Taking things back to basics with a no fuss approach to rustic fine dining, The Larder impressed us with their hospitality, flavorful recipes and beautiful venue. Located on one of the busier roads on Koh Samui, The Larder is surprisingly an oasis full of large wooden fixtures, such as the central piece – a stunning wine cabinet – large wooden sliding glass doors and quaint little decorations that you may not even notice, but would leave the restaurant feeling bare if they were not there.
The menu is full of simple recipes with complex flavors, while the dishes themselves bare unique and amusing names, such as Breast In Show (chicken breast), Lambunctious (rack of lamb), and Sofishtication (steamed lemon sole). Over at the bar, The Larder is mixing up delicious creative cocktails donning crazy colors, smoke and fun presentations. A must see, and must try while in Samui.
However, if you are feeling more on the relaxed side of things, the extensive wine menu is full of excellent choices that can easily be paired with your meal. On the menu, there are quite a few notable items, and with such a beautiful, well-rounded list, it can be quite hard to decide what to have.
Some of our favorites include Belly Legal – slow cooked pork belly with sweet potato puree, candied pecans and picked shallots; Can You Filet – seared fillet of Salmon served with crab dumplings, leeks and a horseradish veloute; and Crabaret – miniature crab cakes with poached quail eggs and hollandaise sauce. The ingredients for each of these dishes are very basic and simple- very country style – but when plated together, and quite beautifully we might add, the flavors come together to create a truly incredible dish that is both pleasing and satisfying.
And if The Larder’s main menu impresses you, then you will be very drawn to the desserts on offer. With a handful of sweets, the menu also offers a variety of French and English cheeses on its cheese plate entitled, Cheeses Christ. But the must-try of the bunch is The Fluffer – chocolate soufflé with caramel de sel ice cream. The warm nutty, moist chocolate and the slightly savory ice cream were the perfect ‘opposites attract’ pair and a wonderful ending to The Larder’s unique culinary experience.
If you are looking for a relaxing getaway in the north of Samui, with smooth jazz, a cozy atmosphere, fine wine, fun cocktails and a rustic menu that will be engraved in your memory for years to come, The Larder is hands down the place for you.