Koh Samui

[samandy]

We normally stay in Phuket, and have been to Krabie, Koh Lanta, Koh Phi Phi etc. and we have had very good food, especially sea food. We had a look see in Pataya (very like the Costa Del Sol at its peak), but the food was very good and the prawns were plentyful and cheap. What is wrong with Koh Samui, we feel we are getting ripped off, since we have been here for a month, we have never had a dish with more than two prawns in it!!! and when we order a sea food dish, that means 2 prawns and a rubbery bit of squid, does anyone feel the same.

[Boater]

thats Samui for you !

[notmyself]

thats Samui for you !

Sounds like Chaweng to me.

[Kilgore Trout]

When I was in Samui we found a place in chaweng, back from the beach, a completely no frills restaurant. However, we got a dinner for two, picked a whole fish, a whole plate of giant prawns, and a crab plate served with vegetables and potatoes for around 250 baht. We were so full we couldn't even finish, with drinks; my wife's coctail and my big bottle of beer, the whole bill was under 600 baht.

So, although you may not get a beach view, there are fantastic deals in Chaweng, Samui

[carmine]

Suggest the OP goes to a different restaurant.

[Rooo]

thats Samui for you !

Really ? What a statement Boater. To the OP there are so many places to eat on Samui , especially seafood.

Perhaps get out of the tourist trap areas Chaweng & Lamai , drive arounf to Bang Po & Ban Tai or Tong Krut.

Koh Samui does not start & stop @ Chaweng.

[Rooo]

Moved to Samui forum.

[wayned]

There used to be a few "seafood boat" restaurants on the road from Big C to Chaweng by the 7-11. You choose the seafood and they cook it like you want. It's not downtown, it's kinda behind the Green Mango. If you go into the bar :Cat-Can-Do" near the Green Mango ask for the owner, Jay. Tell him Wayne with the golden retreivers sent you and ask him where the "boat" restaurants are. He might also be able to help you with accomadations.

Edited November 21, 2011 by wayned

[Tropicalevo]

There used to be a few "seafood boat" restaurants on the road from Big C to Chaweng by the 7-11. You choose the seafood and they cook it like you want. It's not downtown, it's kinda behind the Green Mango. If you go into the bar :Cat-Can-Do" near the Green Mango ask for the owner, Jay. Tell him Wayne with the golden retreivers sent you and ask him where the "boat" restaurants are. He might also be able to help you with accomadations.

I think that you are talking about Pii Soon and his neighbours. 5 -6 good sea food open air places - in the car park behind the market on the road that runs from the traffic lights near Tesco to the start of the one way section of the beach road!

Good sea food and not expensive. Do not go if it is raining though.

Rooo's advice is also good and my personal choice is Choengmon Beach (Crystal) - 'cos it is not far to drive for me.

[doingok]

i have been here 2 months now and you do have to look around for a good place to eat and its usually the ruff looking ones, we went to the main land for a week and have to say samui is more expensive without a doubt in everything.

and you do get a lot more for your money else were

[wayned]

That's the place. Haven't been to Samui since the one way road was opened, but agree don't go if it's raining.

There used to be a few "seafood boat" restaurants on the road from Big C to Chaweng by the 7-11. You choose the seafood and they cook it like you want. It's not downtown, it's kinda behind the Green Mango. If you go into the bar :Cat-Can-Do" near the Green Mango ask for the owner, Jay. Tell him Wayne with the golden retreivers sent you and ask him where the "boat" restaurants are. He might also be able to help you with accomadations.

I think that you are talking about Pii Soon and his neighbours. 5 -6 good sea food open air places - in the car park behind the market on the road that runs from the traffic lights near Tesco to the start of the one way section of the beach road!

Good sea food and not expensive. Do not go if it is raining though.

Rooo's advice is also good and my personal choice is Choengmon Beach (Crystal) - 'cos it is not far to drive for me.

[smokie36]

Bang Po seafood is the best place as Rooo mentioned.

[yorkie100]

There used to be a few "seafood boat" restaurants on the road from Big C to Chaweng by the 7-11. You choose the seafood and they cook it like you want. It's not downtown, it's kinda behind the Green Mango. If you go into the bar :Cat-Can-Do" near the Green Mango ask for the owner, Jay. Tell him Wayne with the golden retreivers sent you and ask him where the "boat" restaurants are. He might also be able to help you with accomadations.

I think that you are talking about Pii Soon and his neighbours. 5 -6 good sea food open air places - in the car park behind the market on the road that runs from the traffic lights near Tesco to the start of the one way section of the beach road!

Good sea food and not expensive. Do not go if it is raining though.

Rooo's advice is also good and my personal choice is Choengmon Beach (Crystal) - 'cos it is not far to drive for me.

Yep, TE that,s' a good restaurant (romantic too on a dry night)and Choengmon Bungalows restaurant nearby is not bad either.

Jay sold Catcandoo more than a year ago Wayned and I think its changed hands again since.

It's been demolished now but not sure what is replacing it yet.

[BangrakBob]

I've never had a prawn dish with less than 6 prawns, never payed more than 150 Baht and had an awesome crab for 120 Baht the other day at Tam Thai in Bangrak....i rarely ever eat outside of Mae Nam I get to eat the freshest, tastiest, healthiest food every day for a what i consider is great value.

You do need to explore further than Chaweng, although as the guys have mentioned there are still great places to eat. You just need get off the high street and get past the idea that flashy decor and fancy shop fit-out means great food.

[wayned]

I used to own Wildflower down toward the end of the Soi on the right. Sold it a few years ago and moved up North to raise my Goldens. Haven't been back since but I can image how things have changed. Where'd Jay go after he sold out. I know that he wanted to but had a long contract issue, maybe it's been longer than I thought.

There used to be a few "seafood boat" restaurants on the road from Big C to Chaweng by the 7-11. You choose the seafood and they cook it like you want. It's not downtown, it's kinda behind the Green Mango. If you go into the bar :Cat-Can-Do" near the Green Mango ask for the owner, Jay. Tell him Wayne with the golden retreivers sent you and ask him where the "boat" restaurants are. He might also be able to help you with accomadations.

I think that you are talking about Pii Soon and his neighbours. 5 -6 good sea food open air places - in the car park behind the market on the road that runs from the traffic lights near Tesco to the start of the one way section of the beach road!

Good sea food and not expensive. Do not go if it is raining though.

Rooo's advice is also good and my personal choice is Choengmon Beach (Crystal) - 'cos it is not far to drive for me.

Yep, TE that,s' a good restaurant (romantic too on a dry night)and Choengmon Bungalows restaurant nearby is not bad either.

Jay sold Catcandoo more than a year ago Wayned and I think its changed hands again since.

It's been demolished now but not sure what is replacing it yet.

[Samuian]

thats Samui for you !

Sounds like Chaweng to me.

Yeah and the dish is called "grand seafood platter for 2" for "only" xyz $$$$...

If you don't have the means to prepare it your self, and it has to be chaweng go and see

one of the seafood shops behind "talaad pang bua".. it the northern road along the chaweng reservoir, passed the reservoir in easterly direction, just after the 7/11 on the right hand side - passed the lake and the traffic round about, there is first one on the left, foodstalls to the right, pass it, family mart on the left, pass it, 7/11 on the right, look for space to park car, walk to the rear end of this "food stall market" and you'll see... at least 3 seafood shops, reasonable priced - one of them is called "pee soon" and advertising bill board says that they got "french fried" but then... no suggestion really.. there are choices, well after all it's Thailand!

[southbot]

I reckon try the west coast.

North of Nathon, along the beach, are several excellent seafood restaurants like "Big Jiew" and others. Take your pick. I find that they serve generous amounts of seafood in their dishes.

Everything in Chaweng / Lamai is pricey. My mate bought a pair of shorts there for 1,450 Baht, exact same shorts I bought in a shop in Nathon for 450 Baht.

The food served on west coast is cheaper and better. Just because it is not crawling with tourists, beer bars, absurdly high rentals and all the associated bruhahaha.

However, point noted. I have been to Phuket and elsewhere too and noticed how much better and cheaper most food at many restaurants was.

As another poster noted, "that's Samui for you".

Best thing is to go to the fresh fish market, get a big fat fish, do a beach BBQ or whatever..... mmmmmmmmmmm.

:-)

[yorkie100]

I used to own Wildflower down toward the end of the Soi on the right. Sold it a few years ago and moved up North to raise my Goldens. Haven't been back since but I can image how things have changed. Where'd Jay go after he sold out. I know that he wanted to but had a long contract issue, maybe it's been longer than I thought.

There used to be a few "seafood boat" restaurants on the road from Big C to Chaweng by the 7-11. You choose the seafood and they cook it like you want. It's not downtown, it's kinda behind the Green Mango. If you go into the bar :Cat-Can-Do" near the Green Mango ask for the owner, Jay. Tell him Wayne with the golden retreivers sent you and ask him where the "boat" restaurants are. He might also be able to help you with accomadations.

I think that you are talking about Pii Soon and his neighbours. 5 -6 good sea food open air places - in the car park behind the market on the road that runs from the traffic lights near Tesco to the start of the one way section of the beach road!

Good sea food and not expensive. Do not go if it is raining though.

Rooo's advice is also good and my personal choice is Choengmon Beach (Crystal) - 'cos it is not far to drive for me.

Yep, TE that,s' a good restaurant (romantic too on a dry night)and Choengmon Bungalows restaurant nearby is not bad either.

Jay sold Catcandoo more than a year ago Wayned and I think its changed hands again since.

It's been demolished now but not sure what is replacing it yet.

Jay still has Catcantoo opposite the new Bangrak pier.

[robsamui]

thats Samui for you !

Shame on U 4 the slick no-answer Boaty. And that's 3 in a week like this. Is it low season or something?

(Do you spend the rest of UR time now on Yahoo Answers? Cos they are all like this.)

R

Edited November 21, 2011 by robsamui

[robsamui]

Bang Po seafood is the best place as Rooo mentioned.

Still? Really? 3 or 4 years back it was a dump.Ask for seafood and you got prawns. Ask for chicken and U got roadkill.

It was the best place on the island 8 or 10 years back and super cheap. If you were white you had to wait forever before all the Thai tables were served! I used to live nearby and grew to accept that you got well-pis*ed before you could eat. None of us complained . . .

But when the Thai customers move out and the place gets full of white faces you need to look again.

In my longtime experience, Jum Hom in Ban Tai is far better - wider selections - and half the price of BPSF. Ban Por, at the end of all the "Coconut Land and House" and just before the bend with the giant poster of the drowning baby.. My daughter held her wedding reception there 3 years back. 22 people. "Free" table of seafood cooked on the spot. (Rock lobsters, king prawns, crabs, fish - but no oysters or scallops or James Bond canapés) and the entire night for 22 people with unlimited food and drink came to 9,000 baht.

(Minus that by 21 and remove the cost of 10 litres of spirits and 20 gallons of beer . . .)

Failing that GO THAI. :jap:

Like Johm Thong Seafood on the straight after the big 4-Seasons hill going towards Nathon. Not far from Samui Aksorn printing. Big seafood meal for 4 with drinks for less than 1,000 baht.

Or go to the beach seafood restaurant right after the Grandmother and Grandfather Rocks in Lamai. "Sabaeinglae". Cheap as you like; but from what folks have told me lately the service is Central Africa-style. ie wait for the next revolution before you get served and don't moan about all the missing bits of your order (as in about half of it. TIT.)

OR - check through this, where you'll finds reviews of all of these local restaurants and cafes and lots of others online . . .

http://www.siammap.com/wining_dining/

and read your way thru the archives looking for the regular "GOING NATIVE" slots.

This covers all the little hidden-away Thai restaurants where there are a) clean toilets and menus in English or staff can speak English. 40% are small local seafood restaurants on the beach - all over the island, some on the main road & some hidden away on the beach..

Don't say I didn't tell you.

R

Edited November 21, 2011 by robsamui

[robsamui]

I reckon try the west coast.

North of Nathon, along the beach, are several excellent seafood restaurants like "Big Jiew" and others. Take your pick. I find that they serve generous amounts of seafood in their dishes.

Everything in Chaweng / Lamai is pricey. My mate bought a pair of shorts there for 1,450 Baht, exact same shorts I bought in a shop in Nathon for 450 Baht.

The food served on west coast is cheaper and better. Just because it is not crawling with tourists, beer bars, absurdly high rentals and all the associated bruhahaha.

However, point noted. I have been to Phuket and elsewhere too and noticed how much better and cheaper most food at many restaurants was.

As another poster noted, "that's Samui for you".

Best thing is to go to the fresh fish market, get a big fat fish, do a beach BBQ or whatever..... mmmmmmmmmmm.

:-)

Eat my shorts?

Let's hear it for Homer. What did you recommend in the way of terrific seafood at a good price on Samui again?

Must have missed that.

Last time I looked (2008) Big Jiew was thinking about doing karaoke cos nobody goes there any more.

R

Edited November 21, 2011 by robsamui

[Rooo]

Bang Po seafood is the best place as Rooo mentioned.

Still? Really? 3 or 4 years back it was a dump.Ask for seafood and you get prawns. Ask for chicken and U get roadkill.

It was the best place on the island 10 years back.

R

Rob,

Smokie got it wrong lol.

Rooo said:

Perhaps get out of the tourist trap areas Chaweng & Lamai , drive arounf to Bang Po & Ban Tai or Tong Krut.

Koh Samui does not start & stop @ Chaweng.

[robsamui]

Bang Po seafood is the best place as Rooo mentioned.

Still? Really? 3 or 4 years back it was a dump.Ask for seafood and you got prawns. Ask for chicken and U got roadkill.

It was the best place on the island 8 or 10 years back and super cheap. If you were white you had to wait forever before all the Thai tables were served! I used to live nearby and grew to accept that you got well-pis*ed before you could eat. None of us complained . . .

But when the Thai customers move out and the place gets full of white faces you need to look again.

In my longtime experience, Jum Hom in Ban Tai is far better - wider selections - and half the price of BPSF. Ban Por, at the end of all the "Coconut Land and House" and just before the bend with the giant poster of the drowning baby.. My daughter held her wedding reception there 3 years back. 22 people. "Free" table of seafood cooked on the spot. (Rock lobsters, king prawns, crabs, fish - but no oysters or scallops or James Bond canapés) and the entire night for 22 people with unlimited food and drink came to 9,000 baht.

(Minus that by 21 and remove the cost of 10 litres of spirits and 20 gallons of beer . . .)

Failing that GO THAI. :jap:

Like Johm Thong Seafood on the straight after the big 4-Seasons hill going towards Nathon. Not far from Samui Aksorn printing. Big seafood meal for 4 with drinks for less than 1,000 baht.

Or go to the beach seafood restaurant right after the Grandmother and Grandfather Rocks in Lamai. "Sabaeinglae". Cheap as you like; but from what folks have told me lately the service is Central Africa-style. ie wait for the next revolution before you get served and don't moan about all the missing bits of your order (as in about half of it. TIT.)

OR - check through this, where you'll finds reviews of all of these local restaurants and cafes and lots of others online . . .

http://www.siammap.com/wining_dining/

and read your way thru the archives looking for the regular "GOING NATIVE" slots.

This covers all the little hidden-away Thai restaurants where there are a) clean toilets and menus in English or staff can speak English. 40% are small local seafood restaurants on the beach - all over the island, some on the main road & some hidden away on the beach..

Don't say I didn't tell you.

R

Correction: Jun Hom is actually in Bang Por, just before the drowning baby bend (Health Oasis.)

Apologies.

R

Edited November 21, 2011 by robsamui

[robsamui]

Bang Po seafood is the best place as Rooo mentioned.

Still? Really? 3 or 4 years back it was a dump.Ask for seafood and you get prawns. Ask for chicken and U get roadkill.

It was the best place on the island 10 years back.

R

Rob,

Smokie got it wrong lol.

Rooo said:

Perhaps get out of the tourist trap areas Chaweng & Lamai , drive arounf to Bang Po & Ban Tai or Tong Krut.

Koh Samui does not start & stop @ Chaweng.

Bang Por - now you're smokin!

Smokie . . .

Or something . .

R

Edited November 21, 2011 by robsamui

[Boater]

thats Samui for you !

Really ? What a statement Boater. To the OP there are so many places to eat on Samui , especially seafood.

Perhaps get out of the tourist trap areas Chaweng & Lamai , drive arounf to Bang Po & Ban Tai or Tong Krut.

Koh Samui does not start & stop @ Chaweng.

opps , didnt really mean it in that context, sorry Rooo , but agree , there are other places to go, but it is these places that give other places bad names !,

maybe we should start a resturant review thread so this doesnt happen again

[smokie36]

Bang Po seafood is the best place as Rooo mentioned.

Still? Really? 3 or 4 years back it was a dump.Ask for seafood and you got prawns. Ask for chicken and U got roadkill.

It was the best place on the island 8 or 10 years back and super cheap. If you were white you had to wait forever before all the Thai tables were served! I used to live nearby and grew to accept that you got well-pis*ed before you could eat. None of us complained . . .

I eat there with Thai friends. They do the ordering.

Edit: Having given this some thought I reckon you're right Rob. The food at bang Po is good imo...but the best fish I had on Samui was an off the cuff barbecue mackerel in Choeng Mon. Delicious!

Edited November 21, 2011 by smokie36

[limbos]

To OP and everybody else, on my Samui info blog there's a lot information and reviews about restaurants around the island, Thai and Western food, cheap and expensive and the same in other parts of Thailand. I'm not associated with either one of these places..