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Green, Slimy and Delicious

More and more peoplevare discovering the nutritional qualities of seaweed.

Unless you live in the regions near Japan, this probably won’t appear on your dietary landscape. But, interestingly, in times gone by, it may well have done. Food fashions come and go, and it’s only really since World War Two that things have changed so drastically. Before this time, just about every coastal region in Europe (and the rest of the world, too, come to that) cheerfully enjoyed seaweed as a welcome part of their daily diet. In some parts, even today, the harvesting of seaweed is a traditional local industry, and a prime source of income for the community. The coast around Swansea, in Wales, is a good example.

Double Dining Delights

Add Olivio Restaurant to your itinerary for Italian and Thai dining.

Head up the beach in Chaweng, and towards its northern end you’ll come across Olivio Restaurant, one of the most acclaimed spots to visit when it comes to either Italian or Thai food. The well-known restaurant is part of Baan Haad Ngam Boutique Resort & Villas, which can also be approached via the beach road.

Olivio looks out over the sea, but unlike so much of Chaweng enjoys a calmness all of its own. Just being a bit further along the beach adds to its charms. It’s not as crowded as the rest of Chaweng, and is an oasis of tranquillity all of its own, with views across the sea to the tiny off-island of Koh Matlang.

Taking The Cake

This favourite treat has been cheering us up for centuries.

Cakes are great! No argument. They taste fantastic, can look brilliant and often signify a celebration or, at the very least, an indulgent treat. They date back to ancient times, and have changed significantly over the years, but undoubtedly for the better.

Cakes are made from various combinations of refined flour, some form of shortening, sweetening, eggs, milk, leavening agent, and flavouring. There are literally thousands of cake recipes (some are bread-like and some rich and elaborate) and many are centuries old. Cake making is no longer a complicated procedure. Baking utensils and directions have been so perfected and simplified that even the amateur cook can easily become a very good baker.

Burgers & More

Stacked Burger is always fun, but it’s the food and drink that seals its excellent reputation.

Fancy racking up great times while feasting on exceptionally good burgers, steaks and desserts, with maybe a couple of creatively made cocktails? Burgers and the like aren’t something that Samui is famed for, but there’s no reason to miss out just because you’re here on holiday. A fun and friendly venue is to be found at Stacked Burger, on the beach road in Chaweng.

Or in this case, knowing your asparagus.

Samui’s longest-running seafood restaurant, Sabienglae goes from strength to strength!

First cultivated several thousand years ago in the Mediterranean and Asia Minor, asparagus has long been treasured. Greeks and Romans loved it for its flavour, texture and medicinal qualities. And Roman emperors were said to be so fond of it that they kept special boats for the purpose of fetching it. As well as consuming asparagus when in season, they also had it transported to high altitudes where it could remain frozen until needed.

Dinner under the Stars

Prasuthon Restaurant at Nora Beach Resort & Spa adds private dining to its impressive repertoire.

Well-known for its Thai and international dining, Prasuthon Restaurant has branched out to offer some exciting new private dining options. Imagine dining in a beautifully-appointed gazebo right on the sand, overlooking the ocean and away from everything. Then add in a private chef handling a live cooking station, private waiter and decorations that will make you feel that the occasion is truly special. ‘Dinner under the Stars’ enables you to have a wonderful evening enjoying the best of food and drink in a picturesque setting.

Bean Drinking?

Coffee drinking in Thailand is a massive yet recent delight.

The history of coffee is long, going right back to the 13th century and possibly further. It started in Ethiopia, but it wasn’t until two centuries had passed that it became established as a social drink, and that was in Yemen, in certain Sufi monasteries. It seems an obscure start for this globally popular drink, but coffee soon began to boom. By the 16th century, you could drink it in the Middle East and North Africa, and it was in Constantinople, today’s Istanbul, that the first cafés opened. At first, they were only for the use of diplomats, artists and important merchants. Europe beckoned as the next staging post for coffee, and it wasn’t long before Venetians were drinking it. Soon after, other places fell under caffeine’s powerful spell. In London, by the early 1700s, there were some 3,000 coffee houses. In parts of the city it soon outdid trade in ale.

Marching On

In the last couple of months we have celebrated Christmas, New Year and, most recently, Chinese New Year. Now that these have passed, what is happening on Samui in the month of March, if anything? Well the answer is not much. There is the excitement of the Thai New Year, Songkran, in April, to look forward to, but there is something of a lull this month, with nothing really worth celebrating.

But that is not strictly true. Just being on this paradise island is reason enough to celebrate. It’s still chilly in Europe, but the weather here is perfect - glorious sunny days, with just the occasional shower to cool things down.

Beyond the Ordinary

Local dining in an exquisite setting at Kala Noodles.

An unheard-of chance to eat some of the most traditional food around at rock-bottom prices, yet in one of the most luxurious settings on the island. This is the story behind Kala Noodles. It all started as a legendary team-up between a van and a hotel, and has become a prestigious tour-de-force attracting people from all over Samui. Eat your fill of top-quality noodles (though there’s a lot more besides) in the deluxe air-conditioned dining room of Villa Nalinnadda petite hotel and spa. The setting couldn’t be better, and once you’ve tasted it, neither could the food.

Table Tools

The knife and fork haven’t always been around.

In days of old, when knights were bold, And cutlery wasn’t invented, You just grabbed your food, it was messy and rude, But everyone seemed contented.

Well of course they were. It used to be perfectly normal to use your fingers when you were eating. You held the meat in one hand, and used your knife to slice bits off it. And that’s probably all you had – because in days of yore there was nothing else on the table for you to use. What has evolved into the familiar table-knife has a long history. And it’s tangled up with the developing society and its fashions. Plus eating habits too. But it’s also connected with the technology available at the time! If you think about it, cutlery in general serves just one purpose – to get the food into your mouth! Whether it’s cutting, spearing or scooping, there’s a tool for the job. But we need to go back a bit…

Time to Branch Out

Nature and fine dining meet at Tree Tops Sky Dining & Bar.

This restaurant looks as if it has stepped straight out of a fable. It definitely doesn’t belong to the everyday world, and it’s guaranteed to open the most jaded of eyes. Walkways and steps lead through a series of gigantic trees and rocks, and niched amongst them you’ll find small thatched pavilions that have been built into the natural backdrop. It’s a little magical world in itself, and is known as Tree Tops Sky Dining & Bar. You’ll find it at Anantara Lawana Koh Samui Resort, in the very north of Chaweng. It’s easily one of the most beautiful restaurants on Samui, and is unique on the island, and no doubt far further afield, too.

Catch of the Day

One of Thailand’s most popular fish – the mackerel.

Mackerel is hugely popular throughout Asia, but has been largely neglected by the West. That’s all changing. These days everyone is waking up to this tremendously nutrient packed fish. As the number of tuna fish decline, we are looking for alternatives, and mackerel is one of them. In Asia, Europe and the Americas, supplies of mackerel are bountiful.

Tapas and Free Flow Peroni – Wine Not ?

It’s all going on at Prego Italian Restaurant.

Exciting quarterly and ongoing promotions are all the rage at Prego Italian Restaurant in Chaweng, and super passionate and long-serving Italian chef Marco Boscaini is to blame! Marco is the brains and creative powerhouse behind this amazingly successful, well-established restaurant. Staunchly loyal to Italian cuisine and authentic, fresh ingredients When Marco arrived to set up and open the all-Italian restaurant 16 years ago, he had problems obtaining the select ingredients he required and had to go back to his suppliers in Bangkok, where he had previously worked under the same Amari Hotels Group.

Maestro Mentors

Learn to make top-notch Thai food at one of Samui’s cooking classes.

There are fewer greater pleasures in life than being able to offer your friends and family a dinner they’ll always remember. Especially if the dishes are drawn from a cuisine that’s famed for being as exotic as it is delicious. Eating Thai food doesn’t mean you need to go to a restaurant. Simply make it yourself. Easy right?

Actually, no! Even though there are some great Thai cookery books around that cover all the basics, and then take you into the realms of the extremely complex dishes, they probably won’t really work well for you. It can feel totally frustrating when you follow a new recipe. The kitchen fills with delicious smells, yet the food is off-kilter. The reason is that Thai cooking is very far from an exact science, and besides, you may not have all the ingredients you require. You may need to do some swaps. Thai cuisine is all about balancing tastes. The delicious flavour of Thai food has its basis in a combination of sour, salty, sweet, and spicy, which are balanced differently depending on the individual dish.