Chef Sumalee Khunpet recreates a local street-side experience with new Thai Tapas menu

At the hillside Koh Thai Kitchen, Chef de Cuisine Sumalee Khunpet and her team showcase the Southern Thai cuisine with new Thai Tapas menu. 

The menu is designed to recreate a local street-side experience where friends get-together for after-work snacks and drinks. “You will always find classic snacks such as chicken wings and deep-fried spring rolls at these gatherings,” commented chef Sumalee.

With a promise of “0 kilometre seafood,” the snack menu is highlighted by plaa pla (crispy sea bass salad), which brings the freshness of the ocean to the plate. “Goong hom-pha (deep-fried prawn spring roll) is a must-try with my homemade chili jam,” smiles Sumalee. 

Yum naem thord (pork, deep-fried rice cakes, peanut) is chef’s favorite, with a burst of herbs, spices, and toasted coconut. Elevating local favorites with premium ingredients, moo manao takes poached pork tenderloin to the next level when paired with a spicy lime sauce.

Nua yang jim jiew (grilled angus, dry chili) is elevated with Australian sirloin, grilled at the right temperature to bring out the sweetness of the meat, while adding the right smokiness. “It pairs perfectly with the Thai spicy sauce jim jiew. This dipping sauce packs in the punch,” says Sumalee.

“With the goodness of lime, tamarind, fish sauce, palm sugar, shallots, coriander and toasted rice powder, it’s a game changer.” Gai tord samunpri (chicken wings served with sweet chili sauce) on the other hand, is an irresistible comfort favorite. “Once you start eating it, you can’t stop – beware,” grins the chef.

To complement the tapas, Koh Barkeep Piyatida Chuaysahmret recommends cocktails that pair with the new menu.  These drinks are infused with Thai spices and herbs such as basil leaves as well as scents and flavors of matoom, lime, galangal, lemongrass, chili, and coriander sprigs.  For those who like something more complex yet still refreshing, Piyatida recommends Thai Leaf, enhanced with the bitterness of Peychaud’s. 

The menu is available daily from 6:00 to 10:00 pm at Koh Thai Kitchen, located inside Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui; for reservations, call 66 77 243 000.