I found Ban Suan Lung Khai by the Michelin Information, the place it holds a Bib Gourmand designation—an award given to eating places providing high-quality meals at inexpensive costs. The identify interprets to “Uncle Khai’s Backyard Home,” which inserts completely: the restaurant is a picket veranda with an open kitchen, set in a coconut plantation within the quiet southern a part of Koh Samui, Thailand. Uncle Khai and his crew purpose to pick the freshest seafood day by day, sourced straight from native fishermen, to share happiness by the style of meals. Friends ought to really feel as warmly welcomed as if eating at house in Samui. The restaurant makes a speciality of Southern Thai set menus and doesn’t supply à la carte choices.
Reservations are strongly beneficial at the least sooner or later upfront. I attempted reserving by Fb Messenger however acquired no reply—apparently, they solely use LINE, the Japanese various to WhatsApp and Messenger that dominates in Thailand. Since we have been coming back from an tour to Pig Island, with the pier simply minutes away, I made a decision to attempt my luck and not using a reservation. Though a couple of delicate eyebrows have been raised (Thai are unfailingly well mannered), they did discover us a desk. Subsequent time, I’ll undoubtedly e book forward, both by way of LINE or by my lodge, as little or no English is spoken on the restaurant.
We have been supplied a alternative between “Set 2” for THB 700 (€19) per individual or “Set 3” for THB 1,200 (€33) per individual (there’s additionally a Set 1 for THB 500 that wasn’t supplied to us). In keeping with the outline, Set 2 features a collection of genuine Southern dishes, whereas Set 3 affords the best selection. One key distinction we found: the crab in Set 3 is absolutely peeled and able to eat, whereas in Set 2 it’s served entire. The set additionally included water (and sure different drinks similar to tea). The menu famous that “All menu will be requested for further,” which I interpret as that means you may ask for extra—although we didn’t, because the parts have been beneficiant sufficient that we may barely end them regardless of arriving with a wholesome urge for food.
The menu doesn’t checklist the dishes, they usually have been served with out rationalization, so the account beneath is my greatest effort to explain what we had, based mostly on educated guesses. All of the dishes arrived inside about 20 minutes, as this chef’s menu is supposed to be loved Thai type: every thing served directly, along with rice. The picture above exhibits a lot of the considerable unfold—we had already completed the oysters (you may nonetheless see the empty shells), however the rice and prawns had not but arrived. For rice, you may select between plain jasmine rice or rice cooked in coconut milk, tinted inexperienced from pandan leaves. Some dishes got here lined to chase away flies, which was a wise precaution given the open-air setting in a coconut plantation. (I might additionally suggest making use of mosquito repellent earlier than coming into the restaurant.)
The Surat Thani oysters have been served with a spread of condiments that have been additionally meant for the opposite dishes:
- a inexperienced curry sauce (contemporary, with out coconut milk)
- Nam Pla Prik Ma Nao: a mixture of lime juice, fish sauce, palm sugar, and garlic—this paired greatest with most dishes
- a candy, barely spicy purple chili sauce
- Nam Prik Pao, a candy chili “jam”
- crispy fried shallots
- garlic
- sliced inexperienced rawit chilies
The native oysters themselves have been giant and meaty, with a candy, creamy taste profile—nothing just like the briny delicate oysters I’m used to. They have been served with lime quarters.
The Pla Muek Pad Kati Maprao was squid stir-fried in coconut oil and sprinkled with bits of coconut milk. These golden, crunchy, nutty, and barely candy bits of coconut milk have been what made this dish really scrumptious and our favourite—even for Kees, who normally doesn’t get pleasure from squid. The coconut cream or milk is heated till the oil separates and the remaining stable residue turns into golden brown, crispy, toasted coconut flakes with a barely nutty and candy taste. It was additionally by far probably the most tender squid we’ve had in Thailand. I couldn’t determine what the crumbly topping was and ultimately put in LINE on my cellphone to ask the restaurant. They replied inside half an hour, regardless that they have been closed at present.
The contemporary steamed horse crab got here as legs and the part the place the legs connect to the physique. The truth that it had already been peeled, as talked about above, made it very straightforward to eat. The crab was exceptionally tender, with a chic, candy taste that paired fantastically with the Nam Pla Prik Ma Nao.
The quick mackerel (Pla Too) got here grilled. Though I might personally have most popular them barely much less cooked and due to this fact juicier, they weren’t dry like at another eating places. As soon as once more, the Nam Pla Prik Ma Nao labored very properly as a condiment.
The clams got here in a broth with Thai candy basil and lemongrass, Hoi Lay Pad Horapha.
Provided that the restaurant is positioned in a coconut plantation, it wasn’t stunning that the curry was Gaeng Kati (coconut curry) moderately than the southern Gaeng Som (water-based bitter curry). It featured shrimp, bamboo shoots, and Thai candy basil. Regardless of southern Thai delicacies’s status for warmth—and the truth that we requested for “medium spicy” (spicy for Westerners, however milder than Thai requirements)—it wasn’t spicy in any respect. The chili paste probably included krachai (fingerroot) and definitely contemporary turmeric as key substances.
The ultimate element of this seafood feast was giant grilled prawns, skewered to maintain them straight. There have been really 4, but it surely’s all the time a problem to {photograph} every dish earlier than Kees ‘assaults’.
The dessert was Kanom Co: candy balls of glutinous rice flour flavored and coloured with pandan leaf extract, stuffed with a crunchy caramelized palm sugar heart, and served in candy coconut milk with contemporary slices of coconut. I normally discover Thai desserts moderately underwhelming as a result of they are typically too gentle and mellow, however this was fairly good—particularly because of the crunchy spike of sweetness inside these balls.
This hasn’t been as straightforward for me to explain as a Western-style tasting menu with wine pairing, the place I’ve way more information and expertise to attract on. I hope I’ve finished it justice and conveyed that this was an distinctive meal in all its simplicity and within the high quality of its substances and preparations—at a really affordable worth given the quantity and high quality supplied. In case you like seafood, make sure that to go to this hidden gem on Koh Samui!
