This week’s Dining Out was at the Ravindra Beach Resort and Spa, and if you haven’t heard of the Ravindra Beach Resort, don’t fret, neither had we! However, it is not as far out of town as you might think. Driving Sukhumvit towards Bang Saray it is less than five minutes past the Floating Market, do a U-Turn at Ocean Marina and Ravindra is immediately on your left at Km marker 157.
The 200+ rooms resort has the accommodation overlooking the many swimming pools. They have several restaurants, but the one we went to review was the Reva Beach restaurant, right on the resort’s private white sand beach on one side and adjacent to a large swimming pool on the other.
The restaurant has comfortable cushioned rattan chairs with large tables and quality cutlery. At the rear there is a spotless open kitchen and a cocktail bar. With open sides to the beach, the cool breezes from the sea make the atmosphere very pleasant, and a very romantic venue. We got there at 6 p.m. to be able to catch the sunset, whilst enjoying a glass of the house white (French Fontanilles, B. 1,000 per bottle or B. 210 per glass).
The menu is comprehensive, without being extensive or expensive. Five salads including a Caesar at B. 200, four sandwiches and burgers with a top of the line blue cheese burger at B. 260 for the adventurous. Three soups, three char grills, with pork spare ribs with potato wedges and mixed salad B. 240, and seven mainly Thai noodles and rice dishes at B. 140-150. Pizzas are B. 220-260 and three pasta dishes at B. 240.
The main courses come under the heading of Al Fresco Seafood and Steak Dining and range between B. 250 (green curry marinated chicken breast) to B. 480 (grilled rack of lamb). On the next page there are grills with steaks (tenderloin, sirloin and rib eye) B. 350-480 and seafood covering rock lobster, tiger prawn, river prawn, blue crab, squid, NZ mussel and salmon charged out as per 100 gm.
We began with the butter grilled jumbo tiger prawn on a lobster-tomato risotto with roasted cherry tomatoes and warm asparagus in ponzu-orange dressing (B. 350). I took the opportunity to watch the chef preparing this dish in the open kitchen, and it is always a pleasure to see the skill and creativity in our Thai chefs. The final product was very well presented and made for very good eating. The tiger prawns were fresh and not overcooked.
The next dish was the whole fish of the day, cooked roasted on the bone and pocketed with Thai herbs served with saffron and vegetable pilaf (B. 350). The fish was moist and the herbs gave the fish a very pleasant taste, and I liked this dish a lot.
The Dining Out was slowly turning into a marathon, as the Reva restaurant obviously wanted to show us their range and capabilities, and the next course was the pork spare ribs served with potato wedges (B. 240). For me, spare ribs must have the meat falling off the bone without resorting to boning knives. These ribs were succulent, and did indeed fall from the bone with slight pressure only. The spicy sauce was also excellent, and this was probably my choice of the dish of the evening.
Another of the Reva ‘signature’ dishes is the herb crusted seared Ahi tuna fillet with caper and tangerine orange vinaigrette on turmeric mashed potatoes (B. 280). Very generous fillets, and again an excellent dish.
Would we go again? We certainly will. Good food, good value, great venue.
One thought that kept going through my mind, was why let just the tourists enjoy facilities like this? We enjoyed being tourists in our own town. The Ravindra Beach Resort and Spa is an excellent venue, and the restaurant was very pleasant and not over-priced. Families are catered for, and we are sure you will not be disappointed. Definitely worth the short drive.
Reva Beach Restaurant (10 a.m. until 11 p.m.), Ravindra Beach Resort and Spa, 246 M4, Sukhumvit Km 157, NaJomtien, telephone 038 235 777, web www.ravindraresort.com, email info@ravindraresort. com. Secure parking in resort grounds.
