Even though there's a full moon, we can't see it. The cloud cover is low, but there's a cooling northeasterly breeze wafting through the coconut plantation, feathering the tops of the palms.

Ahead of us, through the trees, the soft lights of a restaurant beckon, and we're soon greeted by an impeccably turned-out waiter who leads us to a terrace table. Down below on the beach, flashlights bob and weave on the mud flats as local fishermen's wives search for crabs among the rocks while the tide is out.

Welcome to The Bay Restaurant at the Panwaburi Hotel on Phuket's southeast coast, near Phuket Town. Nestled into the hillside, the restaurant offers a sweeping view down to the coastline and beyond — an integral part of its personality.

We order aperitifs as two Filipino musicians ask us to think twice about another day in paradise. They're darned right too because, hard as it is to believe, some long-term residents become blasé about life on Phuket after awhile. Maybe they should instead try a year or two in Vladivostok or Belfast. That'd teach 'em a thing or two about appreciating where they live, assuming they survived.

Waan and I order mixed salads for starters, while Kerrie opts for a soft-shell crab salad with spicy cashew nuts. The portions are enormous and, with bread, would easily suffice as lunch.

It's been said that tom yam (hot and sour Thai soup) is the measure of a Thai restaurant's quality. (Mind you, some folks are convinced that Tom Yam is the name of a celebrity Thai chef, so you never can tell.) We order two: A tom yam poo and a tom yam plah — crab and fish soup, respectively. Again, the portions are gargantuan. Each dish could easily serve three people, and we soon realize we've over-ordered, especially when the table groans under the weight of the freshly arrived steamed seabass in lemon and the crab in black pepper.

All of a sudden there's a loud cracking noise and a piece of crab shell flies past my right ear, describing a perfect arc through the night air. Seconds later, it lands with a clatter on the pavement way below the terrace. That'll be Kerrie tucking into her crab, then.

The musicians saunter up and serenade us with "Bessa Mi Mucho", and the heady first taste of Los Boldos Chilean red mixes so well with the sound of Spanish guitars that I can't help getting goose bumps, wondering at the same time how on earth one says "goose bumps" in Spanish. Let's face it: there's absolutely nothing to replace live music over dinner, goose bumps or none. Hey, we may have a mountain of food to get through, but things couldn't look better, atmosphere-wise.

The steamed bass is the star of the evening's culinary show, its delicate flavours so nicely accompany the rice and soup. In case you're wondering, Thais eat soup to complement a meal rather than as a course in itself, so we dip and sip at will.

As enthusiastic as we are, the three of us are soon sated. The service has been better than excellent, the music enjoyable, and the food just great. After a chocolate sundae and an Irish coffee, it's time to go home. I'm still dying to see The Bay in the daytime.

To get to The Bay Restaurant in Panwaburi Hotel, take Route 4023 eastward out of Phuket Town, and then follow Route 4129.