Coming Back for More at Chez Andy

Repeats, repeats, repeats! For a television viewer, there’s nothing worse. For the restaurateur however, this is what they strive for. They want their customers to keep coming back – time after time, year after year.

With the average stay on Samui being only 6 days, you’d expect the percentage of repeat customers in a restaurant to be very low. At Chez Andy, the figure is 30%, which is comparable to a well-established city restaurant with a static population. So why do so many people come back here so often? What’re the particular attractions of this restaurant?

I decided that a visit was in order, so I went along one evening with my wife and 2 small children. Chez Andy is on Chaweng Beach Road, directly opposite Swensen´s, the famous ice-cream parlour. And if there is an actual ‘centre’ of town, then I suppose this is it.

The restaurant comes in two parts. First there’s the main building on the road. Downstairs there’s a bar area where people can spend time socializing before or after their meal. And upstairs there’s an attractive 40-seater restaurant. It’s bright, cheerful and clean up here, and is an ideal vantage point to look down on the passing throngs.

But seeing as I was with the family tonight, the garden area around the back seemed more suitable. There’s a lot of space out there (enough for 70 seats) and I didn’t feel worried that the children would feel too confined. And although it’s only 10 metres from the road, it’s very quiet, shielded as it is by the main restaurant building.

The children’s food is half-price for all kids up to 12 years old! So my offspring typically went straight for the snacky stuff which kept them very quiet. Those with sextuplets will be pleased to note there are no limitations as to numbers on this extraordinary offer!

With the kids sorted out, now it was our turn. But so many choices, and where to start? Thai? Italian? Maybe Swiss, the owner and chef – Andy Muller – is a Swiss national after all. The steaks were tempting, especially so since they come from Australia’s famous Harvey Farm (complete with import certificate, showing clearance from all those nasty diseases the American market recently suffered with). There’re even Angus steaks!

There’s also a daily buffet with beef tenderloin, pork steaks, marinated spare ribs, chicken breasts, shish kebabs, sausages, salads, fish, seafood, and a massive spread of vegetables too. My wife chose this, and had no regrets. She particularly enjoyed the spare ribs, but made many return trips to ‘try’ the rest of the assortment.

“… it was pointed out that the children’s food
is half-price for all kids up to 12 years old!”

I fancied a fish starter from the à la carte menu, so ordered the Saumon Fumee – Norwegian smoked salmon with horseradish sauce, toast and butter. A wise decision. So tender, the salmon just melted in my mouth. Next, a Boeuf Stroganov with strips of tenderloin on a tasty paprika cream sauce. My mouth is watering just remembering it!

A delicious Crepe Suzette with an orange Cointreau & vanilla sauce seemed like the perfect way to end the meal, and it was!

Those of you who enjoy a good glass of wine with your meal will be interested to learn that Andy makes no profit on his wines. “For me it’s important that my diners can drink a quality wine to complement the quality food we serve here,” he says. Now that’s customer relations!

And it’s hardly surprising that with food and service this good, that Chez Andy gets so many return customers. In fact, so popular is Chez Andy on Samui, that Andy opened a branch of Chez Andy in Korat in April 2002!