Anantasila in Kho Takiab is a real gem, both as a seaside resort and as a wonderful restaurant boasting gorgeous ocean views. Beachfront restaurants have a reputation for being a little pricier because of the location but Anantasila has always struck me as reasonably priced and I’ve been dinning there for over ten years. Further, in those ten years I don’t think I’ve talked to anyone who didn’t have praise for the restaurant. They consistently put out great food.
The restaurant offers a covered dining area for when the weather is a little wet and a tree-canopied outdoor dining deck and beach bar, both offering unobstructed views of the sea and Kho Takiab shoreline. It’s a wonderful restaurant for a lazy lunch with a bottle of wine or a relaxed dinner with two bottles.
We recently had an outstanding dinner there that began with a couple of starters, Smoked Chicken Quesadilla and Queen Scallops. I’m a big fan of Mexican food and the Quesadilla, which was accompanied by guacamole and lime yoghurt did not disappoint. I’ve gone back just for those (and a margarita or three). The pan fried queen scallops were sautéed with bacon (what’s not to love about that) and topped with tomato and caper vierge, beautifully presented on the shell.
We went a little over the top on the mains as we ordered the Chateaubriand for 2 as well as the Prawn and Asparagus Risotto. The Chateaubriand was certainly enough for two people coming with 3 sides and 3 sauces. The meat was tender, flavorful and cooked to perfection. For sides we chose the jacket potato with sour cream, truffle mashed potatoes and vegetables from the fresh market. The accompanying sauces were their béarnaise, red wine shallot and a green peppercorn and pommery mustard cream sauce
The Prawn and Asparagus Risotto was full of flavor and a sizable portion with fresh plump prawns. It was very good but didn’t get the attention it deserved as we were busily devouring the Chateaubriand.
As full as we were, I still seemed to have room for desert and made two great choices. The chocoholic in me was overwhelmed with the Dark Chocolate and Chili Fondant accompanied by a strawberry coulis and white chocolate ice cream. The second heavenly sweet was their Trio of Crème Brulee. The trio consisted of vanilla, chocolate and passion fruit and were sinfully delightful.
Chef Hans came out of the kitchen at the end of our meal to greet us and told us that shortly they will be offering new menu items which we will certainly be back to try.
Some examples of the new menu items include
- Braised beef raviolis with wild mushrooms, truffle jus and a petit herb salad
- Moroccan styled chicken breast with baba ghanoush, ratatouille, spiced sweet potato croquettes and lime yoghurt
- King prawns alla American with lobster gravy, dry vermouth and tarragon
- Rock lobster “Thermidor” with a mushroom, pommery mustard and brandy cream sauce baked with parmesan cheese
- Grilled Australian Top Paddock lamb chops with truffle oil mashed potatoes and ratatouille
- Anantasila steak pizza with ruccola, thinly sliced medium rare grilled Australian wagyu rump steak and béarnaise sauce
But Anantasila isn’t just about fine dining, you can also get great hamburgers, sandwiches and some of the best pizza in Hua Hin from their wood fired pizza oven. The Anantasila Restaurant is one of our favorite restaurants and if you haven’t been there yet, definitely put it on your list to visit. It will become one of your favorites too.
ANANTASILA VILLA BY THE SEA
33/17 Soi Mooban Huadon, Petchasem Road
Tel: +66 32 536 364,+66 32 527 638-9
E-mail: info@anantasila.com