Krua Chao Baan — Restaurant in Surat Thani Province

I always read the reviews of restaurants and was quite sceptical about this one. It seemed to me like a typical trap for tourists - nice view and bad food. But I was really surprised by the quality of the food. Not a wow-effect, but definitely not the worst food I had in Thailand. Quite authentic and good quality. I liked it. I do understand other people’s comments about the service (there are a lot of waiters, who don’t have much to do, of course they get bored and sit around). Still, our waiter was quite nice and attentive, so I cannot complain (I also believe that the nicer you act towards them, the nicer they will be towards you -so just spread that smile :) ).

All in all, good experience and can recommend it! The atmosphere is nice and the view beautiful, too. Of course it’s a bit more expensive, but just look at the size and location... not sure what some people expect. I think it’s worth it’s price. (Except maybe the hot green tea, which is around 20ml and costs like 1€, but don’t ask...

Followed the Michelin guide Bib recommended and regretted the decision. Without doubt the worse meal we have had in Thailand. Positives. Chicken Satay meat was good and the papaya salad was tasty although a little strange with large pieces of garlic. Negatives, the satay sauce was tasteless, we orded the Mussaman Curry with chicken and Roast Duck Curry. The Roast Duck Curry was bland, no depth of flavour and little heat. THE Mussaman Curry was terrible, with a weird flavour, no taste in potatoes and no flavour of nuts. There was no heat at all in the dish. One waitress did ask for feedback, which we gave regarding the Mussaman and the message from the chef was it was cooked for Europeans!! We had eaten two separate Mussaman curries in two different places that were far superior. Lastly this meal was the most expensive we had had, with no alcohol on the bill. They did not remove any dish from the bill despite the complaint. We were in and out in less than 30 mins. Very...

Worst meal we have had in Thailand. Trust the other reviews - they all say the food is rubbish but the view is good. Yes the view is good, but so is it at every place along the coast. 'Seafood salad' was a pile of undressed shredded raw cabbage, with a few bits of prawn / squid on top. Really not what you expect in Thailand when everything is flavoured with fresh herbs, sour/spicy/salty sauces etc. They didn't bring lime or chilli flakes for the pad Thai, and they used the wrong type of noodles. Service was poor. And it was the first restaurant on our 9 month trip that has had an issue with us bringing the big bottle of water we are carrying in with us. We are ordering food and drinks - let us drink our refillable water rather than ordering single use little plastic bottles. So many other amazing places nearby....