The aptness of the name of KanEang@Pier becomes apparent after spending just a few hours at the restaurant.

Kan Eang - meaning to ?feel at ease? - is located along Chalong Bay and has a wonderful expanse of the waves of the sea, floating longtails and distant islands.

Kan Eang has been a favourite among expat residents, tourists and locals alike since opening in 1973, yet changes are still afoot.

Khun Aparidee, Sales & Public Relations of Kang Eang Pier said, ?Our current menu is very large and over time we have found that people primarily come for the seafood and traditional Thai appetisers, so from next month the extensive menu will be slimmed down so we can focus on what?s popular.?

As expected the number of appetisers to choose from was vast and included the very popular ?bua tod? (90 baht), which looked strange to say the least, but tasted great. Fresh water weeds were attached to a number of batter fried shrimp which gave the shrimp the appearance that they had wings.

The dish along with many of the other appetisers, came with a separate serving of recommended sauce. The accompanying sweet tamarind sauce went really well with the crunchy and delicious ?flying weedshrimps?.

The second appetiser was also as pleasing aesthetically as it was gastronomically. A salad of sorts but without a lettuce or tomato in sight: a smoked shrimp with lemongrass and cashew nut salad (150 baht). The dish comes with moist ChapLu leaves that you can use as pockets to stuff the salad in. A fun way of dining and it also tasted so light and sweet.

As seafood will soon become the main focus of the menu, it was of little wonder that so many different types of fish were on offer. A local favourite was chosen and prepared in the uniquely Kan Eang method of barbecuing using coconut shells as fuel, ?It creates a pleasant aroma when cooking it and gives a great taste, ? explained K Apiradee.

Although a wide selection of chili-based sauces was brought to the table, I am not a huge fan of spicy sauces especially with fish. My view is that sauce can sometimes overpower the freshness of the fish.

Fish certainly doesn?t come much fresher than at KanEang@Pier, with a huge selection of freshly caught and live seafood from Phuket lobster, tiger prawns, king prawns, crab, cuttlefish and oysters straight from the bay.

K Apiradee said, ?Every morning we have deliveries from the fishermen, this is one of the reasons why we have always appealed to the local and expat residents.?

Other reasons for its continued popularity could be the large open-air plan of the restaurant and visible fish and seafood sala, the separate sections of the Baybar; a luxury air-conditioned venue for pre-dining cocktails or after-dinner drinks and the K1 Kaffe open from 6.30am providing a comfortable home-like environment perfect for enjoying a freshly brewed coffee or cooked breakfast. The large space and open-air design means that one never feels rushed, crowded or inhibited while eating.

From next month there will be one more section at Kan Eang in which to relax, dine and experience; the Vset ? meaning ?special? in Thai. The Vset will serve primarily Western food but we will have to wait till next month to find out how apt the name is.