows, is a tricky one and part of Black Forest’s idea is to bring their customers a variety of wines that will please. At the same time, they also want you to know what the latest trends are in the wine world, both in Europe and the New World.

Black Forest is the brainchild of a connoisseur, Hans-Peter Blumer, who saw how few wines made their way to Thailand, so decided to start importing them. He had to overcome a lot of

bureaucracy and deal with Kafkaesque import procedures, but kept at it until he proved he could bring in wines and ensure good prices.

He began approaching some of the best brands in the business and gradually Black Forest came to be a respected importer of great wines.

Naturally it’s well-nigh impossible to do something this entrepreneurial single-handedly and Hans-Peter needed someone to help him.

He chose the affable Matthias Gerbert to fulfil this role, something that he does exceedingly well. The duo fight to get quality wines to Phuket and Samui – always negotiating with the vendors for the lowest price possible.

Matthias’ job is to keep Black Forest running on Koh Samui. “Over the years wine on Samui has become a lot more competitive,” he says, “That’s because there are so many more suppliers now in operation.” For him that means really knowing what customers want. The team keep abreast of what’s going on in the world of wine through reading professional magazines and keeping up with what the international press is reporting on. They know what both the public and wine experts think about wine and

everything to do with it. They visit wine fairs as it’s a great way to get to meet the producers in person and chat with them about their wines and the quality. A wine ends up in Black Forest's selection only if it is an absolute quality/price ratio leader. This way you can be sure that a wine is a safe buy and you’ll also find it’s reasonably priced.

“Bringing wines from one country to another always sounds easy but it turns out to be quite difficult,” Mattthias says. “There’s an immense amount of bureaucracy involved. Recently tax laws applicable to wine have changed; before they amounted to some 400% and now the calculation is done in new ways and basically amounts to about 500%, when everything is taken into consideration. It’s tough to deal with percentages like that, while also ensuring quality.”

Black Forest has a great stock of wines and there are always new arrivals. For example, recently they’ve stocked up on some Chilean wines produced by savvy François Lurton, a fifth generation family wine producer who has estates in Argentina, Chile, Spain and France.

Black Forest imports a trio of his wines. The Kawin Cabernet Sauvignon is ruby red, with smoky cherry and cedar aromas. It’s medium to full-bodied and is best served with beef and grilled vegetables. Then there’s the Kawin Sauvignon Blanc, a smooth and tasty wine, and the Hacienda Araucano Carmenere, which is deep crimson in colour, has intense aromas of prune, white pepper and notes of rosemary and thyme. Prices are 480 Baht plus tax for the first two, and 680 Baht plus tax for the last.

All storage and transport is done according to prescribed standards and temperatures. The company will also replace any product not living up to standard. Should you need to visit Black Forest, it’s easy to get to: take the first turning on the right just after Makro Lamai, as you head towards Ban Hua Thanon. Then turn right again and you’ll arrive at the offices.

Whether you’re buying wholesale or just a single bottle of wine, you’ll be made very welcome.

wines to go with your meal. Just fill out the kind of food you're eating and any details about the kind of wine you would like and the website comes up with informed choices.

Whether you’re running a restaurant, bar or hotel, or just want to serve some great wine to your friends, Black Forest is on hand to help you with professional choices and wines that have been carefully shipped with nothing left to chance.

Dimitri Waring For further information telephone 0 7741 8585. www.phuketwine.com

It’s also worth checking out the website, by the way, not only for the full range of products, but also for the extremely nifty device that suggests

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

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

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

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Much Ado Is caviar really much ado about nothing, or does it live up to its reputation?

I can clearly remember my first time. I was quite young. Still at primary school, I think. All the grown-ups did it. I’d heard lots of talk about it and seen lots of glimpses on TV. It seemed – like smoking – a very adult thing to do, and I wanted to be grown up too. But the first time I finally managed to sneak a drink of whisky (not beer, that was for kids) it was simply vile and I spat it out at once. It was worse than the worst cough mixture. Why on earth did anyone want to drink this stuff? What a lot of fuss about nothing.

Proving that anything much stronger than beer is definitely an acquired taste. You have to keep practicing! But, unless you’re a vestal virgin, alcohol somehow manages to worm its way onto your adult palate. And with the vast majority of folks, it becomes a part of their life to a greater or lesser degree. It’s hardly a lifestyle luxury. Although having said that, when it comes to vintage single malt whiskies and rare wines, this is a whole new subject altogether.

And that brings us neatly to today’s subject lesson: caviar. And, while this is hardly in the same league as that vast body of arcane lore accompanying wine, it’s certainly an icon representing the finer things in life. There’s a whole mystique surrounding the subject, and it’s

rumoured that Hogwarts School now has courses in how to cope with it. This is pretty impressive when you consider that all the fuss is about a bunch of fish eggs. But, then, just any old fish eggs won’t do. And this is the point where we discover that caviar has something in common with cinnamon.

pancakes (blinis) and soured cream. The eggs themselves are the size of small peas; a slivery-grey in colour and look exactly like frogspawn. You are required to eat them by putting a tiny smear of soured cream on a blini, spooning the eggs on top, and popping it in your mouth.

And the answer to that little teaser is quite simply this: the chances are that when you eat either of these things you are not munching on the real thing at all! There are two sorts of cinnamon, and the one you most-encounter (on your coffee) is actually ‘Cassia’ – the real thing comes from Sri Lanka only and is far too expensive to sprinkle free on froth. And caviar?

There is only one true and original ‘caviar’ and the others with the same name are all marketing ploys. Real caviar comes from one type of fish that’s only found in one small area of the world.

And it tastes disgusting! Your first bite will throw you back to a childhood where your mother used to force spoonfuls of cod liver oil into you when you had a cold. You’ll freeze, and your eyes will open wide with the unpleasant shock.

And we’ll come back to that in just a moment.

For the while, let’s hop back to where we came in – just how nasty that first teenage taste of strong spirits was (or ‘liquor’ as some folks like to call it). Well, caviar comes packaged with an awe-inspiring ritual all of its own. It usually arrives in a silver bowl, surrounded by ice, and with a tiny spoon made only of animal horn, never metal. To go with this are dinky little

And you’ll experience a sudden thrill of excitement as you realise you’re holding onto a very expensive mouthful of the world’s most fabled delicacy.

And then . . . after a few moments . . . you’ll feel the silky texture of the eggs begin to melt between your clamped-shut teeth. The texture becomes quite pleasant, really. The flavours of the sour cream and sturgeon roe merge together, and become greater than the sum of their parts.

You see, true caviar comes only from the sturgeon fish found in the Caspian Sea. There are several varieties here, of which Beluga is the rarest and most expensive, currently fetching in

dollars for one ounce, excess of two hundred do depending on the grade. The runners-up are Osetra caviar that is smaller in size, the Sevruga caviar that is lower in quality, and last is Ship, a small to medium size, dark-coloured caviar often mixed with Oetra or Sevruga. This is the heritage of the Russian Court and the legendary Czars of yesteryear. This is the real thing. But you won’t see it in your local supermarket.

Much ado about nothing? Probably. But you could no doubt say the same thing about vintage wine. And a work by Van Gogh is only paint on canvas, isn’t it? But for those who appreciate the finer things in life (or aspire to them) caviar is a part of our history and culture.

And, like many things, there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye.

Instead, you’ll see what the marketing professionals have termed, ‘more affordable caviar, accessible to everyone’. This is usually the roe of salmon, lumpfish, whitefish or the American paddlefish. The eggs are far smaller, and much darker, often blue-brown or black. It’s much, much cheaper to buy. It doesn’t have the taste, texture, or heritage that the real stuff does – in fact, the only thing it truly has in common is that all are fish eggs. But it’s definitely the best way to begin. Because the other positive thing about corner-shop caviar is that it doesn’t have such an extreme flavour; it’s far less fishy in taste. And, once having got the hang of the ritual and developed a liking for it, it’ll probably prompt you to start saving up for the real thing.

From little acorns, as they say, come great oaks.

Or in this case, an application to extend your credit card limit and a trip to a specialist auction house!

Rob De Wet

Your private Holidays in Samui

THE SIAM RESIDENCE B o u t i q u e

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

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Samui’s answer to those hen party blues – at the spectacular Samui Buri.

It’s a man’s world. James Brown made it official when he belted that out, back in 1966. But of course, things have changed today, haven’t they?

Really? Then ask yourself this. Every year a thousand happy couples come to our little island to tie the knot. It’s such a special thing – a picture-postcard tropical island paradise and all that. Getting married here is not only a joyful occasion, it’s super fun, too. Plus it’s a totally cool place for the looked-forward-to parties for the stags and the hens. And so off the fellas go on the jet skis, the quad bike runs, powering above the jungle canopy on a zip line, banging away at the shooting range, tearing about on go-karts, throwing themselves about on bungee ropes or even playing football golf. And what do the ladies do? They go to a spa.

Well, I suppose they could go for a nice meal somewhere. But there’s really not much that doesn’t involve copious amounts of alcohol for wedding-group hens to do in these parts. It would be really good, say, if they could all go off and do a really well-organised and fun Thai cooking class and then, I don’t know, just lounge about around a pool or on the beach, happily full of their self-made Thai food, and add a cocktail or two as the sun starts to sink.

Unfortunately, although many resorts do a

cooking class, the maximum number they can handle is about six. Possibly eight, maybe – but even then it’s getting tricky, because eight people is a lot for a chef to cope with. But not at Samui Buri Beach Resort. Because they’re now set-up specifically to handle wedding groups of up to 25.

Sorry about being deliberately sexist to begin with – but I needed to bang home a point! In fact, mixed groups are the norm at Samui Buri, and they have gained a reputation for being the only resort to be able to offer this very enticing option to wedding parties on the island. Samui Buri is a part of the Resotel Group and has three other sister-resorts on Samui. It’s situated right on the beach in Maenam, but not out in full view, so few visitors to Samui ever get to know of it. And that’s a shame. Because this resort is really impressive. It’s not only big, but it’s probably one of the most dramatically designed resorts around. As you’re making your way from the turn-off to Wat Napralam and the landmark of the Lomprayah ferry, you can see its golden spires peeping up above the trees in the distance.

They spent the best part of two years constructing this place, and when you see it you’ll understand why. It’s been designed to

highlight the traditional roofing styles of the four regions of Thailand, and there’s a spectacular and complex tangle of lofty and overlapping cascading gables, plus tons of gold leaf everywhere. But the contrasting interior is coolly contemporary-chic, and there are no fewer than 52 secluded villas scattered around the landscaped grounds. A network of small paths wind their way through the lush greenery before emerging next to an elevated pool. And it’s here, right next to the sand, that you’ll find the resort’s shadily elegant signature restaurant, Seetawaree.

This is a luxurious variation on the usual Thai restaurant layout. Usually you’ll see a big kitchen block that has a dining area outside which is open on all sides, but roofed over to shade it from the sun. Here at Seetawaree the roofed dining area is quite large, and kitted-out with sturdy-but-comfy heavy wood tables and chairs.

But, instead of butting up against the kitchen, at the back end of the open-sided main area there’s a wall of opening glass doors, allowing an idyllic and panoramic view seawards.

The resort’s cheerful Executive Chef is Khun Suraporn Munyeun – nicknamed Khun Porn.

And how on earth can he handle two dozen cooking class students? Answer - he doesn’t!

There are four other highly qualified chefs, each selected for their ability to express themselves in English, and groups are allocated one chef per four students. Cooking stations comprise one ceramic induction hob (for convenience and safety) between each pair of students. And the entire affair is not only ever so well organised, it’s a laugh a minute, due to the inherently fun-loving nature of the Thai people!

To pull such an event together, what needs to happen is for a couple of folk to go along and talk to the resort’s experienced Wedding Co-ordinator, Khun Nisa (who also manages the weddings for the other three resorts too). There are ten different dishes on offer and it takes careful planning for every person in the group to end up making what they opted for! Everyone will make four dishes, but all the ingredients have to be bought-in fresh for the event and then prepped beforehand so that there’s little time wasted with unnecessary peeling and chopping. (Thus a booking needs to be made two days in advance. As the restaurant is only free between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm, classes like this usually begin at 1:00 pm.) And then, having taken the menu dish options back to the group and everyone having chosen what they want to make, the summary can be emailed back to Khun Nisa to get things started.

There’s also the option of laying-on transport for you. Samui Buri runs a free shuttle bus twice a day to Chaweng and back, anyway. But if you’d prefer, you’re invited to negotiate a nominal additional fee per person for a couple of bespoke mini-buses to take care of your transport back and forth.

Good, eh? Something like this has been needed for a long time. But it seems like it’s only Samui Buri Beach Resort that has got it together enough so that whole wedding groups can go ‘cooking it up’!

Rob De Wet For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7744 7275. www.samuiburi.com

www.siamwininganddining.com 7

What’s it Got? A look at the evolution of Cambodian cuisine.

At first glance, the four neighbours of Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam seem to have a great many things in common. But the closer you look, the more each one becomes defined by its differences. Thailand stands out because it’s never been invaded and colonised. Vietnam has evolved towards a more multicultural identity than Cambodia, even though both were French colonies for a long time. If anything, only Laos seems the odd one out. Its big drawback is that it’s landlocked, so even though it also was a French colony in Indochina, very little development or investment took place during the French occupation, leaving it quite definitely the poorest of the four nations.

Since the turn of the new millennium, Cambodia has developed rapidly, with certain areas, such as Sihanoukville, becoming something of a playground for expats and tourists alike.

Additionally, the historical heritage is complex and diverse, with the mystical ruins of the now commercialised ‘Angkor Complex’ remaining one of South East Asia’s top attractions, with in excess of two million visitors each year. This means that, one way and another, Cambodia seems to have a great deal going for it!

Again, when it comes to points of comparison, it’s interesting to look at rice. Rice is the staple of all these countries yet, delving deeper, each country has a very different attitude towards it.

Thailand, for example, prides itself on being the most modern and forward thinking of the four nations. And yet it’s almost impossible to find anything other than plain, de-husked, bleached steamed rice. However, further to the north-east, coming closer to Laos, you’ll find lots of sticky rice around – and indeed it’s universally found across the Thai nation when it comes to sweet-dishes and snacks, usually eaten in combination with fruit.

But, when it comes to rice, then it’s Cambodia that can brag the loudest. No doubt due to a more cosmopolitan outlook, stemming from both the French influence and the large numbers of foreigners living and working there, Cambodia is the rice king of the region! You’ll come across a great number of cooking styles and techniques, and amazingly, there are over a hundred words and phrases for rice in the Khmer language, as well as an equal number of varieties of indigenous Khmer rice. The most commonly found is the ubiquitous sticky rice,

eaten everywhere, Laos-style, with the hands, both accompanying a meal and (Thai-style) as a dessert. Boiled rice, both brown and white, abounds, and it’s common to come across the health-food favourite of wild rice being offered as an alternative in many small restaurants.

Much of this plethora of rice is due to the climate, which Cambodia shares in some part with Vietnam. Most of the storm-weather emanates from the direction of the Philippines, hitting Vietnam hard from the east (but being buffered into Cambodia); additionally the two long tropical monsoons (which Thailand isn’t affected by) mean that both these countries have a long rice-growing season.

So there’s lots of rice. But what do we have to go with it? Again, it’s hard to talk about Cambodia in isolation – there’s so much both shared yet contrasted with its neighbours to the east and west. Historically, rice and freshwater fish are the traditional elements of the Cambodian diet. The Mekong River runs right through the heart of the nation, there are tributaries, lakes and reservoirs throughout, and consequently a huge variety of freshwater fish.

So, not surprisingly, when ‘fish and rice’ is on the menu, you can expect a-hundred-and-one quite different presentations of this seemingly simple dish.

Both Thailand and the neighbouring Laos share a historical overlap: traditionally both evolved from a nation of farmers and peasants with not much more than rice and fish to sustain them.

As a result, when European traders introduced spices and chillies into their cuisine, hundreds of years ago, both countries seized upon them to enhance their bland diet. This didn’t happen in either Vietnam or Cambodia. Thus the cuisine today in Cambodia is milder, has less chilli and spices, little in the way of coconut cream, and notably less sugar than their neighbours to the west.

The French colonial empire drew upon influences from the dishes of both France and China, including curry dishes, and flavourings from India, too. The Spanish and Portuguese also made their contributions to Cambodian cuisine, introducing peppercorns, saffron, cardamom, cloves, anise and nutmeg, and unique items such as preserved lemons. But

another huge difference is the prominence of bread. Whereas, right up until just a few years ago, the Thai nation only ate a highly-sugared form of bleached white bread as a sweet dish, many forms of traditionally baked and seasoned breads have now become a basic element of the Cambodian diet. Interestingly, the typical Cambodian breakfast consists of a baguette, filled with sardines and/or eggs, together with a strong cup of fresh-ground coffee.

So there you have it! For decades, Cambodia suffered terribly under the regime of the post-Vietnam upheaval and the cruelties of an oppressive political regime. But things began to change in the 1990s. And today it’s not only become one of the most welcoming nations in South East Asia, but it has one of the most varied and cosmopolitan of cuisines, too!

Rob De Wet

CHAWENG BEACH LAND FOR RENT

Discover authentic

Indian Cuisine Samui 2012 WINNER

2013 WINNER

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

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

2014 WINNER

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

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

Centara Grand Beach Resort Samui

Poppies Hotel

Land for rent

Kirikayan Boutique Resort

Contact: Mr. Saroj 081 536 2015 Ms. Siri 088 882 5636 Mr. Wiroj 081 307 2122 E-mail: srn123456@gmail.com, sissysiri888@gmail.com, mpisit2600@gmail.com

Golf? No Thanks, I’d Rather Dine There’s a lot more to Santiburi Samui Country Club than just its golf course.

The golf course at Santiburi, on Samui’s north coast, is reckoned by some to be one of the hardest in the world. Some people love a challenge and fly over to Samui just to pit their wits against it. Others are less sure about taking on the course that some Asian pros refer to as ‘The Beast’. Whatever the individual golfer thinks, there’s one thing that unites all of them: they all agree that the setting is amazing.

There are waterfalls and creeks on the grounds themselves, it’s endlessly scenic. Where there’s a beast, there’s also beauty to be found too – like the fairy story. When golf pros stand at sea level looking up at the hills and the jungle escarpment that is the said beast’s lair, then they really aren’t thinking about how beautiful it looks; they’re aware that they're taking on a mighty challenge.

But what of people who are more used to mini-golf, crazy golf or rather absolutely no golf at all? Surprisingly they too are heading for the hills and the course itself, and with no thought of hiring a club, or even trying to take on the course. Is there something else out there on the jungly slopes?

The answer is a resounding yes. It turns out to be the restaurant, which is synonymous with great food at very reasonable prices. And not just that, it enjoys some of the best views on Samui.

It’s easy, by the way, to find Santiburi Samui Country Club. As you head through Maenam towards Nathon, turn left where you see the sign and then follow the directions. The approach road sweeps up into the hills and is expertly tended, and takes you up through the idyllic golf course and its gardens. The higher you go, the more the view opens out and finally you can see this amazing panorama of the north coast. The drive is so scenic, that some people will drive up to the clubhouse, circle round, and go back down again – it’s that beautiful.

Those in the know, however, stop at the clubhouse, where the restaurant is located. It must be one of the most spacious on Samui, and as you walk in you’ll be greeted by that same panoramic view, a sea of greenery,with Koh Pha-Ngan in the distance. Even those that work in the restaurant don’t seem to tire of it, and in their spare moments you'll maybe see them at the balustrade admiring the view.

Incidentally, the restaurant doesn’t have any specific dress code; you can come here in very informal clothing. This leads me to the next point; the atmosphere is very laid-back and casual. The service though is entirely professional, and some great food awaits you.

The restaurant opens at 6:00 am, when it serves a choice of breakfasts, including the hearty Santiburi Breakfast, which consists of eggs, bacon, pork sausage, grilled tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, toast and tea, coffee or Ovaltine, along with fruit juice or fruit salad.

You can also have an American, Continental or Asian breakfast. The portions are on the ample side – as you can imagine, many a hungry golfer breakfasts here after a taxing game. They want to be fed, and not feel hungry after they’ve put down their knife and fork. The food’s all delicious and offers unusually good value for money. Closing time for the restaurant is 8:00 pm. It’s open seven days a week.

On the menu you'll find Thai appetizers, soups and salads. For main courses, there are plenty of rice and noodle dishes, as well as a special

selection with dishes such as green curry with chicken, eggplant, kaffir lime leaves and sweet basil sauce or fried beef with oyster sauce.

Try their delicious phad Thai, called here ‘Pud Thai Goong Sod’. It has a delicate taste to it, and this seafood version comes topped with a duo of prawns, expertly speared by spring onion. Many restaurants make phad Thai and usually the results are good, but it’s difficult to make it taste this great.

If you’d like to eat Western food, it’s certainly very much on the menu, too. You'll find several sorts of sandwiches, all of which come with a portion of French fries, as well as burgers, breaded chicken, homemade lasagne, bolognaise and the ever-popular fish and chips. The restaurant also offers German pork leg with mashed potatoes or French fries, and grilled German sausages with sauerkraut.

They have Bonito homemade ice cream – try the Green Tea ice for something different – as well as a range of Moevenpick Swiss ice-creams.

Amongst the latter you'll find it hard to resist the

espresso croquant or the caramelita.

The restaurant also stocks a selection of wines, all at reasonable prices. From France, there’s the excellent Bordeaux Charles Dulac, while from Chile, you can opt for a Santa Alicia Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon or a Trileka Merlot. From California the Backhouse Chardonnay is a great choice, as is the Swartland Chardonnay from South Africa. Naturally, you can also have wines by the glass, both red and white.

There are plenty of reasons to head up to the golf course at Santiburi, and not all of them have anything to do with the game itself. You can come here to have a great meal while enjoying one of the most exceptional views on the island – just make sure you bring your camera as you’re bound to want to take a few pictures!

Dimitri Waring For further information telephone 0 7742 1700-8. www.santiburi.com

Sabeinglae Restaurant

Sabienglae restaurants offer traditional al fresh seafood and cuisine cuisin 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

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

www.siamwininganddining.com

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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

All Roads lead to Rum La Route du Rum is a French-style restaurant offering more than just great food.

Have you ever driven along almost empty country roads in France and stopped for lunch or dinner at some modest yet welcoming restaurant, that turns out to offer amazingly good food? France is full of such places, and spending a few days driving around will often bring you unexpected surprises – not just wonderful landscapes, but really professional restaurants that are very affordable.

You might not think it, but on Samui you can have exactly the same experience. Though of course it’ll be on a smaller scale, as the island’s roads are few in number. A must for any visitor with a car is a visit to the south of the island, the least developed part of Samui. And it’s here that you can find an idyllic French restaurant that seems in many ways to have stepped out of its native France, and transported itself thousands of miles away to the tropics.

La Route du Rum is in a secluded spot, but isn’t that far away. If you’re coming from Chaweng and Lamai, you'll first need to turn off the ring-road at the large junction just after Ban Hua Thanon. This brings you onto Highway 4170, which many people agree is the most picturesque road on the island. It loops round the south of the island, and heads round the coast towards Nathon. Once you’re on this road, you'll have it mostly to yourself. Look out for La Route du Rum, which is on your left-hand side close to the crossroads that intersect with Highway 4173 at the village of Ban Kao. There’s a sign right outside the property; turn in to the drive here and you'll come to a beautiful

garden. This is the setting for the restaurant, and it couldn’t be more scenic, surrounded by palm trees that gently sway in the wind.

Staff are on hand to welcome you, and speak English, French and Thai. Everything’s very informal here, but you'll find the food is way, way above average. There are two chefs, a husband and wife team: Martial cooks his native French food, while his wife, Khun Anny, who’s Thai, prepares all the local dishes. They both love what they do, and the restaurant has a family feeling to it, just as it would do in France.

Serving hours are from 11:00 am until 9:00 pm, every day except Monday. The French food is mostly as you’d find in France, though there are touches from the French Caribbean as well. You can enjoy traditional delicacies such as boeuf bourguignon, foie gras or canard ballotine, the latter being rolled leg of duck, stuffed with honey and blue cheese.

Everything’s made from scratch, and locally-sourced food is used wherever possible and comes straight from the market, guaranteeing its freshness. At La Route du Rum they smoke their own salmon, pork and duck and Chef Martial will soon be making his own sausages. Incidentally he spent many years as a chef in France, and has worked at a 3-star Michelin restaurant, while Chef Anny owned several restaurants in Bangkok.

On the Thai side, you'll find all the nation’s favourite dishes, such as green and red curries, chicken with cashew nuts and pad Thai; on the French, you can enjoy main courses such as

parmentier with home-cooked and smoked salmon, or sauté of lacquered pork.

For desserts, finish off with chocolate profiteroles or a rum baba with bourbon vanilla ice-cream – just to name a couple of examples.

To accompany your meal, you can enjoy speciality Belgian beers, and naturally there are plenty of wines to choose from. Rum is also on the menu and you can have a mojito or ti-punch before your meal.

La Route du Rum gets its name from the fact that on the premises there’s a rum distillery, one of the few in South-East Asia. It’s a professional enterprise and uses specially-imported distillery equipment with cane juice being processed on the property at a small factory. The highest grade of ‘rhum agricole’, or agricultural rum, is the result. All the impurities are taken out, leaving a rum that’s extremely pure. It then goes through a lengthy maturation period before it’s bottled. Many people come to taste the rum, and if you do, you'll experience its purity for yourself. Variations are made using different fruits and the bottles also make for unique souvenirs and presents.

highly popular with families. Everyone enjoys the swimming pool which is open to all during the event. Children can run about in the extensive gardens, too, while the adults enjoy the great food and drink. Usually about 40 people attend, so ring in advance to secure your place.

You’ll also need to reserve – and in this case you will need to ring a week in advance – if you want to have a very special dinner such as lobster, fondue bourguignonne or râclette. Last but not least, La Route du Rum can put on a romantic dinner for two, if you reserve three days before.

No matter what brings you to La Route du Rum, the restaurant’s friendly team will make you feel at home, and at the same time you can enjoy being at the island’s only distillery – definitely a unique experience.

Dimitri Waring For reservations or further information telephone 0 918 167 416.

While it’s not necessary to make a reservation for lunch or dinner, you'll need to for some other events run by La Route de Rum. For example, on Sundays they put on a sumptuous barbecue. It’s an all-you-can-eat affair with chicken breast, pork, fish and seafood on the menu. It starts at 12:30 pm with food lasting until 3:30 or 4:00 pm. It’s a convivial time and is

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Prawn Shop

A look at the ups and downs of Thai prawn farming over the years.

What’s the connection between rice and prawns?

If you instinctively thought ‘chop suey’, then you’re only a little bit right! The answer is Thailand is very big in both. In fact, for a very long time indeed, Thailand was the world’s biggest producer of rice. And then, suddenly . . . it wasn’t. Production dropped dramatically.

Today, everything’s gone prawn-shaped and now, suddenly, Thailand is the world’s number one producer of prawns. But that’s only one little bit of the answer – the two things are closely connected, as we shall see.

The story begins a couple of decades back, with Thailand’s farmers being wooed by promised rice subsidies. Over the next few years, and goaded into activity by the lure of extra government handouts, Thailand’s rice production went into overdrive. These people were farmers, not economists, and had no way to foresee the outcome - that eventually rice prices would tumble due to a vast surplus. And, on top of that, the promised cash subsidies, by this time desperately needed, somehow failed to materialise. Thailand slipped quickly down the table, exporting only six million tons of rice in

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2012 (compared to in excess of 10 million in previous years) and being topped by both India and Vietnam.

intensive farming, simply because (unlike the seas) the harvest from fishing in streams and rivers is not commercially viable.

But rice grows in a very wet and watery environment. And, in-between growing seasons, for centuries farmers had taken advantage of a natural and alternative secondary harvest, not of rice, but of prawns, which in the right conditions thrive uncultivated in the temporarily-static paddy fields. Already there were many hundreds of purpose-built prawn farms dotted all along the coast of the Gulf of Thailand. And many more arose in the first decade of this millennium, as slowly awareness dawned that not only was there more profit in it, but (unlike rice) there was also a guaranteed world market simply begging for more.

In Thailand, you’ll see both types of farm, although the inland prawn farms disappeared in 1998, banned by a government decree. But, around the same time, destitute former farmers, fishermen, government employees, small-scale business investors and speculators, all with little knowledge of or expertise in prawn farming, jostled each other for position on poorly-regulated public land. There was no planning of farm layouts, a lot of environmentally critical mangrove forest was destroyed and farms discharged their waste into public canals or directly into the sea. The overstocking of ponds and poor feeding efficiency added to the pollution levels, and the concentration of too many farms in one area forced the recycling of contaminated waters back into ponds and the groundwater table. It was a shambles.

Prawns are to be found in two different environments. The first is a salt-water habitat, and in Thailand, they are fished and dredged from the Gulf of Thailand and a little further south, into the South China Sea. The other is the fresh-water type. The vast majority of fresh water prawns have been commercially produced by

The turning point came in 2002, when two different viral infections all but wiped out Thai

prawn production. At which point the Departure of Agriculture took it upon themselves to clean up the industry and sort it all out, once and for all – which, admirably, they did with great success.

Now, almost universally, prawn farms have become compact, regulated, efficient and highly productive. There are essentially only two types of prawn being produced, what is commonly known as ‘shrimps’ – the little pink things referred to as ‘mondon’ prawns (from their classification taxonomy), plus the big, juicy, stripy sort – the grey ‘tiger prawns’, also known as ‘vannamei’. The latter is a far more lucrative crop, hugely in demand abroad, and they account for 95% of all of Thai prawn production.

But, alas, disaster struck again in 2013, when prawn production in Thailand suddenly dropped by 50% due to the spread of a deadly outbreak of ‘early mortality syndrome’ (EMS). But instead of bringing doom, the effect was just the opposite! Because, such is the world demand for these delicacies, that overnight the price doubled, much to the delight of Thai farmers,

whose income, if anything, rose as a result, as feed and maintenance costs went down while the gross income remained the same.

However, in the global scheme of things, all is not rosy and joyous. You are here, on Samui, with constant access to the freshest of king prawns, caught every day by local fishermen, and at half the price they cost back home.

Savour them, and make the most of every succulent mouthful. Because, when you get back, you’ll read all sorts of dreadful things about the prawns that are now coming out of Asia. Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam are particular offenders. On the other hand, Thailand has got its act together. Unfortunately it’s almost impossible to know what comes from where. So it’s up to you to try and get the best – Thai prawns – every time you head for your local prawn shop!

Rob De Wet

SIP, SAVOUR, LOUNGE, AND LINGER 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

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Go – Look – Like – Eat

Go and take a look at Chaweng’s Drink Gallery, and if you like what you see, drop in to dine – the food is fabulous!

Not everything is what it seems. When you look below the surface, often things are different.

This is fine and very philosophical. But when we’re here on holiday, things don’t work like that. We don’t look under the surface – we’re just too relaxed and having a good time! We take things at face value. Why not? We just can’t be bothered to study everything closely. There are hundreds of, let’s say, restaurants. So we just eat at the ones which take our fancy. Someplace looks pretty? Let’s try it. If it’s not that good, then so what! We’ll go somewhere else tomorrow. Maybe we’ll look out for that nice-looking place we saw featured in the paper. But it we can’t find it, then never mind!

And that, my gourmet friends, is really not the way to do it! If you’re reading this paper, then it’s because you genuinely want some info on food. So here it is: one of Chaweng’s finest eateries is right out in full view – but folks walk past it, as it’s something of a secret. If this place was in a trendy part of Bangkok, it’d be crammed every night, because the whole deal here is tip-top. The décor is subtly, minimalistically, tongue-in-cheek, but with constant tones of Alice-in-Wonderland under the skin of things. It’s undoubtedly the only instance

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of this kind of thinking on Samui. And the food is excellent. The menu has been custom-designed by a top international chef, and it’s all crafted from prime ingredients, perfectly cooked and beautifully presented. The bespoke cocktails were engineered by one of the world’s leading mixologists. And the name – again, it’s enigmatic. It’s Drink Gallery.

At first sight, this is a cube of glass, just a few metres south of the landmark of McDonald’s on Chaweng Beach Road. Once you have located it, pause awhile and focus your gaze. The tables and chairs are a fascinating mis-match on both sides of one huge table. The equipment and mason jars full of cocktail ingredients behind the bar look like they belong in an alchemist’s workshop. Oh – and there’s a gigantic Zen painting above the bar which is, by itself, as big as the average bungalow.

But it’s only once you’ve come inside that you’ll notice the finer points. Something as simple as the shelves behind the bar – there’s nothing holding them up. In fact they’re made of two-inch thick wood which was embedded into the concrete wall when it was cast into place.

The frontage of satin black mini-doors, behind

which lurk the mixologist’s varied paraphernalia.

The menus themselves: each one is an art student’s delight. And it’s probably worth mentioning that the owner and creator of Drink Gallery, Khun Pang, occasionally moves in exalted Bangkok society. And more than a few of Thailand’s young artists, singing stars, musicians designers or movie idols can be seen here in Drink Gallery from time to time – if you’re clued-in enough to recognise them, that is!

The menu was specially commissioned from one of Thailand’s leading contemporary chefs, Khun Nhoi Ouypornchai. And it’s a wonderful tapestry of the finest of carefully-sourced Western ingredients melded with tantalising hints of the Oriental, and ranges from tapas to mains, to snacks and ‘Pairings’. This last one is a set combination of cocktails and tapas. Each of the eats and drinks has choices, and you get to pick three dishes from a choice of seven and sup three cocktails from a choice of six. And each of the cocktails is matched with the food, in much the same way as you might do with wine.

Looking in more detail at the menu reveals that it’s split into the expected sections – starters, soups, salads mains and so on – although the

items all have pleasantly whimsical titles. Take one of the more intriguing salads, for instance, ‘Yum Amphawa’. The name’s a play on words – ‘yum’ meaning salad and ‘Amphawa’ being the name of Bangkok’s traditional floating market.

Put them together, tongue in cheek, and you’ve got a salad that you certainly won’t find in traditional Thailand: strawberries, apple, melon and redberries. Plus huge hunky prawns, oh-so-tender hoops of squid, velvety mussels and . . . melt-in-your-mouth crispy battered ‘pak liang’ leaves!

If that’s perked you up a bit, then have a look at the ‘Australian lamb shoulder Massaman’.

Massaman is a very mild and creamy Malaysian style curry dish with peanuts and potato. But here the sauce is subtly oiled, the lamb drops right off the bone, the tiny potatoes are pan-fried, and it all comes with a super-mild garlic fried rice that’s aromatic rather than pungent.

Or you could nibble on a mini pork pie! Well the ‘Samui Rangoon’ looks like a bowl of these, but a more conscientious investigation will reveal that inside these mini pielets is, in fact, an utterly yummy mix of diced seafood melted

together with cheese. But instead of the usual dipping sauce, there’s an exciting sticky dip made from lemongrass – a sublime complement to the tangy flavour and crunchy texture of the little patties.

Drink Gallery opens at 1:00 pm, in time to catch those of us who might be out and about for lunch, and stays welcomingly open through the evening dining session, right up until after the kitchen has closed and the glad-handers are seriously sipping their cocktail specials out the deck outside.

The secret is out. Drink Gallery. It’s not a bar. it’s not a bistro. It’s not even a restaurant. It’s all of these things, and wrapped up in a mischievous design-core of whimsy, no less.

And now you’ve read all this, all you need to do is to go there and eat, as it says in the title – the ‘like’ part of it will happen automatically!

Rob De Wet For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7742 2299. www.thelibrary.co.th

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

Don’t be Silly!

A look at some of the stranger restaurants around the world.

Today’s world seems to have shrunk. A couple of hundred years ago it took six months just to get a letter to America. But then, a bit later on, the appearance of the telegraph changed all that. And today, with jet travel and instant communication, everyone knows what’s happening the moment it happens. Scandals spread like wildfire. Wars are broadcast live.

Social media fuels the moment. And so, when it comes to restaurants, that old Hollywood saying springs to mind – “There’s no such things as bad publicity”.

But, coming back to America, we have a great many things to both thank them for, and perhaps blame them for just a bit, too! After all, any country with 300 million people must generate an awful lot of competition. And so it came about that, in this country, the idea of the ‘theme’ first arose. Disneyland opened in 1955, bringing with it several in-house restaurants, each on a different Disney theme. This seemed to trigger a national reaction, as everyone spotted the new idea, and very soon restaurants with a theme started to pop up like pimples on a youth. And it didn’t take long for franchises to appear in Europe, with names like Hard Rock Café and Planet Hollywood spearheading the fun.

So put the two together – bad publicity and theme dining – and what have you got? Firstly you’ve got some really silly (and sometimes dreadful!) themes to chew on. And, second, some of these concepts are just so gross that their sheer vulgarity makes them competitive, as diners (all of them tourists!) trample over each other to get through the doors. The gentile ‘degustation’ of gourmet dining is elbowed out of the way in preference to ‘disgustation’!

Take your pick! It’s hard to sort out either the silliest or the tackiest. But, for some curious reason, Asia is big on all of this. So, pulling one out at random, how about a diner with nothing but penises on the menu? The Guo Li Zhuang restaurant in Beijing (and the name translates as ‘strength in the pot’) serves nothing but the most dubious of animal extremities – horse, snake, dog, donkey, deer, bull, ox – you name it; you can get to chew it. Which rather makes one wonder if hamsters, gerbils and mice appear as starters. And then there’s Taiwan’s Modern Toilet Restaurant chain. There’s a bit of a hint as to the theme in the chain’s slogan . . . “Go pee pee or go poo poo!”, although with a name like that it’s hardly needed. Diners get to sit on coloured ceramic toilets, dishes and plates are shaped like bedpans and urinals, tables are made of

thankfully different, and take a peek at the New Zealand scene.

bathtubs, and even the lighting is made from adapted toiled fittings – but at least they serve food!

Moving across to Japan – a nation with more than a few interesting fetishes – you’ll kick yourself if you don’t visit Nyotaimori. Elsewhere, most people eat off plates. But not Japanese Emperors, who traditionally nibbled at their noodles from a woman’s naked body.

Regrettably, you and I don’t qualify as royalty, and so we have to make do with a life-size body made of dough and marzipan. But at least we’ll get to play doctors and nurses, as we’ll need to ‘operate’ on it to get to the main course (it ‘bleeds’ sauce when you cut it) and aiming for where you’d expect the main organs to be will come up trumps. Oh – the name means ‘cannibal’ in Japanese, by the way . . .

And I could babble insanely about the psychiatric-themed ‘Alcatraz’ (also in Tokyo) or talk mechanically about the robot-themed ‘Robot Dinner Theatre’ in another part of the same city (“The Sexiest Fembots in Tokyo”). And, interestingly, closer to home there’s also the same theme at the ‘Hajime Restaurant’ in Bangkok. But enough is surely enough! Let’s head in the opposite direction for something

And, in this age of conservation and organic food, what could be more appropriate than to leap with both feet firmly into the middle of the road – where you’ll quite possibly see the owner of the nearby pub with a shovel. The pub, in the tiny township of Pukekura (‘Puke’ for short) is officially called ‘Wild Food Restaurant’ (although locals call it ‘The Puke Pub’) . . . and the menu is composed entirely of roadkill. On it, you’ll find such rumbustious items as Bambi Burgers. Volvo Venison, Headlight Delight and Gag ’n’ Bag. Although, to be fair, they actually specialise in possum.

Actually, a decade or so ago, when this first hit the headlines, it was giggled at and thought to be just a bit gimmicky. But today the conservation thing has really taken hold – and taken seriously, too. Just Google ‘roadkill restaurants’ and see how many you get, mostly in Australia. It seems that the day-to-day restaurant scene in the USA is somewhat more conservative . . .

But I really have to say that it’s not all totally silly. When it comes to unusual eateries, these

Magic Alambic Rum Distillery on Samui

Pure alcohol made from a selection of fine fruits and sugarcane. Taste before you buy at the Garden Bar.

Choeng Mon

Nathon

Koh Samui

Visit our restaurant La Route du Rum for delicious French-style cuisine in a relaxing setting.

Tel: 0 91 816 7416, 0 7741 9023 E-mail: ludovic.trantoul@gmail.com www.rhumdistillerie.com 16 www.siamwininganddining.com

Taling Ngam

Magic Alambic

Baan Thale Baan Bang Kao

fall into two distinct camps. The first (and sillier) side we’ve looked at already. But there are some unique and lovely variations, too.

And so to finish it off – one more of each type from the Land of Smiles. Commanding stunning views of the whole of Bangkok (plus its rooftop dining, under the stars) is the award-winning restaurant on the 63rd floor of Lebua Hotel, ‘Sirocco’. And finally, condoms. ‘Cabbages and Condoms’. Although this is actually a very serious attempt to make a social contribution, as well as serving very good food. The walls are decorated with dozens of different sorts of condoms, waiters wear condom headgear, and you get a free condom with your bill. However, profits from the restaurant are used to support the Population and Community Development Association (PDA).

There are dozens more of these imaginative eateries, all over the world. But, fortunately, you’re on Samui. And there’s nothing silly about the range and quality of the restaurants here.

They’re superb! Enjoy!

Rob De Wet

Tantalising Thai

Experience exquisite Thai dishes right on the beach at Krua Bophut.

The villagers used to gather round a single television set, placed out in the lane that runs by the beach, for all to watch; it was a convivial time and a convivial place. Out across the water, the fishing boats would come in and moor, bringing back their catch. Back then, nobody had any idea that Samui would be famous; the villagers just thought that life would go on as it had, with its traditional ways of fishing and growing crops. That soon was to change, and the rapidity of that change took everyone by surprise. A few decades later this part of Bophut still has its little lane, but all the houses either side have morphed into shops, bars, restaurants and hotels. Nowadays, the expansion seems complete and the area caters exclusively to holidaymakers.

But as if harking back to the village's more traditional past, one of the best-known restaurants here, Krua Bophut, is housed not in a modern building but a beautiful teak house.

You'll easily spot it as you walk along the beach road at Fisherman's Village – look out for its spruce appearance and clean lines, and the dark wood that's used throughout.

At the entrance, there's no hard sell, and once inside, you're treated exceptionally well by the

welcoming staff. In the sala, you'll see plenty of antiques that show how life used to be in the last century. Krua Bophut is tastefully decorated throughout, not surprisingly as it's run by Bo Phut Spa and Resort, a major resort, just a few hundred metres further along the coast in the direction of Maenam.

At Krua Bophut you can dine in the opulent sala – it's always a treat in itself to sit in such an aesthetic dining room – but you'll be highly tempted by the outside areas. You can choose the terrace outside the restaurant, which is as beautifully kept up as the interior, or you can dine right on the beach itself. Sunset cocktails seem all the better when you're looking out across the sea to neighbouring Koh Pha-Ngan, watching the slow appearance of the stars. By the way, wherever you sit, there's no loud music at all, just some gentle background melodies that add to the sense of being in a relaxing place. Lighting is similarly kept low with candles on the tables, adding to the romantic atmosphere of the restaurant.

Wait staff are very welcoming and wear traditional Thai dress. If Krua Bophut seems to be anchored in sophisticated traditions, this also goes for the food, too. The chef has assembled

many of the typical Thai treats that have made Thai food so appealing the world over. You'll find all manner of delicacies on the menu, and if you speak to the restaurant's Food & Beverage Manager, Khun Jirawan, she'll tell you that it comprises some 100 dishes. That's extensive by any restaurant's standards, and if you're a newcomer to Thai food, the staff will be happy to help you make an informed choice. In addition, dishes are marked according to their degree of spiciness.

Since Krua Bophut is located right on the beach, the restaurant naturally has many seafood dishes, with local fish bought daily from the market. There's plenty of choice for meat-lovers, however, with the excellent menu providing a whole range of dishes. Local herbs are also used, wherever appropriate, with the chef choosing ingredients such as coriander, kaffir lime leaves, basil and lemon grass. The many herbs give the food a highly exquisite taste.

Start with some of the delicious appetizers, for example, baked New Zealand mussels with Thai herbs cooked in a clay pot, or deep fried soft crab with garlic and pepper. If you like your food a little more spicy, try the beef salad, a typical Thai-style treat.

For mains, you're again spoiled for choice. Feast on sweet and sour chicken, or enjoy stir-fried duck with mushroom and pineapple. Or how about the stir-fried beef with black pepper? Also highly popular is the fried soft shell crab, which has been slightly curried to give it spiciness. The chef has various ways of presenting white snapper, a staple of Thailand, with one of the most satisfying being the simplest: the dish is steamed with soy sauce and herbs.

But don't worry if you're unsure what to have and are new to Thai food. There are two special set menus that contain a range of favourite Thai dishes for you to enjoy, such as papaya salad, tom yum, white snapper and duck curry.

Krua Bophut stocks a nice collection of wines with something to suit every budget, and you can enjoy reds and whites that have been carefully chosen to go with the food. There's a choice of both Old World and New World wines. Prices for both food and wine are amazingly reasonable, adding to customer satisfaction.

The restaurant is very child-friendly and if you come as a family, your little ones will be made equally welcome too. They'll appreciate the outdoor setting just as much as you will, though

perhaps for different reasons – the beach here is sandy and good for games and running about, though you'll still of course need to keep an eye on them. You can also come for lunch, as Krua Bophut's open from 1:00 pm – a great place to take a break from the beach or your shopping.

No dinner here is complete without dessert, and Krua Bophut has a selection that's guaranteed to please. From traditional Thai desserts through to more international ones such as fried banana with ice-cream and honey, you'll be able to choose something that really engages your taste buds.

Krua Bophut gets many repeat customers and it's one of those places that leave you with wonderful memories. Whether you come across it by chance, or have it recommended by your hotel manager or another holidaymaker, a dinner here is a totally satisfying way to spend an evening.

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

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The Wine Page Has wine become more popular than beer?

If you had to guess, how many bottles of wine do you think are produced per year? A friend and I were trying to put a figure to it the other day. And I won’t embarrass myself by revealing how far off I was, but let’s just say it was by a long way. The latest figures from International Wine & Spirit Research, a London-based drinks research group, estimate that in 2013, 3.2 billion cases of wine were produced. That’s 38.4 billion bottles. I’m sure you would agree that is quite an astonishing number. (For the record, 54% is red wine, compared with 37% for white and 9% for rosé.)

As a concerned wine lover, this immediately makes me ask a further question. Who drinks it all? The quick answer is eager consumers in Europe and the USA. Evidently the USA is still the biggest market by volume, drinking a total of 339 million cases of wine. This was above France’s 296 million cases, Italy’s 288 million, Germany’s 274 million and China’s 144 million (which made it the world’s fifth largest consumer of wine). The UK came in a poor sixth, drinking a total of 133 million cases.

However, per capita wine consumption is perhaps a more interesting figure. Here, Italy leads the pack, ahead of France, Switzerland, Portugal and Austria.

I find these figures fascinating. It’s not just the sheer scale of the global wine trade, but in a

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world that’s increasingly looking toward new markets in Asia, it also emphasizes the importance of traditional markets. And these are the markets where wine consumption has been steadily increasing over the last two decades, whilst beer sales have, at best, remained flat. If you take the UK as an example, research suggests that wine has overtaken beer as the nation’s most popular alcoholic drink, with supermarkets reporting a surge in sales of red wine this year. In a poll, six in ten people chose wine as their ‘drink of choice’. The Wine and Spirits Trade Association, which commissioned the research, declared the results as evidence that wine was “no longer just for connoisseurs” and was enjoyed by “all social classes”. (In any case, there are a lot less thirsty coal miners about now, and a lot more aspiring computer programmers.)

Although breweries and pubs may dispute the assertion that wine has overtaken beer as the UK’s favourite drink, there is absolutely no doubt as to which way the trend is going. And that seems to be the case it just about every developed market in the world. Lately, a columnist for an American beer-industry trade magazine, called Cheers, announced that beer had “lost its way”. Its predicament was summed up in a lament on how wine had managed to overcome beer's lead in the hearts and minds of American drinkers. “Forty years ago, wine was

mired in a swamp of low-margin jug sales.

Drunks were called ‘winos’. Now wine has cleaned itself up, with a freshly shaved face and a fashionable suit of casual clothes, and is headed uptown.”

How, exactly, has wine become so dominant?

I’m sure some of it has to do with modern personal aspirations, and our sense of connoisseurship and the good life. Today people crave and value sophistication.

Consequently, personal choices have changed radically over the last few decades. And in ways that have helped wine and hurt beer. Who would have guessed wine would join beer at the NFL football game? During a televised match, I saw an ad for a mobile phone featuring a greying, rugged-looking man strolling through his vineyard and examining dusty bottles of older vintages in his cellar. Winning over football fans with wine! Somehow, wine had become manly? Clearly, American popular culture has come a long way since John Wayne!

Meanwhile, emerging markets like China have seen nearly 70% growth in wine consumption since 2009. And this is forecast to grow another 25% by 2018. Good news for wine producers, but bad news for beer makers. They are losing market share amongst the lucrative and growing young Chinese middle class. China is a huge consumer of red wine. Experts attribute the

meteoric interest in red wine in China not only to the purported health benefits of red wine, but also to the colour’s cultural significance. In China, the colour red represents good fortune, strength and luck, making it the ideal drink to serve at banquets and parties. Interestingly, more than 80% of the wine consumed in the country is also produced domestically, placing China as the fifth largest wine producer in the world.

suggesting for a minute that this sort of gentrification is the future for the beer business, but it does need to wake up and smell the hops.

Beer may have enjoyed the number one spot for quite a while now. But in today’s competitive and fickle world market, simply by standing still, you are in danger of being overtaken. And wine is currently on course to take over the lead very soon.

Another, slightly sneaky, part of wine's populist appeal, helping to give an edge in the current beer versus wine war, is that it’s shamelessly hypocritical about one particular benefit - to provide a little (or a lot of) happy intoxication.

Beer, on the other hand, holds no pretentions as to its main purpose. You drink beer, but you can appreciate wine, as the saying goes. This is nothing new. Wine's cult of connoisseurship has always had a misleading edge. And I know that some wine buffs will indignantly dispute this.

But, like the Victorian obsession with the ‘grace’ of the nude female form, the flowery language and ceremony of wine drinking can seem like a fig leaf of sorts, a cover for pretentious people who like to get buzzed.

Peter James

Recently, I saw an obscure brand of beer marketed like a wine, its elegant 75cl. bottle pictured nestling in an ice bucket and accompanied by fine glassware. I am not

Silavadee Pool Spa Resort

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

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

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

Open: 17.00-23.30hrs.

The Height

Sun Deck

Wine and Cigar Lounge

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

Open: 17.00-22.30hrs.

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

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

Open:18.00-22.30hrs.

Open: 17.00-23.30hrs

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

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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.

T Price THB 850 per person.

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

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

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

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

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

Thai menu THB 5,000 per couple.

International menu THB 6,000 per couple.

Advance reservation required

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

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