Journalism of Courage
A lesson in fine things comes from one of the most unexpected places
Garbo and Guitar isnt listed as one of the best restaurants in Koh Samui in any list Ive seen so far. Its rather literally tucked away at the farthest end off the Mae Nam beach road,just after two posh spa resorts. It has no advertising billboards,just a small red signboard hooked on to a palm tree.
Save the seafood,all local catches of the day,nothing costs over 500 baht (the spring rolls are just at 100 baht). This could well be Thailands answer to our local dhaba. But its so much much more.
Their china may be a basic white,but they dress up their dishes as if they were trained by a Thai Cordon Bleu school to. (I even asked where they procured their bamboo-weave serving trays from,theyre from an emporium,a wholesale bazaar,at the nearby village Na Thon. I bought half a dozen.)
The serving staff are the loveliest looking girls on the island,dressed stylishly in ruffled tops and mini shorts,or puff skirt dresses,as is the fashion of the day. They are all daughters or nieces of Auntie who owns the restaurant that her grandparents started: Garbo and Guitar,yes,those were their names.
The crowd is filled with moneyed tourists spilling over from the nearby resorts. A German couple who I recommended this place to sends over a bottle of Shiraz in gratitude. We later see them here several times.
Like much of Thailand,this restaurant works because it respects the elements around it. The beach is your floor,the seats are bamboo shacks and all the food is locally sourced and freshly made. Served with so much finesse,I may have a tip or two for our five-star chefs back home.
Interestingly,the luxury business is just like that. Each fashion house wants to sell you more than a frock or a handbag,they want you to partake of their history and heritage. And only the ones that have a strong local story,teamed with top-notch quality,are the ones that appeal globally. The French based their labels on history,the Italians on handmade finesse.
Every credible Indian fashion designer has begun to understand this. The ones who earn the best reviews (and eventually sales) are the ones who present a unique Indianness erstwhile unseen or long forgotten.
A cultural firmament is not just an assertion of identity,its also your ticket to cool. namratanow@gmail.com
