The Dark Side

[NotNew2You]

where is the best place to get a cup of coffee early in the morning?

That's pretty early in the morning for the Farside. Chonlada opens around 7:30 or 8:00 I believe. Also, La Var Coffee opens around 8:00. La Var is located on Nernplubwan about 1 kilo up from Suk on the right side of the road (right next to the Esso gas station). Also, Lucky Time Bar also opens around 8:00 I think (just a block up from La Var)

Edited August 22, 2008 by NotNew2You

[anothertorres]

just thought i'd check back in and report. Chonlada opens at 7:30am. went there yesterday and this morning. i'm hooked. the cappuccinos (mokador) and the euro/american breakfasts are excellent and Pook (i'm assuming) is incredibly sweet. in fact, they all are. i'm willing to pay whatever the price so that they can remain open for a long time.

thank you guys for the heads up!

[NotNew2You]

Chonlada opens at 7:30...the cappuccinos and the breakfasts are excellent...i'm willing to pay whatever the price so that they can remain open for a long time.

Another satisfied Farsider

Edited August 24, 2008 by NotNew2You

[patsfangr]

just thought i'd check back in and report. Chonlada opens at 7:30am. went there yesterday and this morning. i'm hooked. the cappuccinos (mokador) and the euro/american breakfasts are excellent and Pook (i'm assuming) is incredibly sweet. in fact, they all are. i'm willing to pay whatever the price so that they can remain open for a long time.

thank you guys for the heads up!

I'm glad you liked it, Torres. The only reason I can think of why anybody wouldn't make it their favorite breakfast place is location. It's not convenient to everybody; and some folks don't like to travel too far for breakfast.

I live just 2.5 kms away; and there's no where else that's nearly as good within at least twice that far for me.

[anothertorres]

just thought i'd check back in and report. Chonlada opens at 7:30am. went there yesterday and this morning. i'm hooked. the cappuccinos (mokador) and the euro/american breakfasts are excellent and Pook (i'm assuming) is incredibly sweet. in fact, they all are. i'm willing to pay whatever the price so that they can remain open for a long time.

thank you guys for the heads up!

I'm glad you liked it, Torres. The only reason I can think of why anybody wouldn't make it their favorite breakfast place is location. It's not convenient to everybody; and some folks don't like to travel too far for breakfast.

I live just 2.5 kms away; and there's no where else that's nearly as good within at least twice that far for me.

yesterday was a full house but this morning was just the wife and i. if i was back home, i'd call Chonlada "around the corner", it's that close. another reason that living around Mabprachan was a great idea.

oh and we just got back Fisherman's. there was a party going on and when we asked for menus we were directed that food was free tonight because there was a party. we didn't get to stick around long being it a work night, but what a great night. we were driving down the road and right across from Sammy's was a big ol' elephant right at the side of the road just woofin' down some grass. chalk that up for a first time for the wife and i...

Edited August 24, 2008 by anothertorres

[paul1970]

There is a new Bistro style cafe called Cafe Uno that has opened on Soi Khao Noi, coming from Sukhumvit it's about 1Km past the railway crossing on the left just before the soi that go's to Dao Cafe.

It is currently on a soft opening with a the proper opening supposed to be close. It does very good Panini's which are probably the best Panini or Sandwich I've had in Pattaya.

Also very good homemade burgers with a variety of toppings, it also has proper chips though I do beleive there is a frozen option too for those who prefer french fries.

Also a good place for a Sunday dinner but it is limited to about 20 people on a first come first served basis.

Prices are very reasonable, the cafe itself has airconed seating inside or outside seating. I also beleive they have free Wi-fi.

Once fully open I think this place will be a very good addition to the Darkside eating venues.

Currently open from 10am to 10pm and closed on Tuesdays. Craig the owner is very open to critiscim and suggestions not that there is much to critiscise so far.

[BigDamo]

What do u mean by the dark side?? Where is it?

[Digger]

What do u mean by the dark side?? Where is it?

Its the East Of Sukhumvit Road - i.e. not Central Pattaya and I still not sure what all the fuss is about about Chanlada coffee shop - went past four times today and the place is totally closed up - I would like to try it but its never open from what I can see and I went past at 3pm and 4.40pm so maybe they have some snooze in the afternoon !!!!!!

[anothertorres]

Chonlada will not be staying open past breakfast and lunch until some time. She mentioned it's their best intention to open for late afternoon and dinner very soon. and the fuss is their coffee and great am/euro breakfast (imho, that is).

[sabang]

Has anyone been in a restaurant called Petanque?

If you pass The Courtyard, going towards Neun Plub Wan, it is along on the left.

It always looks closed to me, but I just wondered

For those of you over on The Pong side, the Moonraker has re-opened after re-decoration and a new name - Mullally's.

I haven't tried it yet, but by all accounts it hasn't changed much

Petanque was actually quite good in it's brief heyday, but is closed now Mobi. Lets just say the couple that owned and ran it had a major falling out.

Mullally's- nice bar, but you don't really go there for the cuisine. They did however do a nice bubble n squeak with fried eggs and bacon (i think, or was it sausage) which was quite nice- worth a try.

Anyway, having read this thread and gotten some new places from it that I never knew existed, you have succesfully jolted this lurker out of his torpor- I'm a regular poster on one of those dreaded 'other boards'. Thanks guys, great thread idea, and I'm looking forward to checking out Chonlada (!), Chesters and Rungs in particular. I live not far from Mabprachan.

[patsfangr]

It's time that I added an update, and a major UPGRADE, to previous reviews of 'The Courtyard'. It is now my favorite "local" place for lunch. It's almost exactly 1 km from my house; so I get the double benefit of a good lunch, and a little exercise for my fat a$$!

Although the ownership is the same, they have made significant changes to the menu, and added a high quality, high value, Sunday lunch special. Here are a few things that I've tried over the past 3 weeks or so; every one of which was good:

Beef Stew (the broth a bit "thick", for my taste, but tasty)

Sunday special - had both the Half Roasted Chicken, and the Roast Pork. Both very good, and lots of food. Included soup or salad start, mashed potatoes w/gravy, mixed veggies, dressing, and a nice fruit plate for desert. Also have lamb, which I don't eat. Cost 240 to 270 baht.

Cheeseburger. Very good. As large as at Rung's, but the burger meat itself is not as tasty as that used by Rung's, IMO.

Hot Dog. WOW! First place I've found that has an American style hot dog. It's pretty good; but they need to grill it. I suggested that to the English speaking bartender, Dar (VERY cute, but the GF/fiance of manager, Mickey). She said they can do that, if I request it next time. I will. They did chop some onions for me. So, a hot dog with mustard, pickles, and onions, made me feel right at home.

Pork chop dinner. Very good. Also served with those good mashed potatoes and veggies.

Shrimp casserole. Had 8 large, peeled shrimp, with a (canned) veggie mix of peas, carrots, onions, and a bit of cheese sauce. Nice.

Note that most of the things I mentioned are not on the menu (only the beef stew and shrimp casserole are on the menu). The Sunday lunch is on the white board outside on Sundays. The pork chop, burger, and hot dog are "specials" on a small white board by the rear door.

Bottom line is that there is now a very good variety of western food available at The Courtyard. My (Thai) wife and I have also found the Thai food to be very good.

The Courtyard now has my full recommendation. It's located on Nongprue Road, between the east end of Nernplubwarn, and Siam CC Road, very close to the Siam CC intersection, on the west side of the road. Their hours are 11 AM - 11 PM. They have both indoor, A/C, seating, and a nicely decorated outdoor area in the back. Indoor and outdoor bars, as well.

I'll be trying more items from the menu; and will give you my opinion on them as I do so. I hope anyone else goes there will do the same.

[sabang]

One thing that irks me about dining in Thailand in general, the darkside in particular is inconsistency. I can go to a place, have a great meal, come back again, and be rewarded with a <deleted> meal. Sometimes the cook has changed, sometimes the lunch crew are different to the dinner crew, sometimes unexplainable. That in mind, I'll mention some of the 'reliable' restaurants around here to start off with. My wife and I dine out several times a week, and both like our food btw.

Tocino- Probably the most professional outfit on the DS. Just a shame they don't open for luch- I'm sure Peter would do well on weekend lunches, particularly. I concur with the other reviews here- some of my fave's include their pesto lasagna, osso bucco, chicken breast Milanese- but it's all pretty good and consistent quality. We like their Pizza too, but it is very much along European lines- that means thin crust, not overloaded with ingredients but of good quality, including the cheese-which you can taste. It's the antithesis of the Pizza hut/ Domino's style- US & Aussie diners be aware, you might prefer Dao's or the Fishermans, which now has a Pizza oven and is quite OK. Thumbs up for this place. Not the cheapest, then again their Sicilian house wine is quite palatable and won't break the bank at around 700 bht for a litre carafe.

Ann's House- reliable German stodge, piled high and sold cheapish. Their Thai is surprisingly good too. The place has a good local following, and deserves it. You can't go wrong with the schnitzel here, but it's all pretty good, honest value. They have a antipasto/coldcuts type dish on the menu- be hungry when you try this one, but great value. The pizzas are fine too- more of the 'pile 'em high' variety, but what they lack in refinement they make up for in content.

Manneke' Pis- Philip puts on the most reliable steak on the DS, bar none. Decent value at 210/220 bht, you pay extra if you want a sauce. I recommend the Blue cheese sauce, and the Provencal is great too. My only nitpick is this Belgian obsession with mayonnaise, there is about as much mayo as salad. The beef stew is great too, I did try a chicken dish there once and wasn't impressed- but I go there for steak or beef stew, and keep coming back.

Swiss Paradise- I haven't been here for about a year- Tocino has a more interesting menu for us. But it's pretty good, and special kudos for the humble spaghetti bolognaise- the best I have had, anywhere in the world. Apart from a great tomato sauce, the secret is they use diced beef rather than ground or minced beef. And of course, Swiss Fondue... Very nice. Their steak is certainly good, but a bit expensive imo.

Fishermans Rest- if you know anything about the ups and downs of this place (think Fiddlers elbow) you'll wonder why I'm putting it in as a reliable. But their Indian food is exactly that. Now they're not shy on the ghee- so if you don't like oily curries (we do) bear that in mind- but they are good, and reliable. In my opinion their vegetable curries are a particular strongpoint, and these are often a poor afterthought in Indian restaurants- try the cottage cheese 'paneer' or the okra/ladyfinger curry, also good is the lamb sagwala with spinach. The vindaloo is just right too. Nans are fine, but not outstanding- I think they do their paratha's better. I guess the pakistani chef likes his ghee. Recently, the Fishermans has got a pizza oven too. They are surprisingly good- although the staff look like you've slapped them with the Dumb stick whenever you order one . But I took my sis, hubbie and daughter there for seafood Pizza about a month back and they pronounced it the best they had ever had. Thats quite some kudos from pizza obsessed Aussies.

Rung Thip- gotta be mentioned. Located on a bend in busy Nernplubwan, no character to speak of. But good, honest food- Thai and farang, reliable, cheap prices for what you get. Pleasant staff too. Can't fault it- I must get there again soon, on value alone it deserves more of our business.

Thats enough writers cramp for now. I'll get back to this thread with some 'chancers' in the next day or so.

[sabang]

Sunday special - had both the Half Roasted Chicken, and the Roast Pork. Both very good, and lots of food. Included soup or salad start, mashed potatoes w/gravy, mixed veggies, dressing, and a nice fruit plate for desert. Also have lamb, which I don't eat. Cost 240 to 270 baht.

The Courtyard now has my full recommendation.

I concur- I forgot to add this to the thread above. The Sunday Roast lamb is safely The best on the DS- and us Aussies love lamb. The half chicken is good too, nicely seasoned if a little dry for my liking. Lashings of gravy. The prawn casserole is one of our favourites- although why it's called a casserole I don't know, but the prawns are fresh, it's a very tasty dish. The Thai food warrants a mention- Mrs says it's excellent, it's down to good ingredients and fresh preparation. Hey, I'll definitely try that Hot Dog- i've had some amazingly poor excuses for a Dawg around here. The Real chips are good too.

It had a slow start, but is now attracting a good following. Sunday lunch- I recommend getting there early, about 1pm. The lamb is moist and tender, and you can have your choice of seating. It's a nice place- maybe they should have delayed their opening by a few weeks in retrospect, but thats history.

[Mobi]

Sabang, I have eaten at all the establishments you reviewed in your post 552 except Swiss Paradise, and thoroughly concur with all your findings. They are all excellent places to dine.

I cannot pick one out in particular, but the quality of the Indian Food at The Fishermans probably puts it at the top of all Indian cuisine in Pattaya, and for those on the "bright side" who fancy a GOOD Indian, they could do worse than take a trip out there. Incidentally, my doctor has warned me off the oily dishes, but they do a lovely 'dry' tandoori chicken that gets round this problem.

Edited August 29, 2008 by Mobi

[paul1970]

I agree that the Courtyard has probably one of the best Sunday roasts in Pattaya. Hardly a Sunday goes by without me going there for the delicious lamb dinner.

There are also some good choices on the slightly limited menu, though some not so good unfortunately I wouldn't recommend the fish cakes to anybody. When there is no Sunday roast the lamb chops and vegetables is a good alternative.

I must try the Fish an chips there one day but currently the best Fish and chips is Chesters and with so many dissapointments when trying F&C in Pattaya I have been reluctant to try it at the Courtyard as yet but if I do I will post a review here.

[patsfangr]

As I noted earlier, Paul, I don't eat lamb. Just don't like the taste of it. But I do give a high rating to both the roast chicken, and the roast pork, Sunday dinners. I substitute the pork chop dinner for those during the week.

I also agree on the fish cakes. That was my first try when I returned to try the "new and improved" Courtyard. I found them dry and rather tasteless.

Your comment on the fish and chips made me smile. That's been my feeling exactly. Chester's does such a good job that it will be hard to match. On the other hand, if The Courtyard can even come close, their proximity to my house will give them a edge. Might have to make that my next order.

Now, here's some very good news. I learned from Dar yesterday that the building just beside the restaurant is going to be a large kitchen. They expect that to be finished by mid September, AND will add many items to that "limited menu" with the new equipment they'll have there.

Looks like good times ahead for The Courtyard!

[doctormann]

Sabang, I have eaten at all the establishments you reviewed in your post 552 except Swiss Paradise, and thoroughly concur with all your findings. They are all excellent places to dine.

I cannot pick one out in particular, but the quality of the Indian Food at The Fishermans probably puts it at the top of all Indian cuisine in Pattaya, and for those on the "bright side" who fancy a GOOD Indian, they could do worse than take a trip out there. Incidentally, my doctor has warned me off the oily dishes, but they do a lovely 'dry' tandoori chicken that gets round this problem.

I concur about the Fisherman's Rest. The Indian food there is vastly superior to any other that I've found in Pattaya. Where I live, just off Soi Khaotalo, we have an 'Indian Kitchen' restaurant. OK ish but I'm more than happy to travel the 10km or so out to the Fisherman's instead.

If you're in Bangkok, by the way, try Bukhara's, adjacent to the Nana BTS, opposite the Landmark Hotel. Food there is possibly better than the Fisherman's but rather a long way to go for lunch unless you're already there.

DM

[NotNew2You]

If you're in Bangkok, by the way, try Bukhara's, adjacent to the Nana BTS, opposite the Landmark Hotel. Food there is possibly better than the Fisherman's but rather a long way to go for lunch unless you're already there.

Used to live right around the corner from Bukharas on Soi 7 ... I remember when they opened the place about 10 years ago

Now in Patters. Can I get directions to Fisherman's Rest...is it right on the main road that rings the lake? Is it before or after John's Restaurant if coming from Sukhumvit?

[doctormann]

If you're in Bangkok, by the way, try Bukhara's, adjacent to the Nana BTS, opposite the Landmark Hotel. Food there is possibly better than the Fisherman's but rather a long way to go for lunch unless you're already there.

Used to live right around the corner from Bukharas on Soi 7 ... I remember when they opened the place about 10 years ago

Now in Patters. Can I get directions to Fisherman's Rest...is it right on the main road that rings the lake? Is it before or after John's Restaurant if coming from Sukhumvit?

I guess it depends on where you're coming from but yes, it's on the road at the back of the lake. If you're coming from Soi Country Club it's before Khun John's. If you're coming from the other side of the lake - the road that comes up from Naklua - then it's after KJ's, obviously. Easy to find - has quite a large sign board - Fisherman's Rest and Tandoori Garden. You can get Thai food there as well but I've not tried it so can't comment. My Missus has developed a taste for the Indian stuff now, although it did take some time for her to warm to the idea of actually trying some!

DM

[NotNew2You]

If you're coming from Soi Country Club it's before Khun John's. If you're coming from the other side of the lake - the road that comes up from Naklua - then it's after KJ's, obviously. Easy to find - has quite a large sign board - Fisherman's Rest and Tandoori Garden.

TX...think will try tonite

[sabang]

There are also some good choices on the slightly limited menu, though some not so good unfortunately I wouldn't recommend the fish cakes to anybody. When there is no Sunday roast the lamb chops and vegetables is a good alternative.

dam_n, wish I'd read this before I went there for lunch today.

Yep, very average- I'm sure I read somewhere earlier in this thread that the Fc's contained loads of fish? Not today they didn't- at least 90% mash potato, the rest some salmon and parsley. Not even any diced onion to lift the flavour. Chips very good, as always, but with some insipid julienned cabbage, red cabbage and carrot on the side- not even any peas, as I would normally expect. At 190bht, frankly a rip off for a meal that was at least 95% potato. Wish I'd stuck to the roast, or even tried their fish n chips- todays was the absolute worst meal I've had there. On a brighter note, Mrs sab had the prawn casserole- excellent, as always, and much, much better value for 150 bht.

I went to Chonlada too recently- yes, very good English breakfast. Great to get a decent pork sausage for a change! Bread fresh, coffee good, bacon fine, eggs cooked to order. Not the cheapest- I had the 'Special' breakfast, 178 bht or so- but you don't resent it when it's Good. How good? Well, Mrs ordered 1 kilo of pork susages from them, which we pick up next week.

[NotNew2You]

Had my meal at the Fisherman's Rest & Indian Tandori Garden Restaurant and let me say, I am a mighty happy (and full) camper right now What a great Indian place right in our "backyard"! I agree with all who have said it is some of the best Indian around...I haven't had any better (and have had allot worse) at any Indian place on the "Otherside."

Don't let appearances put you off as the place is nothing fancy and has the look of your typical Farside beer-bar cum restaurant operation, with an indoor bar and dining area and also a plethora of outside garden tables. The staff are warm and friendly (with one super-hot cashier/hostess...those legs seem to go on forever ). The portions are very large and the prices very small. We had 3 mains and 2 sides for around B 500!

We started with the potato samosas; the mains included butter chicken and cottage-cheese paneer, sides were garlic nan and safron rice. A beer and water brought the total bill to B 560. The portions are huge and we could only finish half of the mains. I would say the portions were almost 2x of a typical serving at most places on the otherside for half the price. Chicken and paneer dishes would cost B 250-B 300 over there and here they were like B 140-B 160. There was also a lot more of the cottage cheese in the serving that you usually get.

Overall, a very positive experience and I would highly recommend this place to anyone who likes Indian food.

Edited August 31, 2008 by NotNew2You

[santol]

I agree that the Courtyard has probably one of the best Sunday roasts in Pattaya. Hardly a Sunday goes by without me going there for the delicious lamb dinner.

Inspired by your post a friend and I gave the Courtyard a try this evening for the Sunday roast lamb. I have to agree with you. We really enjoyed it. They give you a choice of vegetable soup or salad too. We each had the vegetable soup which was very good. The dinner also includes dessert, consisting of a couple Thai pastries and fresh fruit. We thought the service was very good too.

The only complaint I have is they heated their dinner roll in a microwave. Most people know that if you put bread in a microwave any longer than exactly how long it takes to heat it, it becomes virtually inedible, like cardboard. That's what happened with our dinner rolls, but considering how good the rest of the meal was, we forgave that.

I also love the Sunday roast at Jameson's, but that's not a dark side restaurant, so I guess that doesn't count.

We really did like the Courtyard and we will be back.

Edited August 31, 2008 by santol

[NotNew2You]

Magnolia's Resort and Mags Restaurant

On the way out to the Fisherman's Resort and Tandori Garden tonite, I saw this new resort and restaurant called Magnolia's Resort and their in-house restaurant Mags. For research purposes for this thread, I stopped on the way back to check-out the menu. It is a very nice looking open-air (but indoor) restaurant. They open at 8:00 am and serve an American breakfast for B 160. There is a wide selection of sandwiches, burgers, pastas, and meat dishes, as well as full Thai menu, for lunch and dinner.

Has anyone tried this place yet?

FYI: They also have promo rates for rooms at B 1500 per nite.

Also, I spotted a new coffee cafe in that new row of shops at the intersection of SSCC and Nongprue road. I didn't get the name as just spotted it while driving past. It is the last shop on the end if one is heading towards Nernplubwan from SSCC.

[Mobi]

Magnolia's Resort and Mags Restaurant

On the way out to the Fisherman's Resort and Tandori Garden tonite, I saw this new resort and restaurant called Magnolia's Resort and their in-house restaurant Mags. For research purposes for this thread, I stopped on the way back to check-out the menu. It is a very nice looking open-air (but indoor) restaurant. They open at 8:00 am and serve an American breakfast for B 160. There is a wide selection of sandwiches, burgers, pastas, and meat dishes, as well as full Thai menu, for lunch and dinner.

Has anyone tried this place yet?

FYI: They also have promo rates for rooms at B 1500 per nite.

Also, I spotted a new coffee cafe in that new row of shops at the intersection of SSCC and Nongprue road. I didn't get the name as just spotted it while driving past. It is the last shop on the end if one is heading towards Nernplubwan from SSCC.

I ate there with my wife about one month ago. The food was quite good - a bit bland for my taste - but definitely OK, plenty of it and not too expensive.

The good thing about Mags was the excellent service - some of the best I have ever had in LOS. The waiters are very professional and know what they are about - like serving the meals at the same time etc.

The ambiance is also very good - nice soft background music, and candle lit tables.

A good place for a romantic evening with the wife or mia noi

The thing that completely throws me about this place though is that they have built a 4 storey hotel with no lifts. I just can't believe it, but it's true. Who is going to walk up 4 flights of stairs after an evening out on the town?

Incidentally - back to the Fisherman's Indian food - I don't know if anyone has mentioned that they do home delivery - and they will go quite a distance.

[NotNew2You]

I ate there with my wife about one month ago. The food was quite good - a bit bland for my taste - but definitely OK, plenty of it and not too expensive.

The good thing about Mags was the excellent service - some of the best I have ever had in LOS.

Good to know...I will give it a try soon.

Funny about the resort...no lift and really out in the middle of nowhere. I wonder what market they are targeting?

[patsfangr]

Magnolia's Resort and Mags Restaurant

On the way out to the Fisherman's Resort and Tandori Garden tonite, I saw this new resort and restaurant called Magnolia's Resort and their in-house restaurant Mags. For research purposes for this thread, I stopped on the way back to check-out the menu. It is a very nice looking open-air (but indoor) restaurant. They open at 8:00 am and serve an American breakfast for B 160. There is a wide selection of sandwiches, burgers, pastas, and meat dishes, as well as full Thai menu, for lunch and dinner.

Has anyone tried this place yet?

FYI: They also have promo rates for rooms at B 1500 per nite.

Also, I spotted a new coffee cafe in that new row of shops at the intersection of SSCC and Nongprue road. I didn't get the name as just spotted it while driving past. It is the last shop on the end if one is heading towards Nernplubwan from SSCC.

I have tried both of these places. However, my visit to Mags was not a fair test. I went there for lunch. They had just opened, and are clearly more set up as a dinner place. The special that I got was pork loin. I started with a French Onion soup, which was poor. Barely any onion, and neither bread nor cheese on top. Weak flavor. The pork loin meal was not much food, and the pork loin was only so-so, with more fat than I like around the edges. I was not pleased. But, as I said, it's not a lunch venue.

I've been to that little coffee shop 3 times. It's good for me, because, at 1.1 kms from my house, it gets me a little excercise to walk there for coffee and a snack, and walk home. The coffee is pretty good (I forget the brand name), but not as good as the Mokador served at Chonlada. Their limited menu is about 8 items, all pictured on a board on the wall behind the counter. Some small sandwiches, very nice sausages, and a couple of other things. Small portions, but priced accordingly, so a decent value. The sandwiches are tasty, but I just don't go for the wafer thin Thai sandwich style (one slice of ham, one cheese, etc.). Still, it's not a bad place to stop into for morning coffee and snack. I haven't gone there for a while, because I can't get past The Courtyard, now that I discovered how much they've improved!

By the way, the Thai restaurant at the other end of that strip has pretty good basic Thai dishes. Again, all Thai, so good value.

[santol]

Last night I tried Ticino's for the first time. There were two of us and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. Not only is the food excellent and reasonably priced, but the service is also excellent. They even serve everyone's food at the same time, which can be a rarity in Thailand. That's another Dark Side restaurant where I'll be going regularly. Even if you don't live on the Dark Side I think it's worth a trip out here to go to Ticino's.

[NotNew2You]

FYI New Restaurant Alert:

In order to add to our list of Farside dining establishments I bring my fellow Farsiders the following announcement:

There is a new restaurant-bar-pool establishment called Watsana Bar and Restaurant on Nernplubwan. Coming from Sukhumvit, it is 1 kilo up on the left-hand side of the road. It is a converted house inside the Rattanakorn Village moobaan directly accross from the Esso gas station. It has only been open a couple weeks and has indoor and outdoor garden seating and a large sized swimming pool for free use by patrons. The menu is farang and Thai. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner from around 9 am to 10 pm. They also have poolside dining so you can have a pool day and food service just like you were at a hotel

I have not eaten there yet...just paid a visit to check it out. The owner seems friendly...it's a farang and Thai couple. My only concern is that the prices are a little on the high side for the Farside (typical English breakie at B 250 and the "full Monty" breakie at B 350) and typical Thai dishes at around B 85-B150 but putting in that pool must have cost a bundle. The other concern is that the menu is quite extensive and I hope they don't overextend themselves in trying to cook too many dishes (rather than having fewer dishes but preparing them really well).

I will try the food soon and follow-up.

Edited September 12, 2008 by NotNew2You

[Chaimai]

Enjoyed meal for 2, with half a dozen beers for 850 baht at "WDR - Piocchio".

Decent informal surroundings, helpful service and pleasant owner - Roberto Anzante. Also has big screen.

I think the restaurant/beer garden is newly opened and has an Italian/Swiss/Thai ecclectic menu - we were also told that if we wanted anything 'off menu' chef could accommodate.

To be found at Soi Khaonoi/Watboonsamphan 9 which is essentially the link road to Soi Nernplabwan about 2km in.