04:32 p.m. This evening, with my Korean friends, we decided to indulge in a special treat: dinner at the Sheraton Krabi. They call to book a table, and we agree to meet an hour later in the lobby.
05:41 p.m. The Sheraton is located in Nong Thale (not far from Ao Nang), has its own beach, and a huge landscaped and waterscaped park. When the minivan drops us at the main entrance, we are welcome by a small committee; the General Manager of the Sheraton himself came to greet us! We are offered fresh drinks, orchids and cool towels, and Mr Chatchawan Pankudrua gives us a grand tour of his magnificent hotel. It is clear that they are very conscious about their brand, and I can tell right away that the values of the Sheraton are very well guarded with the team in place.
We first take a long flight of wooden stairs and deck that lead us to the vast park and mangrove bordering the private beach of the hotel. They are well maintained and the greenery gives a very peaceful feeling to the whole resort. On the way, we pass by one of the two infinity pools of the resort, where a few people enjoy the last ray of sun of the day. We reach the seaside just before the sunset, and the view is just amazing. The sand turns into solid gold while the sun is going down, and from the beach, you have a wonderful 180 degree view of the Andaman Sea. The buildings are far enough in the background to make you think that you are alone in the world…
Chatchawan is then taking us to visit a few of the signature rooms of the resort, which have been newly redesigned by one of the famous interior designer in Thailand. I fell in love with the suite and its private swimming pool (photos courtesy of the Sheraton, as it was too dark to take good photos of the swimming pool area).
Even the standard rooms breathe comfort and luxury. The General Manager has an obvious pride and pleasure to make us discover the jewels of his hotel, and I must admit that he succeeded to keep us really interested, and that the visit of the premises was really worth it. But hey, we came here to have dinner in the first place, so our host is now taking us towards the Malati restaurant, where complimentary drinks await us. They have dressed a few high bar tables in the open air, back-lit with neon tubes, and we sip our Champagne while chit-chatting about the amazing landscapes the Andaman sea has to offer.
After a while, we are directed toward the dining area. We go through the indoor bar area, that leads us to a small pond lit by candles. After crossing the pond on the stepping stones, we reach the garden on which a long table is dressed, right on the grass! The whole setup look magic, as if pulled out straight from a fairy tale. Our host definitely knows how to treat and surprise his guests!
The Executive Chef Frederic Molinie (from Montpellier, France) joins the table to tell us about the novel menu he prepared for us. Here you go:
Mild fish cakes served with cucumber dip Grilled marinated chicken skewers served with peanut sauce Deep fried mixed seafood spring rolls with sweet and sour sauce Prawns salad in lime dressing lemon grass accompanied with orange Oriental prawn soup flavored with lemongrass and coriander Grilled tiger prawn, king fish, and scallops served with green chili sauce Steamed snapper fish with spicy garlic chili Lime sauce Deep-fried whole tiger prawn in garlic and black pepper sauce Beef in massaman curry with sweet potato and peanut seeds Crispy water chestnuts in coconut milk topped with crushed ice Sweet sticky rice with slices of Thai mango and coconut sauceA selection of the most delicious Thai foods with a French twist, accompanied with red and white wine. Every bite throughout the dinner was like fireworks to the palate, with “Ohhhh” and “Ahhhhh” and “Hmmmm” to accompany the explosion of savors. The soup and the red snapper were my favorite dishes, although all of them were competing fiercely for the first place.
The General Manager of the Sheraton has been with us all the time and we did enjoy his company for dinner as well. He has been a great host and I wish to thank him once again here for his great sense of hospitality.