 Sometimes it’s the location. Other times it’s the décor. With some, it’s the ambience. Even the service. Most often it’s the food. These are the reasons most people go to a particular restaurant. But when all of these attractions can be found in one place, then it becomes a special restaurant. One worthy of recommendation.
So does La Brasserie at Chaweng Beachcomber Hotel fall into this elite category? Local residents assured me that indeed it does, but why should I take their word for it, when I could go there and sample it for myself? If it’s as good as they tell me, then it won’t be any hardship!
Finding La Brasserie was easy. It’s in the middle of Chaweng’s long sandy beach. And the location here would be hard to beat. Coconut palm trees swaying in the cooling breeze with the Gulf of Siam lapping gently just 5 metres away.
But where to sit? Shall it be on the beach itself, at one of the tables set up there? Or in the 40-seater restaurant building, with all its finery? No, tonight I’m with a companion, and she prefers to dine on the spacious terrace, so that’s where we’ll be! It’s comfortable out here, with ample room for 50 diners. And a beautiful, leafy tree creates a natural ceiling above, reflecting the lamplight back down upon us.
The menu gives many choices, but I’m told that if there’s something we parti-cularly fancy, that isn’t on it, they’ll make it especially for us. Now that’s something you don’t hear in many restaurants!
But there are lots we see that we would like to try, so we set about ordering a starter. Being a seafood-lover, I go for the Rock Lobster with grilled mango, red curry sauce and a herb salad. My partner immediately spots the Roast garlic and Potato Soup – with trumper mushrooms and truffle oil, and has no hesitation in making a quick decision. Both dishes swiftly arrive and how attractive they look too! They taste as delicious as they appear, and start our mouths watering for the main course.
We ate Thai food yesterday, and Italian food the evening before that, so we order two of the other international dishes on offer: Deep-fried Haloumi Cheese Croquette on an apple, walnut salad with honey-truffle oil and port syrup. And the Roasted Mozzarella wrapped in Parma ham with asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes with red wine syrup. (We are also tempted by the Snapper Fillet with rock lobster, lime, cherry tomatoes, sauteed arugala leaves and Chardonnay cream sauce, but that will have to wait for another day!) And these dishes don’t come any better! Again the presentation is superb, matched only by the taste. I’ve got to find out who the chef is here!
“… with the Gulf of Siam lapping gently just 5 metres away.”
Something cool and light seems appealing for dessert so we order the Chocolate Plate which consists of warm chocolate cake, dark chocolate mousse and white chocolate sorbet with coffee syrup. All these different tastes, combined with the chocolate, instantly make it my favourite dessert.
And just as we sit back and relax, enjoying an excellent cappuccino, the very man we want to meet appears. It’s the executive chef – Steven Van Duyn. He’s been at La Brasserie since November 2000, and what a treasure they have in him! Steve’s from New Zealand, where he’s had extensive cooking experience, working in several award winning restaurants – and I’m not surprised at that! His philosophy is: ‘Keep it simple, and give importance to the marriage of different flavours on a plate.’ Sounds good to me. And he further enlightens us that all prices include VAT and service which, apparently, isn’t the case in all hotels.
So does La Brasserie deserve to be recommended as one of Samui’s special restaurants? Well, with the great location, perfect ambience and the superb food, I think there can be little doubt! | 
