December 2013

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Romantic Dining at Chaweng Beach

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1st _ 31stt DECEMBE DECEMBER R 2013 2

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

Dive into

December!

Samui g oe as the is s full- throttle into lan Dec e m b er celebrat d’s resorts and r e the fe e s t aurants stive se ason.

If you’re looking to have a festive time this month, you’ll pretty much find a party here wherever you turn. Of course, if you need solitude from the madness, this can be found in the island’s luxurious spas, or at one of the quieter beaches, where you can escape with a book.

But if you’re keen to try a few unique cocktails, paired with some great dishes, be sure to visit Drink Gallery at The Library in Chaweng. And Samui favourite dining venue, RockPool, has a new chef who hails from the Seychelles, adding a unique flair to the island’s cuisine. Two other well-known Samui eateries have recently been revamped and are ready to reveal their new looks and menus – one is The Dining Room at Rocky’s Resort near Lamai, and the other is Full Moon Restaurant at Anantara Bophut. We had a sneak peek and taste, and can report that both are well worth a visit.

And for ‘food fact fanatics’, this month, our ‘Catch of the Day’ is catfish, and our ‘Tropical Pick’, is the pummelo.

With visitors of so many nationalities visiting Samui over Christmas, it’s always good to know how others commemorate this event, and we bring you a roundup of Christmas celebrations around the world.

So instead of building a snowman this year, make it a ‘sandman’ on the beach, and enjoy the tropical weather.

Happy Holidays!

SAMUI

Graeme Malley Editor

Angkanang Somwang (Peung) Graphic Designer

Ugrit Komlue (Grit) Photographer

Seksak Kerdkanno (Klauy) Webmaster

Rob De Wet Feature Writer

Rosanne Turner Feature Writer

Colleen Setchell Feature Writer

Peter James Feature Writer

Catch of the Day – The Asian These strange looking fish play a big part in Thai cuisine.

Annie Lee 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.

Many visitors to Thailand encounter one of the Asian catfish species either on their plate, or writhing in the temple lakes, vying for fish food thrown in by visitors. With their whiskers and gaping mouths, they’re most certainly not the prettiest of fish – but they do hold records in other departments.

Thailand really is the land of giant catfish. For many anglers, this means catches that are way bigger than any fish they’ve caught before, even the smaller species. Here, you’ll have ‘real’ fishing stories and won’t need to exaggerate when boasting to buddies over a beer at the bar later. A day of fishing at a Thai fishing park can produce up to 30 or more catches of the world’s largest catfish, the giant Mekong catfish and the striped catfish.

c Siam Map Company Ltd. 2013

Distribution at Bangkok Airport courtesy of Bangkok Airways.

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

The giant Mekong catfish is a member of the shark catfish family and can reach enormous proportions. This native Thai fish is currently recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as the largest freshwater fish species, and is well respected for its immense fighting power. This river monster has recently emerged as more than a creature of myths and fables on

Discovery Channel or National Geographic programs. Catching one of these giants can cause a grown man to ache, groan and even cry, both in pain and exhilaration, with fish reaching up to 300kg and 3m in length. In 2003 the species was listed as critically endangered by the World Conservation Union after research showed its numbers had fallen by at least 80 percent since 1990.

In 2004, it was decided to stop commercial harvesting of the giant catfish in Thailand, known here as ‘pla beuk’, as conservationists believe the fish may spawn in Thai waters, and they’re caught before they get the chance to spawn during their migration. Sixty-eight fishing families called the ‘Mekong Giant Catfish Club’ agreed to stop the practice, and in return, the fishermen are being paid $500 for each giant-catfish net they surrender. The fishers are entitled to conduct a ‘public demonstration catch’ each year to preserve the traditional culture and methods of catching the fish – a maximum of two giant catfish may be caught and then released live back into the river.

Not all Asian catfish live up to their

giant cousin though, and many are caught for the pan (or grill) both in the wild and farmed. The Chao Phraya catfish is named after the famous river that flows through Bangkok. This predatory catfish is very striking in looks, with its long fins and shark-looking shape. Chao Phraya catfish can often be seen circling in lakes, their position given away by black fins protruding from the water’s surface.

The striped catfish is found in the Mekong Basin as well as the Chao Phraya River. Also called the Siamese shark, it’s heavily stocked in fishing parks and reservoirs throughout the country.

Thai red tail catfish is a predatory catfish, which feeds mainly on other fish. Known in Thai as ‘plah kot haang daeng’, it can be found in many lakes and rivers around the country.

The walking catfish may well be the most commonly encountered fish in Thailand. Every day they can be seen on barbecues all around the country.

‘Plah duk’ as it’s known in Thai, is stocked in every fishing lake and park in Thailand by default, and can also be

found in just about every water body in the country, including at temples, where you can buy buckets of fish food to lure them to the surface. With gaping mouths opening and closing at the water’s surface, sometimes it appears as though there are more fish than water in the mix.

island. Try catfish curry, crispy fried catfish and green mango salad, or steamed catfish in banana leaves. Any authentic Thai restaurant will offer this odd-looking fish on its menu.

Rosanne Turner

But if you fancy trying your hand at catching a catfish yourself, you’d better find out their meal of choice first, as baits used for catfish fishing in Thailand vary. Predatory catfish like the Chao Phraya catfish and the Thai red tail catfish can be caught using live or dead fish as bait. For most other catfish species, bait would be a bread and rice flour mix with additives and flavourings. Sausage and other meaty baits can also be very effective, and worms are always good especially for walking catfish. But for an easier alternative, you can try Samui’s very own fishing resort – Top Cats, which stocks some of the species mentioned above, including the giant Mekong catfish.

And if you’d prefer to leave the fishing up to others, and rather sit back and enjoy the culinary delights of catfish, you’ll find it on menus across the

Please recycle or pass on to a friend.

Discover authentic

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

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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But what’s on your plate depends on where you come from!

Christmas is Coming

Christmas, Christmas, Christmas. It’s the celebration of the birth of Christ. Or at least that’s what it has come to mean. And, because a large part of the globe purports to be Christian, this is a festival that’s looked forward to in many parts of the world. But this is where things become both strange and amusing. A lot of countries that aren’t Christian have also adopted Christmas – Thailand for one. And then, it’s also most unlikely that Jesus Christ was born anywhere near the 25th December, anyway.

Respectfully leaving religious convictions aside, there has been a great deal of scholarly research into the historical figure of Jesus.

There is nothing in the scriptures to pinpoint the date of his birth, but the fact there were shepherds watching their flocks, plus Jesus’ parents were going to Bethlehem to register for a Roman census, puts it three or four months before December. On the other hand, a very great many people were already letting rip around the 25th, long before Jesus came along!

And it was the fact that there were so many pagan festivals around this date – and so many people already celebrating in their own ways – that finalised the date for Christmas. The early Roman Church did all it could to steer its flock away from these deeply-rooted ceremonies.

And all over the northern hemisphere one of these pagan high points was the Winter Solstice, the day that the sun is furthest away from the earth – the shortest day of the year.

The ‘rebirth of the sun’ was celebrated everywhere, from ancient Babylon’s ‘Feast of the Son of Isis’ to the early Romans getting down and dirty with their debauched ‘Saturnalia’ (which was definitely not good clean family fun), and druid tradition observed ‘Alban Arthan’. It wasn’t actually until as late as 336 AD that the Christian Church decided that the 25th December seemed to be close enough to all the other festivities to compromise, and the first official ‘Christmases’ began to appear.

This is one of the reasons that traditional festive fare varies so much from one country to another. Another reason is rooted in the prevailing religion – and that not only affects the food but the actual date of the event, too.

Religions which follow the older ‘Julian’ (Roman) calendar (such as Russian Orthodox, Coptic Egyptian) celebrate Christmas on the 7th January. Plus, of course, the sort of food you eat also depends on whether you’re in a warm or cold country, and also if you’re surrounded by sea – in which case substitute fish for turkey!

All in all, ‘traditional’ Christmas meals are quite a complex subject.

Although, speaking of eating turkey, in view of all the factors above, it’s surprising just how many countries actually do feature turkey as a centrepiece. It’s believed that the practice of eating a large bird goes back to the original pagan celebrations. Geese were the fowl of choice in those times, as they were naturally plentiful all over Europe. But in the 17th century the turkeys, which seemed to be hopping about wild all over the new nation of America, quickly found their way back to Europe. The upper classes adopted these expensive new birds in preference to their customary swans. And, today, they’ll be found on the table for Christmas in temperate climates everywhere.

But let’s sidetrack for just a moment towards those countries which don’t celebrate an actual ‘Christmas’. Thailand is a nation which expects

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no ‘annual holidays’. Many people work six, if not seven, days a week. And that means they grab every spare occasion for a day off, official or otherwise, that they can. Three separate New Year breaks! Plus a day for Christmas. The Thais don’t go for any special dishes, here. But let’s hear it for Japan! They’re in much the same boat. However, due to some very cunning marketing and TV promotions, the Japanese now all are heading for the malls and a KFC outlet. KFC and Christmas now go hand-in-hand in Japan – I wonder how long before this catches on in Thailand, too!

I could ramble on forever here about each different country and all their featured Christmas dishes – there are so many of them.

But rather than boring you to sleep, let’s pick out a few of the more interesting ones. We’ll highlight the main item and then chuck in one of their more colourful traditional bits, too.

South America has wild turkeys aplenty, but here they’re served-up with a bit of a difference. All the food is rich and spicy, with the turkey being marinated in rum with onions, garlic, tomatoes and lime juice, and served with brightly coloured rice and vegetables.

Heading to colder climes, in the Russian Federation many people fast before the 25th and then embark upon a long 12-course meal (one in honour of each of the 12 apostles). This includes fish, borscht, cooked dried fruit and a special Christmas Eve delicacy known as ‘kutya’, made from whole-wheat grains seasoned with honey and crushed poppy seeds.

But, in the area around the sunny Mediterranean, fish is the order of the day.

Portugal looks forward to their national holiday-dish of ‘bacalhau’ (dried cod) followed by fried slices of white bread soaked in eggs and wine, called ‘rabanadas’. In Spain the main dish is usually white sea bass roasted with breadcrumbs, with traditional seasonal treats relying on almonds and marzipan, such as ‘turrón’, a sweet similar to nougat and made from honey and almonds.

And American families, of course, all sit down around a turkey. Is that so? Well, it might be traditional, but the reality is otherwise. There are so many regions and cultures in this gigantic nation that there really is no ‘standard’ dish. Virginia has oyster and ham pie, Hawaii enjoys turkey teriyaki, and the Midwest includes dishes with Scandinavian roots, such as ‘lutefisk’ and mashed ‘rutabaga’ (turnip). And in the south-western regions a traditional Christmas dinner usually includes such Mexican morsels as ‘posole’, ‘tamales’, ‘empanaditas’ and ‘biscochitos’!

All of which only leaves us to wish you all a very merry Christmas on Samui. Or perhaps we should say Shèngdàn kuàilè! Haengboghan Keuliseumaseu! Cчастливого Рождества!

Ukiortame Pivdluaritlo! Felices Navidades!

Joyeux Nöel! Hyvaa Joula! Zalig Kerstfeest!

Srozhdestvom Kristovym! And last but not least, Fröhliche Weinachten!

Rob De Wet

It’s not every day that you get to speak to someone who has survived a Tsunami and in this case, Nora Beach Resort & Spa is very grateful that their now Executive Chef, Khun Sitthichai Saephu, did survive. Apparently it was all about being in the right place at the right time.

Nora Beach is a beautiful 4-star resort in north Chaweng, on the beach road coming from Choeng Mon. The magnificent wooden beamed entrance which towers at least three stories above you is as impressive as their sister resort Nora Buri Resort & Spa, less than one kilometre up the road. The tranquil pond filled with ever-hungry fish at the foot of the entrance stairs creates a peaceful focal point for arriving guests.

We visited the resort and met with Chef Sith, as he is more commonly known. We learned with fascination how he comes from a long line of chefs. Both his father and uncle were chefs, and this meant from a very early age, in this case eight, Chef Sith was constantly learning to source, prepare, and cook food. And because his grandfather was Chinese, he had the added bonus of learning about the ingredients and preparation of Chinese cuisine. Through his work experience, he also learnt to cook European food, so he now has the advantage of being able to successfully create dishes with ingredients from almost anywhere (although his favourite dish to eat is still tom yum soup with fish).

Because cooking runs in the family, I asked if he thought his children would continue the tradition.

It might be too early to say, but his seven year old daughter knows her father’s food so well, she can tell if he or the sous chef has made the tom yum soup in the restaurant! His son, however, is happy to taste everything but is showing no signs of wanting to cook yet.

Everything Chef Sith has learnt has been self-taught. And slowly but steadily over the

years, he has worked his way up the kitchen ladder to his current position at Nora Beach, a position he has held since its grand opening, back in 2005. The main restaurant at the resort, Prasuthon, offers Royal Thai dishes using ancient recipes, along with dishes with the inevitable European fusion which comes from living on an island like Samui. Chef Sith’s ‘Massaman Curry and Roti’ are so good, a past hotel guest was reputed to have come back for it four times during his stay. They say the proof of the pudding is in the eating …

You can find all sorts of dishes in the restaurant and some, like the massaman curry which is served with an Indian roti and not rice, have a very unusual twist. Fancy a chicken satay sandwich? Other dishes have a simple Thai flair like their grilled salmon, with a dressing made from traditional Thai ingredients - not so much a fusion dish as East meets West.

Seafood features highly on the menu and this is often enjoyed as part of the beach barbecue that Nora Beach offers. Speaking of seafood, we asked Chef Sith what he does when he isn’t working his busy 13 hour day. Taking a boat out and fishing, of course! And if he has a successful catch, you might even be eating it for dinner later that night.

Chef Sith loves cooking with the traditional herbs of both Thailand and China. He enjoys the way that you can change the taste of dishes by varying the amount of each individual ingredient. But he’s quick to add, the herbs are versatile but you must have the knowledge to use them correctly.

produce is of the highest standard. He actively encourages his staff to experiment and learn for themselves. In fact, this month a competition will be held where each staff member in his kitchen will design and prepare a dish. It can be absolutely anything so the options are endless.

The dishes will be judged and the winner will appear on their new menu next year. What fantastic inspiration for everyone in the kitchen to be given equal opportunity to shine. We’re excited to hear what the winning dish will be.

As previously mentioned, Chef Sith will be releasing a new menu next year. New fresh ideas are added and less popular dishes are removed he likes to keep his guests happy.

If you feel inspired by Chef Sith’s passion for cooking, join him on his cooking classes where he is more than happy to share his skills and experiences. You’ll learn to cook a variety of Thai dishes including pad Thai, tom kha gai, deep fried crab meat and even how to prepare mango and sticky rice, Thailand’s favourite dessert.

It was great to meet another chef on Samui whose passion for feed seeps into every area of their life.

Kitchen King This month we meet Khun Sitthichai Saephu at Nora Beach Resort & Spa.

Colleen Setchell For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7742 9400. www.norabeachresort.com

Inevitably, he does most of the cooking at home.

But his wife is from northern Thailand, so if he needs a break and fancies a taste of the north, he is happy to let her take over in the kitchen.

The food that Chef Sith and his team of 20

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As we round off the year, let’s look at what made foodie history in December.

Happy Birthday

Judi Dench

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2013 December

Sun 1 8 15 22 29

Mon 2 9 16 23 30

Tue 3 10 17 24 31

Wed 4 11 18 25

Fri 6 13 20 27

Thu 5 12 19 26

Sat 7 14 21 28

1st – On this day, in 1878, the first telephone was installed in the White House. Alexander Graham Bell installed it himself and Rutherford B. Hayes was president. And so the first family of the USA could start calling for take-out dinners.

7th – And another animal/fo animal/food connection… on this day, in 1904, Clarence Nash was born. His was the original voice of Donald Duck. Admit it.

In your head (or even aloud) you just tried to talk like Donald Duck.

2nd – This day marks St Bibiana’s Day, patron saint of hangovers. Perhaps January 1st would be a better day to honour this saint.

8th – This is National Brownie Day in the USA.

3rd – Fans of smelly cheese will enjoy this day, as today, in 1368, Charles VI of France was born. He gave sole rights for the aging of Roquefort cheese to the village of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, and all Roquefort must still be aged in the caves there today. th

4 – On this day, in 2012, Pizza Hut Canada produced 110 bottles of 'Eau de Pizza Hut' perfume to commemorate reaching 100,000 Facebook fans. Yes, well we’ve always wanted to walk around smelling like a pizza. Hopefully it wasn’t the anchovy flavour… th

5 – This is an important day in the Thai calendar; because this is the day the country celebrates the birthday of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX). It is also regarded as National Father’s Day in the Kingdom. As with any celebration in Thailand, there’s bound to be a feast as families celebrate together. th

6 – Today, in 1877, Thomas Edison made the first sound recording, which, of all things, happened to be ’Mary had a little lamb’.

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th

9 – In 1993, on the TV show Seinfield, Kramer came up with the idea to write a coffee table book – about, um, coffee tables. th

10 – The world recognises Terra Madre Day, a celebration organized by the Slow Food movement to reconnect communities with local food. th

11 – On this day, in 1874, James Lewis Kraft was born. In 1916 he patented pasteurised processed cheese, a low cost cheese that would not spoil. Not a great hit with the public, but the U.S. army purchased over six million tins of it during the First World War. During the depression, it became popular because of its low cost, and now burgers across the world are topped with this ‘plastic’ cheese.

14th – An on to a show of a different kind… in 2006, a bar owner in Bethalto, Illinois was charged with violating the liquor code and obscenity laws. The bar filled a children's inflatable pool with mashed potatoes and staged wrestling matches. The violations came about when several of the female 'wrestlers' were rumoured to have lost some of their garments in the pool of fluffy potato.

15th – Canada adopted the maple leaf as the official symbol for its national flag on this day, in 1964. Anyone fancy a waffle with maple syrup?

16th – On this day, in 1980, Harland Sanders died at Shelbyville, Kentucky. He was the founder of the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) fast food restaurant chain. th

17 – This date, in 1892, marks the first performance of Tchaikovsky's 'The Nutcracker' in St. Petersburg.

18th – In 1991, the 'International Project to Save the Brazilian Rain Forests' was launched.

Hopefully not too little, too late.

12th – This day, in 1967, the movie 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner' premiered, starring Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier and Katharine Hepburn.

19th – Today, in 1863, Frederick Walton of London patented Linoleum, the kitchen flooring that made a comeback in the 70s and 80s.

13th – In 1779, The Smithfield Cattle and Sheep Society held the first Smithfield Show in London on this day, and it’s now the leading agriculture show in the UK.

20th – The American writer, John Steinbeck, went to meet his maker on this day in 1968. A philosophical author, his works included ‘Grapes’, ‘Tortilla’ and ‘Cannery’, in their titles.

21st – This time last year was supposedly the last day of the world as we know it, according to the Mayans. Well, we’re all still here a year later, eating, drinking and carrying on as before. Guess they just ran out of rock tablets to write on.

22nd – Winter officially begins today in the northern hemisphere, and summer in the southern hemisphere. Although, it’s always summer here on Samui!

23rd – This is St Thorlak’s Day in Iceland, and a traditional pre-Christmas dish of 'skate hash' is served. The dish is said to be so unappetising that any subsequent food seems that much more delicious. Well, that’s one way to ensure everyone enjoys Christmas dinner!

24th – Some countries enjoy their Christmas meal today. Don’t forget to put our cookies and milk (or wine) for Santa and a few carrots for the reindeer.

25th – Merry Christmas! Across the world, Christians (and those that just enjoy a good party) are celebrating by enjoying traditional Christmas feasts with family and friends.

26th – In some countries, this is known as ‘boxing day’, when traditionally servants and tradesmen would receive gifts from their bosses, often including leftover food.

27th – This day celebrates the Feast of John the Apostle, who is patron of authors, publishers and

editors. (Editors can be a grumpy bunch, we need to keep them happy and feeling important…)

28th – In the USA this is ‘Eat Vegetarian Day’. Not sure if we’re supposed to eat vegetarian food (gin jae, in Thai) or eat a vegetarian… either way.

29th – In 1997, fear of avian flu led Hong Kong to order its entire population of chickens, over a million birds, to be killed.

30th – This is the sixth day of Christmas… bet you’re singing the song now right? So what did her true love give her on the sixth day? Go on, Google it!

31st – Traditionally a night of over-indulgence, so make the most of it before the New Year’s resolutions kick in the next day… Happy New Year! Have fun, but be safe.

Rosanne Turner

A Perfect Dining Combination Olivio show off their new menu.

Italian food might sound easy to make. I mean, anyone can throw together some boiled pasta and sauce, right? Wrong! At Olivio, Baan Haad Ngam Boutique Resort & Spa’s restaurant, Chef Itt uses the skills learnt from his time in Italy to create authentic Italian dishes which will have your mouth watering just reading the menu!

Baan Haad Ngam, at the far north of Chaweng Beach Road, is a hidden gem tucked away down a quiet street. The lush vegetation that you pass on the way from the reception area to the restaurant is a pleasant surprise, and part of the path runs parallel to a flowing stream which starts from an impressive waterfall at reception.

The restaurant is an intimate dining area with heavy dark-wooden furniture and a splash of red.

The open-plan layout offers uninterrupted sea views in at least three shades of blue. Olivio has an early start at 6:30 am and caters for its guests until last orders at 10:30 pm. You can start your day with an international breakfast buffet consisting of the usual breakfast delights - eggs, bacon, sausages, mushrooms and other hot delights, but also with cereals, waffles, pancakes and even French toast. Thai fried rice, noodles or rice porridge are offered alongside a selection of fresh fruit. Pastries and breads are all freshly baked every day which can, of course, be enjoyed with various teas and coffees.

But wait until you see the lunch/dinner menu.

Chef Itt has recently given it a make-over and there are some exciting new dishes. You’ll be drooling by page two, and trust us, you’ll find it very hard to decide what to eat. Of the new dishes, the Italian grilled T-bone steak caught my eye, closely followed by the baked sea bass (which is cooked whole) with herbs in sea salt.

The Italian grilled pork chop steak and ‘Zuppa di

Vongole’ (clam soup) are two other additions.

Decisions, decisions …

(of course!) and breaded chicken, fish or squid.

At Olivio, the pasta is all made in-house and important ingredients like the Parma ham, buffalo mozzarella and tomatoes, are all imported from Italy. You won’t find any cheap imitations here, just good quality Italian ingredients.

Would you like to know what all these tasty dishes look like before you order them? Maybe you want to know how much food is in the ‘Antipasto for two’ or how big the T-bone steak is. Olivio have made technology work for them they have an iPad with photos of all the dishes served, so all you have to do is ask.

Olivio’s new menu has so many options, you’re guaranteed to find something to enjoy. If you find it hard to decide, start with the chef’s recommendations. How about spaghetti with seafood in black squid ink sauce or a grilled Australian rib eye steak with mushroom sauce?

Angel hair pasta with seafood in garlic, chilli and olive oil? Or why not go straight for the Antipasto for two which consists of foie gras, mozzarella with tomato and basil, melon and Parma ham, smoked salmon, grilled marinated tuna, and soft shell crab with rocket salad - a mixture of Italian style and deliciously fresh seafood.

If that wasn’t enough, every afternoon, they have ‘Happy Hour(s). Enjoy three quarters of their cocktails at a ‘buy one, get one free’ offer, and the other quarter at heavily discounted prices.

You will find the cocktails on their impressive drinks menu, but don’t worry about drinking and driving, they also offer a complimentary ‘Collect and Drop-off’ service at dinner time for guests staying in the Bophut, Choeng Mon or Chaweng areas. So when you’re trying those new dishes on the menu go ahead and have that drink (or two).

If you choose to venture further into the menu, you’ll find antipasti, soup, risotto, pasta, pizza (18 different variations), meat dishes, then Thai salads, soups, curries and stir-fries. And of course you need space for the tiramisu, the panna cotta, or the ‘Torta di Cioccolato Caldo’ (a sinful hot chocolate and peanut cake) and these are just three of their ten desserts. Don’t even get us started on the cheese platter.

So, a seaside location, a quiet and intimate dining area with a great new menu which is reasonably priced and a transfer service - sounds like Olivio has a winning combination!

Colleen Setchell For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7723 1500. www.baanhaadngam.com

This menu is available from 11:00 am, but from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm it is accompanied by a promotions menu featuring a selection of Italian pasta and Thai noodle dishes for just 130 baht.

Kids needn’t miss out, and get to experience some Italian flair with a whole menu dedicated to small people. There are soups, pasta dishes, pizza

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

Enjoy the tranquility of the beach, the twinkling stars and the whispering waves along with the

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

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Full Moon Ris Anantara’s Full Moon restaurant ascends from the superb to the sublime.

The 5-star Anantara Bophut Resort has always been something of a demure delight. Very nearly touching onto the fringe of Fisherman’s Village, and right across from the landmark of the go-kart track, it occupies a broad swathe of prime real estate that runs from the ring-road to the beach.

Lovely little suites and cottages peep out from amongst the giant trees, surrounded by wide ponds, water features and lush tropical greenery.

Everything is solid, substantial, understated, and simply oozes quality. Visiting at night is a joy as you make your way through and around the warmly-lit shrubs and borders, towards the twinkling decks of the lights ahead. And, as you press on further, the path twists around untilyou reach your destination, Full Moon.

The Full Moon restaurant is on two levels although, effectively, the open dining deck is elevated above the alluring blue lights of the infinity pool and sun terraces below. You’ll be warmly greeted and guided to your table as you unknowingly slip into the envelope of care and attention that is at the heart of the dining experience here. “There is a lot of mystique surrounding fine dining,” explained the resort’s Food and Beverage Manager, Jacek

Orzechowski. “But every restaurant serves food.

Here we serve more than food.”

“You come here,” Jacek continued, “and what you are really saying to me is, ‘I have a few hours. I want to spend this evening in a nice way, a special way’. Our job is to make you feel special. In a week, or a month, you might not recall exactly what you were eating. But you’ll remember all the special touches. The out-of-the-ordinary attention to detail and the depth of care – the entire flavour of the evening.

And you’ll feel good. And you’ll want to come back for more.”

Well, of course. What else would you expect the front man for a restaurant to say? Don’t they all say this? However, as soon as you enter, it really does begin to happen. The resident wine guru will appear to enquire about your preferences.

Dry? Fruity? Sweet? In the course of this, she’ll ask about what you plan to eat. It may be that you’ve got a yen for fish. She’ll stay with you for a while, delving into your inclinations. Seafood?

Spanish? Mediterranean? Spanish – okay. Do you prefer a dish that’s rich and saucy from the northern region or more crisp and crunchy à la

Andalusia? Each query narrows down your wine-match and tailors your dish and the corresponding wine precisely to your palate. The menu choices are exemplary and the temperature controlled wine vault below-stairs is huge!

And this is quite likely the point at which the quietly smiling figure of Executive Chef, Bernard Koll, will appear. I’m not presenting his résumé here, but for over 15 years, he’s been in world-class 5-star restaurants in both the international Minor Group and the corresponding Mandarin-Oriental organisation.

He’ll take the process further and continue to ask exactly how you like your food prepared, and additionally what flavours and textures you are partial to when it comes to the accompanying sauces, which he will make specifically to match your needs.

The cuisine here is international, but with the art of char-grill taken to perfection. Bernard sears each selection according to taste and then, where appropriate, continues with the inner broil in a tandoori oven. While this is happening, two attentive young ladies will bring your bread,

Sea Wrap ...living by the sea...

together with a trolley on which there are six different olive oils and five types of rock salt.

And, after consultation, they’ll fresh-grind the salt of your preference and dish it next to your bread, together with your preferred olive oil dip.

To fully describe the thought and care that has gone into the concept and the layout of the various menu sections would take a whole story by itself. But to summarise, there are the expected sections of appetisers, then selections of soups, truffles and special risottos. Then others, which follow the themes of ‘above, on and below the water’. Needless to say, a variety of fish and seafood offerings are found ‘below the water’ and the steaks and meats are ‘above’.

A note here about the char-grill process – none of the items are marinated before grilling, the sauces come alongside in separate small dishes.

And, as Bernard points out, the meat has to be absolutely prime and at the peak of freshness to be presented like this. To complement this, after selecting your meat you’ll be offered a choice of four different meat/steak knives, according to your whim.

It also has to be said that at the end of each of

the menu sections there is a signature flourish in the form of a serenade combination. In ‘Ocean Deep’, for instance, you’ll come across ‘The Only One’ – ‘400 gm seafood spear, with rock lobster, scallops, tiger prawn and tuna with vegetables, seared, and baked in a tandoor’. And ‘The Ultimate One’ – ‘400 gm spear of wagu beef, korobuta pork, veal and vegetables, seared, and baked in a tandoor’. Which all sounds nice enough. But the words on the menu page simply don’t prepare you for the visual impact when this is presented. Forget about tiny food nouveau portions. This is not only substantial but it’s also wonderfully arranged, with all your specially tailored dips, sauces and sides bordering around most elegantly. Oh – and it tastes simply sublime!

There’s that word again. Trying to convey the atmosphere here of thought, care, and attention to detail is not easy to paint in words. I can mention the live at-table preparation trolleys for dishes such as the carbonara or the Caesar salad.

Or the national award-winning cocktail mixologist hovering in the background, who really will make your bourbon-mix smoky, with the addition of real hickory smoke. The local

Le Jaroen “A Secret World”

Ease yourself to the sound of gently lapping waves and enjoy the breath-taking sea views.

Savor Mediterranean bistro culinary delights & modern Thai specialties, for a unique beachfront dining experience.

Peace Resort 178, Moo 1, Bophut Beach, Koh Samui, Suratthani 84320 Thailand Tel: +66 77 425357 | Fax: +66 77 425343 www.peaceresort.com seawrap@peaceresort.com

Probably the most enchanting restaurant on the island for an unforgettable romantic evening.

Induldge your senses with an exquisite 5 course Chef’s Signature Menu or 4 course Thai Degustation Menu.

Tel +66 (0)77 962 198 info@thescenthotel.com www.thescenthotel.com The Scent Hotel 58/1 Moo 4 Bangrak Beach, Bophut, Koh Samui, Suratthani 84320, Thailand

8 www.siamwininganddining.com

sing fisherman who beaches his boat in the evening with a still-flapping selection for the table? Or the boxed offering of 20 different diopter reading glasses, just in case you’ve forgotten yours. But all of this is words, just words.

What all this morphs into at the end of the evening is what Jacek was talking about to begin with. You won’t forget Full Moon. You’ll remember it with fondness, if not longing – the totality of what you experience here will linger on long after you’ve gone. Because this is truly one restaurant where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It’s risen way up above being simply superb – it’s now become sublime!

Rob De Wet For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7742 8300-9. www.samui.anantara.com

Iconic Beachfront Restaurant

The Magic of Christmas is Coming to RockPool

Daily Modern European Asian Cuisine.

Oyster Sunday Brunch from noon - 4 pm.

Christmas Eve Eurasian Set Dinner 24th December from 19.00 – 22.00 hrs.

With breathtaking views and an unrivalled ambiance, RockPool is an unmissable Samui dining attraction.

Resting on the rocks just a few metres above the ocean, the RockPool terrace offers an exquisite beach-side dining experience. Chef Christopher's menu is an a la carte journey embracing an exotic tapestry of the freshest ingredients, delicately prepared to enhance each individual flavour. RockPool is the perfect location for all celebrations, and is equally delightful for a casual, gourmet lunch or a romantic dinner. Sunday Brunch is a long, lazy affair.

RockPool is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Chef Christophe combines the freshest Asian spices with classic European culinary techniques to create an exquisite 4-course menu.

Bt4,000 per person (includes one bottle of Prosecco per couple) The Brothers Grimm Christmas Brunch 25th December from 12.00 – 16.00 hrs.

Oyster & Tapas Bar, Innovative Cuisine

Indulge in rich desserts and all the luxuries of Christmas , featuring Father Christmas and carol singing.

Price Baht 2,500 per person New Years Eve 31st December from 20.00 – 24.00 hrs.

Mirroring the fortune of the Biblical Three Kings, RockPool will ring in the New Year with a sumptuous display of luxury reserved for a legendary festival. Our culinary team will tantalise guests with table-side presentations and dishes reserved for banquets of royal stature.

Price Baht 7,500 per person (includes a bottle of wine and champagne toast)

RESERVATIONS: 077 234 500 Email: info@kandaresidences.com www.kandaresidences.com Located Between Chaweng And Choeng Mon. Location In Thai:

ÌҹÍÒËÒÃà ͤ¾ÙÅ μѧé ÍÂÙË ÐËÇ‹Ò§ËÒ´à©Ç§áÅÐËÒ´àªÔ§Á¹

Complimentary one way transfer to or from your resort . www.siamwininganddining.com

9

Khao Yam A look at a uniquely southern Thai dish.

Tom yam. Pad Thai. Som tam. Our first encounters with Thai food, whether overseas or in Thailand, are generally with central or north-eastern favourites. Southern Thai cuisine is often the last frontier we visit.

So how different is it? Well, it’s hotter. Even central Bangkok folk are floored by its fiery, fishy diversity. “This food is gasp-for-air spicy, it's fishy-funky, and the foil to that spicy-fishy funk is usually a bitter punch in the kisser. A slap of sour might follow. There's nothing subtle about this noise,” says Jarret Wrisley, food writer and Bangkok restaurateur.

And it’s not just one shrill tone - there are different chords of spicy. Often a little sour will twist the heat - as in po tek (a fish soup) where the holy basil and fresh lemon impart a refreshing citrus twang.

The central and northeast regions each have their fermented fish sauces, but it’s the ‘tai pla’ (fish innards) that often imparts its creeping fiery breath to southern food. So it’s both in the diversity and complexity of its spiciness that southern Thai cuisine stands apart.

But it’s not just heat that differentiates it. Southern cooking also draws from its rich tropical locality where coconut, tamarind and seafood are plentiful. More so it’s the generous quantities of

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fresh young shoots, fruits, roots and herbs that make it truly local. Wild lime, galangal and lemongrass flavours abound. And lastly, southern cooks are lavish with fresh root turmeric.

Let’s take for example, gaeng som (sour curry), one of the best known southern dishes. It’s sometimes called gaeng leung (yellow curry) because of the golden glow of turmeric. This is a fish soup cooked with red chillies, slices of pineapple and sometimes green papaya. Eaten alone it may take out your fillings, but its hot and sour heat is divinely zesty as the spicy part of a milder meal.

That nobody elects to eat one dish without accompaniments, is key to appreciating all Thai food. One may occasionally, in a hurry, on a budget or on the road be forced to order a single plate of something on rice. But by preference Thais will eat with as many folk as possible so that a hot dish is both augmented and tempered by a diverse and apparently endless variety of tastes and textures. These may include greens, rice, a milder soup, something fried, something bitter, a generous salad, together creating a symphony where the hot notes are in harmony with the bit players.

But perhaps symphony is a misleading word down south. Let’s say at first it more closely resembles the orchestra at the Muay Thai boxing

in Chaweng - audaciously loud and piercingly discordant, but with patience and practice you discern a thing of beauty in the clashing tones.

medicinal flowers. A floral note is common including the petals of marigolds, butterfly pea or even the magnificent torch ginger.

Having said all that about cacophony, there is one signature southern favourite that can definitely be eaten solo. It’s a light snack that tantalizes the taste buds. That’s because khao yam (a rice salad with vegetables, herbs, shredded coconut and a unique ‘nam boodoo’ sauce) is itself a carnival of southern flavours. The rich herbal baseline comes from the finely minced spices, roots, and leaves.

Many of these are naturally medicinal (turmeric is now lauded as one of the power foods of our century) and ingested entirely fresh.

There’s always a sour note - young mango, pummelo or lime to brighten the taste. Then the greens - the bai pa hom is chopped finely with thinly sliced lemongrass, fresh kaffir lime leaves and the young leaves of turmeric, ginger, lime, pennywort and sataw (stink bean). The seeds of young white popimac pods, fresh mung bean sprouts, and wing beans are often added.

Every dish seems to have a particular herb, root or leaf that makes it authentic - and just as gaeng som needs tamarind, no khao yam would be complete without ‘bai pa hom’, a stinky leaf that’s the hallmark of this great signature southern Thai salad.

“It smells like a fart,” my informant tells me, and I have to concur. However, I’ve been around in southern Thai markets long enough to know that while a certain leaf (try young cashew) eaten alone can curl your tongue into a bitter snarl, if it’s matched with the right curry, you’ll be in heaven!

Khao yam has, as its main ingredient, steamed rice, sometimes infused with herbs or tinted with

Speak to as many southerners as you like, you’ll get as many versions of what to include. That’s because this is a foragers delight - beyond the core ingredients everything else is an enthusiastic response to whatever is blooming, rooting, fruiting or sprouting in the vegetable patch which in southern Thailand includes the roadside, jungle, seashore and coconut groves. The closer to nature, the more herbaceous the displays of forest tucker.

The core flavour of the salad is in the ‘nam boodoo’ dressing - a distinctive thick black sweet-and-pungent salty sauce which is almost exclusively used for this dish. To this add coconut syrup, tamarind pulp, shallots, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, and fresh galangal. While it has a fishy tone, it’s delicate and almost nutty when poured over the salad.

The heat in khao yam comes from both the shredded coconut roasted in curry paste and roast fish which has been roughly pounded with a curry paste. But it’s not overwhelmingly spicy and the secret to the whole salad is in the mixing - it’s really important to turn it over well to get the full palate of tastes.

It’s amazing to take in the complexity of preparation and the enthusiasm of interest in local plant lore where you and I would see roadside weeds. And, as you may expect, it’s increasingly rare to find an authentic khao yam. For this article I tasted an ersatz version at one food store, and had to pre-order with Khun Yai opposite Sweet Sisters in Baan Bang Kao, for her to prepare the real deal, no-holds-barred salty, rooty, nutty, sweet, fishy, piquant, spicy, crisp and zesty khao yam.

Annie Lee

Art in a Glass

Cocktails at The Library’s Drink Gallery not only look good, but taste delicious too.

Drink Gallery, part of The Library resort on Chaweng Beach Road, has become synonymous with eclectic furnishings and creative, over-sized cocktails served in quirky receptacles. A lesser-known fact (and perhaps due to the name of the establishment) is that Drink Gallery also serves up tasty, comfort-food dishes, each with an unusual twist.

We were lucky enough to try some of Drink Gallery’s signature cocktails, accompanied by recommended dishes that complement the drink (rather than the other way around), all in the name of research, of course. We’ve narrowed down a few favourites to make the decision easier for you, but the creative and inspiring menu has something for all tastes.

Our sampling started with the ‘Scarlet Note’, Drink Gallery’s version of sangria. It arrived in a screw-top jar, ruby-red in colour, alcohol-drenched fruit floating at the top, and a cocktail stick of sultanas protruding from an apple slice. Unscrewing the jar released the mouth-watering aromas of shiraz wine, citrus, Angostura bitters, ruby grapefruit, raspberries, homemade sultana syrup, and for a kick –

Appleton Estate V/X Rum. And yes, it tastes as good as it sounds and looks.

To accompany the ‘Scarlet Note’, we tucked into a ‘Drink Gallery Salad’. Now this is no ordinary salad, but a meal in itself. As we usually think of cheese as pairing well with wine, this salad was ideal with the wine-based cocktail. In a deep bowl laden with an assortment of greens, a generous portion of ingredients of different flavours and textures made up the salad. Large chunks of garlic bread protruded from the bowl, and big nuggets of honey-drizzled Brie croutons added a sweet but cheesy tang. Strawberries and blueberries mirrored the berry notes in the Shiraz of the cocktail, and adding body, were blocks of ham, slices of roast chicken and slivers of marinated salmon – all topped with secret-recipe mustard dressing.

Moving on to our next course, the cocktail in the spotlight was house favourite and bestseller, the ‘Jar Head’. Served in a mason jar, this deliciously crisp and fruity drink gets its kick from Ketel One Vodka, and the green hue and fruity flavours come from mint, lime, granny smith apples and fresh kiwi fruit. For those watching their alcohol

intake, this cocktail can be ‘virginised’.

Such a crisp and fresh cocktail can handle a rich dish – in this case the delicious and more-ish ‘Roasted Garlic Ravioli’. It might not be the best dish to have on a first date, but it will most certainly keep the mosquitoes away! A rectangular plate arrived with little pockets of garlicky loveliness, swimming in a creamy sauce and topped with sautéed mushrooms. The rich, creamy dish was perfectly balanced with the fruitiness of the ‘Jar Head’.

with an elderflower-scented apple and citrus espuma – an egg white and lemon foam resembling cappuccino froth. The rosemary in the drink was paired perfectly with the lamb.

So there you have it. Three examples of delicious cocktails paired with equally delicious dishes. But this is by no means a complete list, and in fact there’s a lunch, dinner, and also a bar snacks menu to choose from, showing that Drink Gallery is not only about drinking.

Moving on to the third drink and dish, belts needed loosening, but we soldiered on in the name of good journalism. The meat-lovers’ eyes grew as wide as their smiles at the sight of the next dish – ‘Oven Roasted Lamb Chops’. Two juicy lamb cutlets rested on a bed of toasted rice aioli, with sautéed cabbage and fried shallots on the side.

Of course good food and drink tastes even better in a beautiful setting. Drink Galley follows in the footsteps of The Library, with an interior inspired by art. Furniture goes beyond functional, and each piece is aesthetically appealing too. Larger groups can occupy the 14-seater teak table in the centre of room, where no two chairs are the same, and the bold over-sized painting above the bar makes a dramatic first impression.

An interesting cocktail, pale yellow in colour and known as the ‘Ambrosial’ arrived in a martini glass to accompany the dish. Ketel One Vodka, snow pears, fresh, aromatic rosemary and granny smith apples are blended together and crowned

With Drink Gallery opening at 11:00 am for brunch, and closing again at 1:00 am, you’re sure to find a time that’s convenient to pop in and enjoy the drinks and cuisine. If it’s too early for cocktails, try out the tempting bakery corner full

of pastries and homemade breads and muffins, along with a cappuccino from the state-of-the-art coffee machine.

A live acoustic duo keeps patrons entertained in the evening from Wednesday to Saturday at the outside stage on the deck, an ideal spot for those who prefer a more open-air feel. And from Sunday through to Tuesday, a DJ does his thing from 9:00 pm until closing. But with a focus on socialising at Drink Gallery, the music is never so loud that aren’t able to chat to your friends.

So with a combination of inspiring cocktails, interesting yet homely cuisine, quirky décor, subtle live entertainment and service to match, Drink Gallery is well-worth a visit when you’re next in Chaweng.

Rosanne Turner For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7742 2767. www.thelibrary.co.th

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

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

Probably the most beautiful Restaurant on the island.

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

www.siamwininganddining.com

11

The Heights of Perfection At one time, it was slow. Then it began to quicken.

And in the last few years, it all seems to have taken off like a rocket. Yes, the rate at which Samui’s dining standards have accelerated is really quite a thing. It began with fine-restaurants but, when the ‘big boys’ moved in, it peaked. The ‘name’ resorts: InterContinental; Four Seasons; Banyan Tree; W Resorts – and others.

Their effect was two-fold. Firstly, they brought with them some of the best chefs in the world – there were quite a few here already, but these new stars were added to the bubbling mix. Second, this cauldron of quality then spilled over, down the line. Today, even modest side street eateries have had to revise their service, menu and presentation.

And for a lesson on how to do things with faultless flair and unquestionable quality, more than a few of these have looked to Conrad Koh Samui.

Not only a lofty outlook but also fabulously fine food, at Conrad Koh Samui.

Everything about Conrad is impressive. Even getting to it, up a very steep hill that’s regulated by radio-linked security, top and bottom, raises eyebrows. And the reception room appears as a small and solitary cube, immaculately fitted and furnished, but alone and by itself – until you ascend to it and are stunned by the view. It’s more

BAR & RESTAURANT

Open from 10:00 am - 01:00 am (main kitchen), with pizzas being served until 1:00 am.

For reservations and further information, telephone 077 961 648 www.spagosamui.com

Grill & BBQ Fish and Seafood Open from 12:00 am - 01:00 am For reservations and further information, telephone 077 963 213

www.galangasamui.com 12 www.siamwininganddining.com

than that: it’s probably the most dramatic panorama on the island, sweeping 160 degrees from the pastel hummocks of the Anthong National Marine Park on the left, across to the jutting headland at Lipa Noi. A subtle design move: the counterpoint of the small reception room with the blazing grandeur of its backdrop.

But then subtlety is no stranger to Conrad.

There just isn’t space in this story to wax poetic about this resort and all that it contains. Suffice to say that the term ‘understated-palatial’ (there’s nothing brash here!) might apply to the accommodation, and all of the extensive facilities are, simply, world-class. The entire edifice is very cleverly designed into the rocky cliff face, and supplemented by 50 electric buggies to ferry guests and visitors along the winding path that sashays its way from reception through the descending levels. Last stop is the beach and Azure Grill & Bar. But Conrad boasts another two restaurants, also.

Around about halfway down is a popular place to pause for the view, although many come here with a purpose. There’s not only a wide turning place for the buggies, but this adjoins a wider

terrace that hosts their daytime restaurant, Zest and also the broad Lobby Lounge just next to this. Gazing upwards one level or so higher, you’ll see the geometric lines of the resort’s ‘fine-dining restaurant’, Jahn – although I have to say that this is a relative term. It’s most certainly of a world-standard; but both of the others are outstanding restaurants, too! And I’ll go into the fascinating details of Jahn in just a few moments.

accessible, the happy hour here (two for the price of one), runs from 4:00 – 6:00 pm, down at Azure. And, up at the Lobby Lounge it’s the same, but from 5:00 – 7:00 pm. Although Zest is a ‘daytime’ restaurant, it’s informally on a par with many other ‘fine’ restaurants, and offers a full menu of traditional Thai dishes, plus International mains that feature pastas, risottos and Australian beef and lamb platters.

Stefano Ruzza is the genial and down-to-earth General Manager here. And after a short while talking with him, I was smiling in agreement.

“Not that long ago ‘exclusive’ hotels were just that,” he explained, “you were excluded from them – denied access – unless you had a specific kind of lifestyle. I think we’re ‘exclusive’, here.

But the meaning has become re-defined. We offer a warm welcome to all visitors from outside, and we’re keen for them to share our facilities, in particular the spa and restaurants. In fact we’ve created some very special incentives when it comes to dining!”

But it’s no secret that Jahn is the resort’s showpiece fine-dining restaurant. Décor is ‘contemporary Asian’, and that just about sums up the cuisine, too, although this by no means conveys the totality of your dining experience here. To begin with, it’s all floor-to-ceiling glass, supported by tasteful wood framing, so the panorama and sunset is right there with you. The service is impeccable, without the staff being stiff or formal. The Executive Chef is the legendary Konrad Inghelram, who had previously worked with such culinary Picassos as Ferran Adria at El Bulli and Thomas Keller at French Laundry. His cuisine is everything (and more) that this implies.

And contemporary Asian it certainly is – although this element of the menu comes courtesy of Thai Chef Khun Ning. Sample for example the ‘Wagyu

One of the most striking aspects at Conrad is the view. But combine this with the sunset and it becomes a thing to marvel at. To make this more

of beef massaman, with new potatoes, peal onions and peanuts’. Or the ‘Seared Barbary duck curry with pear pumpkin puree, dumplings, galangal, kaffir lime and pomegranate’. The desserts are simply out of this world. Amidst the other treasures, you’ll find gems of hand-made ice-creams – cinnamon or pineapple – and iced sorbets such as the likes of ‘pumpkin and Belgian delice’. And, finally, you won’t believe the coffee. It’s ‘Black Ivory’, the most exclusive coffee in the world, and it’s made in an antique brass steam engine that’s straight out of an alchemist’s laboratory!

But the highlight of the menu is the ‘Tastings of Jahn’. This is a 7-course tasting menu, each one being paired with a matching wine. Wonderfully, Jahn has its own separate vegetarian menu (which has exactly the same quirks of quality) and this is also available as the 7-course tasting option. But thinking of those amazing desserts again . . .

will get a two-for-one voucher for one of Jahn’s exclusive desserts. Or, alternatively a 10% discount voucher. And let me add that if you book to come here for the Tastings of Jahn, then we will collect you from your resort and return you again afterwards. We’re not out to exclude anyone,” Stefano added with a smile. “It’s just that Conrad’s a perfectly exclusive resort, that’s all!”

Rob De Wet For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7791 5888. www.conradkohsamui.com

“Many people think it must be really expensive to dine here,” continued manager Stefano. “But take into account the happy hours. Then add to it this: anyone who eats here at Zest or Azure

All You Need Is Love…

At Bandara Resort and Spa, Samui, brides and grooms need to bring only their love. All else is here – inspiring seaside setting on a peaceful stretch of idyllic island coastline, dedicated team of wedding professionals giving meticulous attention to every detail, and the genuine warmth of Thai hospitality to ensure one of life’s most important occasions is truly memorable.

Pure Asian Experience

Where love grows - all newlyweds plant a ‘Love Tree’ in the resort’s garden and are invited to return on their honeymoon to relive fond memories and see how their own unfolding love has graced where the bond began.

178/2 Moo 1, Tambol Bophut, Koh Samui, Surat Thani Thailand 84320 Tel: +66 (0) 7724 5795 Fax: +66 (0) 7742 7340 stay@bandarasamui.com www.bandarasamui.com www.siamwininganddining.com 13

Oodles of Noodles

Rediscover the humble noodle at the Noodle House.

Akyra Chura is a modern 'Asian-chic' resort boasting 61 stylish suites fitted out in understated luxury. You might easily drive past it, as it sits back from the road at the quieter north end of Chaweng Beach Road. But it’s conveniently located just ten minutes from the airport and a mere 500 metres from the bustling shopping and nightlife of Chaweng.

bowl, they’ll always be accompanied by gastronomic delights such as lobster, prawns or even shitake mushrooms. The noodle soups are a great example. Two that caught our eye were the Malaysian noodles in coconut curry broth and the Japanese noodle soup with prawn tempura.

Firstly, it isn't a Thai restaurant; it's Japanese, and has a distinctly Japanese decor. It's completely open plan and has a welcoming, airy feel overlooking the pretty gardens of the resort below.

If you don’t want to miss out on meat, there is plenty here to keep you satisfied. Skewers of prawn, tuna, Australian Angus beef sirloin, salmon flavoured with Miso sauce, or Miso glazed black cod are all available served with a choice of green noodles (made with spinach), brown noodles (made with seafood), rice noodles, egg noodles, tofu noodles or even black noodles (made from squid ink). And of course, because you’re in a Japanese restaurant, these will all be served with wasabi, grated daikon radish and teriyaki sauce. Have you been won over yet?

Secondly, it isn't what you'd call ‘traditional, street food’ noodles. Here in the Noodle House, things are presented a little differently. While the noodles might be there on the plate or in the

But the menu doesn’t just consist of noodles; you can enjoy a selection of fresh salads too (although the noodles won’t be far away). Glass noodles with seafood, spicy grilled beef salad,

As with most resorts here on the island, it has its own signature restaurant. Here it is called the Noodle House. Now before you turn your nose up and say, “Yeah, so what's so special about that, I can get noodles from most street vendors in Thailand,” let's get a few things straight.

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yellow fin tuna and avocado salad and even a spin on the popular som tam (green papaya salad) - here it is served with grilled chicken.

Of course a Japanese restaurant wouldn’t be the same without sushi, and there is a selection of various crab and tuna rolls as well as an assorted platter for those who want to try a bit of everything.

And then you have teppanyaki, the famous Japanese style of cooking. Your food is prepared on a large open griddle pan right in front of you.

Noodle House can accommodate up to 20 guests at the bar counter where you can sit and watch your food being flung around with flair, style and a good pinch of pizazz - an experience not to be missed.

There are rice dishes too for those who don’t want noodles, a few vegetable dishes and some delicious desserts in both Japanese style (Japanese tofu pudding with fruit salad) and Thai style (mango and sticky rice) to finish off the evening.

The person responsible for all this is Executive Chef Amporn. He has recently returned to Samui after a spell working in Saudi Arabia. There he was in charge of 38 chefs working for Princess Hassa bint Abdulaziz Al Saud and her family.

Drawing on this unique experience, he is keen to try and incorporate some flair and creativity into the dishes at the Noodle House, while at the same time not distracting too much from the Japanese theme. And looking at the menu, it seems he’s managed to pull it off.

documentary on the history of the noodles to 23 countries. This proves two things - the noodle is probably more popular than anyone realises, and Ken shares Chef Amporn’s passion for noodles.

He's adamant that he wants to show people that noodles aren't boring or "snack food". They can be part of a hearty meal, be very satisfying and easily part of a fine dining experience. He wants to introduce some colour and make the dishes striking and attractive so that people will fall in love with noodles and give them the respect that he feels they so rightly deserve.

Yes, you can get noodles from street vendors but if you want the taste of noodles in a fine dining environment, then the Noodle House is for you.

Chef Amporn has also worked with Ken Hom, an American-born Chinese chef, author and television presenter. Ken spends a lot of time in Thailand and besides having written numerous books about cooking, has also sold a 5-hour

So what you have here is a chef on a mission to rekindle a love for the common noodle by preparing and presenting it in an exciting, colourful and stylish way, and a restaurant perfectly kitted out to do exactly that.

Colleen Setchell For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7791 5100 www.theakyra.com

www.siamwininganddining.com 15

Tropical Pick

December’s Fruit of the Month – The Pummelo.

It’s like an orange, but bigger. Anyway, it’s not orange – it’s a pale yellowy-green colour. And it’s not a grapefruit either (although it looks quite a lot like one) – it’s too sweet for that. In fact, if you can imagine a marriage between a grapefruit and an orange, then the offspring might look like this. Except for the fact that, in reality, it’s the grapefruit’s father. Confusing, isn’t it? It’s a pummelo. And you’ll find the same fruit referred to as a ‘pomello’ or a ‘pomelo’ ¬– but this is a different thing, as we shall discover.

The pummelo is the largest of all the citrus fruits. And it has a distinctive honour, which most of the fruit you’ll see in Thailand can’t claim. It’s actually native to this region. If that surprises you, consider this. In the 17th century, ships from Europe began to explore the globe.

And many fruits and plants that were indigenous to India or South America found their way to Asia – including Thailand – where they flourished. And in the centuries that followed, such fruits became regarded as generally ‘tropical’. But in the case of the pummelo it worked the other way round, and in the late 17th century, pummelo seeds were taken away from their home in Thailand, and exported to the New World.

general public, that this new fruit was to henceforth be known as a ‘pomelo’.

increasing sourness, it disqualifies itself as a contender.)

refined, and marketed commercially as an effective de-congestant.

The pummelo continued on its world tour, and was received with great enthusiasm in America.

Here it caused enough excitement for the Department of Agriculture to mount a safari, in 1912, to Bangkok – the purpose being to hunt down more and varied specimens. And, then, the pummelo finally ended its travels (in this direction) in the tropical regions of South America, not so long afterwards.

Academically speaking, this was undoubtedly far more appropriate. But none of the scientists had considered the practical effects of this new name. What it meant, was that nobody knew if they were talking about a big, sweet thing or a big, sour one. The two names sounded identical – ‘pummelo’ and ‘pomelo’. And although the original name of ‘grapefruit’ was rapidly re-adopted, the damage had already been done. The spelling of the name ‘pomelo’ (often re-misspelled as ‘pomello’!) had become part of the common language. But it was now used to refer to the one that wasn’t the grapefruit – the pummelo.

It’s not really surprising that the best way to eat a pummelo is to regard it as a great big orange – just peel away the skin (you’ll definitely need a knife for this job), cut off a segment and get stuck in. The noticeable difference is the size of the ‘sacs’ – the little pods that contain the juice.

They’re about one centimetre long – much bigger and fatter than you’ll find in oranges. But another surprise is how long the fruit keeps.

The thick skin forms a protective layer, and begins to wrinkle and shrink after about a month. In a cool, dark place, they’ll last for more than three months. And by this time the fruit has become much sweeter – it’s actually juicier and more appealing than the fresh fruit!

There are a huge number of exotic fruits to choose from in Thailand. When you’re browsing through the fruit markets, often the temptation is to try something flamboyant. And sometimes it’ll turn out to be sticky and sweet.

But if it’s a refreshing, clean taste that you want, the pummelo is just the job – particularly after a meal or for breakfast. Apart from which, you really are supporting local commerce – this one’s truly ‘Made in Thailand’, and here it’s known as a ‘somm-o’.

As previously mentioned, there’s some confusion over its name. One of the reasons is that in Malaysia it’s called the pomelo. But, on top of this, something happened to really mess things up. It wasn’t until 1948 that the grapefruit appeared – and this was the result of crossing a pummelo with an orange. At the time, American horticulturists dismissed the name ‘grapefruit’, as it had no connection at all with grapes. And, thus, they proceeded to announce to the

Apart from the fact that the pummelo is the biggest of the citrus fruits, it possesses one other unique attribute. The rule with citrus fruits is that high growing temperatures produce bigger fruit, but proportionately reduce the flavour. But with the pummelo, the opposite is true, and the higher the temperature, the sweeter it gets. (Actually, its son, the grapefruit, shares the same characteristic. But as the flavour in this case is measured in terms of

Another unusual fact is that it’s actually known who was responsible for this. In 1696, an English officer by the name of Captain Shaddock stopped in Barbados, on his way home. And to this day, the pummelo is still known as a ‘shaddock’ in some parts of the Caribbean, and particularly in Jamaica.

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Many tropical fruits have been found to possess curative or restorative properties – particularly extracts made from the sap, roots or bark.

Except, that is, for the citrus family, whose main alternative use is that the essential oils they contain…err…smell nice. But with the pummelo, the juice from the roots contains an enzyme that has a strong sedative effect. And, in Brazil, the gum formed from the sap is

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On The Rocks

Interesting things are happening at RockPool, one of Samui’s favourite dining venues.

Christopher Pierre has brought a taste of the Seychelles to Samui. Although born in Switzerland, he was raised in the Seychelles by his grandmother, where he learnt from an early age that the most important ingredient for any chef is a love of food and cooking. Christopher is the new chef at RockPool, situated on the seafront at Kanda Residences, located midway between Choeng Mon and Chaweng. With his Indian Ocean island influence, he’s brought a new and innovative menu to RockPool.

Christopher recalls a simple but well-used kitchen with spices and herbs drying on the roof top, a giant drum sieve hanging behind the door and orange peel, meat and fish hanging on a wire, waiting to be stewed or curried. His grandmother cooked hearty Creole-style dishes, popular in the Seychelles, where seafood plays a big part in the local cuisine. He has fond memories of Sunday lunches when friends and families would gather over a meal, and in particular he dreams of his grandmother’s fish pie.

So with his Creole-cooking background and a childhood in the Seychelles, Christopher has introduced one of his signature dishes, ‘pan-seared coral grouper fillet’ to the seafood section of the RockPool menu. He explains the dish’s origins and how he’s adapted it to a fine-dining menu.

“Back in colonial times, before the Seychelles gained independence, around 1970, the wealthy would take the best cuts of the fish and give the heads, tails and bones to the staff to cook for themselves. The staff would commonly marinate the fish in chilli, mango, cucumber and pineapple, wrap it and grill it as a delicious meal.

It wasn’t pretty, but it tasted delicious! I can’t serve that dish to guests at a restaurant, as what the food looks like matters a lot, so I’ve refined the dish. But all the delicious flavours are still there to enjoy.”

Christopher uses the choice fillets of the fish, rather than a whole fish (and most certainly not only heads and tails as his poor ancestors did).

Instead of grilling, he pan-sears it. And his trick to maintain that delicious smoky barbecue flavour is to put coconut fibres in the pan, where they smoke under the high heat and create the same aromas and flavours of the flame grill. The traditional ingredients used in the marinade are combined to create a fresh and crispy salsa of mango, cucumber, pineapple and tomato with sweet chilli caviar, served with a cassava ragout.

Cassava (also known as tapioca and yucca root) is the staple starch of the Seychelles, in much the same way that rice is to Asia, and is served with most meals.

Christopher has travelled to 15 countries and worked in five. When asked what his favourite ingredients to work with are, his reply is, “Whatever is good and fresh at the time.” He has zero tolerance for bad food, feeling that it disrespects the good ingredients. His favourite utensil is the pestle and mortar, where the flavours of ingredients can be beautifully extracted as they are crushed together to form pastes, rubs and marinades.

The new menu at RockPool still incorporates a few old favourites, but you’ll find many interesting new additions too. Christopher is looking at using more local ingredients to work with, combining his roots and international influences with a little bit of the East.

His signature dessert is what he calls The Island, and he got the idea while sitting at RockPool one day, looking across the bay at the palm trees on the beach. Christopher describes the dish as his take on a Bounty Bar (you know… the candy with a rich coconut centre and a delicious milk chocolate coating).

melted chocolate over half of the shell. When the chocolate is set, it’s carefully removed to resemble a half coconut shell. These shells are filled with a creamy coconut mousse, and just before the mousse is completely set, a small amount is scooped out of the centre, so that the whole creation resembles a half coconut – white in the centre, with a brown outer shell. Three of these delicious treats are placed on a plate decorated with a passion fruit coulis as well as shavings of a real bounty chocolate. Now that’s taking inspiration from your surroundings and turning it not only into something heavenly to eat, but also beautiful to look at!

The new menu is fresh and inviting, and will satisfy all. You’ll find Thai favourites as well as interesting fusion and European food, and of course the influence of the Seychelles. Dishes are marked for those wishing to choose ‘healthy’, ‘vegetarian’ or ‘gluten-free’ options too.

RockPool is aiming to keep menu prices reasonable to attract both locals as well as visitors. With its relaxed outdoor lounge setting, an ocean breeze, postcard view and innovative menu, be sure to add it to your ‘must do while on Samui’ list. You’ll soon be won over by not only Christopher’s vibrant food, but his obvious love of cooking which is reflected in his equally vibrant smile and charm.

Rosanne Turner For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7723 4500. www.kandaresidences.com

First, he makes coconut-shaped baskets by putting cling film over an egg and drizzling

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Join me for Brunch It’s not breakfast. It’s not lunch.

So what exactly is the meal that’s become a social trend?

Portmanteau – this is the fancy name of a word that fuses both the sounds and the meaning of its components, such as ‘smog’, which is a combination of smoke and fog. With this concept in mind, brunch is a meal eaten between breakfast and lunch in the late morning, and is a substitute for both these meals. It literally combines not only the two words – breakfast and lunch – but the two meals as well.

So who came up with the term? Well, the 1896 supplement to the Oxford English Dictionary cites Punch magazine, which wrote that the term was coined in Britain, in 1895, to describe a Sunday meal for ‘Saturday-night carousers’ in the article “Brunch: A Plea” in Hunter’s Weekly by Guy Beringer. The article goes on to say that instead of England’s early Sunday dinner, a post-church ordeal of heavy meats and savoury pies, why not a new meal, served around noon, that starts with tea or coffee, marmalade and other breakfast fixtures before moving along to the heavier fare?

By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday-night carousers.

It would promote human happiness in other ways as well. Beringer wrote, “Brunch is cheerful, sociable and inciting. It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” Well now … that sounds like a good enough reason to skip breakfast and take a leisurely brunch, don’t you think?

Others argue that the term is credited to reporter, Frank Ward O’Malley, who wrote for the New York newspaper, The Sun, from 1906 until 1919.

It’s allegedly based on the typical midday eating habits of a newspaper reporter.

Whoever coined the term, there’s no doubt it’s now an everyday word. Evidence suggests that the meal became popular in the homes of the British upper classes, where servants had a half-day off on Sunday, so the staff would lay out a buffet spread in the morning that allowed people to graze for breakfast and lunch. With this same thought, colleges, hotels and boarding schools and even cruise ships, which serve three meals on other days, often only serve brunch on Sundays and holidays, allowing daytime kitchen staff to leave early, and residents to sleep in late.

There’s also a connotation of leisurely indulgence surrounding the word. Breakfast is something you eat in haste before rushing off to work. Brunch, on the other hand, is best enjoyed on a lazy Sunday... a day you can sleep in.

And if you’re wondering where to meet for brunch, Samui’s restaurants have jumped on the bandwagon and several offer fabulous brunch spreads. A couple that spring to mind (but most certainly not the only ones) are Beach Republic’s ‘Ultimate Sunday Brunch Club’, and RockPool’s ‘Oyster Sunday Brunch’. These meals are a great way to while-away a Sunday, and involve live entertainment, eating as much as you like from decadent buffets, often with generous quantities of champagne and cocktails.

And that brings up another point on why brunch is so popular. Somehow, alcohol at breakfast causes raised eyebrows. Yet say ‘join me for brunch’ and somehow it’s okay to crack open a bottle of bubbly or order a mojito. And some say that the best cure for a hangover is to keep drinking… so sleeping in and then enjoying a brunch on Sunday after a crazy Saturday night lets you follow this advice – whether it’s good or not, is something else!

It’s become trendy to have celebrations over brunch too, such as wedding receptions and graduation parties. And often restaurants will promote special holidays by hosting for instance, a Mothers’ Day brunch.

These brunches are usually buffets, commonly involving standard breakfast foods such as eggs, sausages, bacon, ham, fruits, pastries, pancakes, and the like, yet on a more decadent scale than for your usual fry-up or continental breakfast.

However, they can include almost any other type of food served throughout the day.

Other popular brunch buffet dishes include cold cut meats, roasts, seafood such as shrimp or smoked salmon, pastas, soups, salads and a selection of desserts – brunch is no time to worry about the diet. Actually, there are no limitations when it comes to what can be served on a brunch menu. And, as mentioned, at brunch it’s perfectly acceptable to enjoy a glass of bubbly or a bloody Mary.

In a world of fast food, it’s good to sometimes take the time to really enjoy and linger over a meal, and brunch is a great way to do so. There’s nothing rushed about it. It’s all about enjoying good food in good company. So where are you heading next Sunday for brunch?

Rosanne Turner

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Revamped Rocky’s One of Samui’s most popular restaurants just got even better.

Rocky’s Resort is well known as one of the most beautiful boutique resorts on the island, with its beautiful gardens and beachfront setting. It’s rare for a resort of this size to have not one, but two fantastic restaurants – in this case, The Dining Room, a fine-dining beachfront eatery with both indoor and beachside dining, and the more casual Thai Bistro, which opens onto the second swimming pool and garden. Both are equally as impressive, depending on your mood and taste at the time.

The Dining Room, which had a makeover in November, offers seating in the open-air restaurant, or on the rocks overlooking the bay, where you’ll enjoy watching the sailboats and local fisher-folk at work. The décor is romantic and sophisticated with soft candlelight, beautiful Thai artefacts, and warm colours. And the fact that it’s the only restaurant on the island to have received the acclaimed Mielé award, says something in itself. But don’t just take the word of the experts – based on reviews by past guests, Rocky's is rated number one in its category on TripAdvisor.

And with the interior of The Dining Room having a revamp, it makes sense that the menu should too, and the new menu is to be launched on 9th December. Executive Chef, Aziz Awang, adds flair with his French, Mediterranean and Italian specialities. He’s redesigned the menu for the

festive season, to keep things interesting and fresh. Here are a few highlights from the new menu to get your mouth watering.

Seafood lovers will enjoy the ‘Bourride of yellow fin tuna, with pommes bouchon, savoy cabbage, white truffle oil, fresh dill, and zucchini’, or the ‘Lobster Thermidor with sautéed mushrooms and asparagus, thermidor sauce and lemon wedges’.

There’s an interesting soup of ‘wild mushrooms and chestnut with poached chicken and a mushroom dumpling’, or try the ‘oxtail consommé a la Celestina with braised oxtail ravioli’.

Meat-lovers will salivate at the thought of grain-fed Australian beef, prepared in various ways, such as the ‘Australian beef Rossini, with Soulard farm foie gras, wilted baby spinach and sherry infused morel sauce’. There’s a good selection of pizza and pasta too. And vegetarians haven't been forgotten, with their own dedicated menu, showcasing interesting creations by Aziz.

Those looking for something a little more Asian can try Thai Bistro, which serves Royal Thai cuisine as well as local favourites, prepared in the outdoor show kitchen. The feel is casual yet elegant, with seating inside or alongside the pool.

Try the ‘Curry Sampler for Two’, for a delicious selection of yellow curry with tiger prawns, massaman curry with lamb shoulder, green curry with chicken breast and red curry with duck.

There’s plenty going on at Rocky’s over the festive season, with nightly specials and live music. To sum it up; Tuesdays bring ‘Thai Night’ with live Thai music and dancing, while on Fridays guests can enjoy ‘Rustichella Pasta Night’ and ‘All Day Tapas’ on a Saturday. Have a bit of fun with a live cabaret show and an international barbecue on Sunday evenings. Live music entertains diners on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday nights too.

And if you’re looking for a great way to spend Christmas, Rocky’s is offering a delicious Christmas lunch menu to both hotel residents and outside guests.

The menu starts with a ‘green pea soup with salted cod bacalao, goat’s cheese and amaretti crumble, topped with a pistachio and celeriac cream’. Next is a ‘duck leg confit with a fresh endive and watercress salad, ripe figs, orange segments, walnut oil and raspberry vinaigrette’.

A mango sorbet cleanses the palate before the main course: ‘roast Australian beef, Yorkshire pudding, roasted root vegetable, amande potato and real beef jus dripping’. And saving the best for last… the meal ends on a sweet note of ‘melted French dark chocolate fondant, and a peach and nectarine salad, mascarpone-Frangelico cream and lavender ice-cream’.

With limited places available after accommodating in-house guests, it’s advisable to book your Christmas lunch at Rocky’s as soon as possible – and with an interesting menu like this, it’s sure to fill up fast.

If you’re planning a special event or intimate private function, the banquet room at Rocky’s makes an ideal venue for weddings and functions of up to 60 guests. This teak structure with a spacious balcony and beautiful furnishings from Chiang Mai can be dressed to match the event. The venue is completely separate to the main dining room, so offers complete privacy, yet with the same dedicated service and fine-dining cuisine that Rocky’s is known for. The resort’s in-house wedding and events planner will co-ordinate the event and ensure that all runs smoothly and to plan.

It’s great to see a business giving back to the community and being ‘green’ too. Rocky’s not only grows many of the herbs, fruit and vegetables used in its restaurants, but also uses vegetable peelings from the kitchen to produce 'EM' or Effective Microorganisms – which is a completely natural biological agent perfect for fertilizing plants, and reducing smells in gutters and drains. Plant cuttings from the resort are also used to make compost, which is then used in the gardens and nursery. Wastewater from the resort is naturally processed and used to water the

gardens and nursery. It doesn’t stop there, and left over bread, meat and rice is gathered and delivered to the Samui Dog Rescue Centre, in support of the local soi (street) dogs which are looked after by this good cause, funded and run by volunteers. Rocky’s gardening team spends time with a local school, teaching the children how to grow their own vegetables and herbs, take care of the environment and recycle garbage.

Along with other resorts and businesses, Rocky’s will be taking part in the ‘First Annual Samui Soap Box Derby and Beer Festival’ on 14th December.

The event looks to be great fun, so in support of a resort that gives back so much to the community, be sure to support the ‘Rocky’s Rockets’ team at the race.

Rosanne Turner For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7723 3020. www.rockyresort.com

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

19

Name?

What’s in a

Pukeura is a tiny township on New Zealand’s South Island. It’s actually a Maori name, and it’s pronounced ‘Pookie-ura’ – ‘Pookie’ for short.

And when Peter and Justine Salter decided to open up a pub next to the local highway, naturally enough they named it the ‘Pookie Pub’, after the town. Except that, unfortunately, it’s actually written ‘Puke Pub’. Mind you, they do seem to have an out-there sense of humour, because the pub’s restaurant only sells one item – roadkill. It specializes in local ‘wild food’ and ‘Roadkill of the Day’ heads the menu – as in, ‘you kill it, we’ll grill it.’ There are also Bambi Burgers. Plus Volvo Venison, Headlight Delight and Gag ‘n Bag. But the Puke Pub’s speciality is possums. Salter serves his possums in pies, or cooked up into a dish called ‘Guess the Mess’.

And they’ve won prizes, too. In the national ‘Wild Food Challenge’, the Puke Pub came in third, with ‘Baked Back Legs of Possum served with Mint Sauce’. The dish was bashfully named ‘Chicken of the Forest’, because it looked just like chicken drumsticks.

I suppose that you’d have to consider the Puke Pub some kind of theme restaurant. It certainly seems to have an integrated concept, even though I’m not entirely sure quite what it is! But, when it comes to names, we need to move a bit further west before we find ourselves neck-deep in silly ones. I think it’s because America is just so big, and it has so many millions of

restaurants, that the spirit of competition urges their restaurateurs to all go just that bit further.

Well, I think that’s the reason!

‘Maine-ly Lobster’ and ‘Wholly Mackerel!’ Plus, of course, more than a few simply named ‘Something Fishy’.

Whatever it is, California has more than its fair share. Take the restaurant that’s next to San Francisco’s Greyhound bus terminal, for example. It’s called, somewhat tongue in cheek, ‘The Terminal Lunch’. And, heading down to Venice Beach, we come across the enigmatically titled, ‘Mo Betta Meat-E Burga’. Soul food, move over! But my particular favourite here is the Mongolian restaurant that’s in Los Angeles, which is presumably run by a person of the Jewish persuasion. The name? Genghis Cohen.

‘The Melting Pot’ is a restaurant chain that specialised in fondue dishes, and a chain of sandwich shops bears the title, ‘Lox, Stock and Bagel’. There’s the Italian restaurant, ‘Pastabilities’, and the little diner hidden away in Yellowstone National Park, ‘Off the Eaten Track’.

‘The Crepevine’ sells ... well, guess what, and the same goes for ‘For Heaven’s Cakes’.

And if you’d expect New York to have one or two flippantly-titled eateries, then you’d be right.

‘Billy’s Slurp ‘n Burp’ quite tickles my fancy. As does the similarly-themed ‘Squat and Gobble’, which I’m glad is food-related. But I have to smile at the downtown fish ‘n chip shop that’s named ‘A Salt and Battery’, because that’s almost elegant, if not hugely original.

Which leads us straight into puns, and when it comes to punned-up restaurant names, there there’s a positive plethora of them. Skipping daintily across the length and breadth of the USA – and that’s no mean feat – we discover seafood restaurants with names such as ‘The Boston Sea Party’, ‘The Contented Sole’,

And when it comes to Asian puns, then The West just abounds with them, although there aren’t that many in Asia itself! Let’s get the ‘wok’ ones out of the way first. ‘Wok Stock and Barrel’; ‘Wok and Rolls’; ‘Wok Around the Clock’; ‘Wok’s Happ’ning’; ‘Wok it to Me’, and so on and so on.

Yawn. And the Thai eateries abroad are equally as shameless. You’ll come across ‘Thai-Tanic’, ‘Thai Foon’, ‘EN-Thai-Sing’, ‘Thairiffic’, ‘Beau Thai’ and even ‘Thai a Yellow Ribbon’. But I rather like the one that’s named simply ‘Pad Thai 5 Dollar’. No prizes for guessing what they sell there!

But, before we bounce away in another direction altogether, my favourite Asian name-pun of them all - the food court at Sydney University has an unpretentious little Japanese restaurant and sushi shop. And its pleasantly

When it comes to restaurant names, you don’t need a sense of humour, but it helps! mischievous name is ‘Miso Honi’.

In line with all this, but perhaps running at a bit of a tangent, is the sometimes bizarre effect of taking a name in one language and waving it about in a different country. You know, a bit like what happened when Mazda produced its MR2 sports car. It was fine everywhere else, but they had to change the name in France to the Mazda coupé MR. Because ‘MR2’ in French translates to ‘em-air-de’ – Merde. Which is not a nice word at all.

And, in the same egg-on-face department, and remaining in France, let’s take a look at the Avignon café that was called ‘La Bouche des Gouts’, meaning ‘The Mouth of Flavours’. This was strange enough on its own, but when said out aloud, it’s also a double-entendre for ‘la bouche d’egouts’ – which means the mouth of a sewer pipe. Not exactly a savoury choice for a restaurant name!

‘Fooking Chinese’ emblazoned above its doors.

And what exactly we are to make of San Francisco’s ‘Zhu’s Fagty Rot Hot-Tot’ is anybody’s guess!

In Thailand, the problem of transliterating the sound of Thai words into an English spelling is often fraught with mishap. No so long ago, over in Bang Por on the north coast of Samui, a pretty young Thai lady with the cute name of ‘Peas’ was befriended by a dashing Western man who set her up with her own restaurant before returning home. Proudly she set about fitting and furnishing it, and finally hung up the name of her choice on the name-board outside. It took several months before the first tourist popped in for a bite, and casually brought up the subject of the restaurant’s curious name. A few days later a new sign was hung to replace the previous one that read – ‘Piss House’. Yet another example of a curious, if not hilarious, restaurant name!

Rob De Wet

But it’s when we take Asian names, and particularly Chinese or Thai ones, and peer at them with Western eyes, that the fun really starts. Take, for instance, Thailand’s holiday spot of Phuket. Saying that aloud with Western phonetics usually raises at least a smile. As does the Chinese eatery in California that’s called ‘The Poo Ping Palace’. Or, indeed, the chuckle-worthy restaurant in New York that has

Authentic Thai Cuisine California Cuisine Succulent BBQ Seafood 20 www.siamwininganddining.com

Sunset Dining Enjoy the gorgeous Samui sunsets at Siam Residence.

If you paid any attention at school in geography lessons, you will have learnt that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Seeing the sun set over the sea if you live on the east coast of Africa or America, might present a bit of a challenge but here on Samui, a quick 25 minute drive will put you on the west coast of the island which is the perfect spot to watch the sun setting over the Gulf of Thailand.

Lying on a sun lounger on the sand at Siam Residence is a perfect way to spend an afternoon or evening (or even a whole day).

And just when you think it doesn’t get any better than that, you discover that they have a ‘Happy Hour’ menu (5:00 pm to 7:00 pm). There aren’t only drinks to enjoy (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) but also a selection of light meals.

vegetables? Or maybe some crispy calamari - you are by the sea after all.

Siam Residence is placed almost perfectly in the middle of the west coast, and being right on the beach it is treated to glorious sunsets almost every night. What is it about sunsets that draw us in? Is it the colours? Red has always been associated with romance so perhaps it satisfies something deep within us. And talking about satisfaction, what better way to enjoy nature’s colourful show than by sitting on a beautiful tropical beach with a cocktail in hand.

So lie back and truly experience the changing colours of the sunset with drinks and food to match. Enjoy the yellows of the sunset while sipping on a banana or pineapple shake, a pina colada or a mocktail. Keep hunger at bay with a grilled sandwich served with fries. As the sun sets further and turns the sky orange, your second drink now an orange or mango smoothie or tequila sunrise cocktail (yes, I know it’s sunset, a bit of poetic licence here, please). Time for some spring rolls with glass noodles and

For a split second before the sun disappears below the horizon, you might see something called a ‘Green Flash’. This is an optical phenomenon that occurs shortly after sunset or before sunrise. A green spot is visible for a second or two just above the sun. Conditions have to be right but if you are lucky enough to see it, then you’ll have to order the ‘Blue Lagoon’ or ‘Swimming Pool’ cocktails (I know, I know, they’re blue - remember the poetic licence?)

And finally as the sun dips below the horizon and the sky turns red and pink, sip on a watermelon or strawberry shake and go for a Campari and orange, a strawberry daiquiri or strawberry margarita and, finally, tuck into a Siam burger or Hawaiian burger.

Besides the happy hour menu, Siam Residence’s restaurant offers a full dinner menu serving everything from salads, soups and pastas to traditional Thai stir-fries, soups, curries and, of course, fresh seafood. If you prefer to sit indoors and appreciate the glorious colours of nature, the restaurant has floor to ceiling windows which means you won’t miss a thing. If you’d like to sit outside on the lawn or on the beach, they will gladly arrange this for you.

Indulge in the fresh seafood that perhaps you’ve chosen earlier on that day when you accompanied Chef Lamyai on her daily trip to the market. They have a number of delicious European or Thai dishes on their menu, but Chef Lamyai is only too happy to take requests for special meals to keep her patrons happy.

the entertainment - all you have to do is sit back and enjoy. Just as C. Joybell C. was quoted to have said: “Never waste any amount of time doing anything important when there is a sunset outside that you should be sitting under!”

Colleen Setchell For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7742 0008. www.siamresidence.com

So all in all, Siam Residence provides a great location, drinks and food while nature provides

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Dessert Wines Who’s afra afraid of sweet wine? Nearly everyone, it would appear. ppear.

When was the last time you dined with someone who ordered a glass of Sauternes, or suggested sharing a small bottle of sweet wine with dessert?

And why do dinner party hosts feel the need to give an almost apologetic explanation if they dare to bring out a bottle of Port? Sweet wine has fallen so far out of fashion that people have stopped specifying to waiters that they would like a “dry white wine, please,” as they used to do a few years ago. To most people, aside from a handful of sweet wine connoisseurs, it goes without saying that any good wine must be dry.

This is unfortunate, because accomplished sweet wines can be among the most distinctive and unusual wines around.

It’s bizarre that people have never consumed more sugar than they do today, but no one wants to drink sweet wine. Why? Well, it’s true that there are plenty of cloying, treacle-like, headache-causing wines that have given sweet wines a bad image. But there are bad dry wines, too. And no one invalidates dry wine just because of an occasional mistake in ordering. A big part of the problem for sweet wine, I think, is that the casual drinker has become conditioned to the idea that wine should taste a certain way. Few drinkers trust their taste buds enough to admit that they like something that deviates from the

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internationally standardized format. Paradoxically, some of the more popular everyday wines, that sell far too well, are in fact, sweeter than many drinkers realize. But producers do little to inform the buyer of a wine’s sweetness in the labelling, because they are savvy enough to know there is resistance to sweetness ideologically. (In reality, a certain amount of sweetness can surreptitiously mask a second-rate wine’s shortcomings.)

Judging by the selection shown at supermarket tastings, it would seem that most people drink dessert style wines in the run-up to Christmas.

But in my humble view, summer is as good a time, if not better, to enjoy them. In fact, here in the tropics, the climate is always right for a wine that packs a punch. Sweet and heat work well together. There are few more luxurious pleasures than a simple and intensely fruity dessert with a glass of sweet wine. Or the winning combination of chilled Eiswein (German sweet wine made from naturally frozen grapes) with a sliced ripe mango on coconut gelato.

To many, Bordeaux's famous Sauternes is the obvious sweet wine choice. And as with other wines, the conventional wisdom used to be that dessert wines improve as they age. But I'm not sure I don't enjoy them just as much young, while

they still have all those lush lemon and passion fruit flavours. I'm talking about great dessert wines such as late-harvest Rieslings, Marsalas, Madeiras, Moscatos (and yes, Sauternes too).

They may often be made from grapes that were dried on mats and left in the sun or allowed to develop a fungus called botrytis cinerea, which shrivels the grapes, concentrating their sugars.

They range from potent dessert wines like Port, which are fortified with neutral spirits, to low-alcohol, fruity wines that are barely off dry.

They are wines that often require time and expertise, not to mention expense, to produce.

But no one seems to be drinking them, including me. Although, I must admit I never pass up a golden opportunity to drink sumptuous Australian sparkling Shiraz. Shunned by wine snobs, but adored down under, this concentrated berry wine would unquestionably please a wide cross-section of open-minded wine-drinkers around the world, if only they were exposed to it.

I have a suspicion that some of the lack of popularity for sweeter wines amongst younger drinkers, stems from negative reactions to Port wines. One of the complaints, I often hear about Port, is that it is too rich and too high in alcohol.

Port has its place, but it is true that the alcohol levels, around 18 to 20%, can be daunting (the

addition of brandy accounts for the extra alcohol). Most dessert wines, on the other hand, rarely exceed 17%, and some of them have as little as 14% alcohol, less than many non-fortified red wines from California, or the Mediterranean lands. And while it may seem a challenge matching Port with any foods other than its traditional English companion, Stilton cheese, you can serve it with a broader range of dishes And particularly with anything fruity or creamy. One of my personal favourite desserts is the seldom made, but nevertheless scrumptious, spiced Port wine jelly served with Chantilly cream.

The usual guide to picking a dessert wine is that it should be sweeter than your pudding. (Though once you get to a certain level of sweetness, it can be sickly.) I find it more useful to think about whether the dessert is acidic, light or rich. It's also worth checking the alcohol content of the wine.

Some wines, including Moscatos and German Rieslings, can be intensely sweet but quite low in alcohol, so again would struggle with a rich, dense dessert. Others, such as fortified wines, can overwhelm lighter desserts like meringues.

Another useful tip is that as the colours of the dessert get darker, the wine should get darker.

For custardy or vanilla flavours, choose a

late-harvest Riesling, or a sparkling wine, like demi-sec champagne. A more fruity and spicy dessert will go with Sauternes, or a late-harvest Gewirtztraminer. And for a richer, chocolaty or caramel-like dessert, Botrylis Semillon, like the iconic Noble One, is hard to beat, or if you are willing to break with tradition, red wines, like late-harvest Pinot Noir and Grenache. And I cannot recommend highly enough, the sensational Emeri Sparkling Shiraz from the Yarra Valley’s DeBortoli, to serve as a deliciously alluring partner for anything chocolate.

Peter James

Serving an exciting variety of Thai, Italian and seafood from our open, show kitchen with genuine pizza oven.

Choose from open air seating on the first floor with ocean view or air-conditioned seating on the ground floor.

Live music every night.

Open daily from 5 pm till 11 pm Located on Lamai Beach Road opposite Pavilion Samui Boutique Resort Reservation: 077 424 420 www.siamwininganddining.com 23

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

Monday - Cowboy Steak Night Assorted BBQ Meat Buffet Entertainment: Cabaret Show and 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

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

Thursday - Local Thai Night Variety Thai Food Buffet, Demonstration & Barbecue Complimentary Management Cocktail Party 6-7pm Entertainment: Thai Classical Dance or Pong-lang Dance Sunday Chef Creation Set Dinner and A La Carte Menu

Rice Barge Authentic Thai Cuisine 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 - Local Samui buffet with complimentary management cocktails and snacks from 6.00 pm to 7.00 pm.

Tuesd m.

Enjoy fresh barbecued seafood plus a variety of special dishes created by our culinary team.

Price THB 990 net per person.

Saturday Night - East meets West with cabaret show. Enjoy the finest East meets West buffet.

Price THB 1,200 net per person. Or THB 1,550 net per person including half bottle of wine.

Daily Cooking Class & Fruit Carving Class Learn to cook 3 Thai dishes Fruit Carving Course Inclusive of chef hat, apron and certificate Advance reservation required Daily Happy Hour Beverage Special Offer 50% off (Except wine & liquor by the bottle) At Pool Bar 1-2 pm., Lobby Lounge 6-7 pm. & 9-11 pm.

Private Romantic Dinner Only you and your loved one dining on the beach with private chef and waiter/waitress Available daily. Advance reservation required

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

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