We first profiled the Hua Hin Marriott’s Big Fish and Bar back in May of this year. At that time, it was newly opened and was, and still is, the only air conditioned absolute beachfront restaurant in Hua Hin. Floor to ceiling windows bring the beach to your table without the associated unpleasant heat and humidity.
I really liked the restaurant then and subsequent visits have nailed it as one of my very favorite restaurants in Hua Hin.
The Marriott’s Executive Chef, Mario Hoffmann is highly skilled. In his 20 years of experience he has worked for the renowned Kempinski Hotel group in Munich, Berlin, Bangkok and in the Austrian Alps of Jochberg. Later Mario moved to Malaysia, working at the Shangri-La Hotel where he led a team of 170 chefs and oversaw banquets with up to 1,500 guests. When I had heard that Mario had recently introduced a major update to the Big Fish’s menu, I just had to go back to try some of his new creations for myself.
In reviewing the menu, I was pleasantly pleased to see that some of the restaurant’s signature specialties remained, such as their Big Fish Iced 
Seafood Tower. The iced seafood tower includes Rock Lobster, scallops, mussels, salmon tartar, oysters and large prawns along with a multitude of sauces. It’s enjoyable to watch the delighted facial expressions of guests as the Iced Seafood Tower is brought to the table as its quite impressive in its presentation.
My favorite desert from Big Fish also remains which is their Mango Crème Brulee with Steamed Sticky Rice and Coconut Cream Ice Cream, pure heaven.
As the name of the restaurant, “Big Fish” implies, the restaurant is about Seafood. The offerings can change daily depending on what’s freshly available off the boats but there are normally five or so different types of seafood available. To add to the variety, you can have your chosen seafood prepared eight different ways; Yang /Char Grilled, Pad Kee Maow / Sautéed with Thai herbs, Tom Yum / spicy soup, Hor Baitong / wrapped in Thai herbs, Tod Makham / fried with tamarind sauce, Tod Nam Pla / fried with fish sauce, Pad Kra Pau / sauteed with spicy basil sauce and Pad Pong Ka Ree / sauteed with curry powder. If you are looking for something other than seafood, you can also choose from great steaks and veal.
This visit however, we chose to try another interesting and new menu item which was their “East Meets West” signature set. It’s similar to a de gustion dinner but with larger portions and each course (as the name implies) has an Eastern/Thai component accompanied by a Western component. The signature set is for two people and comes with three starter courses, two main courses and a desert. To begin our meal, we were served a nice sized prawn with tamarind sauce along with grilled foie gras & mango. Next to appear was a scallop tartare, Asian style and Australian beef tartare, Western style. The last starter were soups, a Tom Yum Goong and a creamy cauliflower soup with summer truffle. Our mains followed consisting of crispy pork in red curry, a steamed sea bass filet in a banana leaf and Australian grilled lamb chops with vegetables. All were full of flavor and wonderfully prepared. As full as we were, we still had desert coming which continued on the East Meets West theme. Served in a smoking nitrogen bowl were two thai deserts; mango with sticky rice and bua loy, colored rice flower balls in sweet creamy coconut milk. The Western deserts were a crème brulee and a chocolate fudge brownie.
In addition to all the delicious flavors enjoyed in the many creatively paired courses of the East Meets West signature set, each dish was beautifully presented on stunning plates and platters.
Big Fish and Bar is a very special restaurant in Hua Hin and if you haven’t been, you are really missing out on some of the most innovative cuisine served in one of the most beautiful spots in the city.
Big Fish & Bar
Hua Hin Marriott Resort & Spa
107/1 Phetkasem Road
032 904 666