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- รูป The Office Restaurant - Samui
Wonton noodles, Malaysian style.
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The chef jubilantly waltzes out of the tiny white door. He spewed a literature of the menu from memory in an accent so familiar to me. My wife and kid were hard processing the mix of strange Thai jumbled up with English, eyes wide opened. To me, the acquaintance was a delightful change. The neurons in my brain kicked into high gear flashing vivid images of all good Malaysia and Singapore hawker dishes. My stomach instantly growled in response. “I am a Malaysian” he said. My happy grin cut from one ear to the other like Terrance and Phillip in SouthPark.
Without hesitation, I ordered the Woton Meen (prawn dumpling noodles), that which is stir mixed in a dark sauce that is of Malaysian hawker origin. And I also ordered another version, which is of tomato-based like what we find in Singapore. For our child, we had the Taiwan Palo (rice with braised pork). The large portion of noodles came with generously sized dumplings. Dumplings was an excellent blend of prawn and pork that burst with flavors reminiscence of a Hong Kong restaurant. I stirred the noodles to blend with the sauces. It was fragrant with the aroma of fried shallot oil. This is the one essential element of a good dry-noodle dish, something that Thais had yet to embrace. Sprinkled in are those sinful crispy fried pork lard which completed dish. Nostalgia kicked right in when I slurped in the long yellow noodles, my browses raised in tandem to my spirits which was elevated up into cloud nine food heaven. It was everything I ever wanted Woton Meen to be in Thailand, it was undoubtedly delicious. I was too focused on the noodles, but I gave my attention to the other 2 dishes we had ordered too. Tomato-based version reminded me of my childhood days eating non-spicy noodles at hawker centers. And the Taiwan Palo was definitely not a Thai Palo labeled just with a Taiwan word. It had quail eggs instead of chicken. It is distinctly different and the braise was a perfect chemistry of taste. I wanted to finish it all without leaving any for my kid.
Why??? Why are there no good noodles like these in my decades here? Why only this chanced encounter all the way in Koh Samui????? This is the way dry noodles should be, not like the normal local street fare where they lazily just served noodles blanched in a light tasteless broth. In Thailand, dry noodles are served with condiments of sugar, fish sauce, vinegar and dried 7-11 chili flakes in order to zest it up. Some places do douse the noodle a little with fried garlic oil, but it is not to my liking. They all tasted boringly same. I had stayed away from dry noodles unless I was really hunger stricken working on site with nothing else to eat.
The Office is a tiny little townhouse located on the side of a Samui street. You wouldn’t know it is there if not for the black and white arty sign on the narrow sidewalk. Opening the typical aluminum doors common in offices we find in Thailand, the interior is simple and in a welcoming white. Just a few small tables joined together and a bar counter completed the interior. It can be a squeeze and this place is not for walk-ins normally. The menu is extensive, but the unique dishes such as Go-lo-yok (sweet and sour pork), Malaysian Char Siu (grilled pork), Rendang (thick curry-based meats), don’t expect to find them available by coming un-announced. This is kind of a homey restaurant, so, authentic delicacies are not prepared every day. It is only for meant for the enjoyment of those who highly appreciate good authentic Malaysia Singapore food. For us, it was a last-minute walk in, but we were fortunate enough that they had the ingredients to make Wonton Meen. This is the way because The Office is a really small operation catering to only a few at a time. The Office is one of those exclusive book-in-advance type restaurants. Call a day ahead, at least, to make a reservation and order what you want to eat.
This cozy restaurant advertises herself as Taiwanese and Hong Kong, but that is probably to catch the eyes of the normally prevalent Chinese tourist on the island. Menu features giant slabs of fried chicken and pork cutlet, signatures of Taiwan fare. I do miss them dearly, but I can only eat so much. Again, these crispy cutlets seasoned the right way are not something one can find in Thailand. From those referenced countries that I had mentioned, one could tell that Chef Looi is truly talented. If only I had known this restaurant on the first day of my island trip, I will be here every day. The prices are so very humble here, it was the most affordable meal we had on our days on paradise island. There are expats like me who seek out the taste of home in Thailand, but our hunger was never heard. And as a tourist should you be, during your extended holidays, sometimes you want a taste of home. This be the place mate, this be the place. Call in advance, order and indulge in what we dearly miss.
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