Seize the moment! Those ancient Romans sure knew how to enjoy life. So much so that one of their most famous expressions – Carpe Diem – meant just that. So how appropriate that one of the best ways of seizing the moment and enjoying life to the full should be dining at a superb new restaurant in Fisherman’s Village of the same name.

Take the road leading from the main traffic lights in Bo Phut down to the beach road in Fisherman’s Village and turn right at the T-junction. And there, just 200 metres further along on the right-hand side, you’ll find Carpe Diem in all its splendid white glory.

The restaurant is actually part of a 19-room boutique resort of the same name, and is next to the reception, bookshop and consulate. Consulate? Yes, one of the partners, Jean-Christophe Lamy, is also the Honorary Consul of France for Samui and Surat Thani. Whilst the other partner, Khun Naddapen Toommanon (better known as Khun Nokkie), also owns the very successful Villa Nalinnadda boutique resort in Hua Thanon (see review).

And they’ve pooled their very considerable joint knowledge and created a resort with a stand-alone restaurant offering the very best of both international and Thai cuisine. I’ll come back to the food in a moment, but let me tell you a little about the restaurant first.

White pillars, white tables and chairs and a lot more white décor is contrasted by classic wrought-iron trellis work, including the walk-in wine cellar and the ornate entrance itself. Hanging orchids along the ceiling supports add more splashes of colour as does the attractive brickwork waterfall cascading down behind the bar.

There’s a clean, minimalist elegance to the whole place which extends through to the pool area at the rear, and makes it a most enjoyable place in which to dine. Which brings me back again to the food.

And although Carpe Diem has superb à la carte menu, it’s becoming especially popular for its meat dishes, because it has a novel and fun way of presenting them. At the back of the restaurant there’s a chiller cabinet, within which is a selection of prime imported meats, such as Angus tenderloin beef, strip-loin beef, sirloin beef, lamb tenderloin and lamb chops. Choose a meat dish and you’re invited to select the cut you wish, quite literally. You tell the chef how much you want and he’ll cut the meat accordingly, and you’ll be charged per gram. No more paying for massive servings that you can’t finish, and no more leaving the table still hungry after receiving a small portion. An excellent idea and one that should be incorporated into every restaurant!

“…and Carpe Diem’s becoming especially popular for its meat dishes, because it has a novel and fun way of presenting them.”

And if you do choose a meat dish, there’s a wide choice of both traditional and non-traditional sauces especially prepared to go with them (remember, one of the partners is French, so you can confidently expect them to be excellent), including: gravy, pepper, blue-cheese, mushroom, chili-pepper, chili-butter, onion-jam, capsicum, mango salsa, tamarind, and the perrenial favourite with lamb – mint sauce.

Alongside the chicken, fish and spaghetti sections, the à la carte menu includes some highly recommended dishes. For starters, there’s a particularly interesting, and tasty, Phad Thai Tuna in which the tuna is fashioned into noodle shapes, and also a delicious Crab Avocado Salad with a unique honey curry dressing. And for a main course, I personally recommend the Roasted Duck with Red Sauce served with a selection of steamed vegetables or jasmine rice. The desserts at Carpe Diem are equally tempting and include a Blueberry Cheesecake to die for and a Jasmine Crème Brûlée worth adding a few inches on the waistline for – they’re that good!

And, as you’d expect with a restaurant also having a Thai partner, the Thai dishes here are totally authentic and you won’t find better on Samui.

With a varied selection of New and Old World wines available from the walk-in wine cellar to complement this fine-dining experience, Carpe Diem just about offers the lot. Including free transportation from your hotel, anywhere on the island. So now it’s up to you to ‘seize the moment’ and treat yourself to an evening of culinary pleasure!

The restaurant is open from 7:00 pm until late, with the kitchen closing at 11:00 pm.
For reservations, transportation and further information, telephone 0 77 427 195, or 0 818 942 034.