Arriving on the first floor of the recentlycompleted BluPort wing of the Intercontinental Hua Hin, one is struck by the glimmering blue pool just beyond the glass windows. But the eye is quickly drawn to the right to Saraan Lounge (a classic jazz piano bar) and to the left to Le Colonial, an all day dining restaurant.
Forgoing the first two options, I venture forth to Le Colonial. The restaurant opens right into the foyer, and I gingerly step inside onto the festively-patterned gray and white tiles. On the far side I see an open kitchen. Immediately I get the sense of walking into the kitchen at Downton Abbey, and I expect Mrs. Patmore to come around the corner at any moment to shoo me away. The shelves surrounding the seating area are full of various objets d’art, as if a homeowner had been collecting items from around the world for decades. The collections are varied and give a real sense of hominess.
The colonial feel is further enhanced by dark wood shutters flanking the restaurant, whitewashed shelving, black and white marbled table tops, dark wood on the chairs, and cozy upholstered half-moon banquettes. Le Colonial is open seven days a week for breakfast (6:30am-10:30am), and an “all day” menu served from 11am-3:30pm. Currently, dinner is only offered on Friday and Saturday nights (6:30pm-10pm). Designed with comfort at the forefront, the menu features international colonial dishes coupled with Thai favorites. Many of the fruits and vegetables featured on the menu come from the Royal Project farm, which was founded in 1969 by His Majesty, King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
The menu is varied, but not overwhelming, and begins with 3 types of soup, 6 salads (classic Caesar to salmon cake), a beef or vegetable burger, and an variety of sandwiches (a club, sirloin steak, croquet monsieur, and grilled vegetable). Then come some western standards – half a grilled chicken, pan fried sea bass, rack of lamb, and beef tenderloin. Italian, in the form of pastas, comes next with penne Napolitano, spaghetti Bolognese, seafood linguine and mushroom risotto. A selection of pan-Asian dishes follow, representing the cuisines of Vietnam, China, and Thailand.
The menu ends, fittingly, with a selection of desserts that span all the different cuisines – chocolate mud cake, mango and sticky rice, and bread pudding to name a few. Le Colonial Intercontinental Hua Hin BluPort Wing 33/33 Petchkasem Road, Hua Hin, Prachuabkhirikhan 77110, Thailand +66 (0) 32 616999
