Food & Drink Awards 2017

LUX - Food & Drink Awards 2017 31 do and continually strive to do it better- and have some fun at the same time” Providing us with an overview of the food and drink industry within Thailand, Tim comments on the fact that restaurants are become more corporate and losing their Thai character, citing the lack of an innovation as a problem within the sector. “Essentially, I think the biggest problem is that many Restaurants have been established on the Island for a number of years, and continue to do the same thing the same way year after year. In some cases, corporate chains are sending in representatives to employ people to do a job in their corporate restaurant which can often dilute the personal feel and interaction between customer and establishment. Unlike these other restaurants, Jaa and I had the opportunity of being those holidaymakers looking for that special romantic fresh Thai Seafood beach front shack, and couldn’t find it; so, we came back and created it and we are very happy we did.” Most Romantic Thai Restaurant – Koh Samui Hemingway’s on the Beach was designed from day one to be ‘the’ romantic beach front dining retreat that holidaymakers visiting Koh Samui are hoping to find. Tim Foster and Chef Jaa tell us more about the venue and explain what makes it so attractive to clients. Company: Hemingway’s on the Beach Contact: Tim Foster Contact Email: tim@ hemingwaysonthebeach.com Address: 79/1 Moo 5, Baan Taling-Ngam, Thong Krut, Ko Samui, 84140. Thailand Phone: 0066 61 178 5550 Web Address www. hemingwaysonthebeach.com With views to die for over the azure waters surrounding the Island, Hemingway’s on the Beach has fast become the ‘Islands’ romantic, scenic, dining getaway and prides itself on offering some of the freshest seafood, meats and vegetables you are ever likely to experience. To help ensure Hemingway’s on the Beach is always able to achieve culinary excellence for their guest the venue takes a very personal approach to the way it produces food for its customers with their Chef personally choosing every item that comes into the kitchen. “Here at Hemingway’s Chef Jaa explains she now knows which dishes her customers love to eat and she know exactly where to buy the freshest ingredients to make them. We have spent two years searching out all the individuals around the Island that can provide the best and freshest products available. When we first designed our kitchen we decided that there would be no need to include a freezer because we had decided that if it wasn’t super fresh then we wouldn’t serve it.” What helps Hemingway’s distinguish itself from other restaurants on the island is its warm and unique personal customer service, its tenderly created fresh food by one of the finest natural Chefs Thailand has produced and its romantic beach shack seafront setting. The staff always try to provide a beachcomber romantic experience, perfect for those looking to get away from it all, as Tim alludes to. “What makes us different is in our hearts, we are romantic, and we have a passion for getting things right for our customers. For our guests, this is their big holiday, they have come a long way and they deserve to find ‘that’ special place to eat and Jaa, myself and our small Team try our very best to make it happen for them. “A holiday to Koh Samui is something people have saved up a long time for, and have flown a long way in search of a new memorable experience. We try and reward their commitment to visiting us and Koh Samui by providing a soothing and relaxing experience for them as best we can. When visiting Thailand and the island of Koh Samui, one thing everybody expects as default is, wonderful fresh food, beautiful ocean views and an island full of beach shacks and romance.” Part of being a successful restaurant is guaranteeing that the highest standards of health and safety are observed at all times. Tim explains how the restaurant is always exceptionally clean, noting that cleanliness is the Hemingway’s speciality. “Cleanliness is a big thing for us at Hemingway’s, as the moment a customer sees a European heading up a Restaurant they automatically expect European standards of cleanliness and hygiene, even if it is a beach shack in the middle of nowhere.” Hemingway’s is a beach shack but with a state of the art stainless steel professional European/American style Kitchen and two newly built white sparkling bathrooms, one with a shower room for guests that want to charter the Hemingway Speedboat to visit the Pink Dolphins or just have fun in the sun. Regarding what the future has in store for Hemingway’s, Tim explains. “Jaa is an exceptional Chef and always wanted her own Restaurant so she could make her ‘special creations’ for ‘special people’. I fell in love with Jaa’s cooking from the first mouthful and every day I am the luckiest man in the World as I get to taste all her new creations. Jaa and I originally planned to have Hemingway’s for three years to experience what it would be like having a restaurant and seeing if we enjoy it, we do so now is time to build second Kitchen for Jaa to run her daily Cooking Classes and a Barbeque and Grill in Hemingway’s Garden for me to have some fun on our days off. We love what we