Baan Phuu
Monday, 14 January 2008 by Dr Maytel
...translates literally to "house of crab" in Thai, and although I'd like to make some jokes here to amuse Phil about "riding the tide of shit" or pooh as it were, it wouldn't be fitting for what is an excellent eating experience.
Baan Phuu (House of Crab) is located in Trat province on that mainland eastern seaboard of Thailand on Cape Ko Phuu (cape of Crab), all along this cape is aquaculture farms and crab processing factories. It is in short a good place to go and eat crab.
I had been here around 6 years ago on a family holiday and had ever since tortured Hock with stories of giant fresh crab, the crispiest freshest soft shell crab: "think Kentucky Fried Crab but with Asian seasoning, crunchy deep fried and fresh with cripsy shells you just bite straight through" I would tell him and watch his face contort with a mixture of both excitement and resignation to the idea that it may be some while until we had the time to take a leisurely 5 hour drive from Bangkok to Trat to eat crab.
Being somewhat nostalgic and over enthusiatic I booked two nights at Baan Phu Resort, thinking that it would be the perfect quiet holiday retreat to eat crab, lounge by the pool and relax in their rustic accommodations. Unfortunately 6 years had not done this very quiet and unpopular resort much good, We checked in to a horrible old stale room, with musty bed spread, moldy bathroom and mosquito friendly floorboards set amongst a mangrove forest.
The pool didn't look very inviting, the tv channels didn't work and the hotel was very run down, slightly depressing and altogether stingy with its service and amenities. We upgraded to their brand new garden wing at an extra cost of 35 dollars a night and consoled ourselves in the restaurant...Suan Phuu
The restaurant makes up for everything that the hotel lacks, good service, friendly staff, stunning views, and reasonable prices for what it is. I think in fact that the resort and restaurant are run seperately because the hideous breakfast at the resort did not seem to emerge from the Suan Phuu kitchen. Suan Phuu is set right out over the mangrove forest and offers spectacular views of the bay, of local birds and wildlife and of course great food.
It seems to be popular more amongst the locals who converge on the restaurant in large families early in the evening to celebrate special events. Unlike many of the tourists who we sadly observed ordering one dish per person and not sharing, the tables full of large Thai families sat down to steaming soups, plates of crab and traditional curries.
The first night we sat down to
crispy soft shell crab deep fried with shallots and garlic
One of the best wing bean salads I have ever eaten
crab egg and pineapple curry
Whole fish in ginger soup with parsley leaves and Chinese plums (umeboshi). Not enough ginger too much parsley leaves but still yummy.
The next day I did a border run to Cambodia - another funny story in itself - and we drove along the Trat coast and found untold empty beaches and cute little Thai beachside huts that were largely devoid of lounging Thais which they were built to serve
In the evening we headed back to Baan Phuu to survey the sunset and sample the crab (not as meaty or as large as last remembered)
shrimp meang and more crispy soft shell crab
an unmemorable deep fried fish and a very Khmer soup of fermented fish paste and vegetables that was not at all to my liking but Hock seemed to enjoy it
The price each night came to around 700 baht for two of us
You can bring your own wine
Banpu Resort
199 Moo 1, Tumbol Nongkansong, Moung
Trat
Thailand
Baan Phuu (House of Crab) is located in Trat province on that mainland eastern seaboard of Thailand on Cape Ko Phuu (cape of Crab), all along this cape is aquaculture farms and crab processing factories. It is in short a good place to go and eat crab.
I had been here around 6 years ago on a family holiday and had ever since tortured Hock with stories of giant fresh crab, the crispiest freshest soft shell crab: "think Kentucky Fried Crab but with Asian seasoning, crunchy deep fried and fresh with cripsy shells you just bite straight through" I would tell him and watch his face contort with a mixture of both excitement and resignation to the idea that it may be some while until we had the time to take a leisurely 5 hour drive from Bangkok to Trat to eat crab.
Being somewhat nostalgic and over enthusiatic I booked two nights at Baan Phu Resort, thinking that it would be the perfect quiet holiday retreat to eat crab, lounge by the pool and relax in their rustic accommodations. Unfortunately 6 years had not done this very quiet and unpopular resort much good, We checked in to a horrible old stale room, with musty bed spread, moldy bathroom and mosquito friendly floorboards set amongst a mangrove forest.
The pool didn't look very inviting, the tv channels didn't work and the hotel was very run down, slightly depressing and altogether stingy with its service and amenities. We upgraded to their brand new garden wing at an extra cost of 35 dollars a night and consoled ourselves in the restaurant...Suan Phuu
The restaurant makes up for everything that the hotel lacks, good service, friendly staff, stunning views, and reasonable prices for what it is. I think in fact that the resort and restaurant are run seperately because the hideous breakfast at the resort did not seem to emerge from the Suan Phuu kitchen. Suan Phuu is set right out over the mangrove forest and offers spectacular views of the bay, of local birds and wildlife and of course great food.
It seems to be popular more amongst the locals who converge on the restaurant in large families early in the evening to celebrate special events. Unlike many of the tourists who we sadly observed ordering one dish per person and not sharing, the tables full of large Thai families sat down to steaming soups, plates of crab and traditional curries.
The first night we sat down to
crispy soft shell crab deep fried with shallots and garlic
One of the best wing bean salads I have ever eaten
crab egg and pineapple curry
Whole fish in ginger soup with parsley leaves and Chinese plums (umeboshi). Not enough ginger too much parsley leaves but still yummy.
The next day I did a border run to Cambodia - another funny story in itself - and we drove along the Trat coast and found untold empty beaches and cute little Thai beachside huts that were largely devoid of lounging Thais which they were built to serve
In the evening we headed back to Baan Phuu to survey the sunset and sample the crab (not as meaty or as large as last remembered)
shrimp meang and more crispy soft shell crab
an unmemorable deep fried fish and a very Khmer soup of fermented fish paste and vegetables that was not at all to my liking but Hock seemed to enjoy it
The price each night came to around 700 baht for two of us
You can bring your own wine
Banpu Resort
199 Moo 1, Tumbol Nongkansong, Moung
Trat
Thailand
I'm not sure whether to be jealous of the food or your ability to fit in more poo jokes than me. As soon as I get back to Melbourne, I'm getting into some soft-shell crab.
mmm & wow.
i love mangroves. reminds me of whangateau.
my 16 year old self would, like, totally not believe how much I would like to be sitting on the sand on one of those little coves.
being an emmigre has turned me into a beach infidel. in theory, if not in practise.