Vana Belle - Panali Restaurant

The Thai food here is good, but not quite memorable enough to justify the price. Everything was well prepared, but the bill seemed more enthusiastic than the flavors. Worth a try, though I wouldn’t call it a great value. Also, be prepared to share your dining experience with a surprisingly large number of mosquitoes. They seemed to enjoy the restaurant even more than I did.

We ate at Panali for lunch after spending the morning on the beach while staying at the resort. My husband tends to prefer more traditional American and western food, while I’ll happily eat just about anything, so we appreciated how broad the menu was. At least at lunch, there were essentially two full menus. One focused on traditional Thai dishes, while the poolside menu offered more western favorites. It made it easy for both of us to find something we were excited about. My husband ordered the pepperoni pizza, and I had the Phad Thai Koh Samui with soft-shell crab. He really enjoyed his pizza, and I thought mine was very good. My only criticism was that I would have expected the soft-shell crab to be cleaned a bit better before serving. It still contained some of the internal organs and gills, which made it more work to eat than I would have preferred. The setting is beautiful. We sat on the open-air deck beneath the trees overlooking the ocean. The entire restaurant is beachfront with fantastic views. We also walked by in the evening and loved the atmosphere created by the lights hanging from the trees, which gave the space a warm and inviting feel. Service throughout our meal was attentive and friendly. Between the variety of menu options, the oceanfront setting, and the quality of the food, Panali was a great lunch spot and one we would happily visit again.

The service was extremely friendly and attentive, making us feel very welcome from start to finish. The highlight for me was the Tom Yum Goong – honestly the best I’ve had so far. Perfectly balanced, rich in flavor, and exactly how this iconic dish should taste. Highly recommended if you’re staying at the hotel or looking for great Thai cuisine in a beautiful setting.