Mahasamut Seafood is mobile

MAHASAMUT SEAFOOD, a popular restaurant in southern Surat Thani province, has gone national with a branch in Bangkok and a promise to deliver great fish and shellfish fast and reasonably priced anywhere in Thailand – or beyond.

The new outlet at Thanya Park on Srinakarin Road has its own seafood market. Nothing is frozen. Everything is still swimming around in tanks – lobsters, mantis shrimps, horseshoe crabs, blue crabs, oysters and much more. 

You choose your own dinner-in-motion as if you were in a supermarket, with the staff’s recommendations for selections and cooking methods if needed. If you’re squeamish about pronouncing death sentences, there’s always the indirect route via a standard menu. 

The month-old Mahasamut branch in Bangkok can accommodate 180 guests in an air-conditioned setting and there are three private rooms, each big enough for a posse of 10. 

Manager Nordin Mabtoul says the plan is “to prove that everyone can eat fresh seafood at reasonable prices”. 

“This is both a restaurant where you can try a variety of tempting dishes and a fresh-seafood market where customers and other restaurants can order the raw material, whether marine or freshwater. And we can deliver fresh seafood anywhere in Thailand within 20 hours, guaranteed.”

Owner Thawan Thetngamthuan is the chief supplier too. He runs Tawan Farm Talay, which raises shrimp, crabs, oysters and lobsters in Surat Thani, Satun, Ranong and Trat. 

Jumbo mantis shrimp costs Bt2,300 per kilogram, which amounts 

 to three to four good-sized samples. Lobster is Bt2,800 per kilo, blue crabs Bt700 for 100 grams, horseshoe crabs are Bt450 apiece, spanner crabs Bt500 and oysters Bt60 each.

The shrimp are shipped in open-ended plastic tubes in a sealed, oxygenated foam box packed with an iced bottle. Mabtoul says the creatures have enough moisture and oxygen to stay alive for 20 hours without the need for water.

“It’s logistically convenient,” he says. “Without water, the box is light, which reduces transportation costs. We’ve shipped shrimp as far away as China, and with the launch of the Asean Economic Community next year, we see a good opportunity to extend our fresh-seafood market to neighbouring countries.”

Diners at the restaurant will find an extensive menu. The Lobster Salad (Bt1,250) arrives on a giant platter, grand enough with 600 grams of meat to feed a group of five. The lobster is breaded and served with apple, grape, guava and cantaloupe cooked with mayonnaise. Four mantis shrimps totalling 400 grams in weight, fried golden brown and crisp and topped with garlic, cost Bt500. 

The pla kang – redtail catfish – comes from Chokprasit Farm ponds in Chon Buri and Prachin Buri. It’s perfect for fry-ups and spicy tom yum. Fried Redtail with Fish Sauce (Bt350) has it marinated in the sauce and deep-fried, not too salty and with firm flesh. 

Stir-fried Egg Crab with Curry Powder (Bt550) doesn’t announce the discovery of an “egg crab”. What you get is 500 grams of crab stir-fried with (chicken) egg and the curry powder. It’s a great combination. 

For a real energy boost, River Prawn Tom Yum (Bt450) is a hot pot of spicy and sour soup with prawns, mushrooms, the meat of a young coconut, a dash of coconut milk and fragrant herbs. 

Also tempting is the Plu Maa Lone (Bt250), a dip made with blue swimming crab. That crab is now swimming in a bowl of coconut milk and fermented soybean sauce, accompanied by assorted vegetables.

 

 

AUTHENTIC FLYING FISH

>>Mahasamut Seafood at Thanya Park on Srinakharin Road is open daily from 10 to 10. 

>>Book a table at (02) 108 6069 or www.MahasamutSeafood.com.