The words “Frog” and “Beach” are ones
that are rarely used in the same sentence.
So when we came across the Frog Beach
Bar, we were intrigued to the point of
stopping and investigating. Ok, it was the
“Bar” part mostly - but what we found
was a little nook of calm in the middle of
Ao Nang..
Located on Noppharathara Beach, just across the
bridge and after the seafood restaurants, the Frog
Beach Bar is ran by a young man called “Kob”. Kob
means “Frog” in Thai, so there you have it. Kob
is one of those guys who have the energy of 4
people. I now know where mine went. He is seemingly
always there at all times of the day, with a
smile and a welcome chat that makes Thailand
what it is. He was more than happy to offer us one
of his specialities - the cocount shake - as we dug
deeper into his story.
The coconut shake is well worth a try, we can now
confirm. My parents actually found this place
when they came to visit us over Christmas - they
were staying over the road at one of the resorts
and landed at “The Frog” when looking for some
light refreshment one day. They returned every
day for a fortnight and had worked their way
through several trees-worth of coconuts by the
time they left.
The coffee is also one to look out for. With many
resorts now offering instant coffee in the rooms
or lackluster percolated stuff that has been on a
hotplate for hours - Frog makes his fresh for you
and can whip up an espresso or cappuccino on
the spot.
Another of his secret weapons is apparently a
mean Mojito. I say “apparently” as it was still a
little early for my wuss companion so we declined
the opportunity for some afternoon shenanigans.
But it’s on my to-do list....
As well as the Mojito, old Froggy can whip up
no less than 41 - yes, 41 different cocktails from
his little wooden shack. I kid ye not. He has 23
spirits lined up and ready for action, as well as
a selection of beers, shakes and smoothies that
seem frankly impossible when you see the space
he has to work in.
Frog takes relaxing seriously, despite his vibrating
personality. He has furniture made from old pieces
of driftwood facing the beach for a truly natural
feel. An avid lover of Reggae music, you can expect
to hear the likes of Bob Marley drifting along
as you sip your drink and watch the world pass by.
One of the reasons my folks returned here every
day was the constant breeze that refreshes the
place - perfect for those hot and sticky days.
If you’re feeling like a nibble, Kob has a rather
unusual attitude to bringing your own food to his
place. You can. Heck, he’ll even flag down passing
tuk tuk food carts and order the food for you
before you get stuck in right there at his tables. I
have no doubt that it’s this kind of attitude that
keeps people coming back for more, and judging
by the impressive amount of trade he has all
through the day, it’s working to his advantage.
As the sun dips towards the horizon, the place
is transformed. Twinkly lights come on and you
realise that you have the best seat in the house
to watch the sunset. Nothing but ocean and sand
in front of you as you sip your cocktail and say
“sayonara” to another day in paradise. What could
be better?
Check out Kob’s place on Noppharathara
Beach from 11am every day.
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