cochran

Quick update from Tuesday night:

Dinner with some friends at Shenanigan's in the Avenue on 2nd Road. Mixed bag, I'm afraid...

As usual, we were fairly late getting there (almost 8 pm - heavy traffic last night for some reason) and we were absolutely starving. I ordered a draft Stowford Press for me and a tequila for my constant companion, and asked for their Greek salad as a starter. The cider was great, the tequila was great, and the salad was...not. It had all the standard ingredients, but no flavor. The dressing tasted like mostly oil, with some lemon juice. We had a couple bites each and then asked the server to take it away.

When our entrees came out, different story. She had the chicken Kiev, and it was very good. The chicken was done, but still juicy, and with a nice crispy outside. The garlic flavor in the filling was great, and the dish came with fries, veg, and a nice onion gravy. Well done! Too much for her to finish, in fact.

I ordered the beef & Guiness pie. My reasoning: I LOVE this dish at Jameson's, and Kim Fletcher of Jameson's used to run Shenanigan's, so maybe similar. Turns out I was right - the pastry was good, the gravy was good, the meat was tender, and a generous portion. However, I have to say that Jameson's still is my fave for one simple reason - at Jameson's, the pie is served with great mashed potatoes and a steamed veg. At Shenanigan's, the pie is a la carte.

Our dining companions had the fish and chips and a chicken ceasar salad, and both seemed pleased with theirs, if empty plates are an indication. A decent meal, but the Greek salad at this place is to be avoided.

Prices were not shocking - with our salad, two entrees, one tequila, one Stowford, one Mojito, and one Irish car bomb, the tariff came to just about 2200 baht. A little steep, but not shocking.

Tonight's plan - Nag's Head (tentatively).

LtCol, do you have the name of the Belgian place? I'd like to add it to the list.

Following up on recommendations from this thread, we went to Cherry's restaurant last night on 3rd Rd. When we approached the restaurant, I wasn't too sure about it. It looked like one of the typical open air establishments, but I remembered people saying they were focused on the food, not the decor in this restaurant.

The hostess led us inside to the air conditioned dining room. While it could use a coat of paint, it was a decent place once we were inside. I was pleased to see real tablecloths and cloth napkins, and the room was not unpleasant.

We got there around 7:15, and the place was not too crowded. We were seated immediately, and we started off with ordering a bottle of Jacob's Creek Shiraz Cabernet. The menu listed a 2005, but the waiter informed us that 2006 was what was available. 1500 baht for the bottle (just over $40 USD) was a little steep for this vineyard, but not atypical for this city. It was a very good bottle of wine if you enjoy this type of blend (and we do!).

My girlfriend was not incredibly hungry, so opted for the chef's selection of hors d'ouerves as her entree - crab terrine, pate, toast points, a smoked salmon rose, some type of sliced meat. She said everything was quite good, and she finished most of it off. The presentation was very nice and shows the attention to detail coming out of the kitchen.

I had the french onion soup - very good flavor. My entree was Norwegian cod, baked with rosemary, and served over whipped potatoes. There was a sauce on the plate with small carrots and spears of zucchini (or something similar) arranged around the outside. Incredible! Very tasty. I'm a sucker for rosemary anyway, and the fish was cooked perfectly - flaky and moist, well seasoned, delicious. Lest I forget, the entree included their salad bar. The selection was not extensive (and the lettuce was somewhat wilted), but there were some high points - their herb balsamico dressing is out of this world good, and they have a potato salad with mustard and bacon that is almost as good as mine from home. The salad bar as a stand-alone meal goes for 90 baht, and would make a perfect Saturday lunch or etc.

There was no room for dessert, unfortunately. The menu looked quite promising.

When the bill came, I was pleasantly surprised. Remember the 1500 baht for the wine? The total bill, wine included, was 2060 baht. I have no idea how they can provide this type of quality, with decent portion size, and charge so little. I was very impressed.

We will definitely be back.

One word of caution here, I'm sorry to say. When my entree came out, there were a few mussels arrayed around the edge of the plate, interspersed with the vegetables. As far as I remember, they weren't mentioned in the dish description on the menu. Like many others, I have a seafood allergy (I can eat fish, but not shellfish), and the inclusion of the mussels was a surprise. My allergy is quite mild, but this could be a serious problem for others. I recommend advising the staff if you have this same condition, and let them assist in your choice if there's any risk.

Otherwise, a total win. Great taste, good service, fantastic prices, and the parking wasn't so bad either.

Tonight we plan a return to Shenanigan's in the Avenue. Not so much for the food, but it is St. Patrick's Day, and we must needs indulge at an appropriate venue! Plus, Shenanigan's is within walking distance of home in case I get carried away

Fresnoboy - Take 3rd rd. toward Jomtien, straight across when you get to Pattaya Tai, then stay left when you get to the overpass. That should be Thepphraya rd., and Mike's will be on the left. Hope this helps, as I'm still not terribly familiar with getting around in Pattaya.

Cue the Saturday Night Live plug - time for "Weekend Update".

I've already made mention of my visit to Pig & Whistle on Saturday. Our typical weekend dining is two meals, as we are usually out late on Fri and Sat nights, and so sleep in a little and do a brunch then dinner. For Saturday night, we went to the downtown location of Mum Aroy.

This location is smaller than the other two Mum Aroy restaurants, but still has good intimate atmosphere. They did not have a band playing, but it didn't detract too much from the overall experience. I must say that this group of restaurants has definitely got consistency from location to location. We enjoy these restaurants so much that we always end up ordering too much food, as we want to get all of our favorites. On Saturday night, we had the herb salad with fried catfish, the whole fried seabass with mango salad, kaao pad gai, and chicken wings. It meets the standard of Mum Aroy's other spots - freshness, great taste, very reasonable prices. Satisfying meal, and no unpleasant surprises. I would not hesitate to recommend any of their locations.

Sunday morning we rose uncharacteristically early and followed aussiechick's suggestion of a Jameson's breakfast. We both had the full Irish, and those are the best sausages I've had anywhere. The seasoning is perfect, and the texture seems to be a lot finer than the typical pork sausage link. I was very impressed. Our verdict: a tie between Shenanigan's (Avenue location) and Jameson's. I think the perfect breakfast in Pattaya would have to be assembled from various locations: the bacon from Shenanigan's, the sausages from Jameson's, and the perfectly-cooked eggs from Pig & Whistle. They all have something good to offer. At Jameson's, I was also pleased with the potatoes (not quite as crunchy as the ones at P&W) and I confirmed that I prefer the grilled tomatoes over the canned (or tinned, if you will).

Since we were up early (at Jameson's at 8:30), we needed a little lunch, so for the first time I used Door 2 Door and we ordered in from the Sportsman. We'd eaten there before, so it was a fairly safe bet. My girlfriend ordered bangers and mash, which came with 3 sausages, mashed potatoes, a nice onion gravy, and english peas (which we didn't try). She really enjoyed the meal and was totally satisfied.

I had the beef & Guiness pie, served with french fries, brown gravy, and carrot/cauliflower/broccoli medley. The vegetables were cooked well without being mushy, and the fries were decent. However, lets just say that Jameson's needn't worry about competition in the beef & Guiness pie department. Jameson's version is one of my all-timie favorite dishes, and is superior in every respect - better pastry, better gravy, more tender meat, larger portion. The meal from Sportsman was decent, but not spectacular.

On Sunday evening, a colleague from Germany had arrived in town and is staying some distance from Pattaya. To keep from driving so much, we met up at The Green, which is between Pattaya and Laem Chabang International Golf Club. Its a large, open air place (but also has an enclosed area, and a separate karaoke room) which frequently serves as an after-work meeting place if a group of us wants to have dinner together. The food is uniformly good and inexpensive. Last night we had the river fish (toptim) with three flavor sauce, tom kha gai, herb salad, and pork leg.

The toptim was excellent, as usual. This place always gets the fried fish just right - crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, and not overdone. Great sauce as well. The tom kha gai was the best I've ever had. It was not too spicy, but had enough heat to be enjoyable. The pork leg suffers in comparison to my past experiences. Last year, I spent almost two months in East Germany, and really enjoyed schweinshocksen (pork hock) as prepared there. The pork leg here is the same cut of meat, but just isn't as good. This is the ONLY dish I've ever had that tasted better in Germany, as I typically enjoy the food much more here. This item comes fried, and is served with a selection of sauces, a nice pickle (carrots, cabbage, and etc), and french fries.

What's next? Depends on how late I work tonight. If I can leave on time, we plan to hit Cherry's. After the enthusiastic recommendations from you guys, it has to be worth the trip. Otherwise, may have to grab something from Central Festival area.

I'll have to try Jameson's breakfast. Their beef& guiness pie is a huge favorite, and if the breakfast measures up it'll have to be a winner. Thanks for the tip.

Just got back from my first visit to the Pig & Whistle. I went for the full English, and it was pretty good. Ordered my eggs fried, and they were perfectly cooked. Forgot to say "hold the baked beans", so tried them when they got there. No joy.

I liked the change from grilled tomatoes to canned tomatoes. I think grilled tastes better, but the change of pace was nice.

My girl had the steak and eggs and liked the bubble and squeak.

Okay, time for a startlingly unpopular opinion. We both liked Shenanigan's english breakfast better than the P&W. We thought the sausages were a little better seasoned and the bacon a little leaner. I know that the P&W is highly rated on this forum, and the food was definitely good, but not my favorite.

We did like the atmosphere in the place, and we plan to go back for dinner sometime. The bar looks very well stocked.

Speaking of drinks, after dinner last night we went to the Blues Factory. The blues band played a really good set, and the rock band that followed them up was excellent. We will definitely go back. What's the tie in? We were with a group from work, a mixture of Americans, local Thais, and Thais who have travelled abroad, and we were discussing where we could get an Irish Car Bomb (for the uninitiated, this is halfpint of Guiness, a half shot of Bailey's, and a half shot of Jameson's. Drop the mixed shot into the Guiness and knock it off before the Bailey's gets all curdled.). The Blues Factory didn't have that kind of selection, but I'm sure the P&W could set some up!

When you eat at restaurants so often, you're bound to find some really good ones and some...well, not so good. Last night we wound up with one of the best meals I've had in Pattaya.

A friend from work recommended Mike's Mexican Restaurant out near Jomtien, so we gave it a try last night. It was excellent.

The place is very unassuming in appearance - typical open-air establishment. But when we opened the menus for their drink selection, I was pleased to see that they had premium tequilas on offer. We each had a shot of Herradurra Anejo as a starter and enjoyed it very much. Then we had chips and salsa with a side of guacamole while our entrees were being prepared.

The guacamole is simply the best I've ever had. Period. It was not bland at all, which is my most common complaint about the stuff, and tasted very fresh (as did everything else we had here). The chips were warm and fresh. The salsa tasted like it had just been chopped and prepped as we ordered. A word of explanation here on the salsa - if you are expecting the heavy red sauce type of salsa (like in most US mexican restaurants, and most of the Pace or Ortega packaged goods in the market), this is not what they serve. It is a bowl of minced fresh ingredients, and its great. There's very little liquid or sauce in the bowl.

While we waited for the entrees (not to imply a long wait), my girlfriend indulged in a very infrequent treat and ordered a dessert. She asked them to bring it out immediately instead of at the end of the meal. It was their cinnamon fried bananas with ice cream. Another win. Warm and fresh and delicious, nothing extravagant about it, just a simple and good dessert.

Her entree was the beef chimichanga, with the spicy sauce. The sauce is not too hot, and according to a person in the restaurant (owner? manager? frequent guest?) is flavored with ancho chilies and cilantro, so nothing to be too concerned about Scoville-wise. The rice is good, but the refried beans are excellent. The beef was tender and flavorful.

Mine was the Monterey chicken fajita burrito. i'll say this is a must try if you go to Mike's. Outstanding. A lightly breaded and fried chicken breast, cut into chunks, then stuffed into a burrito with jalapenos and sauce.

The margaritas are picture-perfect.

Our only complaint was the pina colada was too sweet. Couldn't really taste the rum. But this is a very minor beef. We'll MOST definitely go back to Mike's. Strongly recommended.

Haven't tried Cherry's. In fact, I don't recall even hearing of that one! But thanks for the heads up - it sounds like a place I'd like. On the list now.

I hear you on the wine. Really expensive everywhere, it seems. What would you compare the house red to at Cherry's?

Thank you for the kind words. Glad to be of service!

Okay - Bob's BBQ Pattaya last night.

My gf and I met a colleague there for dinner last night, and it was pretty good.

They get points for serving Cuervo Especial (since no one seems to have Patron or Espolon, which are my favorites).

Appetizer was chips and salsa. Menu said that it comes with one mild and one spicy, but only one bowl appeared. The chips were warm and fresh, but the salsa was not very good. The Singha (bottled) was good and cold. Shots of Cuervo were appropriately served in shot glasses (I can't tell you how impressed I am by this simple thing), and came with lime wedges and salt on the side. The hand shaken gold margarita was too sweet, but the frozen version for some reason was spot-on.

Dinner was quite good actually, and made up for the appetizer. My girl had a half rack of ribs, and said the sauce was MUCH better than at More Bar & Grill (ref. earlier posts) as it was more smoky and less sweet. It was served with cole slaw, corn on the cob, and mashed potatoes.

I had the medium sized bacon cheeseburger. Meat was well seasoned, but a little dry, and no mayo was served with the burger (it was very late and I was starving, so didn't want to wait and ask for any - my issue, not theirs). All toppings seemed fresh. Alas, no pickles!! Must have dill pickles for a good burger. My recommendation here is that you ask for extra cheese on the burger. For this much meat, one slice is not enough. The fries were cooked right. I'll say that this is the best burger I've had in Pattaya so far. Henry J. Beans has been recommended recently as having a really good burger. That's the next stop on the burger hunt, probably in April.

My colleague had the hamburger steak dinner and some chicken strips, and was well pleased. Side dishes with his dinner were same as on the rib dinner.

Both the Bacardi & Coke and Beam & Coke were served Western style (enough liquor to taste, and in a highball style glass), and were very nice.

Prices were not too bad, considering all we ordered and drank - around 2650 baht for all. Will definitely go back, as I want the ribs.

One warning - parking is a true PITA in this area. Not an issue with Bob's, just the general environment.

The owner was in the house, and provided good conversation during dinner, but was not obtrusive at all. Overall an enjoyable dinner experience.

Tonight's plan, provided I leave work at a reasonable hour: dinner at Mike's TexMex, then off to the Blues Factory tonight. My first trip to Walking Street!

Last night was Hawa Russian, on the 6th floor of Central Festival.

Prices were not too bad. The chicken soup was good and the Singha draft was cold. Unfortunately, the rest of the meal was a disappointment.

I had premeni as an appetizer. Good on the outside, but the meat filling was a little too chewy and "interestingly textured". I ordered beef stroganoff, but when it arrived it wasn't what I expected - no sauce at all on the meat. Tender, but no mushrooms and no sauce. My girlfriend had homemade sausage and was totally not impressed.

No return visit to this one in our future, I'm afraid. Oh well, they can't all be winners!!

Pan Pan is good Italian in Central Festival. I've eaten there twice. The prosciutto is great alone or on a pizza, and their pasta was really good as well. They also do a tuna salad - chunks of cooked tuna, boiled egg, fresh tomato quarters, in a light dressing - that's great if you need something lighter.

Just found out where the Pig & Whistle is while looking for Tequila Reef last night, and plan to go there for breakfast this weekend, as it is consistently well-reviewed on this site.

Where is Ahaar Indian? My gf wants to try Indian By Nature. Any input on this one? Is it all vegetarian, or standard Indian fare, or what?

Okay, today's update:

Dinner last night was supposed to be Tequila Reef, but no parking and not up for a long walk after 12+ hours at work, so gave that one a miss until I can better plan my approach. Its still on the list!

Wound up at More Bar & Grill on 2nd Road. Cool place, looks like it would be great for a few drinks with friends - good layout and decent music on the juke. Appetizer was spinach/artichoke dip, and it did not taste like a canned version - really tasty. Dinner was sausage and mash for me, bbq ribs and grilled chicken breast for her. The sausage and mash was okay, nothing to rave about. My gf really liked her dinner, but I was not overly impressed. The chicken was good, but the sauce on the ribs was very sweet and ketchup-ish. She liked it enough that we'll probably go back.

Additional notes: the manager or proprietor of the place was very attentive and visible in the restaurant, making sure everything was acceptable.

Also found that while Stowford Press draft cider is really good, Blackthorn cider in the can is NOT.

Stopped by Aloha Diner and Bar across the street from More for a drink after dinner. Polynesian decor and atmosphere, natch, and the drinks were pretty good and not overpriced.

The small Cuban cigar kiosk next door to More has a better selection than the Cuban Corner cigar store in Tipp Plaza area (IMO), but Cohibas are still quite expensive everywhere. Guess its Romeo & Julietas for me.

Planning to have dinner at Hawa (Russian) on 6th floor of Central tonight, and meeting a friend for a burger at Bob's tomorrow night. Will update!

"My Way" - if I'm reading the map correctly, this one should be across 2nd rd. from Mike Shopping Mall, right?

"18 Coins" - 2nd Rd to Pattaya Klang, then rt on Buakhao? What's the menu here? Sounds English/Irish from the description.

Didn't know there was a Mum Aroy in Central Pattaya, but have eaten at the Sriracha location and liked it as well.

Food Loft has been a mixed bag for me. Some good, some not so much. Their Italian section has a salmon lasagna that's pretty good, but the pork shiumui (dumplings) were kind of...gristly. The biryani and the samosas from the Indian side are okay, but really don't compare to the Indian restaurants nearby. I will agree that it is convenient and not too expensive, and there are a lot of choices to be had. Service has been good on both occassions that I've been there. I'll probably eat there again as I'm in the mall frequently for the supermarket and bookstores.

Sotsira,

If you're coming from the direction of Pattaya Klang toward Pattaya Nua on Sukhumvit, go on past Pattaya Nua and look for a triangular pink and green neon sign in Thai (two triangles nested, pointing up). It will be on the left. This is the sign for Mum Aroy. Take the left at the sign, go down to the dead end and turn right. Restaurant will be on your left, parking on the right.

expatgaz,

Recently tried the Sportsman. From their website, I thought it would be bigger, and have a parking lot! The sausage there was good, but the gf's fish and chips was horrible. I had the roast gammon, and thought it had good flavor. Roasted potatoes were good, but I find that I'm not a big fan of their Yorkshire pudding or whatever was nesting inside it. Tried Stowford Press cider there and it was good. Can't judge their decline as I have no history, but I know one lady who won't be trying fish and chips anywhere after this. How would I find the restaurants you've mentioned? I'll be coming from the Central Festival / 2nd rd. area.

Wanted to share a few recent dining experiences. Please forgive any spelling errors in advance.

Mum Aroy - ate there this week for probably the fifth time in two months. Consistently good Thai seafood, reasonably priced, good atmosphere. Fried whole seabass recommended.

Shenanigan's at the Avenue on 2nd Road and near Jomtien Beach Road - My gf and I had breakfast at the one on 2nd Road, very good with the exception of the baked beans, but I understand that's de riguer for English breakfast. We were both pleased. Went to the Jomtien location, she had the breakfast again and I had the chicken pie. Both disappointed. Win at the Avenue, lose at Jomtien.

Jameson's Irish Pub, near Nova hotel - stopped there for lunch on my orientation visit in September and was impressed. Went back in February, still good. Beef & Guiness pie is awesome. Also try their Greek salad. Not the most interesting / lively crowd in there, but the food is great.

Mantra - appetizers (salmon dumplings) not so good. Dinner (homeade tagliatelle with a lamb ragout, I think) was decent. Dessert was the star - best cheesecake I've ever had, wrapped in white chocolate sheet with an orange sauce. Stellar. Simply stellar.

There's an Italian place on Pattaya Beach Rd, between Amari Orchid and the Hard Rock, with the leaning tower of Pisa on their sign out front. Can't remember the name. Food was very, very good. Spaghetti del mare frutti for the gf and buscatini al' Matriciana for me, with a bottle of Tripudium Sicilian wine. Also good minestrone, great wine selection. Strongly recommend this place. If you go with someone, and you can decide on a main course, portions were really big enough for two to share.

Green Bottle Pub, 2nd Road - I did not enjoy the food or the atmosphere.

Seafood restaurant on the corner, directly across 2nd road from View Talay 6 - food was not good, service not good. Not recommended.

Alibaba's - Really enjoyed the atmosphere and the food here, but then I found an Indian restaurant that I like far better:

Madras Darbar, 2nd Road, across from Central Festival - small and unassuming restaurant, but the food is incredibly good. The chicken massala and tandoor chicken are great, the garlic naan is very good, and the vegetable jalfrezi is excellent. I've been there twice so far, and it is consistently good. Staff is knowledgeable and made good recommendations on my first visit. Sometimes the place smells a little odd, but its worth it. Seriously (and yes, I know how that sounds ).

Keep in mind these are only my opinions, and your mileage may vary. Interested to hear from others.

I'm looking for a really good burger. Planning to try Bob's this week. Have heard about Rung's on the darkside, but every time I go over there, its closed.

In answer to a previous question, yes, there is a Guess store there.

I too would like to know about proposed fitness centers in Central. Would be hugely convenient. Any news from anyone?

What about the hashbrown casserole from Cracker Barrel restaurant? Anybody? Bueller??

Check the flights from BKK - just over $100 USD for an economy class ticket, so scooter to BKK and then fly an hour to Phuket. If time = money, this is a huge savings in the long run!

I like donuts, but I can only eat one, because they do a number on my stomach. KrispyKreme is ok, and I have to admit that the ones fresh off the line are much better than the millions they stuffed in warehouses to inflate their sales figures. And, please, let's hope that Jimmy Dean sausage is not being touted as quality American cuisine. There's so many better American breakfast sausages being turned out by butchers and local producers across America. I suppose you like Farmer John and Oscar Meyer as well.

Who said anything about quality cuisine?? It tastes good! Never heard of Farmer John, and no, I don't like Oscar Mayer sausages. I agree there's better - there's a local brand called Caughman's where I'm from (re: my mention of onion sausage earlier) - but you can always get Jimmy Dean bulk sausage in the grocery stores, and the sage variety has a good flavour - kind of reminscent of my late grandfather's barbecue, but granted you could add the red pepper and rubbed sage to any bulk sausage for the effect.

Also, there's a difference (for me at least) in link sausage vs. bulk sausage. For link sausage, texture is very important, and I'll agree that you can do FAR better than a Jimmy Dean link. I'm only discussing bulk above, as that's what I use in gravy.

But we're getting too technical, right?

The later post re: Shenanigan's has me making some weekend plans in my head - but I just can't get my mind around the whole beans-for-breakfast idea.

I'm from the southeastern US (South Carolina, originally from southwest Georgia), and I'd dearly love to find what I'd consider a good american breakfast:

Eggs fried over medium (not sunny side up, not an omelette)

Bacon (actually cooked all the way) or, even better, country ham (salt cured heavenly delicacy - redneck prosciutto!!)...as an alternative, onion sausage.

Toast

Grits

Coffee

Juice

Biscuits and gravy - with Jimmy Dean sage sausage in the gravy...MMMMMMMMMMM!!

And if we must discuss donuts - I'm afraid many of you don't really know what a donut is. Unfortunately, many Americans spend their entire lives without having enjoyed a KrispyKreme donut directly off the line, while its still hot and gooey. If I could do any one thing to promote world happiness, it would be a half dozen hot KrispyKremes for every man woman and child on the planet. Dunkin' isn't even close. Can I get an amen??

Back to the original topic - I live very near the new mall and find it very convenient. I work quite long hours, and its a relief to be able to park the car and then just walk over to the mall for the supermarket or for dinner. The traffic in Pattaya really stresses me out (big change from my small-to-medium city in the US), so it works for me. I agree that there are absolutely great food choices to be had outside of the mall, but what's wrong with additional choices?

So far I've enjoyed the food at Sukishi, Hachiban, and PanPan. FoodLoft is okay, but not great for me - big on selection, but doesn't seem to be so high on quality. Overall, its about the convenience. Easier to get in and out of than Foodland or Carrefour for me at market time.

The clothing selection in Central is adequate. You can find something to fit your budget (high or low), you just have to look - just like in any other department store in the world.

All in all, it adds choice to our area. If you don't like it, don't go in, but it works for me.

Hi everyone.

Just moved into my new condo at View Talay 6 last weekend, and am very satisfied except for the lack of a fitness center in the building. Could someone recommend a good gym nearby, maybe on Beach Rd. or 2nd road, and preferably within reasonable walking distance (reasonable for two fit people in their early 30's, so it doesn't have to be right next door).

Don't really need a pool, as there's one here at home, but would like decent cardio equipment, free weights, etc. Standard stuff, nothing special or glamorous needed. Just looking for a place to stay in shape and maintain.

Thanks in advance,

Cochran

The Book of Lost Things - John Connolly