Region: Eastern Thailand> Province: Trat> Location: Ko Chang/Haad Sai Khao

Haad Sai Khao

Since all but a few of the resorts have their own restaurant there's no shortage of choices for eating in White Sands. There's also a few independent restauants and bars along the beach and on the main road. Flavours become more international heading south and on the hill leading out of White Sands there are Italian, Korean and Indian eateries. There are also a few street stalls selling fruit, corn and meat on sticks for a late snack.

Beach Tango - Western favorites
Haad Sai Khao, Ko Chang - Trat
Tel: (01)8228 751;

Occupying a prime spot at the whitest, sandiest part of White Sands Beach, Beach Tango serves up delights from the antipodes for homesick beach bums. The menu jokingly promises hot food, stale beer and lousy service. Luckily the staff do try a bit harder and this is an OK venue for tasty but overpriced pizza.
Type of Food: International / Pizza /
Opening Hours: Daily 08:00-22:00

Isaan Food - Streetfood options
Haad Sai Khao, Ko Chang - Trat

A small pocket of street food stalls near Sangtawan Bungalows do cheap, tasty meals. Traditional Thai and Isaan food such as laap, papaya salad, simple stir fries, fried rice and noodles are all cooked and served at outdoor stalls for between 25 and 50 baht a plate. Popular with Thai students and those on a budget, these stalls are a great change of pace from the more full-on tourist restaurants, not to mention easier on the wallet.
Type of Food: Thai /

Oodie's Place - Seminal live music venue
7/20 Haad Sai Khao, Ko Chang - Trat
Tel: (039) 551 193;

Probably the best live-music venue on the island, Oodie's sprang out of a patch of reclaimed swampland about 1999. Music follows a three Rs curricullum of rock 'n' roll, R&B and reggae, and customers sometime get up and join the band. It's an atmospheric, open-air bar with wooden benches and quiet corners with couches on which to stretch out. The menu boasts an interesting array of Thai and French dishes.
Type of Food: French / Thai /
Opening Hours: Nightly 17:00-01:00

Pringam Restaurant - A nondescript little spot
Haad Sai Khao, Ko Chang - Trat

A nondescript little restaurant on the main street, Prignam serves decent Thai, a sprinkling of international and a number of seafood dishes at fairly reasonable prices for Haad Sai Khao. Although movies screen at night to entice customers, their biggest business seems to be the tourist booking service for activities around the island.
Type of Food: Thai /

Sabay Bar - Big and booming
Haad Sai Khao, Ko Chang - Trat
Tel: (039) 551 097;
http://www.sabaybar.com

The Sabay Bar has to be one of the biggest and brashest nighttime venues along the beach at White Sands. The roadside facade looks like something out The Flinstones. There's a huge room inside with a saloon-style upper deck from which to take in the nightly live music performances. The restaurant serves everything from fried rice to marinara pizza and there's also an outdoor bar. The Sabay also puts on monthly full moon parties.
Type of Food: International / Thai /

Sand Terrace Restaurant - On-the-beach dining
Haad Sai Khao, Ko Chang - Trat
Tel: (01) 2822 478; (07) 1664 141;

Originally on the beach, Sand Terrace Restaurant plans to move to the main street next to Oodie's by June 2006. The restaurant sets up a string of tables on the sand everyday, a good viewpoint to watch the goings-on on White Sands. Specialties include stir-fried crab with yellow curry and grlled fish with Thai herbs.
Type of Food: Seafood / Thai /
Opening Hours: Daily 11:00-23:00

Sea Gypsy Arts and Food Corner - Eat your art out
Haad Sai Khao, Ko Chang - Trat
Tel: (05) 8393 574;

Owner, Au, lived among southern Thailand's Sea Gypsies for years and this experience dominates his small restaurant. The tiny hut has hundreds of small watercolour paintings depicting Sea Gypsie scenes, mostly revolving around the beach, fishing and music. You can find your usual favorite Thai dishes here and ther's an emphasis on barbecued food. It's on the beach, next to Sand Terrace Restaurant.
Type of Food: Seafood / Thai /
Opening Hours: Daily 09:00-22:00

Spices of India - Elaborate
Haad Sai Kao, Ko Chang - Trat
Tel: (01) 9219 844;

Subcontinental deIights are your fingertips at this popular Indian eatery. The design of the open-air sala-style is worth a photo in itself. With its Hindu paintings and gaudy jewels hanging from the ceiling the restaurant looks like the set of a Bollywood musical. There's also a brightly coloured Indian swing for patrons to sit on for a few happy-snaps after their curry. t's located on the left side of the main road as you head south out of White Sands Beach.
Type of Food: Indian /
Opening Hours: Daily 10:00-23:00

Tapas Bar - A Latin feel
Haad Sai Khao, Ko Chang - Trat
Tel: (01) 945 6478;

You won't be served any tapas with your cerveza here, the name's just a way of promoting a subtly Latin flavour. Just a simple hut on the beach with a few hammocks scattered around, Tapas Bar's raison d'etre is it's cocktails, which range from the basic to the extravagant. King of the drinks is the "tapas dacquari", a sickly sweet mix of mango, banana, lime, cointreau and white rum. It'll set you back 160B, but you won't need many before you feel like doing a lambada on the beach.
Opening Hours: Nightly 16:00-23:00

Taste of India - Curry, anyone?
6/16 Moo 4, Haad Sai Kao, Ko Chang - Trat
Tel: (05) 8163 033;

Occupying a small building near the top of the hill south of White Sands Beach, Taste of India is like a no-frills version of the elaborate Spices of India up the road. The chef's specialties include the masala and chicken birgari, and the management also leases a few guesthouse rooms out the back.
Type of Food: Indian /
Opening Hours: Daily 07:00-22:00

Tonsai Restaurant - A fantastic laidback atmosphere
Haad Sai Khao, Ko Chang - Trat

This elevated treehouse has fantastic laidback island atmosphere in a way that the rest of Haad Sai Khao doesn't. While some of the seating is at tables, the majority consists of floor cushions and hammocks. Funky music wafts, competing with the nearby CD shop. The menu is terrific, with interesting and original Thai/western fusion dishes and plenty of old favourites. The food, particularly the salads, is delicious. The cocktail list is extensive and inventive. The best part (aside of the great taste) is that it's very reasonably priced and one of the cheapest restaurants at the beach.
Type of Food: International / Thai /