Koh Samui & The Monkey

I have an awesome recipe for Thai pumpkin curry that I will share with you.

Instructions:

1. Pour yourself a glass of champagne or cabernet.
2. Call (415) 369-0007 and ask for the pumpkin curry.
3. While you're at it, also order the fried sweet corn patties, sea bass clay pot, crushed sesame scallops and pad thai.
4. Throw in a few good friends, some laughter, and a couple cocktails and you have: THE BEST MEAL EVER.

My place in SF is literally 2 blocks away and I am completely serious when I say that when I was looking to make my real estate purchase, my building's proximity to Koh Samui was a deciding factor (ok, not THE deciding factor because that would be silly now, wouldn't it, but definitely A deciding factor).

I LOVE Koh Samui & The Monkey. I refuse to get into philosophical arguments about which Thai restaurant in the Bay Area has the most "authentic" Thai food because that is besides the point. Koh Samui & The Monkey is my favorite Thai restaurant in SF, in the bay area, in the US, in the world. I can't count how many happy meals I've had here with friends. If you are my friend and you lived in or visited SF while I was living there, then I'm pretty sure you've been to Koh Samui. With me. Because I take everyone there. And if I haven't taken you, I am truly sorry, and promise to take you next time I'm in town.

Now I can't vouch for everything on the menu. I think I ordered a beef Penang curry once just to mix it up and immediately wished I had just stuck to my tried and true items. So please just trust me on this one and order exactly what I listed above. And I promise you, you will agree that it was one of the best (if not THE best) Thai meals you've ever had in your life.

Unfortunately I don't have any photos because I can't be bothered to delay the gratification of my tastebuds and stomach once the food arrives, but there are plenty here: http://www.kohsamuiandthemonkey.com/gallery.shtml

Food rating: *****
Bang for buck rating: 5

The essentials:
http://www.kohsamuiandthemonkey.com
Location: 415 Brannan Street, between 3rd and 4th Streets, San Francisco
Average price of dinner for two (but best with groups so you can order more variety): $60