Swiss pearl among oinkeries
 ©  - Travelers' Net

- by James Cook

Here is good news: The Umbrella Hut Restaurant across Vises Hotel in Patong is Cheap Charlie's paradise!

Along the sidewalks of Sai Nam Yen a dozen or two hardcore Thai eateries have set up shop. I have heard of farangs that have eaten here and survived. I myself would not want to take the risk though. Except for one!

Opposite the Vises Hotel you will find Andy's and Anni's Umbrella Hut restaurant. It is easy to overlook. Just look for the Swiss flag. On the outside the Umbrella does not look much different from the other humble abodes except for the many flowers in front of the porch. But once you step inside, you are in for a shock: it is clean, really clean. Even in the kitchen!

Run by Andy, a friendly and secluded Swiss with a moustache and a horsetail and his wife Anni, who originates from Bangkok, but has spent the last 18 years on Phuket, the Umbrella has a wide range of dishes at unbeatable prices.

Try for instance Didi's Soup. A rice soup with more meat than rice in it. When I dined there, the soup was served within three minutes. It was served in a big bowl, it was hot and was satisfyingly tasty. I tried Anni's two curry specialties (they are not on the menu, you have to ask) Chicken Curry and Chicken Gaeng Curry (also available with beef and pork). The food was fresh, the Gaeng Curry was creamy as it should be. The taste is somewhat in between Indian and Thai style curries - which suits me absolutely fine. Andy charged me 50 Baht a portion (with rice on the side). I ordered two fried eggs to go with it and they were perfectly done. White (not oily black) on the outside and just about hardened on the inside.

On top of the pricelist is the Pepper Steak, deliciously done for 180 Baht. On the bottom are traditional Thai Fried Rices (40 Baht). All of it tastes good, also the usually more or less basic Fried Rice. You can tell, see and taste that Andy and Anni make their shoppings fresh every day.

Treats, you would absolutely not expect in a place of this price-range include for instance fresh young onions on every table and a tiny bowl of sassy onion/ cucumber salad to go with the gaeng curry.

Andy alias Andreas Wolf left Switzerland six years ago. Contrary to so many other expats he did not carry a bag of money with him. Together with Anni, whom he found in Patong Beach, he ran a small soup kitchen, setting up stall every night, taking it down every morning. Last year he took the jump from street stall to restaurant. The first season has been okay, he says. I am convinced that the next season is going to be a smash. I for one are going to sit there and slurp Anni's curries and fried rices twice a day.

The Umbrella Hut has 35 seats and is open from 18:00 to 06:00 all days except Mondays.

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