hen we arrived for dinner at 7pm, Patong’s Savoey Seafood Restaurant was already busy. But this big open-air and under-cover eatery opposite the seafront didn’t feel at all crowded — there was actually space for 500 guests.

Studying the colourful cocktail menu, my friends and I decided to limit our evening’s alcohol consumption to wine, ordering two non-alcoholic cocktails — a Baby Mai Tai and a Yellow Teddy Bear, each comprising a mixture of fresh fruit juices. We insisted that our male dining companion try a stronger pre-dinner drink. He chose the Sabai Sabai, a tasty blend of rum, Cointreau, Galliano, lemon juice and pineapple juice with just a hint of coconut cream.

The light crabmeat salad, which my friend and I shared as a starter, was wonderfully fresh; the vegetables had obviously been chopped immediately beforehand, and the liberal serving of crabmeat was delicious. Once again, her husband was easily persuaded to try something more adventurous, and he ordered a half-dozen fresh oysters beautifully presented Thai-style with a spicy sauce that he proclaimed a little overwhelming for his taste. But he did give a resounding thumbs up to the accompanying fresh kratin (a Thai herb) and lemon quarters.

On the advice of our waiter, we ordered a simple lobster dish with butter and garlic. The lobster meat just melted in the mouth, as did the fried prawns with smoked chilli sauce. A steamed red snapper with Chinese plum sauce arrived next. We all agreed that the fish had been expertly filleted and was cooked to perfection. Dinner was further enhanced with a bottle of Lindeman’s Cawarra Semillon Chardonnay, a light wine that complemented our selection of dishes really well.

By the time the dessert menu was presented, it was touch and go whether we could manage anything else. But somebody had to try the Golden Ice Cream and, once again, my friend’s husband obliged. Bravely, he plunged his spoon into the crispy, deep-fried sphere of batter, and we all oo-ed and aah-ed as the vanilla ice cream oozed out. The cheesecake and death by chocolate were suitably sweet and sinful. Sadly, though, seafood overload forced us to lay down our forks after just a couple of bites.

Apart from our own very positive experience, it’s worth noting that Savoey Seafood has been in business for about 16 years, and several Thai acquaintances whom I consulted had nothing but praise for this establishment. A stay in Phuket wouldn’t be complete without at least one really good seafood dinner. If you dine at Savoey Seafood restaurant, you’ll certainly want to return.

Savoey Seafood, 136 Taweewong Road, Patong Beach, Phuket, 83150.
Tel. 076 341 171-4. Fax 076 340 231.
Email savoey@safaribeachhotel.com.