Our Journey from Farm to Kitchen
Discover the story of how our passion for Thai cuisine and sustainable cooking came to life in the heart of Koh Samui
Our Story
From humble beginnings to creating unforgettable culinary experiences, here's how our journey began.
Our Story
The Jungle Kitchen first opened its doors in August 2019. The kitchen is run by Thai national Lin who has a long history in Thai food, starting as an eight year old child working in her grandmother's kitchen helping to prepare large pots of curry for sale on the local markets around her home town.
Since then, Lin has had a varied career involving working in, opening and running various restaurants, and as a Thai language teacher. Now Lin has come back to teaching, but Thai food rather than language, able to use the country style cooking knowledge she gained through her early years.
Meet Tom
The idea of the Jungle Kitchen came about when Lin and her partner Tom were spending a lot of time at Chilling Hill and looking to find other ways to let people enjoy their time in the gardens. Tom had stumbled onto Chilling Hill while exploring the island and become friends with the owners Dee and Nan. Lin fell in love with the location as it reminded her of her home in the mountains in the North of Thailand.
Tom's passion for Thai cuisine and sustainable cooking practices has shaped every aspect of our school. Tom spends a lot of time at Chilling Hill and can often be found talking to the visitors in English, French, German or even trying hard with Cantonese spoken in Hong Kong where he grew up.
Living on site at Chilling Hill with his partner Nan, the couple are usually present around the gardens and greatly enjoy meeting and talking to visitors from all around the world. Visitors to Chilling Hill can enjoy a meal from Nan's kitchen or a juice from fruits of the garden, take a stroll around the beautiful gardens, enjoy some time in the herbal steam room with a refreshing shower afterwards, take a short trek down to the waterfall or take in the panoramic views from the nearby viewpoint with romantic 270 degree uninterrupted jungle valley views stretching out to sea and over to Koh Phangan.
A Hidden Gem in the Jungle
The durian orchard and eclectic wild organic gardens at Chilling Hill are a labour of love from the Thai land owners Dee & Nan. Born and raised in Samui, and after a successful career as an artist on Samui, Dee decided to develop a 10 rai (16,000m2) plot of land as a place he and his friends would be able to appreciate away from the growing bustle of the developed coastline.
Living on site at Chilling Hill with his partner Nan, the couple are usually present around the gardens and greatly enjoy meeting and talking to visitors from all around the world. Visitors to Chilling Hill can enjoy a meal from Nan's kitchen or a juice from fruits of the garden, take a stroll around the beautiful gardens, enjoy some time in the herbal steam room with a refreshing shower afterwards, take a short trek down to the waterfall or take in the panoramic views from the nearby viewpoint with romantic 270 degree uninterrupted jungle valley views stretching out to sea and over to Koh Phangan.
Organic Garden
Fresh ingredients picked from our wild gardens, including various herbs, spices, and tropical fruits.
Natural Setting
A peaceful mountain location with stunning views and cooling breezes from the jungle.
Traditional Methods
Authentic cooking techniques unchanged from traditional methods used for centuries.