This week, the Dining Out team had a new experience. Where? “Somewhere.” Read on.
Following an invitation from the Cape and Kantary group to review the cuisine at their property on Sichang Island saw us on the 30 minute drive headed towards Sriracha and the ferry to Koh Sichang. The ferry leaves every hour from the Koh Loy Pier and you can park there. The alternative is to park at the Kantary Hotel in Sriracha and they will run you to the pier.
The aquatic side of things takes another easy 45 minutes and costs B. 50 and the water was the next best to a mill pond. The Somewhere Hotel management knew we were coming and transport was waiting for us on the Koh Sichang docks, amongst the hub bub of locals. No tourists, just Thai people. What a relaxing change!
Somewhere is a 20 room boutique hotel, with very friendly staff, a swimming pool and an up-market restaurant called The Verandah. Bright and airy with white and blue décor. The chef is multi-talented and we were regaled with dishes representing the cuisines of Thailand (20, including the famous Tom Yum Goong), Malaysia (yellow curry), France (crepes Suzette), Europe (beef sirloin), America (breakfast and hamburger), Japan (Yakisoba), Italy (pizza and pasta), and Denmark (Danish pastry).
As is our fashion, we selected the wine first and chose a Viu Manent 2017 Chardonnay from Chile. Very enjoyable at B. 180 per glass. All the wines, both red and white, fell in the B. 800-1500 range, including an interesting French Arrogant Frog bubbly 2013 at B. 1,200 for the bottle.
We began with a spicy grilled aubergine with shrimp (B. 140), a very Thai and succulent dish to start the evening. This was followed by the classical Southern Thai dish of chicken in masaman curry (B. 140) and a fettuccine smoked salmon in an intriguing pink sauce (B. 180). One of the Dining Out team enjoyed the masaman so much, we ordered another plate.
More dishes came for us to try, including a pork cordon bleu (B. 180) which was excellent and the dish of the night as far as I was concerned, but this was closely followed by a beef sirloin in a pepper sauce (B. 550). The meat was Charolaise premium and not tough at all.
And more came, until we were overwhelmed and begged the kitchen to stop. Beautiful food, but too much. However, after a suitable rest we lined up for a savory crepes Suzette made at the table, and I do like a bit of theatre with my food.
If you’ve ever wanted somewhere to relax, I can recommend Somewhere on Koh Sichang. The antithesis to Pattaya’s noise, glamor and glitz, Koh Sichang is laid back, relaxed, with some friendly people sitting outside their wooden houses left over from when Rama V ruled the Kingdom. Wonder at that time in history when the King’s summer residence, an entire teak wood palace, could be dismantled and rebuilt in Bangkok, to make sure the threatening French did not get it!
The ferry trip from Koh Loy Pier (Jarin) is B. 50 (one of Thailand’s great bargains) and takes around 45 minutes and brings you to the Koh Sichang pier where you can catch an enlarged Tuk-Tuk (known as a Skylab) to Somewhere Hotel only 10 minutes away, telephone 038 109 400 and get the full details. Or book beforehand through GM Jason, and Somewhere will have your transport waiting.
I believe it makes for a great holiday with inexpensive room rates
Sun – Thu. B. 2,500 incl. 2 ABF
Friday B. 2,700 incl. 2 ABF
Sat or long weekend B. 3,200 incl. 2 ABF
Somewhere Hotel, 194/1 Moo 3, Tha Thewawong, tel. 038 109 400, secure parking on the mainland (Kantary Bay Hotel Sriracha), email [email protected] . Now book and then turn your phone off and relax!
