8 minutes ago, CanadaSam said:

I am an Indian food fan, but not in Pattaya, because none taste authentic, or even tasty!

 

The ONLY place in Pattaya that IMHO is authentic Indian, and really worth dining at, is Patiaala House, inside Jomtien Palm Beach Hotel, on Jomtien 2nd Road, near the turning to the beach (it is fairly new, and not well-known, but their Bangkok Branch has been doing well for years).

I've had some Grab from them and I recall good food. Will check again. As there are so many Indian places and always new ones, with varying chefs, etc. I never only use one place. I'm always taking risks mixing it up. Which means sometimes wasted money and other times pleasant surprises.

 

Sorry, I'm not buying your ONLY place hyperbole. There are hundreds of Indian places here and huge crowds of Indian tourists. There is no way it's the only one. That's just your personal taste and also there is no way you've tried hundreds of places, so why bother with the silly proclamations?

4 minutes ago, Magictoad said:

By and large the Indian restaurants in Pattaya are very disappointing compared to the UK where in Rusholme in Manchester we have the now famous curry mile with a hundred excellent restaurants and in London Brick Lane also with up to a hundred Indian restaurants and Bradford and Sheffield are famous too. There is a new one opening in Stockport that will fit 150 customers! It's opening at the old Co-op Headquarters in a magnificent pyramid. 

So Pattaya is very, very disappointing for decent Indian restaurants.

I'm glad someone bought the subject up.

I've had Indian food in the UK and my guess is that you've developed a personal taste about the style that is served there so you're not finding that here. 

12 minutes ago, TimBKK said:

I’m no foodie but did enjoy Tarka House on Soi 13/4 - would go back fwiw

 

Friendship has a variety of Indian foods in the frozen food section, good for a decent and easy meal at home.

I'm glad you brought Tarka House up.

It's extremely popular with the f-rang crowd.

Years ago it was on my regular rotation but then I had a few bad experiences there so stopped.

Recently the youtube channel "Sanctioned Ivan" featured it as the "best" Indian in Pattaya so I tried it again.

It was indeed improved from the experiences that put me off it.

They have a distinctive style. Not my favorite but I understand why it's so popular and also decent portions of value.

Another case which illustrates that the restaurant business is tough. Chefs come, chefs go, what was good last month might be crap now, and vice versa.

You sure you want a indian delivered by Grab ??

 

 

 

If you're ever In Korat on a Monday check this place out.

Massive portions at Tarka House soi 13/4. If you want an expensive one then Indian by Nature in Jomtien. Also Masala Twist in Jomtien is decent.

I always thought Indian restaurants in Thailand were overpriced, after living in Manchester and brought up on the Curry mile, Thailand was a big let down, 

Glasgow has some good Indian restaurants, always funny getting and Indian waiter who speaks Scottish, 

38 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I've had Indian food in the UK and my guess is that you've developed a personal taste about the style that is served there so you're not finding that here. 

Most of the places years ago in England the Indians were Bengalis or Punjabis, then you had the Pakistanis, it was like Northern Indian food, 

Balti, the popular curry dish, was invented in Birmingham, England, in the 1970s. It's a dish that blends Pakistani and Kashmiri cooking styles and is known for being cooked and served in a distinctive, flat-bottomed wok-like dish. While some believe the name "balti" originates from the Baltistan region of Northern Pakistan, the actual cooking style and the way it's served in Birmingham are considered a unique innovation. 

9 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

Most of the places years ago in England the Indians were Bengalis or Punjabis, then you had the Pakistanis, it was like Northern Indian food, 

So I've heard.

There are a lot of Bangladeshi chefs in Pattaya as well.

Many of the places have specific Bangladeshi food menus as well which has very different dishes. Sometimes you need to ask and translate them as they don't expect f-rangs to be interested. That said, I've enjoyed the novelty and learning experience of trying specifically Bangladeshi dishes, but I haven't had any in Pattaya that I would describe as stellar.

4 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

Balti, the popular curry dish, was invented in Birmingham, England, in the 1970s. It's a dish that blends Pakistani and Kashmiri cooking styles and is known for being cooked and served in a distinctive, flat-bottomed wok-like dish. While some believe the name "balti" originates from the Baltistan region of Northern Pakistan, the actual cooking style and the way it's served in Birmingham are considered a unique innovation. 

Yeah I had a balti dish at a well regarded London place.

Definitely distinctive.

On 7/2/2025 at 8:17 PM, thecyclist said:

There are almost as many Indian restaurants as Thai restaurants in Pattaya. What most of them lack is customers, more staff than patrons even at peak times. How fresh can the food be with hardly any  turnover. 

I tried a few of them recently, and only one was halfway decent. 

Ordered a masala dosa at the Madras cafe, thought for 180 Baht you would at least get a big portion, but, while it tasted OK, the portion was ridiculously small. 

Tried two others, Chicken masala 250 Baht with 3 or 4 small pieces of chicken. Clearly, most of them are not value for money. 

Any recommendations? 

Vientiane, a smallhole in the wall type restaurant - excellent food.  Guess what is called?  Taj Mahal

35 minutes ago, MarkBR said:

Vientiane, a smallhole in the wall type restaurant - excellent food.  Guess what is called?  Taj Mahal

Ive been in a few Taj Mahals around the world, 

On 7/3/2025 at 2:33 AM, proton said:

 

Indian curry in took lae dee Foodland 135 baht, could not pay the mrs to go in an Indian restaurant, she is convinced they are dirty

The only Indian I eat is Indian by Nature. It is expensive, but has good quality food, nice staff and very clean.  I nearly fainted when I left the loo in one Pattaya 2nd rd , I passed the kitchen and saw the mess . Incredible .

 

On 7/2/2025 at 8:17 PM, thecyclist said:

There are almost as many Indian restaurants as Thai restaurants in Pattaya. What most of them lack is customers, more staff than patrons even at peak times. How fresh can the food be with hardly any  turnover. 

I tried a few of them recently, and only one was halfway decent. 

Ordered a masala dosa at the Madras cafe, thought for 180 Baht you would at least get a big portion, but, while it tasted OK, the portion was ridiculously small. 

Tried two others, Chicken masala 250 Baht with 3 or 4 small pieces of chicken. Clearly, most of them are not value for money. 

Any recommendations? 

I think they cater mostly to groups that come in and share food. They get 3 or 4 dishes and everyone shares so it makes it cheaper per person somehow, but I'm not sure exactly how.

 

Similar to the hooker deal, where a group will bargain for one price that includes the entire group.

On 7/3/2025 at 7:37 AM, Gsxrnz said:

Makes you wonder if the myriad of Indian restaurants first order of business is to provide food. 

Money laundering, maybe? 

Never mind Ali Ba Ba and the forty thieves. These thieving mongrel take the biscuit, no wonder no one is using them 

If there are so many Indian restaurants in Pattaya and they don't get many customers... how come they're still operational? How are they sustaining themselves and paying staff?

2 hours ago, mithunonthenet said:

If there are so many Indian restaurants in Pattaya and they don't get many customers... how come they're still operational? How are they sustaining themselves and paying staff?

Same story with bars and massage shops, they continue until the money runs out

On 7/2/2025 at 8:17 PM, thecyclist said:

more staff than patrons

Most times the staff are illegals, Bangladeshi or Myanmar nationals without a visa. 

 

Cheap labour 

 

At times cheap labour gets you a heap of problems. Not too long ago a Myanmar guy cut up his foreign boss and Thai wife, soi Tukcom. 

I think most indian groups now eat @ the hotels they are staying at.where hotel brings a couple of Indian chefs for the breakfast and dinners.

Years ago there was a very big place Mumbai magic in naklua I think its closed.

As was mentioned your taste does not necessarily mean a restraunt is good or bad for me personally I'm a meat eater so bengali or Pakistani style suits me.if I want vegetarian then gujarati would be my choice 

I've had Grab drivers tell me that Indian places are very busy at the moment and some cut off delivery ordering at all during peak hours. So another case where gross generalizations don't really work. 

I find Thai curries far superior and haven't eaten a Indian one since 2008 when I arrived here.

 

I have zero intention of changing.

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

I've had Grab drivers tell me that Indian places are very busy at the moment and some cut off delivery ordering at all during peak hours. So another case where gross generalizations don't really work. 

 

You know better than anyone how dead the majority of Indian restaurants are in Pattaya .....Ok some like the ones across from Central Festival do ok but many do a very poor business and have done poorly for ages.. 

 

7 hours ago, mithunonthenet said:

If there are so many Indian restaurants in Pattaya and they don't get many customers... how come they're still operational? How are they sustaining themselves and paying staff?

Just like many bars do. People put saved money together, usually family money or some sort of loan, then skimp by in various ways hoping customers and money come in. When that stops working they either close and a new one pops up, or it gets sold to someone who thinks they can make it work.

 

I have actually asked several businesses that very question while I was in there (not recommended unless you know how to ask). Their answer is usually something like 'but you are here'. It's just denial basically and a belief that things will change and customers will come in at some point. Some places keep improving the place and putting money into it (which rarely works long term), others just wait and stand on the sidewalk cat-calling to everyone that walks by.

19 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Ive been in a few Taj Mahals around the world, 

I had the pleasure of working a couple of times with Jethro Tull, the Prog Rock Band. When on tour and eating out, the only restaurants patronised had to be called "Taj Mahal".

4 hours ago, Andycoops said:

I find Thai curries far superior and haven't eaten a Indian one since 2008 when I arrived here.

 

I have zero intention of changing.

I wasn't aware that there was a competition.

Years ago I was hanging out with a Thai guy (don't ask) who was typically racist towards Indians and their food (their curries are funny, ours are much better, the people and their food smells, etc.). So I took him to a banana leaf curry restaurant in Bangkok and he really liked it -- hey this is good, I guess I just haven't been exposed to much outside the usual Thai food lane.

 

The reason there are so many Indian restaurants in Pattaya is because there are so many Indian tourists here. Many of them have "special rooms" upstairs for group discounted meals. There indeed may not be very many Indian tourists happy to pay 350 for a mutton curry with a few chunks of meat in it, but the group deals explains how that market can still be satisfied. If coming as families, the kids usually want familiar foods. I think a majority are vegetarian so nothing easier than Indian restaurants for that. Also many of the restaurant owners do multitask with other related tourism businesses such as tours, import/export, etc. Sure there are some criminals in any group but I find much of the conspiracy theories about why so many Indian restaurants by westerners are transparently racist.

Although i really fancy a proper indian, i think I'll skip it, mostly bad for you so best avoided. Have you seen the fat indians about with pot bellies?

4 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Although i really fancy a proper indian, i think I'll skip it, mostly bad for you so best avoided. Have you seen the fat indians about with pot bellies?

Westernized fast food is quite popular in India especially with their youth. I reckon they think obesity beats starvation. 

 

Not rational to skip an occasional Indian meal over that. Like a lot of things, there are usually more healthy choices on most menus.

11 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Although i really fancy a proper indian, i think I'll skip it, mostly bad for you so best avoided. Have you seen the fat indians about with pot bellies?

 

It's mostly because they dont exercise.

There's an Indian guy at the gym who is built. 

I'm pretty sure he didn't stop eating Indian food.