Ko Muk

Eat and meet

Ko Muk

Each and every resort on Ko Muk has its own restaurant and though they are all very similar, overall the standard of Thai food is quite good; don't expect watered down, flavourless Western-style Thai here. As one may expect, there is quality seafood to be found, although no restaurants specialise in seafood barbecues year-round. With one authentic and unique Thai restaurant and decent resort restaurants, it's tough to find a bad meal on Ko Muk.

While there are a couple traditional hole-in-the-wall noodle and khanom shops in the village along the island's only road, Hillside Restaurant is the only non-resort restaurant that caters specifically to foreigners. Their motto is "Cheap cheap but different," and one may only understand what this means after meeting the owner, a boisterous woman with a hearty laugh and outgoing personality. She's an excellent Thai chef, too. We tried a spicy basil seafood stir-fry, recommended by the chef, and found it very tasty and spicy. Just five minutes' walk up the dirt road from Haad Farang, Hilltop is also a good place to meet other travellers, and is the best -- and cheapest -- option on the west end of the island for Thai food.

The Rubber Tree has a typical resort menu, but their food is top notch as well. The massaman curry was authentic and flavourful, and portions relatively generous. They also do barbecues regularly and all are welcome to join in the fun, even if staying at a different resort. After a meal the Rubber Tree has the island's best ambience for chilling out with a beer or two and chatting with other travellers and the laidback staff. The chllled out manager, Bank, has a great music collection and he encourages guests to play whatever they like. Plus, we hear there's a pool table on the way.

The restaurant at Charlie Resort also serves up some authentic Thai food, although it's significantly pricier than other nearby resorts. They also do seafood barbecues during high season, and for Western fare, Charlie is the place to be. They have an extensive Western menu with all the standards, such as spaghetti with meat or veggie sauce, burgers, steaks, fries and salads. In high season Charlie also offers an Italian-style bakery, and it's the only option on the island for dinner with a seaside sunset.

Finally, the restaurant at Meow Thai Kitchen was closed when we visited, but according to their staff it was the first -- and still the best -- Thai restaurant on the island, so in high season it's probably worth a try.