Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [491]
Prego ( Map; 0 7742 2015; www.prego-samui.com; mains 200-700B; dinner) This swankified ministry of culinary style serves up fine Italian cuisine in a barely-there dining room of cool marble and modern geometry. Reservations are accepted for seatings at 7pm and 9pm.
Bellini ( Map; 0 7741 3831; www.bellini-samui.com; dishes from 200B; dinner) A staple on Soi Colibri, Bellini sizzles under designer mood lighting. There’s Italian on the menu, but not in a pizza-pasta kind of way – think veal, rock lobster and a dainty assortment of tapas.
Page ( Map; 0 7742 2767; dishes 180-850B; breakfast, lunch & dinner) If you can’t afford to stay at the ultra-swank Library ( Click here), have a meal at its beachside restaurant. The food is overpriced (of course) but you’ll receive glances from the beach bums on the beach as they try to figure out if you’re a jet-setter or movie star. Lunch is a bit more casual and affordable, but you’ll miss the designer lighting effects in the evening.
Zico’s ( Map; 0 7723 1560; menu 750B; dinner) This palatial churrascaria puts the ‘carne’ in Carnival. Vegetarians beware – Zico’s is an all-you-can-eat Brazilian meat-fest complete with saucy dancers sporting peacock-like outfits.
Betelnut ( Map; 0 7741 3370; mains 600-800B; dinner) Fusion can be confusing, and often disappointing, but Betelnut will set you straight. Chef Jeffrey Lords claims an American upbringing and European culinary training, but most importantly he spent time in San Francisco, where all good fusion food is born. The menu is a pan-Pacific mix of curries and chowder, papaya and pancetta.
LAMAI
As Samui’s second-most populated beach, Lamai has a surprisingly limited assortment of decent eateries when compared to Chaweng next door. Most visitors dine wherever they’re staying.
Lamai Day Market ( Map; dishes from 30B; 6am-8pm) The Thai equivalent of a grocery store, Lamai’s market is a hive of activity, selling food necessities and takeaway food. Visit the covered area to pick up fresh fruit or to see vendors shredding coconuts to make coconut milk. Or hunt down the ice-cream seller for homemade coconut ice cream. It’s next door to a petrol station.
Hua Thanon Market ( Map; 0 7742 4630; dishes from 30B; 6am-6pm) Slip into the rhythm of this village market slightly south of Lamai; it’s a window into the food ways of southern Thailand. Vendors shoo away the flies from the freshly butchered meat and housewives load bundles of vegetables into their baby-filled motorcycle baskets. Follow the market road to the row of food shops delivering edible southern culture: chicken biryani, fiery curries, or toasted rice with coconut, bean sprouts, lemongrass and dried shrimp.
Lamai Night Food Centre ( Map; 0 7742 4630; dishes from 30B; dinner) Eating becomes a circus sideshow at Lamai’s outdoor food centre, next door to a 7-Eleven. The vendor stalls whip up all the Thai standards – a spectacle in itself. And then the hostesses at the nearby girly bars crank up the music for pole dancing or a few rounds of moo·ay tai (Thai boxing; also spelt muay thai).
Mr Samui ( Map; 0 7742 4630; dishes 100-180B; lunch & dinner) Enter Baan Soi Gemstones (look for the ‘illy’ sign out front) and pass the veritable garage sale of oriental knick-knacks to find a tiny cluster of tables and cushions. Savour your nutty massaman curry amid flamboyant Chinese wall art, dripping chandeliers and gaudy geometric pillows (everything’s for sale).
Rocky’s ( Map; 0 7741 8367; dishes 300-800B; lunch & dinner) Easily the top dining spot on Lamai, Rocky’s gourmet dishes are actually a bargain when you convert the baht into your native currency. Try the signature beef tenderloin with bleu cheese – it’s like sending your tastebuds on a Parisian vacation. On Tuesday evenings diners enjoy a special Thai-themed evening with a prepared menu of local delicacies.
NORTHERN BEACHES
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