Krua Samui Thai Restaurant @ Betong, Thailand

Still remember my Betong experience back in July 2008? OK, so I've posted on the place, the unbelievably cheap dimsum, the largest mailbox in Thailand, ex-communists' tunnel & hot spring, and Wat Phuttathiwat. But careless me have forgotten to recommend a restaurant serving authentic Thai dishes, at reasonably cheap prices as well. KRUA SAMUI RESTAURANT.

It was Auntie Yoong (the lady who helped us a lot throughout our stay in Betong) and her husband who recommended this place, and took the trouble to draw me a mini map + directions, as "Gettin-Lost-Easy" was probably scripted on my face.

You can choose to dine al fresco, but we did not. This IS Thailand after all, weather's hot and mosquitoes are on rampage ...

Situated a short distance from town centre (the Clock Tower roundabout being the referral point here), go north along Sukkayang Road, passing by rows of shops on both sides, until you reach a rather large petrol station on your left. The restaurant is situated on your right, but not by roadside, so do not speed.

Thai coconut juice (20 Baht = RM2)

Of course, do not expect air-conditioned restaurant with impeccable service, and top notch chef. No sirree, this restaurant is not pretentious, serving homestyle Thai fare, with a menu in Thai and Mandarin language only. Me=The Banana was having trouble ordering, but luckily Auntie Yoong wrote me some famous dishes (in Thai, no less) on a piece of paper. Muahaha ....

Clockwise from top left: Kerabu Chicken Feet (80 Baht), Stir-fried Kailan with Salted fish (80 baht), Fried Chicken (100 Baht) and Salted Egg Squids (80 Baht)

The kerabu chicken feet salad was a tangy, piquant, and appetizing mix of deboned chicken feet, tossed with lots of vege, and of course, bird's eye chilli. Perfect appetizer. The squids were surprisingly NOT batter-fried variety, but instead cooked in salted egg gravy. The squids were fresh, resulting in QQ texture, and less fishy taste. The fried chicken on the other hand, was so-so only. Serving's rather small, and I could not sample as much as I'd hoped to.

Black Pepper Pig's Intestines (80 baht)

I'm not really a fan of innards, so were the others. But Auntie Yoong and hubby was insisting that we should try the Black Pepper Pig's Intestines, and we believed them. Glad to say, our faith was properly placed. Small cuts of the innards, quite alike macaroni, and cleaned thoroughly, thus no nauseating taste commonly associated with un-clean intestines. And the black pepper covered any unpleasant flavour the intestines might have. Brilliant. Even those who stay away from innards agreed that this dish was very well cooked.

Special Sang Yue (Ikan Haruan) (300 Baht)

One of the must-try here is the Sang Yue (ikan haruan), not sure what it's called in English. The fish was deep-fried, then steamed in a metal plate resembling the shape of a fish. Some gravy was poured over, and then an extra bowl of the gravy was placed aside. We were told to periodically 'top-up' the sauce, to prevent the fish from 'drying'. Take note that the plate is continuously warmed with a small flame underneath. Our verdict? Nothing special. But at least the fish was not too fishy, and rather fresh. Sorry, it's been so long, I forgot what goes into the gravy. =P

The usual order - Tom Yum Soup (150 Baht)

And last but not least, what's a Thai meal without Tom Yum? If a Thai restaurant can't cook their Tom Yum well, they do NOT deserve any accolades, or recognition. Glad to say, Krua Samui's Tom Yum was very good. Spicy, sour and delightful concoction of seafood ingredients such as squids and prawns, thrown in with various vegetables and mushrooms, then boiled until the right temperature. Not overly spicy, but just right for our palates. Thumbs up!

Total damage : 1310 Baht/ RM131 for a meal for 12. A tough act to follow in Malaysia?