They say you’re ‘spoilt for choice’ when you’ve plenty of options. But don’t they really mean ‘blessed with choice’? Especially when talking about restaurants offering many alternatives.

Well, variety certainly is the ‘spice of life’ at Captain Kirk restaurant. This place is quite different from the rest of the pack. To begin with, although it’s in the heart of Chaweng – above the landmark Sports Stadium clothing outlet on busy Chaweng Beach Road, opposite Samui Night Plaza – it’s almost invisible from the road, unless you’re looking up!

This 50-seat, roof-garden restaurant offers great opportunities for people-watching – without them seeing you! And the 10-metre street frontage allows you to do just that, in style.

Or would you prefer a romantic dinner for two, watching the sun setting across the lake? Well Captain Kirk can offer that too, if you go to the other side of the restaurant, away from the road.

How about being inside, if the weather’s not too good? Yes, you’ve guessed it, there’s also a specially enclosed interior. And with Aztec-stlye hand-painted walls (it’s actually a South African design), and an amazing bamboo ceiling, you’re in yet another world. Finally, there’s the roof-garden itself, with its forest of pot-plants and flowers. And being up above the hustle-bustle of the street has other benefits too, like cool sea breezes. But you get them wherever you sit!

Captain Kirk is full of novel design touches, such as the the glasstopped tables, encasing fascinating collections of memorabilia, gathered by the estaurant’s Belgian owner – Gillou Leroy – on some of his many travels around the world. And up here you’ll also find a brilliant gallery of over 100 original-print photos that Gillou’s collected, taken in the South East Asian region spanning the last 70 years through the war years to the present day. In fact, it would be worth coming here just to have a look at it!

And the choices don’t stop after you’ve decided where to sit. The menu gives you lots more decisions to make too. There’s especially detuned Thai cuisine, seafood and also a good selection of international fare with a Belgian flare, making it difficult picking out special recommendations when it all tastes so good.

Both the Baked Seafood with garlic-butter sauce, served on a hot-iron, and the Fresh Tuna marinated with olive-oil and lemon – Japanese-style – are particularly delicious starters, and will get your tastebuds well-prepared for the main course.

“… or would you prefer a romantic dinner for two, watching the sun
setting across the lake?”

The Mixed Seafood on the Grill – comprising a fresh collection of crab, tiger & king prawn, squid, white snapper and barracuda, with French fries or baked potatoes and Bearnaise sauce – is superb. And whether you order it internationally-prepared or opt for the spicy Thai version, one thing is for sure, and that is you’ll have a super-large portion, as with all the dishes served here.

There are many excellent desserts too, and the Ice-cream Nougat with caramelled cashew nuts & strawberry coulis will tempt even the strictest weight-watcher! It is as good as it sounds, if not better.

And it’s decision time again when you choose a wine to complement the delicious food. Whether to go for a French, Australian, Italian or Chilean? The bottles are incredibly inexpensive at Captain Kirk, with prices at little more than cost, and there’s a good selection too.

In fact, nothing’s expensive here at all. Even the beef and lamb dishes, with meat especially imported from Australia and New Zealand respectively, are very reasonably priced.

And as if there aren’t enough choices already, Gillou is constantly making new additions to the menu; a few more starters here, a couple of desserts there. That’s when he’s not putting his considerable design talents to work on other restaurant features, giving you even more options for where to sit.

It’s no surprise that since the restaurant opened in 2000 it’s been recommended in travellers’ guide books around the world, including the world-famous Lonely Planet, because at Captain Kirk you’re spoilt with choice, and definitely blessed with it!

The restaurant is open from 5:00 pm until late.
For further information, telephone 0 812 705 376.