We are in a country that
loves food.
It’s everywhere.
You can’t swing any form
of furry quadruped without smacking a fried
chicken lady or som tam woman around
the chops. So it may be somewhat of a
challenge to open a restaurant that deals
exclusively in Thai fare, wouldn’t you think?
Yes, you would. With so much competition
around, there should be a few “must haves”
in order to make a Baht or two. Great
location with passing trade. Lots of tables
for lots of customers. A wide variety of
food - Thai and Western. Add to this the
odd fire show for the “oooh” factor, free
drinks and a wide-screen TV and you might
just be in with a chance.
So it may come as a surprise that one place
has decided to forgo all of these entirely.
It’s hardly close to the center of activity
and only accessible by car, it has less than
10 tables, zero fire shows and a menu that
deals exclusively in Thai food.
They hardly even advertise (except this
fine publication, naturally) instead relying
on word of mouth mostly to tell they world
they exist.
So who are they?
Gary and Bua are the owners and creators
of the Frog & Catfish. Gary hails from
Liverpool in the UK and brings with him the
genuine, down-to-Earth hospitality they are
known for in his part of the world. He was a
successful financial advisor for many years
before taking early retirement and settling
in Thailand. (He was actually ranked as one
of the top 5 financial planners in the world,
as it happens. So there you go.) It was here
he met his wife Bua - a dynamo of a woman
if ever there was one. Bua cannot seem to
sit still for more than 15 seconds at a time,
and it’s understandable to realise that it was
she who built the place from the ground up.
I say “understandable”, but it’s almost
unbelievable when you see what she
has done. Every solid table and chair
was hand-built by her and her team. The
salas and shelters that nestle around the
fishponds are her work. Heck, even the
ponds themselves where dug and filled by
her own 2 hands.
Bua comes from a family that deals in timber
and furniture, so she has been crafting from
wood since she can remember. Gary told
us that, unlike a lot of women who may
have an envious collection of handbags
- Bua has a thing for power tools. The
pair of them are so laid back their nearly
horizontal.
We took our place at a beautiful shaded
area and soon the food began to arrive.
Yes, it’s Thai food, Jim, but not as we know
it. Forget about your greasy spring rolls
and stodgy Phad Thais here. We were
presented with raw vegetable spring rolls
with herbs that were - and a use this word
sparingly - devine. Next to these came fresh
jumbo prawn tempura, piping hot, crunchy
and wrapped in a banana leaf, all served
with a 7 herb dip.
Starting to get the picture?
Bua, again, has her hand at the helm of
the kitchen and has taken the ancient
recipes of Thailand and given them her
own twist. The freshest ingredients
known to mankind are used and
sourced locally. The fish here is to die
for. Literally. When I’m eating here,
approach me from the front, slowly and
with no sudden moves or woe betide
you.
Their fish is organically raised and
prepared in ways that will make you
weep for your mama. In fact, we brought
my own parents here over Christmas
and my Mother had an almost spiritual
experience with her dinner.
Crispy fried catfish on a bed of
lemongrass and a cashew nut and chilli
dip came next and we were not even at
the main course yet. Repeat after me -
You will not go hungry here.
After cleansing our palates with
a(nother) cold beer, the main event
arrived. Try to imagine what a crispy
fried tub tim covered with boraan sauce
looks like - and you’d be wrong. A
crispy fried what with what sauce?
Exactly.
A whole fish fried to perfection with a
mound of “old style” sauce is a sight
to behold. This is an old Thai recipe
handed down for generations and the
Frog & Catfish is the only place I have
come across that serves it. Shredded
unripe mango with spring onions,
chili and secret other things all come
together to make one killer combination
that is not as spicy as you might
think. My Mum devoured hers leaving
only bones, and she’s not one for the
chilli. It’s downright scrumptious and
an absolute must-try. No arguments.
Other points of note include grilled
duck in red curry that almost had my
Father moving in there. Of course,
they also offer the usual favourites like
green curry, fried rice and Phad Thai, so
there is something for everyone. They
even have a selection of Western food,
including fish & chips and steaks if that’s
your thing, but the Thai food is the star
of the show.
I could go on about the whole menu
but there’s really no point. It’s handsdown
the best Thai food you can get.
The fact that many of the 5-star resorts
here are sending their head chefs over
to eat here should be all the testament
you need. They have heard about the
quality of food from their guests and
had to check it out for themselves.
The food is A1, the surroundings are amid a tropical garden with
gurgling water ponds and fine wooden furniture. Jazz music plays
and a faint breeze cools the air. A wooden bar serves English
beer and a pool table sits in the corner. A library of 2500 books
is available and - oh did I mention the pool? Yes, they even have
a swimming pool for guests to use gratis. As they are open from
lunchtime onwards, some come for a languid afternoon of nothingness
which has them staying for more.
If you really can’t tear yourself away, then you are welcome to
stay in one of the 3 new bungalows built - yes, by Bua - that are
available for rent. With a choice of full-English, continental or
Thai breakfasts to look forward to in the mornings, don’t plan on
doing an awful lot while you stay here. Lounging, sprawling and
vegetating would top my “to do” list - but they can help you get
out and about on trips, tours and the like by organising anything
you want.
After our feast, we couldn’t even manage the home-made
cheesecake that has been hailed as legendary - and that’s coming
from me. I’m ashamed to even put this in print, but there it is.
Bottom line is - you have to eat here. Don’t take my word for it
either, just Google them and see for yourself what they do. True,
they aren’t in the middle of “things”, but a mere 25 minute drive
from the centre of Ao Nang. They can even arrange a taxi to
collect you and bring you back to your hotel.
A trip to Krabi would not be complete without an evening spent at
the Frog & Catfish. Just remember to come hungry….
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