Where to eat in Koh Samui without falling victim to the island’s legion of tourist traps is the real question. Sure, there are plenty of places to grab a bucket of beers and a plate of pad thai. But for those seeking authentic flavours, a little insider knowledge is required. In this post I’m going to give you a few can’t miss locations and dishes to try on your trip to Koh Samui
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CHAO RUEA RESTAURANT(Samui)
Chao Ruea is located right on the beach about a 10 minute tuk tuk ride away from Wat Phra Yai. The setting alone is worth the trip to this location. Being right on the beach, you dine on the sands of Koh Samui with a view of Koh Phangan. They have an extensive menu but some of my favourites are:
Pad Ped Pla Dook, or spicy fried catfish, is first up. Deep fried for a crunchy exterior and then stir fried in a red chili paste. The addition of fresh herbs including cilantro and more chili’s sets it off. Resulting in a perfectly flaky piece of fish filled with a spicy kick. Wash it down with an ice cold Chiang and you found a little slice of heaven.
Next we have their deep fried soft shell crab. Covered in a fresh papaya salad which is where you will get most of your salty, spicy, sour and sweet flavours Thai food is know for. All topped with cashews for extra crunch and nuttiness. The combination of soft shell, tender meat and salad gives an amazing contrast in textures and flavours.
Staying on a fried kick here because it works so perfectly. Chao Ruea’s fried sea-bass is a can’t miss in my opinion. Tender morsels of sea-bass are deep friend and topped with fresh herbs and cashews. Mint, cilantro and basil add a fresh and tangy touch to to each bit. If you love spicy food like I do, ask for extra chilies on top. Don’t forget to order hot steamed rice with all these dishes.
Where to Stay in Koh Samui
- Luxury Accommodations – Wild Cottages Elephant Sanctuary Resort – A unique hotel brand located in Koh Samui. With the mission to provide to travellers, the best hotel experience, in an eco-friendly and luxury way.
- Mid Range Accommodations – U Samui – The Resort consists of 51 rooms and villas . All accommodation will feature free Wi-Fi, in-room luxury amenities and other U’s unique touches.
- Budget Accommodations – Aforetime House @ Samui – Situated in Taling Ngam Beach, Aforetime House @ Samui offers beachfront accommodation a few steps from Taling Ngam Beach and features various facilities, such as a shared lounge, a terrace and a bar.
For more places to stay in Koh Samui:
Where to Eat in Koh Samui – Fisherman’s Village Night Market
Like all night markets in Thailand, this one is worth checking out too. It’s not a large market, but you will find some great eats here if you’re wondering where to eat in Koh Samui. One in particular may shock some of you, so let’s start with it.
Pad Thai! There I said it. I go on tirades and diatribes about how Pad Thai is not an authentic Thai dish, but hear me out. There is one individual in the Fisherman’s Village Night Market that does an excellent Pad Thai. My issue with Pad Thai is the overly sweet flavour and usually goopy noodles. Not hers. The sweetness is dialed way back on hers giving you a more savoury noodle dish. And her noodles are bouncy with the perfect snap to them and they’re not clumped into a giant mess. Add in some fresh green onions, bean sprouts and cilantro and you have a tasty little meal.
Another stop worth checking out here is for grilled pork belly. You will know their stall as at seems to be a bit “higher end” than all the other stalls. Crispy charred outside edges and the perfect fat to lean meat ratio will be found on their marinated pork belly. Be sure to try their nam Jim Jaew dipping sauce as well.
There is a lot to choose from here but one of my favourite spots at this market is the large bar area in the middle of the market. One of the best margaritas I have ever had can be found here. An honourable mention would have to be the Nathon Night Market located on the western side of the island
Looking for fun things to do in Koh Samui?
Mekong Fusion Restaurant
I am sure the name is letting you know that it is not exactly Thai food. But there are two things to consider. One, I didn’t say this was going to be a Thai food article, only where to eat. And two it’s not going to be the only place on this list that is not Thai.
As the name suggests, it is a fusion restaurant with a focus on Vietnamese and Thai. One of my favourites, was their Laphet Thoke Rolls. Laphet thoke is Myanmar’s national dish made with fermented tea leaves. Mekong’s fusion here is that it is in the form of wrap. The combination of sweet, salty and spicy is addictive.
Next up we have Thịt Kho. A Vietnamese dish consisting of pork that is braised in coconut juice. They use pork belly in theirs and let’s just say it is umami rich with a super deep and savoury flavour. Traditionally this dish would also include hard boiled and sometimes undeveloped eggs in Vietnam but Mekong’s does not include either. That’s not a knock on it as it is still very delicious. Best eaten with steamed rice.
Finally we finish off Thai style with a crispy pork salad. The fusion here happens because it is actually a salad as the main ingredient. Filled with fresh vegetables and herbs and topped with a delectable dressing and crispy pork bits.
Greenlight Cafe
Full disclosure here. This is a breakfast spot for me and I have never eaten here any other time of day. Greenlight has quite an extensive menu that includes Thai and many other cuisines. But i’m here here to tell you about their breakfast/brunch.
Without question my favourites would have to be their shakshuka and sunny-sweet toast. Having never been to Israel, I cannot say I have ever had the real deal when comes to shakshuka. But I have eaten a lot of it around the world and I have a lot of Israeli friends where I have eaten it in their homes. In general I love it and I am fully willing to say that Greenlight has one of the best I have ever had.
The sunny-sweet toast is unbelievably good. It starts with grilled sourdough with homemade organic peanut butter, mango and passionfruit jam, caramelized banana, cinnamon, nutmeg and coconut caramel. All of that is then topped with chopped nuts and mint. My western sweet breakfast loving head explodes and I can’t get enough it.
Greenlight also serves a myriad of organic coffees, smoothies and smoothie bowls.
Related Reading: 14 Must Eat Thai Foods in Bangkok
Where to Eat in Koh Samui – Green Leaf Reataurant
From Greenlight to Green Leaf, now we are jumping back into authentic Thai food with the sweetest owner in the world. Gobi, the owner has put together an amazing little spot with fantastic ambiance and even better food. Let’s jump into some of my favourites.
Kung Chae Nam Pla scared me at first. Mostly because the dish consists of raw shrimp that is only “cooked” in soda water. It comes with an assortment of bitter gord, herbs and chili’s a nam pla which is a fish sauce for dipping. The shrimp have a creamy texture to them from the soda water and the bitter gord is a really nice touch and of course you know I love my chili’s.
Their traditional Thai papaya salads are all awesome. But the best one is their papaya salad with steamed crab. Spicy, salty and sour papaya salad bursting with garlic flavour and delicate sweet tender crab meat are a perfect combination.
Green Leaf is where I had my introduction to jungle curry. I have since had it all over Thailand and this one is still by far, my favourite. The one thing that threw me off having it for the first time was what appeared to be Szechuan peppercorns. Turns out that is not all what they were. They are a young black pepper corn. They aren’t spicy but they have amazing flavour that I would describe as slightly sweet and tingling on the tongue. Reminiscent of sansho peppercorns from Japan. The unique thing about jungle curry is it does not contain any coconut milk making it more brothy than what you would expect from a curry.
Conclusion
That wraps it up for where to eat in Koh Samui. The biggest thing to remember in Koh Samui is that if you are staying in Cheweng for instance, good food becomes much harder to find. if you’re looking for basic Thai food and western food then you’re golden. If you’re looking to jump off the edge with your culinary adventure, check out some of my recommendations and let me know what you think.
Did I leave your favourite restaurants off the list? Leave a comment and let me know and help other travellers find the best restaurants and dishes in this island paradise.
