THE Friendship Beach Resort, on Viset Road on the way to Rawai is a great place
to eat.

Quiet and secluded with its own personal waterfront, the resort is self contained and doesn’t need to cater to outsiders, so it’s a pretty well-kept secret amongst expats ‘in the know’.

At night, the resort’s activities are replaced by charm, tranquillity, and fine dining,
to match the spectacular view over the picturesque Chalong Bay.

It’s a firm favourite with ex-pats, particularly on a Friday night when free appetisers and soft live music make a great start to the weekend.

Use of the pool is free if you are eating or drinking there, but children must be accompanied by an adult.

Executive chef, Charles Maurer has spent a lot of time planning a varied and healthy menu, ensuring value and culinary satisfaction.

The comprehensive menu is now well established, and Charles and sous chef, Chan, meticulously prepare each meal with fresh ingredients and creative in-house sauces.

The menu includes both western and Thai meals, and ranges from burgers and pasta to Tex Mex and traditional Thai and speciality salads.

Drink prices are reasonable, starting at 80 baht for a bottle of beer and house wine is only 120 baht per glass.

There is an also extensive list of cocktails and mocktails available.

I tried the house white, an Italian Matti, which was fruity, with just the merest hint of dryness.

It was a perfect partner for my half serving of feta cheese salad.

The salad usually comes with either grilled chicken breast (275 baht) or grilled Norwegian salmon (310 baht), but I opted for a traditional salad without the additives (205 baht).

The salad was crisp and fresh, as it should be, and the balsamic vinaigrette dressing was tangy with a very slight bite.

The artichoke hearts were delicious and the olives and tomatoes were tasty and bright.
A normal sized salad would make a very filling meal.

I was tempted by the bangers and mash (from the Dog and Gun pub in Keswick) at 225 baht, but eventually went with the chef’s recommendation of baby back ribs (285 baht) for my main course.

This is one of chef Charles’ signature creations, and comes with garlic mashed potatoes and salad.

The BBQ sauce is made to his own recipe, and includes molasses (shipped in from the US), honey, pepper, mustard and chicory.

The three-part cooking process ensures that the meat is tender, and just sweet enough.

The meat literally fell off the bone, and the taste was definitely a real tongue pleaser.

The glazed sauce was proud and full, with just a hint of sweetness.

These were the best ribs I have eaten in a long time.

For dessert, I took the advice of my delightful waitress, Khun Tip, and tried the fried ice cream (150 baht).

The gourmet vanilla ice cream under siege from soft bread and crispy breadcrumbs and quickly deep fried, produced a full glossary of tastes, textures and temperatures.

It came with fresh fruit and a mouth-watering chocolate sauce.

Friendship Beach is one of my favourites – and the food is always good value.