Bliss by the sea

Published on December 7, 2007

Sri Racha is home to a community of foreigners working in the Eastern Seaboard industrial estates, and the restaurant Le Marin in the newly opened Cape Racha Hotel is among the places they are flocking to. On the menu is an extensive range of Mediterranean dishes from pasta and pizza to seafood and steak.

With seating for 120 people, the decor is contemporary, with oak-shaded furniture to match the hotel's rooms. But don't be scared off by the modern and elegant look, which sometimes equates to high prices - the meals are reasonably affordable, especially when compared to similar portions being served in Bangkok.

For starters, the restaurant's manager Narongphod Boonsong recommends Greek-style salad with tomato, feta cheese, cucumber and Kalamata olives in lemon dressing, topped with oregano (Bt170), as well as mixed grilled vegetables (Bt150). For soups, you can try complex flavours such as Lebanese chickpea with tomato and onions (Bt130) or Spanish tomato soup with crab meat (Bt130).

"Most vegetables for our salads are from the Royal projects. But our beef is from New Zealand and spices are from Italy. We try to set the prices applicable for local residents and tourists. The pizza starts at just Bt180," says Narongphod.

For pasta lovers, the is the signature dish: Reginette pasta with porcini mushrooms and parma ham (Bt250). Imported from Italy, the porcinis have a distinct aroma reminiscent of fermented dough. Found in the wild, they fruit twice a year, in June and October

Le Marin has a pizza station where chefs show how to bake pizzas in the coal-fired brick oven. Kept at a hot 400 degrees, the oven sizzles up a pie in just two minutes. The smoked salmon pizza with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese (Bt230) comes in eight thin slices, and is aromatic and crispy.

If you're not in the mood for pasta or pizza, there are several risottos. A favourite choice of customers, according to Narongphod, is Valencia-style paella (Bt300), featuring a combination of seafood, chicken, chorizo sausage and vegetables in saffron rice, served in a big deep pan.

I had a light and savoury grilled baby tuna steak (Bt200) served with steamed vegetables and slices of lemons. For the side dish, you can choose steamed, pan-fried or grilled vegetables. The menu also offers roasted lamb shank served with white bean stew in Syrian style (Bt200), and marinated chicken kabobs, marinated chicken skewers with Lebanese-style pilaff rice (Bt200).

To please the large Japanese expatriate community here, the restaurant also has a selection of tempura udon, yaki tori, saba teriyaki and other dishes.

Mediterranean Night is every Monday from 6.30 to 10pm. The cost for this satisfying buffet is Bt365. In the morning, you can also drop in for breakfast: American (Bt150), Continental (Bt130) or Asian style (Bt140). The restaurant also has special menus for parties and events.