Features

Baan Souy’s Baang

The Baan Souy Resort is a boutique resort with around 50 rooms. It describes itself as a ‘Gay’ resort, but by the same token it is also totally ‘straight’ friendly. Run by well-known local entrepreneurs Jim Lumsden and Gordon May the resort is easily found about 50 meters down Soi 15 Thappraya on the right hand side, and has a large parking area just past the resort.

We dined with Jim in the resort’s café, called the Baang Café and Bar, with the name coming from Chinese meaning “fusion”, said Jim with just the hint of a smile. The coffee shop is off to the left as you come in through the main portal, and the décor is heavily Thai with classical elephant pictures and other Thai cultural icons. Baang Café and Bar is not large, with seating for around 22 people, but the seating is comfortable and the ambience is fine.

The menu is quite extensive, including a page of breakfast, ranging from B. 80 to B. 180 for the American breakfast with everything. Appetizers and snacks include salads and a smoked salmon with egg mayo, horseradish sauce and capers for B. 170.
Sandwiches and croissants are also moderately priced at around B. 140 with chicken breast on an Oriental curry mayo catching my eye at B. 130.
There are two pages of Thai favorites with most around B. 160.
Mains are very reasonably priced at around B. 250, with the most expensive being Pepper Steak at B. 390.

House wine is available at B. 1200 per bottle, and we went for the Australian Jump Yards Cool White, 2013 which was certainly enjoyable quaffing and not expensive.
There is also a Three Course menu which we went for, which changes regularly and that is only B. 550 which includes the appropriate VAT.
Baang’s Café Three Course Menu offers a choice of appetizer, main course and dessert:
The appetizers include Bruchetta with tomato, garlic, olive oil and basil
Mixed salad with crunchy garlic croutons
Egg mayonnaise
Or a soup either vegetable, mushroom, chicken, tomato, or asparagus.
The next course includes a home baked lasagne with garlic bread
Peppered steak
Sauté chicken with creamy peppers and mushrooms
Grilled pork loin with apple sauce
Salmon fillet with creamed spinach and boiled potatoes
Plenty of choices and the main courses served with a choice of French fries or baked potato and a vegetable selection.
(Note : Any Thai Dish can be exchanged for any of the above main courses)
The desserts on offer are a fresh fruit platter
Ice cream sundae
Pineapple fritter with maple syrup
Banana pancake with chocolate sauce and cream
Along with this B. 550 offer is a free glass of wine being a choice of Mont Claire Colombard / Chardonnay (White) or Mont Claire Cabernet / Shiraz (Red). For your next glass you will pay 150 baht, or a 500 ml Carafe for 450 baht or 800 baht for a full liter.
Whilst the Mont Claire is eminently drinkable, a bottle of the Australian Jump Yards Cool White is better value drinking, in my opinion.

We tried many of the items in the special B. 550 menu and were not disappointed in any way. The home-baked lasagna was particularly good, and Madame reported that the pepper steak was quite tender. I even managed to put away a pineapple fritter with maple syrup, one of the best things to come out of Canada.
Baan Souy, Baang Café and Bar we found to be an unpretentious café/restaurant set in a very Thai property. It is not expensive, and the set menu is good value for money.
Baan Souy, Baang Café and Bar, 308/3 Moo 10, Soi 15Thappraya Road, about 50 meters down on the right. Off street parking lot after the resort. Web www. BaanSouy.com, tel 038 364 580/1, Fax +66 (0)38 252 168. Open seven days from 8 a.m. (for breakfast) until 11 p.m.

Funghi al Olio e Limone

Go you like mushrooms? Do you like garlic? If so, this recipe is for you. It is Italian, but neither the olive oil nor the lemon is strong enough to overpower the taste of the mushrooms, yet each adds its unmistakable taste to the final outcome. Funghi al olio make a great addition to an antipasto, and if you can stop yourself from nibbling, you can make them in the morning for the evening meal.

Ingredients
Olive oil	2 tbspns
Baby mushrooms no stems	500 gm
Garlic, peeled and finely chopped	3 cloves
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Parsley, finely chopped	2 tbspns
Extra Virgin olive oil	2-4 tbspns

Cooking Method
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over high heat, then add the mushrooms. Sauté, shaking the pan vigorously from time to time, for about five minutes, until the mushrooms begin to exude some of their natural juices.
Lower the heat to medium, add the garlic and sauté for a couple of more minutes being careful that the garlic does not burn. Squeeze the lemon juice over the mushrooms and add salt and pepper to your taste.
Remove from the heat, pour into a glass or ceramic container and stir in the chopped parsley. Add enough additional olive oil to coat the mushrooms evenly. Serve at room temperature as part of an antipasto.