Everyone loves a success story. And Captain Kirk seafood restaurant on busy Chaweng Beach Road is just that. Being a leading Chaweng eatery for over ten years amongst fierce competition is no small thing and it surely proves that they must be doing something right.

It's next to Pizza Hut with its entrance just 20 metres down the lane leading to the popular Ark Bar and is immediately recognisable by a
huge red fish sign facing downwards and a multitude of bright yellow Captain Kirk signs around the building. And both on the main road andat the entrance there's always one of Captain Kirk's pretty waitresses in their attractive red uniforms ready to greet diners and lead them upstairs. Upstairs? Yes, for this is a first floor restaurant, which actually started out as a disadvantage in the early days as people tended to walk straight past without realising what they were missing!

             However, it wasn't long before the delicious food and unique ambience on offer were discovered by Samui Dining Guide, and we immediately included Captain Kirk as one of our recommended restaurants. And from then the place took off, which not only resulted in many new customers coming to the restaurant, but also attracted the attention of numerous other
guidebooks around the world including the famous Lonely Planet and the French Guide du Routar.

             So what's all the fuss about? What makes Captain Kirk stand out from other eateries along Chaweng Beach Road? Well it's certainly not a finedining restaurant, although the food is excellent (the huge portions are legendary) and it's very clean and smart (with lovely washrooms!). But what it does have is a rustic charm that typifies the Samui of early days:
a bamboo lined ceiling; photographs of Asia in bygone days adorning the supporting wooden pillars; a casual chilled out atmosphere; and loads of novel design touches. For instance, the glass-top bamboo tables encase fascinating collections of seashells and memorabilia that the restaurant's Belgian owner, Gillou Leroy, has gathered on his numerous trips and adventures around the world.

             There's room for 90 diners up here and large groups can easily be catered for. And what with the Bohemian ambience of the restaurant combined with the entertaining sights and sounds of the passers-by on the street below, the stage is set for the food, of which there's plenty of choices with over 80 items on the tempting menu. Seafood, as you might expect
from seafood restaurant, is predominant throughout both the Thai and Mediterranean sections and you can be guaranteed that it's all 100% fresh.

"… and seafood, as you might expect
from seafood restaurant, is predominant throughout
both the Thai and Mediterranean sections."

          A recommended starter from the Thai menu would be the Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls with shrimps and vegetables, and from the International menu, the Sesame and Wasabi-crusted King Prawns with Indian tomato sauce. For a Thai main course, it's got to be the hugely popular Plate of Mixed Grill Seafood, with its massive selection of white snapper, barracuda, shark, king prawns and crab. And as for the top choice for mains from the Mediterranean section, the New Zealand Grill Lamb Skewer with 'old fashioned' mustard sauce is the favourite.
           
            The desserts at Captain Kirk are pretty special too, and both the Ice-Cream Nougat with caramelised cashew nuts and strawberry coulis, and the Double Choc Brownie with vanilla ice-cream would be hard to better,even in a top fine-dining restaurant charging 3 of 4 times as much.

             There's a good selection of both New and Old World wines here and it's all very reasonably priced, with no bottle topping the 1,000 baht mark. And that just about sums up the dining experience at Captain Kirk. Good wholesome food in convivial surroundings at fair prices. I'm so glad we took that short walk up their stairs all those years ago!

Captain Kirk is open from 5:00 pm until late.
For reservations and further information,
telephone 0 812 705 376.