My Best Traveling Dinner

I've stated in another post that I don't make too big a deal out of meals when I travel. Typically I'm eating alone so there is no social aspect to it. Also, I don't like to go to restaurants for the most part because I hate to sit alone at a table waiting for service or the bill.

If the hotel I'm staying provides free food I will usually take advantage of it. Normally I don't eat lunch but simply have snacks in my backpack I bring from the USA.

If I do eat locally, I seek the street foods if it's available in my area. Or, in this particular place, I chose the beach food.

I was on the island of Koh Samui in Thailand staying at a resort hotel. This hotel was located on its own small island off the main one. But, in low tide you could walk through the shallow waters to the beach of the main island. On one particular evening I decided to take the shallow water walk to the main beach area to check out the local cuisine.

There were many areas to sit inside the restaurants that had great seaside views. Most of them also offered outdoor seating directly on the beach. The one I chose had beach seating and they cooked oustside as well. I like to see my food being prepared so I can ensure no funny business, so I chose this particular place.

Now it's likely I've had a better meal, but I can't recall it. It was by no means an extravagant meal, just simply garlic buttered shrimp.

I know! Doesn't look like much, does it? But it had the most incredible flavor! I'm not sure the seasonings they used (the Thai know how to season food), but the combination of the seasonings with the garlic butter and fresh shrimp was just amazing. The price was a very reasonable US equivalent of about $6.00 with no taxes or tip, which normally add another 25-30%. It was so good I ordered a second meal at the same sitting!

To add to the meal was the view. Not that it was an extraordinary view of the ocean or anything, it was just so peaceful. It was during the pandemic, so these normally packed beaches were only occupied by scattered locals.

I really enjoy watching the locals at play in their environment.

I don't normally like to sit at my table for a long period of time alone eating. But this was an exception as I just enjoyed my two dinners and watching the locals interact. I was there long enough to capture this beautiful sunset as well:

This was the most memorable dinner I've eaten alone in my travels. It was so nice I went back the next night to recreate the experience. But I found again that thing I already knew. You can never go back and have the same experience.

The second night there was a different cook and the shrimp just didn't have the same flavor. Additionally, he overcooked the shrimp. No double meal that night.

Well, it was a nice one time experience, but as the saying goes, you can never go back....