A journey into a culinary wonderland

It’s often said that food can take you on a journey. When dining at the spectacular Black Ginger at The Slate, Nai Yang Beach, you are literally taken on a journey into a culinary wonderland, one which will not be forgotten in a hurry.

After arriving at the main reception my dining partner and I are taken via buggy through the expansive grounds of the lavish property to the restaurant’s entrance. Or at least that’s what we thought. Venturing through the impressive walkway, adorned with illuminated shields honouring the courage of heroines Khun Chan and Khun Mook, who in 1785 bravely thwarted a Burmese invasion, we arrive at a lake. There a rope-pulled raft awaits to carry us across the water to the restaurant itself, as fire lanterns burn and cast a delightful collage of playful shadows on the landscape and water. As you slowly approach, excitement and anticipation grow as it genuinely feels as if you are travelling back in time, even to another world – it is a truly magical start to the experience.

The restaurant itself is a majestic wooden structure, “blending old-world charm with contemporary elegance” that captures the vibe of the Ayutthaya period. We are met by smiling, courteous staff and soon seated in the charming and extremely atmospheric main dining room. With numerous menu options available, we opt for the Black Ginger Experience, which offers (via an array of smaller plated dishes) a “tapestry of flavours from land to sea, crafted to showcase the Island’s rich culinary heritage.”

To start we are brought three separate dishes. The Yam Nor Thue is a salad fusing young

wild ginger, green mango, tamarind dressing and charcoal-grilled river prawn and is a delicious palate cleanser. The Tod Man Pla is among the finest fish cakes we have ever tasted, only bettered by the signature house-made sweet chilli sauce, which is absolutely fantastic! The Special Recipe - fresh spring rolls, punctuated by the juicy crab and tender pork traditional Thai pancakes round off the perfect start to our meal.

Chef Paik takes things into overdrive with the main courses. The Mee Hokkien is a delight, with the charred lobster tail and crispy pork lardons the stars, while the Moo Hong offers braised pork belly slowly cooked for hours with dark soy sauce, black pepper, garlic and other seasonings. Simply delicious.

The Gaeng Som Pla mixes fresh turmeric, grouper fish fillet, tamarind and pineapple and is genuinely a standout that I would easily order again on its own. However, the Gaeng Poo Bai Cha Plu is my personal favourite - delicate blue swimmer crab simmered gently in a fragrant southern-style yellow curry. It is incredibly tasty and extremely more-ish!

The Nua Yang charcoal-grilled Australian wagyu beef, marinated and seasoned with a bold, fiery curry blend (that Chef Piak says is an age-old family recipe) is divine, while the Pad Pak Mieng offers a nutrient-rich leafy vegetable dish blended with garlic and egg.

Our taste buds are further piqued with three desserts that round off the dining experience perfectly. The Kanom Bulu is a soft, traditional Phuket-style sponge cake and works fantastically well with the Kiao Supparot (crispy pineapple wontons). However, the star for us is the Sapparot Mok I-Tim – charcoal burnt pineapple ice cream, which is a truly delicious and unique taste, the likes of which neither of us had experienced before.

It concludes a fantastic menu and we are more than satisfied. More than a simple tasting menu, our choice offered several playful inroads to delicious Thai food made with a local twist from the brilliant Chef Piak. The portions are just right and the fact that everything tastes spectacular – but nothing overpowers or lingers – speaks volumes as to how Chef Piak and her team have mastered true Thai cuisine.

It is sometimes easy to get carried away with a fine dining experience, but I can genuinely say that was not the case with our time at Black Ginger. The venue, the ambiance, the exemplary staff and service and the delectable food make it a truly unique and unforgettable experience.

The whole theatre of the experience itself seems to add an altogether different level of wonder and enjoyment; entering a whole new world at a venue in the middle of the lake then leaving to go back to normality. Taking the raft back it dawned on me that the torches flickering and the shadows dancing were kind of symbolic as to the journey our taste buds had been on in the previous few hours: playful, fun, illuminating, different, unique. We will be journeying back to this very special place very, very soon.