DÉCOR

Brightly lit and spotlessly clean

Open-sided, brightly lit and spotlessly clean, the restaurant is well ventilated with wall and column fans. Wooden frescoes hanging on the walls are illuminated by spotlights. Staff members are neat and tidy in their mauve uniforms.

ATMOSPHERE

Bustling and cosmopolitan. Many diners are repeat customers and know their way around the menu. Mainly a Scandinavian and central European clientele, the air is alive with the chatter of at least five different languages with barely audible background music. The restaurant's open side onto the street adds a lively touch to it.

WINE

Part of the Kamala Dreams boutique hotel

Not an extensive list but one that will serve most diners' needs. White wines range from Gracia de Chile for a reasonable 800 baht to an Australian Chardonnay 2005. Reds feature Hardy's Cabernet 2005 for 950 baht and Hardy's Shiraz Cabernet, also for 950 baht. There is also a delectable Australian Hardy's Stamp Rose 2005 which goes fabulously with the seafood and is highly recommendable.

FOOD

Khun Charoen is an stickler for freshness

It's no exaggeration to state that Khun Charoen is an absolute stickler for freshness. Khun Charoen obtains the best morning catches just up the coast at Bang Tao and at Sapam. The mussels in a curry sauce are an excellent starter - with a burgeoning plate of French fries or a side platter of rice. The seafood salad is also excellent with a hint of lemon zest and a huge red snapper, steamed in aluminum foil, is fall-off-the-bone delicious. "It's the best restaurant in Kamala" observes one diner and it really is hard to believe that anyone could better Charoen Seafood in terms of range, freshness and quality. The restaurant also serves standard European food such as pastas and sandwiches.

PRICE

Extremely reasonable, considering the quality.

• Mussels go for 150 baht a kilo;
• Seafood spaghetti 150 baht,
• Prawns in Penang sauce 150 baht for a generous portion;
• Mixed salad 50 baht;
• Caesar salad 100 baht;
• Spicy seafood salad 150 baht.

A couple could dine extremely well here (without wine) for 500 baht.

Charoen Seafood, in Kamala Dreams Boutique Hotel: 74/1 Moo 3, Kamala. Tel: 081-8932652