Our lazy morning side trip to Nathon, on the central-western coast of Samui (where the main port for shuttle ferries from mainland Surat Thani come and go), concluded with Mumthong, a corner restaurant on 4169 Road, just before the long walkways down to Nathon Pier.  The open-air first-floor dining space let in the ocean breeze, and we had a great roadside view of the mango sticky rice stand across the street.DSC_0765We ordered seafood fried rice, green curry with shrimp, a Thai omelette, fried garlic spare ribs, and the hilariously-named vegetable no-name (fritters, heavy on onions), along with a Thai iced coffee and a refreshingly sour lime soda (Myra’s excellent expression appropriately conveys the degree of sourness).

The fried rice had a nice kick of dried curry tossed in, lending a funkiness to the soft pieces of squid.  Fried garlic makes just about anything worth eating, although I wish the ribs had been more substantial.  Both the Thai omelette (a shallow-fried version with delightfully crisped edges) and the vegetable no-name were firsts for me, although neither were completely foreign concepts.  Chinese-style omelettes are similarly made, and no-names were reminiscent of both latkes and bhajiya.  In short, equally delicious.DSC_0755 DSC_0756DSC_0758 DSC_0759 DSC_0760 DSC_0761 DSC_0762 The table sauce, a sea of pickled chilis.DSC_0764Sadly, the mango sticky rice stand we spent the entire lunch staring at ran out of sticky rice just as we walked over.  I’m not sure if I can adequately represent the level of disappointment.  You should have seen the defeat in our eyes.

Don’t worry, we would find our redemption.