Many villas come with the option of an in-house chef who will take away the stress of cooking during your stay. The villas come with a menu from which you can choose your meals throughout your holiday. Villas do also offer self-catering options if you would prefer to cook your own meals. Prior to your arrival it is also possible to have the villa pre-stocked with all your favourite bites.

However, if part of the lure of visiting Samui is to explore the island and taste the local cuisine then there are many places on the island to do so. There are a whole range of different restaurants and eateries to suit any mood. The food is not exclusively Thai and most restaurants will offer alternatives to traditional Thai cuisine. There are also a whole host of different restaurants including, French, Mexican, Italian, English, Brazilian and Indian.

One of the reasons that food on Samui is so special is because of the great range of fresh ingredients that are available. The fishing village of Hua Thanon is known for providing the island with some of the best and most reasonable fresh fish and seafood on the island. Add to this a delicious selection of meats and poultry, a mouth-watering selection of tropical fruits and vegetables and distinctive herbs and spices and you have yourself a recipe for a lifelong love affair with Thai cuisine.

There are many comprehensive guides available as to where the very best restaurants are and what you can expect from them, and there are places to eat that the whole family will enjoy.

Many people recommend exploring the local cuisine by finding places to eat off the beaten track or by sampling the delights of the local food markets. A great way to find a great place to eat is to look for the places where the locals are eating rather than the place that looks the fanciest. The locals know the area and where to get great food at great places so use this to your advantage and trust them, especially when you are looking for traditional Thai food.

The biggest selection of restaurants and places to eat are based in Chaweng and Lamai which are the more central beachside locations, but no matter where you are on the island a great meal is never far away and often you won’t even need to leave the villa.

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Ooooh … spooky!  But how does he cope when all who have visited Koh Samui start cooking Thai-style as soon as they get home?  Thai cuisine is one of the tastiest in the world, and mastering some of the basics will set you up for quick family suppers or sumptuous dinner party fare.

And here’s a very quick and easy one for a summer lunch or supper:

Thai Waterfall Beef Salad
Ingredients for 2 people:
2-3 steaks – sirloin, or fillet – depending on their size and how much meat you want
Salad greens – rocket, lambs ear, cos, romaine, little gem: whatever you like – torn to bite size
Bean sprouts – one packet
1 cup fresh papaya, cut into small cubes
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
A few leaves of basil

The marinade:
2 Tbs oyster sauce
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs lime or lemon juice
2 Tbs brown sugar
1 cup fresh coriander, stalks removed, chopped

Dressing:
2 Tbs fish sauce (can be omitted if you can’t find it in your supermarket / Asian store.  It adds some saltiness to the salad)
3 Tbs lime or lemon juice
1.5 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs ground peanuts
1 Tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tsp brown sugar

1.     Make the marinade first: mix all the ingredients together making sure the sugar is dissolved.  Then put the marinade and the steaks in a new plastic bag or tight seal container, seal, give it a shake, leave in the fridge.
2.     Then make the dressing: as with the marinade, mix all the ingredients together, making sure the sugar is dissolved, leave in a bowl or clean, small salad-dressing bottle.
3.     Get the salad ready.
4.     Grill or griddle the steaks, turning just once.  The steaks should be well sealed to keep their juices in, but still pink in the middle.
5.     When done, slice very thinly.
6.     Place salad on plates with the steak on top.

If you eat this in a Thai restaurant, the salad will already be dressed.  I prefer to leave it for people to add themselves.

And why is it called Waterfall Beef Salad?  Because of the noise of the meat juices hitting the hot grill.  Of course, if you do the grilling inside your oven, you may just have to imagine that!

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