Pattaya's potential as a "foodie" destination (don't laugh)

[balo]

9 hours ago, VBF said:

I seem to recall that it was in an apartment complex. Is that the place you mean

No , location is soi Chaiyapruek close the beach ?  

[VBF]

28 minutes ago, balo said:

No , location is soi Chaiyapruek close the beach ?  

It isn't far from Soi Chaiyapruek but I think we're talking about a different place - i'll try and get in contact with a mate in Jomtien who was the person who took me there in March 2017. I've only ever been there with him and after dark - it's very easy to get to by car but not signposted AFAIK

Edited October 14, 2017 by VBF

[Jingthing]

Remember, in the O.P. I spoke of Pattaya as a POTENTIAL foodie destination.

I didn't say it had fully arrived and I've been clear that the potential really isn't ever there to be on the same level as Bangkok, Singapore, etc.

 

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thailand/chonburi-province/pattaya

"Multicultural Pattaya (เมืองพัทยา) boasts some excellent places to stay and eat, and the area is also a family-friendly resort coast." 

 

Actually, "foodie" is kind of an obnoxious, pretentious word in the first place but I chose to use it because I thought it communicated the concept pretty well. In a way it's similar to "hipster" -- they may exist but people rarely self identify themselves that way.

 

In any case, where I think Pattaya is now is in the earlier stages of a much greater potential for food driven tourists.

You kind of have to be a little bit on the cutting edge to discover the most interesting places. But for the more motivated (I include myself) there are some amazing culinary riches to be "mined" here.

As far as the member that stated 99 percent of "authentic" Chinese food is gross for westerners, I aggressively disagree. I estimate that at  closer to 30 percent. That still leaves a plethora of wonderful dishes accessible to most people that aren't closed minded. 

 

To add, for those that want to get into the weeds here to talk about SPECIFIC Pattaya area restaurants, the Hit and Run "Review" thread is probably a better place.

 

 

The intention of this thread is more general. (See the O.P.).

Edited October 14, 2017 by Jingthing

[balo]

If you want British-Chinese food it's now available at the Corner house, Rompho market, Jomtien 2nd rd

 

 

 

 

[Jingthing]

Just now, balo said:

If you want British-Chinese food it's now avalable at the Corner house, Rompho market, Jomtien 2nd rd

 

 

That would be a very fit post in the Hit and Run thread. This thread really isn't about specific restaurants. 

[Roger Lee]

13 hours ago, quandow said:

Ate just last night at the recently relocated "Wok-N-Rok," now located in Jomtien. While the food is exactly what you would come to expect from Western-style Chinese food, my friend got a little stab of 30 baht when he asked for some more ice for his drink. I'll only do takeout from now on and only when I just HAVE to have some.

 

Hamburger? Sizzlers has a WONDERFUL Swiss cheeseburger with mushrooms which includes the salad bar.

Sizzler does do a decent burger although it doesn't fare well with my go to places for a decent burger, Jim's Burger, OMG Burgers, RMPM, and BBQ Primetime on the 9.  The bun isn't toasted and it's cold, very chewy.  That's why I didn't mention Sizzler, their salad bar is probably the best in Pattaya from what I've seen though :-).

 

 

[Jingthing]

4 hours ago, tomster said:

Problem you got with Pattaya having enough restaurants to class it as a foodie destination are two fold:

 

1. A high percentage of the tourists are Chinese and Russian, so not likley to eat a diverse range of cuisine types.

 

2. A lot of Thai's living and working in Pattaya are from Isaan. They don't have the desire to eat a wide variety of food, they tend to stick with what they know and can afford. A city is not going to reach foodie status unless both locals and tourists are into it. Chiang Mai is a perfect example of this - the Thai's there are very adventurous by Thai standards with their food choices.

The Russians are in decline. Indians on the rise. Many more Indian restaurants in Pattaya than even Bangkok and some of them have high level Indian food. 

 

Pattaya Thais are not only of Isaac people  That's a dated sex industry stereotype. There are many Bangkok type Thais living and visiting here. 

 

Yes I would agree that Chiang Mai has more of a foodie city ambiance and a higher percentage of foodie types than Pattaya, but Pattaya has much  bigger tourism numbers. 

 

I can't directly compare restaurants because I haven't visited CM in a while but based on what I saw before Pattaya would be way superior in Indian and Chinese while of course CM would be a haven for Lanna style food. Thai seafood naturally much better in Pattaya. 

 

I think in mass public perception CM would be higher on the foodie list than Pattaya but I question if that reputation is still really deserved. 

Edited October 14, 2017 by Jingthing

[bartender100]

One of the best Indians in the world right here in Bangkok

 

http://eatatgaggan.com/menu.php

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, bartender100 said:

One of the best Indians in the world right here in Bangkok

 

http://eatatgaggan.com/menu.php

Yes, it is very famous.

Bangkok is already well established as an "A list" food tourism city. 

Bangkok is always going to be the top food destination in Thailand, and in the top tier of the list for the world as well (until it SINKS anyway).

Talking about the potential of Pattaya here.

Also, it isn't really a competition with worthy destinations like Chiang Mai either. 

There is more than enough room for multiple destinations in Thailand worth going to for the food. 

[torrzent]

On 10/13/2017 at 1:44 AM, Roger Lee said:

One thing I've noticed although it's probably biased is the recent influx of quality cheeseburgers.  Yes I like cheeseburgers.

 

My short list is Jim's Burgers, RMPM, OMG Burgers, Barbeque Prime Time on the 9.

 

After years of eating chow hall food from Indian cooks in Iraq and Afghanistan curry based meals aren't really relished anymore, probably a shame.

 

I do like the Chinese food though and find it to be mostly different here than the offerings stateside in the USA.

 

Another influx of improvement seems to be the smoked pork ribs, many great choices abound now, street wise not so much.

 

Just my 2 cents.

 

 

Cheeseburgers on a foodie thread?  Why not throw in fries as well?

[siam2007]

12 minutes ago, torrzent said:

Cheeseburgers on a foodie thread?  Why not throw in fries as well?

 

 

LOL..... well, there is ONE rather big country (where people so strongly think they are civilized and cultivated that they even try to apply their understanding of "culture" and custom anywhere in the world)  that considers cheeseburgers to be genuine food 

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, siam2007 said:

 

 

LOL..... well, there is ONE rather big country (where people so strongly think they are civilized and cultivated that they even try to apply their understanding of "culture" and custom anywhere in the world)  that considers cheeseburgers to be genuine food 

 

1 hour ago, torrzent said:

Cheeseburgers on a foodie thread?  Why not throw in fries as well?

I don't see why not if they are exceptionally good ones. 

Maybe you've never experienced that. 

On fries, also why not? 

Also, I would love to get my hands on some sweet potato fries. 

Edited October 15, 2017 by Jingthing

[craigt3365]

3 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

 

I don't see why not if they are exceptionally good ones. 

Maybe you've never experienced that. 

On fries, also why not? 

Also, I would love to get my hands on some sweet potato fries. 

Gourmet burgers got for over $25 a pop.  And are well worth it.

 

Pommes Frites?  Yumm!!!! 

[digbeth]

Five years ago I'd agree that Pattaya foodies had it better than Bangkok in terms of 'fine dining' with most established place has price that is 30-40% less than Bangkok, as long as you don't look for anything more exotic.

 

Now the old faithfuls of familiar faces restaurateur has closed down or loosing quality... there'd need to be new batch of immigrant business owner like the Koreans that can offer something fresh to the scene  

[Jingthing]

I've been thinking about this some more.

Remember I said POTENTIAL. 

I didn't say Pattaya was there yet.

I see it is moving in that direction, but I also see the limitations that others are seeing.

It seems to me there are DIFFERENT kinds of foodie draw destinations.

I'm sure there are many but some I can think of off hand are --

 

-- Places you go mainly to experience the local culture food scene.

New Orleans comes to mind.

 

-- Places you go mainly to experience high end sometimes "famous" cutting edge European regional chefs. 

Copenhagen comes to mind.

 

-- Places you go for massive ETHNIC (non-western) diversity in a relatively small area for relatively affordable prices.

Queens, New York. (Anthony Bourdain actually did a show about that.)

 

I think you can see where I'm going with this. That's the foodie potential I see in Pattaya. 

More Queens, New York than Copenhagen. 

 

But here is a major limitation, already mentioned by some.

In Queens New York there is a huge scene of people that go to these various ethnic restaurants that aren't of that ethnicity  or nationality.

 

In Pattaya, that is sadly quite limited. The Indian restaurants here are mostly here for South Asians. The better Chinese places, mostly for Chinese people. There is some "crossover" trade of course. But not enough. As far as I can see, not very many people are coming here for that reason, to experience the diverse food scene, and for the potential to become realized, that needs to happen more. 

 

As far as THAI food in Pattaya, Thai seafood is a strength, but I don't see Pattaya ever being considered the best place in Thailand for Thai food. Supporting my assertion, the potential here is really about the DIVERSITY. The massive number of Indian restaurants and better Chinese restaurants trending up is really a good start. 

Edited October 16, 2017 by Jingthing

[JamJar]

On 12/10/2017 at 9:00 PM, balo said:

I miss Indonesian food , there are some countries that are hard to find authentic dishes from . 

 

 

The two that I knew of, already gone. One near the Thepprasit end of Second Road Soi 17 and the other on Jomtien's Second Road.

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎10‎/‎13‎/‎2017 at 3:38 AM, observer90210 said:

Will the high quality tourists of Pattaya appreciate the delicatessen of the cuisine [and price]  upgrade ?

55555555555555555555555555

 

I don't get the urge of so many to make Pattaya something it's not. If people want food choices beyond Kiss or fast food they can go where the choices are.

Luckily, Pattaya infrastructure is so bad it keeps the nobs and families away.

 

The food choice I'd like to see is real satay, but that's a forlorn hope in LOS. Pity, as they make great satay over the border. If they made a satay club like they used to have in Singapore, I'd move back to Pattaya just for that.

Edited October 16, 2017 by thaibeachlovers

[Jingthing]

4 hours ago, JamJar said:

 

The two that I knew of, already gone. One near the Thepprasit end of Second Road Soi 17 and the other on Jomtien's Second Road.

 

 

There is this place but it's not particularly good.

 

 

Again, this thread should not be focused on specific restaurants. It's about the much more GENERAL topic of the potential of Pattaya as a "foodie" destination (of sorts).

[digbeth]

it's fine if each cuisine has their own restaurants serving their own countrymen, but maybe the transient tourists population of Pattaya means that the 'foreign' restaurant doesn't have to rely on repeat customers or local populace to stay profitable. Hence in many of the places that landed the tour bus makes little or no accommodation toward walk ins customers. Maybe Pattaya is too successful as a tourist town for a multicultural cuisine culture to develop. But some sections like Korean and Japanese is managing to gain foothold with locals too.

 

And on the other scale, street foots served to local Thais are very unremarkable compared to other provinces and hardly worth travelling for.

 

Western foods geared towards expats is the only redeeming point in price/quality but a lot of the higher end fine dining in Bangkok has upped their game and moved on

 

What do you think is needed in order for the city to develop a sustainable foodie culture?

less red tape? practically anyone can set up their restaurant/business with minimum of fuss anyway. 

parking? anything off street is dead to car driving locals, remember the wonton soup nazi on Klang? how long did that last anything with decent parking in malls is too anodyne 

 

 

 

[Jingthing]

Well, I'm not sure how common it is for "foodie culture" to be consciously promoted by government.

It seems to me scenes develop organically, or they don't. 

A kind of exception might be Singapore where government is deeply into everything. Speaking of the food hawker center scene there. Quite amazing really and not only in tourist areas, but it couldn't have bloomed without locals being into it. 

Are very many people ever going to travel to Pattaya only to eat like so many do to Singapore? Doesn't seem at all likely but that doesn't mean that food options haven't improved here, and I think they will continue to improve. 

 

Here is an example of a planned thing that has happened here, I'm assuming a private enterprise, not government planning. The "Sohotown" "Pattaya Chinatown" outdoor eating thing in North Pattaya north of the Marina Mall.

 

The market is clearly targeted to Chinese tourists. The food is overpriced. It is somewhat "real" Chinese food but generally mediocre. There is also overpriced Thai seafood with Chinese menus ... something Chinese tourists are big on.

 

That scene is definitely NOT what I would consider progress towards a decent foodie culture scene here. More like a tourist trap type scheme. 

 

Edited October 16, 2017 by Jingthing

[torrzent]

On 10/15/2017 at 11:54 AM, Jingthing said:

 

I don't see why not if they are exceptionally good ones. 

Maybe you've never experienced that. 

On fries, also why not? 

Also, I would love to get my hands on some sweet potato fries. 

Well if fast food like cheeseboigas is on the list, so should all chain style fast food offerings and convenience stores.....who does the best potato chip these days?

[Jingthing]

6 minutes ago, torrzent said:

Well if fast food like cheeseboigas is on the list, so should all chain style fast food offerings and convenience stores.....who does the best potato chip these days?

 

The topic really isn't about who does the best burger, chips, or foie gras really. It's a more general thing about the potential of Pattaya to be a food destination. 

[torrzent]

6 hours ago, Jingthing said:

 

The topic really isn't about who does the best burger, chips, or foie gras really. It's a more general thing about the potential of Pattaya to be a food destination. 

LOL...first time I have seen foie gras thrown in with fries and burgers....a bit like comparing Chateaux Margaux and Coke......

 

Re. Queens, Copenhagen, etc.  I would put Singapore, Penang, Tokyo and a few places way ahead of those esp for non-western cuisine.

[DannyTheWriter]

LOL...first time I have seen foie gras thrown in with fries and burgers....a bit like comparing Chateaux Margaux and Coke......
 
Re. Queens, Copenhagen, etc.  I would put Singapore, Penang, Tokyo and a few places way ahead of those esp for non-western cuisine.

I live in Queens when I’m not in Pattaya. Not sure any of those places compare for variety of non-Western food. Just home at 1 am. Stopped for great momo (Tibetan dumplings). Could have had Korean, Chinese, Filipino, Indonesian, Thai instead, or Mexican, Colombian, Ecuadorian or Bangladeshi. And that’s just in walking distance. I love Tokyo and was just there in March. Great food, but nowhere near the variety we have here.


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[Jingthing]

57 minutes ago, DannyTheWriter said:

I live in Queens when I’m not in Pattaya. Not sure any of those places compare for variety of non-Western food. Just home at 1 am. Stopped for great momo (Tibetan dumplings). Could have had Korean, Chinese, Filipino, Indonesian, Thai instead, or Mexican, Colombian, Ecuadorian or Bangladeshi. And that’s just in walking distance. I love Tokyo and was just there in March. Great food, but nowhere near the variety we have here.


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Yes, maybe you didn't get my point. 

I never said many places compare with Queens for non-western diversity!

Queens is definitely a high level choice for "foodies" that love non-western diversity and happy to hear you're enjoying it there.

I was suggesting that Pattaya won't ever compete in other foodie categories like best places for local regional food, cutting edge European chefs, etc. but that the category it probably does fit in is more like the Queens category -- non-western diversity. To be clear, I'm clear Pattaya doesn't approach Queens in that category. Just trying to define different TYPES of food appreciation destinations.

 

Of course, Tokyo is considered among the great food cities in the world. Not the same category I'm putting Queens and Pattaya in, non-western DIVERSITY. The main draw to foreigners is the Japanese food culture.

 

I don't see this as a linear COMPETITION. If you want Lanna food, you go to Chaing Mai, and nobody is saying Chiang Mai is among the best food cities in the world. Different destinations, different strengths. 

 

I think though that there are now some strengths in Pattaya and I don't see why that won't get even better over time. 

Edited October 17, 2017 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, torrzent said:

LOL...first time I have seen foie gras thrown in with fries and burgers....a bit like comparing Chateaux Margaux and Coke......

 

Re. Queens, Copenhagen, etc.  I would put Singapore, Penang, Tokyo and a few places way ahead of those esp for non-western cuisine.

You don't even seem to be trying to follow the distinctions I'm making of different TYPES of food appreciation destinations. There is non-western cuisine and then there is non-western diversity. The fact that Pattaya has perhaps now over TWO HUNDRED Indian restaurants in a city that isn't even in India (I thought to say over 100 before but an Indian restaurant owner told me he thinks easily over TWO hundred) is an indication that Pattaya is starting to trend up in that category. 

I agree that Penang is a fantastic place to eat (hawker food, local Chinese, local Indian, Peranakan, and Malay). 

I'm not saying Pattaya beats any place on the foodie maps now.

Only saying I'm seeing POTENTIAL.

[DannyTheWriter]

Yes, maybe you didn't get my point. 
I never said many places compare with Queens for non-western diversity!
Queens is definitely a high level choice for "foodies" that love non-western diversity and happy to hear you're enjoying it there.
I was suggesting that Pattaya won't ever compete in other foodie categories like best places for local regional food, cutting edge European chefs, etc. but that the category it probably does fit in is more like the Queens category -- non-western diversity. To be clear, I'm clear Pattaya doesn't approach Queens in that category. Just trying to define different TYPES of food appreciation destinations.
 
Of course, Tokyo is considered among the great food cities in the world. Not the same category I'm putting Queens and Pattaya in, non-western DIVERSITY. The main draw to foreigners is the Japanese food culture.
 
I don't see this as a linear COMPETITION. If you want Lanna food, you go to Chaing Mai, and nobody is saying Chiang Mai is among the best food cities in the world. Different destinations, different strengths. 
 
I think though that there are now some strengths in Pattaya and I don't see why that won't get even better over time. 

Not arguing with you at all. I agree with your points, and I hope Pattaya does develop in that way. Like you, I see signs it could.




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[Jingthing]

Yeah, I see you were really replying to someone else.

I just wanted to clarify. 

 

Here is something about eating in Pattaya (and perhaps most of Thailand in general) that really isn't ready for prime time.

 

EXTREME INCONSISTENCY. 

 

I recently "discovered" a very new non-western, not Thai restaurant. 

No English is spoken. At the start no English menu at all. Now a very incoherent, incomplete one. I was ordering stuff off my smartphone showing them the foreign text (do you have?), using google translate, etc.

 

But the food was pretty amazing. I was about to tout the place as the discovery of the year, and then went last night and the food was total crap! In fact, I ordered a dish that I had had before and it was totally different (and bad).

 

Oh well.

 

 

Edited October 17, 2017 by Jingthing

[champers]

56 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Yeah, I see you were really replying to someone else.

I just wanted to clarify. 

 

Here is something about eating in Pattaya (and perhaps most of Thailand in general) that really isn't ready for prime time.

 

EXTREME INCONSISTENCY. 

 

I recently "discovered" a very new non-western, not Thai restaurant. 

No English is spoken. At the start no English menu at all. Now a very incoherent, incomplete one. I was ordering stuff off my smartphone showing them the foreign text (do you have?), using google translate, etc.

 

But the food was pretty amazing. I was about to tout the place as the discovery of the year, and then went last night and the food was total crap! In fact, I ordered a dish that I had had before and it was totally different (and bad).

 

Oh well.

 

 

I concur. A restaurant near me serves a pricey breakfast. On 3 visits the food was superb, poor and average. An open kitchen told me there were 3 different cooks. A one in 3 chance of getting value for money. Not good enough odds for me, I'm afraid.

[balo]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

I was about to tout the place as the discovery of the year, and then went last night and the food was total crap! In fact, I ordered a dish that I had had before and it was totally different (and bad).

 

Yes and most probably because the kitchen chef quit the low paid job and moved on .  Happens all the time in Pattaya.