Special night at Samui
 

Hi! I’m off to Koh Samui in a month’s time and the day we arrive it happens to be my husbands birthday. Can someone suggest a nice or a special place where we can for dinner or drinks or maybe another nice idea… I remember one of my friends in Bali had dinner arranged on a boat, which went for an hour right in the middle of the sea!!!

If the food rather than the surroundings is important then try Ko-Seng at Mae Nam. The absolute best seafood we've eaten in Thailand. Order the warm mudcrab, a whole baked fish (you pick one from out the back of the kitchen) and prawns in curry or kaffir lime leef chicken curry! Take a good bottle of wine from home & have a feast for around US75. This place is full of affluent Thais, not tourists!

Ko Seng? Is that in a hotel or on its own? You said "food rather than setting" but I have eaten food as you've described for less than half the cost. I am not doubting that this is a special place but what makes it worth paying that price? ( We like to stay in Bophut so Mae Nam is easy to get to)

on the main raod just south of chaewang beach is a wonderful restaurant up high on a cliff overlooking the ocean...it is very romantic and the food is great...it is called the terrace or the view as i remember...

send me an e mail and when i get home from thailand tomorrow i will look up the correct name
bob

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Bob - When did you change from hotmail?


OP: Find out what nights they are doing the shows at Big John's, it's lively and fun when they have the shows on.

Lyndie/Fiona, I absolutely forgot to mention that I am a Veggie!!! But I am staying at Bophut (mostly at the new Anantara, not finalized yet). Do you think I will get enough of Veg Food at Ko-Seng…?
Bob, I have mailed you at the address.. I have posted a thread as to the comments of the Anantara.. But alas no reply except your’s. But I’m still going to take it up because it’s new…Hope its worth the price…

In that case you will find some great restaurants in Bophut itself!(Fishermans Village). Starfish and Coffee was one of our favourites. Can't remember the name right now but the French restaurant there was also fab.As were several others! However, I am not a vegetarian so cannot recall what was on the menu for you. There is a great Italian there so there is bound to be something on that menu!
One must try is during the day- get the female seller on the beach to make you a pappaya salad- best we've tasted!

Mini-I would ask a Thai speaker to ring Ko-Seng and ask if they cater for veges. Specialises in seafood.

Fiona-We ate a lot of food and have also eaten cheaper but we felt what we had was worth the bucks.

For seafood lovers, Ko-Seng is a small tiled restaurant in a side street off the main road. There is a Kodak sign coming from Nathon and you turn left into the street.

Lyndie
I wasn't doubting you! I would give it a go myself for a special occasion- just wondered what made it so special. I suppose sometimes you can't say what it is- it just is! :)

fiona-for me, the FOOD made it so special! We have not eaten seafood that good, in Thailand! No offence taken, I just thought I'd made it clear that the seafood was remarkable.

the name of the restaurant south of chaewant bch is "the cliff"....you would be very pleased with it

Bob, I found the website of Cliff..http://www.thecliffsamui.com/default.htm.. It simply looks awesome and has enough veg dishes.. This is going to be THE place where I'll take my husband for his birthday.. Can you suggest other places.. We are there for four days...

Hey Mini: You're staying in the new Anantara in Bophut right? Let me marshall my brain cells...

As you walk into the village from your hotel, the second place on the left is an AngloAmerican pub. Raffie is a German American from Chicago, husband Graham a Brit. They do great Thai food and plenty of western comfort food, which you might be ready for. Try the Morning Glory (tell 'em you don't want the oyster sauce... if you don't) the baked spuds and choice of fillings are good to, if you don't eat meat or fish.

If you pop into the Lodge, the small hotel next door and out the back, Max, a Hawaiian expat runs a tiny bar and does the best Mai Ties in the world (my wife should know). Next comes an upmarket Italian, Villa Bianca (a white place) Next door is a raucous Ozzie Surf Bar, the Billabong, with a good veggie menu, huge portions and often, a live band. This is followed by the Happy Elephant, a mainly seafood restaurant, and about 100m further on, past a couple of pubs, Star Fish and Coffee, La Sirene and another Italian (my favourite)Al Bahia. All have fantastic views of Bohut bay and Koh Pha Ngan in the distance. About 200m on the right side of the road, past the pier, opposite the French boulangere, is a tiny yoga and veggie restaurant place. I cannot remember the name - I'll check if you want - but delicious salads, nibbles and dips.
Anything else you need to know about Bophut, give me a shout.

Wow.. This is so cool… I was quiet worried about the food because we want to refrain eating at the hotel and pay those exorbitant prices…I was also worried about it because we are vegetarians and don’t eat eggs either…But I’m feeling great now with the number of restaurants you have given me.. Can you suggest a nice place where we can go for breakfast every morning……The hotel is charging USD 23 per person per day and we are not keen on spending that…Thanks John once again.. Is there anything else I need to know about Bophut… How far is Chaweng from there.. How should we commute to the other beaches…

I think you'll find fruit, yogurts, pastries and cereals offered in most other hotel restaurants at a darn sight cheaper than B920. That is scandalous! Also open in the village at breakfast time are Coffee Junction, on the corner opposite the pier which marks the center of Bophut Village; The Harbourside Cafe which is just past the pier on the left, and the Boulangere, the veggie Yoga Cafe I mentioned earlier but didn't know the name, and Baan Bophut on the seaward side. All are about 120-130m past the pier. All do excellent Thai coffee - Bon Cafe brand. But I would also suggest that you buy yogurts and fresh juice, fruit and keep them in your minibar fridge.

Whilst there some fantastic Thai dishes that restaurants will offer to 'veggify' for you, you should be aware that fish sauce goes into practically everything, and I don't think it's a tradition to use a vegetable broth as stock. This will usually come from chicken or fish, so beware.

Sorry Mini I forgot to answer your other questions...

Hire a Honda Dream motorbike for $5/day to get around the island. To circumnavigate the Samui can take as little as an hour on the concrete ring road or as long as 2 days, depending on what takes your fancy en route. BUT be aware that Samui has Thailand’s' highest motorcycle accident rate, and you need to keep your wits about you to remain unscathed. Most injuries are self-inflicted, with the notorious Samui Tattoo, a burn scar on the right calf from a hot exhaust pipe, dominating.
A Suzuki jeep, at only $15 to $20/day, is probably the safest bet for most.
Both are available to rent in the village.
Chaweng is about 15 minutes away from the Anantara by car or motorbike.

The alternatives are renting a mountain bike from Redbicycle in Lamai or regular pedal bike's in Maenam, the next town from Bophut, if not in Bophut itself. There are no Tuk Tuks on Samui, just metre taxis that won't put their meters on. Best choice of non-self drives are Song Theus - shared taxi pickup trucks with the tailgate removed and canopy frame over two bechseats in the bed. These cruise around the island just a few minutes apart, stopping for whomever hails them and charging just a $ or 2 during the day.

Have a great time.