Okay, picture this- you’re laying back with your feet up on a comfy lounge chair after a long day, the gentle breeze is ruffling your hair gently as you listen to the waves crashing, and you’re sipping on a glass of wine. You have a formal business dinner with a client in a couple of minutes but you’re not stressing out because you’re having the meeting there, at your favorite place to chill and unwind. It’s almost too good to be true, right? If you have been looking for a classy, sophisticated restaurant that has a down to earth vibe in Hua Hin, our Hot Magazine team has found one for you. Oceanside Beach Club and Restaurant is definitely a place you need to check out.
The restaurant has crisp all-white lounge style seating on one side, and dark wooden formal seating on the other. It stands right next to the beach, so the view of the horizon is the never-ending sea. When we walked in the first thing I noticed was the lighting, little illuminated cubes of orange placed tastefully around the couches and chairs, giving off a relaxing sunset vibe that I immediately felt comfortable with. The music was chill, it wasn’t loud but it faintly hummed in the background adding to the mood of the place. As I observed colorful cocktails and exotic dishes being delivered to people lounging on chairs, my eyes shifted to the cute little bar in the far end. It looked inviting, with a friendly looking bartender and an illuminated counter that was dimly lit from below with a subtle shade of warm orange.
We were given complementary drinks right after we were seated, along with a basket of a variety of breads. They were warm and went perfectly with our chilled drinks, as we waited for the entrées that Chef Wittawat had personally chosen for us. The first dish we had was crispy aubergine. I was hesitant to try this at first because personally, I’m not eggplant’s number 1 fan but all it took was one bite to change my mind. The outer shell had a crunchiness to it, but it was unexpectedly teamed up with a soft and smooth texture on the inside. Although originally a Turkish dish, Oceanside’s version of it has a twist because it is served with a spicy miso sauce and sprinkled with toasted Japanese seaweed and spring onions. I would recommend this to anyone, especially those veggie-haters, you 
will be delightfully surprised. Our second starter was the Five Spices Lamb Tenderloin. It was skillfully plated with little cubes of watermelon and buffalo cheese diced so precisely that we almost didn’t want to eat and destroy it. Slices of lamb were placed in the middle and they had a delicious combination of different flavors that went well together, leaving a familiar trail of Thai zing in our tastebuds.
Then came the main courses. The Teriyaki Glazed Tasmanian Salmon was beautifully presented on the plate; it came with salmon garnished very nicely on top of Japan’s well-known Yakisoba noodles. The salmon was cooked very well with my knife slicing through it perfectly, as if it were butter. The Teriyaki glaze was just the right amount too, and it didn’t overpower the flavor of the salmon. The second main 
course we had was something the Chef recommended, a steak dish originally from France, Encrusted Beef Tournedos which came with potato wedges and thin baked cranberry chips. I was a little skeptical about trying this, since you probably already know that a good steak isn’t that easy to come by in Thailand. It was decorated attractively with a sauce on the side, and the flavors exploded in my mouth because it was a combination I’d never had before; traditional steak with a hint of Thai taste. Oceanside’s innovative take on steak impressed me and now I know what I am going to order as my main course when I go there again.
When they brought in the desserts, we couldn’t help but make some room in our tummies. Now if you’re an indecisive person like me, you’ll want to get the Ob Oon selection of mini pastries and petit fours which comes with an assortment of little treats marching oh so perfectly in a straight line. My taste buds experienced a little bit of this and a little bit of that- it started off with the creaminess an éclair, moved on to a mini sugar rush with a bite of mini-macaroons that was balanced out with a tangy little lemon tart, and finally the richness of a fudge brownie that just melted inside the mouth.
The last dish sent out of the kitchen was the most intriguing. The chocolate lava really did live up to its name, as if a small chocolate volcano actually erupted oozing out a delicious chocolate fudge. The moment I inserted my fork, I froze as I watched the lava slowly stream down the cake, and every bite I took, I took in pure ecstasy. The cake was soft, warm, and moist just as any good cake should be, and the scoop of chocolate chip ice cream on the side was a nice cool touch. It was the perfect way to end the evening looking at the gentle swishing waves, with a sweet taste lingering in our mouths and the last glass of wine we held in our hands before heading back home. It was the perfect way to end the evening looking at the gentle swishing waves, with a sweet taste lingering in our mouths and the last glass of wine we held in our hands before heading back home.