It would be an understatement to say that dining choices are diverse. Under the direction of Executive Chef,
Jaume Esperalba, a wealth of culinary delights makes the main restaurant area a diverse and interactive food and drinks experience.
Beginning with the
Dining Room, with its relaxed Thai-style kantoke seating augmented with relaxed day beds and more conventional seating options, it offers spectacular views rivalled only by the creative Thai and Mediterranean cuisine. The uniquely-styled
Cooking Hut features an expansive wood-fired rock oven, hot and cold smoke oven, and tandoor.
Perched atop the cliff, looking over the rain forest to the sea beyond, pre dinner drinks at
Ever Soneva So Spirited are accompanied by indelible sunsets. Tucked to one side is the ice-cream parlour -
Ever Soneva So Chilled - featuring a wall of more than sixty flavours of homemade sorbet, gelato and ice-cream at any one time. The adjoining chocolate room
Ever Soneva So Chocoholic completes the indulgence. Featuring fair trade premium chocolate sourced from cocoa trees in Thailand’s south, the chocolate is presented in blends of up to 95%. Be it mousses, cookies, drinks, bon-bons or truffles, this little piece of heaven is a magnet for every would-be chocolate fancier.
Then there is the gourmet room -
Ever Soneva So Deli-cious - a circular glass vault that hosts the finest cheeses and cold cuts to be found - anywhere. There is an array of accompaniments, plus a menu of gourmet platters ideal for snacking during Observatory evenings. Selected delicacies are featured in the weekday tastings, paired with the Sommelier’s choices.
At the fine dining restaurant, the simplicity of freshness and flavours are fused to create a redefined style of contemporary Thai-inspired dishes at
The View. The menu is strongly influenced with locally-grown organic produce in slow food tradition and changes daily so as to incorporate the very best the market has to offer.
Adjoining the view restaurant is the ying and yang of bars -
Ever Soneva So Spiritual - brown & white bars perfectly in harmony to blend cocktails of choice and creative concoctions; in fact any refreshment imaginable. The setting is dramatic, as befits the experience. From the rocky cliff top, the view is across water towards an uninhabited island. As the sun sets, it becomes idyllic for champagne and romantic notions, and the perfect spot for pre and post-dinner drinks.
A subterranean
Wine Cellar sits adjacent to the restaurant. More than five hundred labels are represented in the climate controlled cave, which features an upper level from which the grotto-like setting can be enjoyed whilst enjoying selected vintages. A master sommelier presents wine tasting evenings at which canapés are prepared to accompany the wines. The cellar can also be booked for private gatherings.
An opportunity to be just one of eight guests to dine at
Down to Earth is an exclusive lunch or dinner option. A splendid meal will be prepared right at the table by the chef, where culinary tips can be gleaned from observing a maestro at work. For deeper food preparation insights, regular cooking classes are also held at the chef’s table.
Accomplished Thai chef
Khun Benz has returned to her homeland after a decade of providing the Asian aspects to the cuisine at Soneva Fushi. Aptly named
Benz’s, the restaurant is a classic wooden Thai structure stilted amongst the mangroves fringing Klong Yai Kee in which her vast repertoire of Thai dishes is presented. In the truest form of slow food, almost all the ingredients are produced either on Koh Kood or nearby Koh Chang. All the seafood comes from the local fishermen or is island grown, such as the scallops that feature in Benz’s famous hommock. Located just off-property, arrival is by a splendid Aquasense motorboat from the Dragon Jetty.
For a relaxed outing, jump aboard a personal electric buggy and take the short trip to
The Beach. On this pristine classically-tropical beach there are wood fired and tandoori ovens, and pit cooking, with a marvellous sunken seating area. From mid-morning, enjoy snacks and drinks, plus creative sandwiches and wraps, all the way through to fun themed dinners. Make a whole day of a The Beach visit, with water activities that include windsurfing and snorkelling.
Cinema Paradiso has been referred to as Mother Nature’s amphitheatre. It presents classic movies set beneath a star-bejewelled canopy and an auditorium of personal loungers. Cocktail service and the mandatory hot buttered popcorn complete the soiree to remember.
Tree Pod Dining could be the most innovative dining aloft since in-flight silver service was introduced at 35,000 feet, half a century ago. Although in this case the dining is just 16 feet, or around 5 metres, off terra firma.
The Dining Pod, engineered with a rigid frame swathed in woven rattan, is not unlike a cocoon with an open panorama window. Up to four diners board the pod, and are then elevated to the lofty height by a system of safety winches. Food courses arrive courtesy of a flying waiter – harnessed to a zip line – as do beverage replenishments. However, unlike the other form of first class dining aloft, this experience enjoys the ultimate exclusivity, and very little turbulence.
