Sometimes it’s the location. Other times it’s the décor. With some, it’s the ambience. Even the service. Most often it’s the food. These are the reasons most people go to a particular restaurant. But when all of these attractions can be found in one place, then it becomes a special restaurant. One worthy of recommendation.

So does La Brasserie at Chaweng Beachcomber fall into this elite category? Local residents assured me that indeed it does, but why should I take their word for it, when I could go there and sample it for myself? If it’s as good as they tell me, then it won’t be any hardship!

Finding La Brasserie was easy. It’s in the middle of Chaweng’s long sandy beach. And the location here would be hard to beat. Coconut palm trees swaying in the cooling breeze with the Gulf of Siam lapping gently just 5 metres away.

But where to sit? Shall it be on the beach itself, at one of the 5 tables set up there? Or in the 40-seater restaurant building, with all its finery? No, tonight I’m with a companion, and she prefers to dine on the spacious terrace, so that’s where we’ll be! It’s comfortable out here, with ample room for 50 diners. And a beautiful, leafy tree creates a natural ceiling above, reflecting the lamplight back down upon us.

The menu gives many choices, but I’m told that if there’s something we particularly fancy, that isn’t on it, they’ll make it especially for us. Now that’s something you don’t hear in many restaurants!

But there are lots we see that we would like to try, so we set about ordering a starter. Being a seafood-lover, I go for the Mussels with Penang sauce, mango, crispy shallot and basil oil. My partner immediately spots the Roasted Mozzarella with Parma ham, asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes and balsamic reduction, and has no hesitation in making a quick decision. Both dishes swiftly arrive and how attractive they look too! They taste as delicious as they appear, and start our mouths watering for the main course.

We ate Thai food yesterday, and Italian food the evening before that, so we order two of the other international dishes on offer: Grilled Sea Bass Fillet with a seafood medley, brunoise of vegetables, lobster sauce and crustacean oil; and Roasted Duck Breast with wild mushroom risotto, balsamico-honey sauce, and rocket leaves. And these dishes don’t come any better! Again the presentation is superb, matched only by the taste. I’ve got to find out who the chef is here!

Something cool and light seems appealing for dessert so we order the Ginger and Date Pudding with streusel, rum & raison ice-cream and Amaretto sauce. It seems such a shame spoiling the artwork by eating it, but things melt fast here, so … And the verdict? Mmm … yummy!

“…. with the Gulf of Siam lapping
gently just 5 metres away.”

And just as we sit back and relax, enjoying an excellent cappuccino, the very man we want to meet appears. It’s the Executive Chef – Steven van Duyn. He’s recently returned to La Brasserie after a 2-year spell at a top city hotel in Bangkok, and what a treasure they have in him! He’d been here before for several years and was the chef who initially launched La Brasserie onto the island’s fine-dining scene. Steven’s originally from New Zealand, where he gained extensive cooking experience for many years, working in several award winning restaurants – and I’m not surprised at that! His philosophy is: “Keep it simple, and give importance to the marriage of different flavours on a plate.” Sounds good to me. And he further enlightens us that all the prices here include both service and VAT which, apparently, isn’t normally the case in hotels.

So does La Brasserie deserve to be recommended as one of Samui’s special restaurants? Well, with the great location, perfect ambience and the superb food, I think there can be little doubt!

The restaurant’s open every day from 11:30 am – late (kitchen closes at 10:30 pm).
For details of the theme nights and further information, telephone 0 7742 2041-3.