Khao Hom — Restaurant in Surat Thani Province

I discovered this remarkable restaurant by coincidence, and it exceeded my expectations. The claims curry was notably smooth, complemented by periwinkle claims and wild betel leaf. This dish was richly spiced, delivering a fiery kick along with deep, savory flavors. The king mackerel fish served with Chu-Chee curry offered sweet undertones of creamy coconut, alongside the spicy and savory notes of red curry, which was milder than the claims curry. The fried Indian salmon, seasoned with turmeric powder and fried garlic, presented a well-balanced dish with a mild, musky essence and a soft, buttery flavor from the garlic. This particular fish is both meaty and lean, with a subtle sweetness that pairs excellently with the two curries. My stir-fried sweet squid, prepared with garlic and pepper (known as “why” or วาย in the South), was both sweet and savory, featuring fresh squid with its characteristic black skin. The final dish was stir-fried beef with yellow curry paste (Khua Kling), where the ingredients seasoned the meat exceptionally well, resulting in a burst of flavor. Our dining experience was thoroughly enjoyable, and the service was outstanding—quick and attentive. The owners were hospitable and caring, making this a wonderful find in Samui.

Update September 19, 2023

We returned to this restaurant once more, as we thoroughly enjoyed everything we ordered. The southern yellow curry with African pompano fish (ปลาพราม) was particularly satisfying. The salted garlic shrimp was delightful, especially when paired with scrambled eggs. The fried crab cakes and fried marinated pork belly were equally enjoyable, with each dish bursting with flavor. Additionally, the owner graciously treated us to a spicy shrimp dip, which was simply delicious. It is rare to find such excellent food accompanied by exceptional service, but our experience at this restaurant truly surpassed our...

I've been a quite regular customer of Khao Hom over the last 2 years; the service has never been warm or welcoming (no smiles, no hello or goodbye) but the food had always been excellent and the restaurant very comfortable (good quality tables and chairs, no loud pop music or tv noise). Recently a large tv screen was installed with the effect that it's killing table conversation while the staff hang around staring at the screen. In short, borh the ambience and professionalism have detiorated. For the first time, yesterday evening's meal was horribly substandard. The panang fish curry was overly salty, the fish fillet had bones attached and became hazardous to eat, the fish was plainly not fresh and the curry was an odd yellow-green colour. We left most of it. We also ordered a stir-fry kale and pork dish - the pork was flaccid and quite unpleasant and the kale was excessively stringy. We left half of it. We also ordered the shrimp cakes (which we'd tried before) which were, thankfully, very tasty.

2 weeks later, I returned to Khao Hom... I ordered the kale again and it was completely different from last time; the vegetable was fresh, perfectly cooked and very tasty. I also ordered the whole seabass steamed with chilli and lime - a dish which is always excellent here and was as good as ever. The service was...

There are 3 restaurants but my review is only in Samui Airport. At the restaurant, there was one male and one female server, both of whom looked extremely unwelcoming. They seemed uninterested in serving Chinese customers. The male server set the table loudly and showed visible signs of being tired, annoyed, and unwilling to provide service.

As for the female server, she had a constantly sullen expression. She approached us—despite us being Thai as well—and asked if we were ready to order, just two minutes after handing us the menu. When I told her not yet, she showed a clear look of displeasure, which was extremely unpleasant.

When we finally ordered and ate, the food was mediocre. Compared to the Khao Hom branches in Bang Rak and Chaweng, the taste was nothing special and definitely not worth the price.

The final straw for me came when it was time to pay. I asked to split the bill, and the female server raised her voice in irritation, saying it was complicated, then called the male server to handle it. He also complained, which pushed me past my limit. I had to raise my voice and say, “If it’s really that much trouble, I’ll just pay the whole bill myself!” They looked shocked at my response and apologized, but with expressions that showed no...