The Fat Pig Restaurant on Koh Lanta is on Stilts Over the Andaman Sea

The Fat Pig Restaurant is a Super Place to Chill, Even for Those Over 60

The Fat Pig on Koh Lanta is a super place to hang out, especially if you’re traveling alone and want somewhere to go to chill.  It is also perfect for us over 60 year olds as its easy to get to and they don’t care if we sit there all afternoon nursing a drink or a snack.  The restaurant is located in Saladan, the small town at the north end of Koh Lanta.  The dinning area is sitting on stilts oIMG_0026ver the water providing a wonderful view of the Andaman Sea and the neighbouring island of Koh Lanta Noi.  As I sat there I watched many long tail boats loaded down with fish and seafood traps go by.  The view over the water is totally relaxing.  In additional to the long tail boats, I saw a passenger ferry and a few dive boats coming back from one of the day dive trips that are so popular here in southern Thailand.

At the Fat Pig, you can just relax and while away the afternoon as I did, reading, taking pictures and daydreaming as you gaze at the Andaman Sea.  It is also a great place to meet friends and get caught up over snacks and a few beverages.  However, for me that day, I was there alone.  I like to go out alone often on Koh Lanta so I can enjoy the atmosphere of where I am and pay attention to nothing as I let my thoughts wander.  A great way to relax and let the creative juices flow.  And then when I’m sufficiently inspired, I can get on with my writing.

The Fat Pig is part of the ‘Fat’ group that includes the Fat Monkey Restaurant and Bar, and the Fat Hippo Party/Tour Boat.  The Fat Group is run by Will, a Culinary Expert of delicious food, and his wife, the beautiful Ning.  They are both extremely upbeat, with beautiful warm smiles and always eager to make your visit a very special one.

IMG_0023For lunch I started with my favourite drink that I call the Green Drink.  It’s a mix of mint, lime, apple, and other wonderful fresh flavours.  I don’t really know how to make it, but that’s okay, they do it up so well.  It is beyond delicious and I always have at least one when I’m at the Fat Pig or Fat Monkey.

As it was mid-afternoon I wanted a light lunch snack and opted for Som Tam, a green papaya salad.  This famous Thai salad is a lunch and snack staple all over Thailand.  Depending on where you are, it can be sweet, savoury, fiery hot or a mix of all three.  I asked for 3 chilis as I know if I say spicy the heat could blow my head off as they know I like hot!  In Thailand they are reluctant to bring a farang  (foreigner) spicy food because they just aren’t sure how hot to make the dish.  Often when I ask for spicy, it is either complete void of heat, or way too hot for me, and I can eat hot.  For a Thai, spicy can mean a handful of chilis in the dish.  While this sounds crazy, it is the norm for Esan cooking found in the north eastern part of the country.  It is always best for a farang, who likes spicy food, to say how many chilis to use.  This lets them know how best to prepare the food to our liking.  Of course it does depend on the size of the chilis, but we’re in Thailand and being adventurous is part of the thrill that keeps us here.

My green drink and salad were delicious.  The salad comes with slices of cucumber that help tame a hot mouth with a fresh crunch.  Sometimes I order steamed rice or rice noodles with Som Tam, but today I wasn’t that hungry.  I ate slowly and took a lot of pictures.  I was lucky as a lot of long-tail boats were going by, some full of people, others full of fishing traps.IMG_0025

In the distance I could see the construction of the bridge going up connecting Koh Lanta with the smaller Lanta Noi.  This bridge has been years in the planning and construction is suppose to be complete within the next year.  Koh Lanta is two islands removed from the Thai mainland, and from there it is about an hour drive to Krabi Town and the airport.  The locals are hoping that the bridge will help attract more tourists to the island by shortening the 2-3 hours trip to the airport by about 30 minutes to an hour.

The Fat Pig dining area had almost emptied out, which gave me a lot of privacy so I could make some video calls on my phone.  Like many bars and restaurants on Koh Lanta, the wifi connection and password are there for the asking.  It’s nice to be able to find somewhere to Facetime/Skype while out and about on Koh Lanta.  I took advantage of the quiet time in the dining area call a friend in Canada and show them the gorgeous view of the Andaman and my ‘temporary’ writing desk with my feet up on a chair.  Don’t tell Will I was totally chilled, he may want to charge me rent!

The Fat Pig Bar

On my way out I stopped at the bar, at the entrance to the Fat Pig, to chat with some friends.  There are always locals at the bar who’ve stopped in to visit with Will and take a beverage break from their busy day in paradise.  Today there were some bungalow resort owners, a deli owner and two owners of the Irish Embassy, a super pub on Koh Lanta that I will definitely be reviewing in the coming months on this Website/Blog.

I really like the Fat Pig as I can go there alone anytime to chill and get inspired.  I’m never pressured to keep ordering, and can sit there all afternoon with my laptop working away on my blog stories.  It’s definitely fun and somewhat decadent to be lazing over the water watching life go by.  If I want something, I can easily place an order and get great food.  And if I want some company, I can go to the bar for a beverage, join in the conversation, and who knows what will happen.  After all, this is Thailand…

It’s all good at the Fat Pig!

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