You’re right. There are thousands of Thai restaurants on Samui. And, yes, you’re spot-on again. So many of them serve absolutely delicious food. But when it comes to superb décor, exceptionally professional staff and wonderful cuisine, the list shortens dramatically. And Orchidea fits into this diminutive category perfectly, for many reasons …

Take the restaurant building itself. Although part of the plush new Kandaburi Resort (at the northern end of Chaweng Beach, between The Briza and Baan Haad Ngam Boutique Resort) it’s completely ‘stand-alone’ on the opposite side of the road, next to its Mediterranean cuisine sister restaurant – Kandalina (you can order from this menu too, should someone you’re with prefer), so you don’t have to go searching for it.

Choose to dine outside on the expansive wooden terrace, where there’s seating for 24 alongside the lotus-pond aqueduct which spans the entire 25-metre frontage, or go inside the fabulous split-level 80-seat interior. And this is somewhere very special. The overall colour scheme is purple and gold; royal colours which befit a place of this style. Floor-to-ceiling windows give Orchidea an open, airy feel and the artistic use of wood carved into Thai archways create a unique atmosphere of Oriental opulence and splendour. And this Thai elegance is reinforced by the staff uniforms; all individually tailored in satin.

But don’t think that all this refinement means that Orchidea is sterile and that the staff are aloof. Far from it. There couldn’t be a friendlier restaurant manager than Khun Sayan Kongon, who takes great pride in ensuring that you and your party are totally looked after. And his cheerful professionalism is echoed by everyone else there. Nothing is too much trouble.

With the restaurant itself being so special, the food should be too. Which it certainly is. And it all starts with a complimentary Thai appetiser called Mieng Kana. Eating it is fun, too, as you make your own parcels of young kale-leaf wrapped around a combination of diced limes, chili, red onions, diced ginger, cooked shrimps, peanuts and toasted coconut with a sweet shrimp paste and tamarind sauce, which you simply pop into your mouth. It’s delicious and should be tried.

Orchidea offers some amazing set meals for two which are highly recommended (incredibly low-priced, they range from 1,000 – 1,200 baht), but space here is too limited to list the dishes included so here are some other recommendations from the à la carte menu, starting with appetizers: Thod Man Leb Krut – deep fried shrimps with chrysanthemum leaves in a curried batter, served with a sweet dip; and Por Pia Goong Sa-rong – marinated shrimps, wrapped in a spring-roll wrapper bound with egg noodles, served with roasted chili plum sauce.

“… and with the restaurant itself being so special, the food should be too. Which it certainly is.”  

There’s a tasty Thai salad called Yam Talay, which is a combination of local seafood including shrimps, squid, fish, mussels with sliced onions, tomato, spring onion, coriander and bound with a lime, chili and fish sauce dressing. And the soup Tom Som Pla Kapong – tamarind and fish broth infused with shredded ginger and coriander – is well worth trying, too.

As for the main dishes (Thais don’t really have separate courses), both the Choo Chee Goong Lai – tiger prawn medallion slow-cooked in red curry with chili and kaffir-lime leaves, and the Pla Kao Rad Prik – a whole grouper deep-fried and topped with a garlic, chili and tamarind sauce, will make you realise how excellent the cuisine here really is.

And you can top it all off with a local Thai dessert, ice-cream with fruit salad, or a platter of assorted seasonal fruits. There’s an excellent choice of both New and Old World wines here, too, which you can select yourself from the walk-in wine cellar.

Orchidea is that rare breed of Thai restaurant which manages to capture the authentic traditional characteristics of this beautiful country but in a contemporary setting. And for that reason, amongst many others, it should be experienced. 

Orchidea is open from 11:30 am - 3:00 pm for lunch, and for dinner from 6:30 pm till late (kitchen closes at 10:30 pm).
For further details and reservations, please telephone 0 7742 8888, ext.5.