The Dark Side

[aussiechick]

OK - I have moved to the Darkside for 1 month - am in Soi Kao Talo - whats good around here? Thanks

[patsfangr]

OK - I have moved to the Darkside for 1 month - am in Soi Kao Talo - whats good around here? Thanks

You're in the right thread to get all the info you need on good dining places, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I sincerely suggest that you take some time to start at Post #1, and read through it. You're just about certain to find some places you'd like to try.

Food is very individual. As you read through this thread, you'll some differing opinions. It's probably best to make some notes about places that appear to have the type of food you like, and their locations; then give them a try to form your own opinion.

The other approach that you can take is to give us some specifics about what you're looking for. I suspect that you'll get no small number of suggestions. But it's a little tough to answer a question as general as "what's good around here". Believe me, there's a LOT of good food to be had over here, by just about anybody's overall assessment.

[aussiechick]

patsfangr - great, not neccessarily food wise, (except maybe a decent breakfast) place to drop in and have a drink in the evening. Remembering I will be walking; mainly so I can find my way around first. Have been over to Red Lion for a drink and watch the world ride by!

[patsfangr]

patsfangr - great, not neccessarily food wise, (except maybe a decent breakfast) place to drop in and have a drink in the evening. Remembering I will be walking; mainly so I can find my way around first. Have been over to Red Lion for a drink and watch the world ride by!

Well, walking certainly limits your options, unless you're a marathoner! If you're willing to go as far as Khao Noi, I'd strongly recommend 'Cafe Uno' for a great breakfast. They open at 10 AM, and they're located a couple of hundred meters east of the RR tracks, before you get to soi 5. An Englishman named Craig is the owner/chef; and he has a lot of good food on the menu, in addition to the breakfast.

A further option is to follow soi 5 from Khao Noi. About 200 meters up, you'll find Dao Cafe. Again, great breakfasts and other food. Owner is a Belgian named Derek.

I'm sure others can suggest places on Khao Talo for you. I'm not familiar with any there, as I live near Nernplubwarn.

[Digger]

Some follow-up opinions on the Lakeside Restaurant. I had high hopes for this place turning into a nice option for good food in a nice atmosphere for us here on the Farside. Considering its genes (Delibean Cafe) this was not unexpected. However, I am a little worried that they are still pretty shaky on the food and their pricing is on the high side. While the atmosphere is fine, with the koi pond stocked and the air-con dining room now open, they still do not seem to have hit their stride. The dining room itself does not have enough air-con and gets quite warm in the day due to it's western exposure. The decor is also sorta half-ass...neither plush nor simple and the yellow-brown (dirty brown) colour scheme is not too pleasing.

However, all that could be overlooked if the food was really good (and fairly priced). The problem is what I have tried has been mostly average, with some dishes downright awful. My most recent meal had me sample the garlic bread (fine and at B 60 no problem), the penne carbonara (okay, but at B 220, certainly not a value proposition. I would go for Tocino's version, at about the same price, anytime.), and the bacon-potato skins with sour cream - very good but a tiny portion of 2 smallish halves and expensive at B 160).

Another meal had me sampling from their "Asian" menu of Chinese food. Here they promote Western Chinese favorites like stir-fry beef in black-bean sauce, chow-meins of various types and other dishes. They note that the beef used is imported Australian and the prices certainly would call for it. I had to try the beef chow-mein as I have not had any since leaving the States 10 years ago. At B 260, I expected something special...but was I disappointed! What arrived was a tiny (I mean appetizer sized portion) of noodles, with little beef, the wrong noodles, and overly salty taste. It was really quite pathetic and was not remotely like what I would call "chow-mein." Some sort of wheat angel-hair pasta was used and of course, Chinese style egg noodles (or baa mee noodles in Thai) are called for. The beef, what little there was, was nothing special, and instead of being wok stir-fried they almost were like pan-fried and were "gooey." Any Thai restaurant with a B 100 plate of phat-siew would be way better than the crap they served and called "chow mein."

I have yet to have an outstanding meal at Lakeside yet and I probably would not go back...at least for a meal. Maybe a sandwich or coffee and cake at the cafe at the front

I have eaten many times at lakeside and am invariably there at least once a weekend when I am down in Pattaya. So far I have had Roast US Turkey, Roast Australian Rib eye, John Dory fish served with spinach, Toad in the hole (British dish with sausages and Yorkshire pudding, mashed potato and vegetables), Penne Carbonara and this weekend I had the new Roast beef which is a New Zealand Sirloin. Personally I find the place very good and a breath of fresh air on this side of East Pattaya. I always sit outside around the pond and find the whole experience to be very good, however by no stretch of the imagination would you call it fine dining - they say as much on the first page of the menu and the prices would lead me to that conclusion straight away. For my money, its about the best of the East Pattaya places I have eaten at. On Saturday when I was there there must have been 20 odd people including a large group of probably 10-12 people. From what I could see, the food was coming out regularly and nobody seemed to have any issue with undue delays or concerning the quality of what comes out.

The owner guy always comes up and says hello, chats for a few minutes, asks how I found the food etc without being over bearing. From what I have seen, they actually do listen and take note which is more than I can say for almost any other place in this price range - for example, he mentioned that the Australian Rib Eye had changed to a New Zealand Sirloin as they have found it much more consistent and with a better flavour - its replacing all of the dishes shown as Rib eye and if the roast beef I had is anything to go, its a good improvement over what I thought was an already very good roast. To my mind the service has come along nicely - its more polished than previous visits but still remains a relaxed informal restaurant. Judging by the countless people who seem to know him by name on Saturday night he has built some good relationships with his (presumably, repeat) customers and his staff, all of whom were working well. I have a business here and that is not easy to achieve and its been open for what 3 months now? He did mention that he has had some challenges with the kitchen personnel recently as the head chef has been in hospital for 2 weeks and some of the senior chefs are playing up for various reasons, including 2 chefs who had not come into work on that Saturday- given that fact, In hindsight I am amazed they have not collapsed - so he must be 3 chefs down and still the food to me at least came out perfect. To me that's a major plus.

I had read the Asian Menu and asked him what led to it - I quite fancied trying the nasi goreng and he said its to better utilise the Thai kitchen team - they handle approx: 80% Western food reflecting their customer base yet they have a large team of Thai food chefs - the head chef has worked in both China and Malaysia and many customers have apparently suggested he put on some foods from other Asian countries as well as Thai. This is what led to the menu of Asian foods although as I understand it, he considers it a trial - having said that, he then told me its proving very popular with farang customers and the feedback has been very good. One thing I did point out to him, was what 'TYPE' of Chinese food is it - i.e it changes around the world based on local preferences and tastes - maybe thats what you experienced - I have eaten Chow Mein in the USA and it tasted nothing like Chow Mein I have had either in HKG, China or in the UK as examples. None were bad, but none were the same apart from having egg noodles as the base.

I have never sat in the inside restaurant but I was under the impression is still work in progress - with some large globe due to be a focal point or something like that in the entrance area. Presumably they have it up and running in case it rains, but I dont think you will find them describing it as 100% completed - for a start it has no signs on it and I would guess has been opened early in the event of rain as their virtually nowhere outside to sit when its raining and the Delibean is small.

As I say, for me at least, its the best option on the Eastern side of Sukhumvit Rd and from what I can see, it's continuing to improve - also don't forget, we are in a very bad cycle for any restaurant, let alone a new one - it must be a nightmare for them having to manage stock and staff in such a tight economy - tourists have all but gone and they will be facing an uphill challenge in terms of creating awareness of this new place - not to mention the fact that the inside sections are not even visible from the road - its much much larger but very deceiving from the roadside. Having said that, whenever I drive past, I always see plenty of cars parked outside in their car park and at the front so presumably your experience was an isolated one. Having said all that - did you mention it to the owner - he is always there every evening I have been there and very approachable guy, although he tends to come to you so I am asuming he was not there when you ate, otherwise at least based on what I have seen, he would have come and chatted and checked that everything was good with the food. As I say, I have always found him very keen to hear feedback either good or negative which frankly is how it should be.

[Digger]

I think there's a rough road ahead for The Lakeside; and the original Deli Bean is a shorter drive for me (and for you) when I want a good sandwich, or smaller meal.

The original Delibean has closed and the staff moved into the one at Lakeside - I believe the original location is being turned back into offices for the residential housing estate where it sits.

[patsfangr]

I think there's a rough road ahead for The Lakeside; and the original Deli Bean is a shorter drive for me (and for you) when I want a good sandwich, or smaller meal.

The original Delibean has closed and the staff moved into the one at Lakeside - I believe the original location is being turned back into offices for the residential housing estate where it sits.

That must have been a fairly recent development, Digger. I haven't been to Lakeside for about 3 weeks (or more); but, on that visit, the owner told me that the original DB was still running, as the residents of the moo ban there were a steady customer base. Oh well, still worth the drive to Lakeside for Deli Bean food, as well as for the Lakeside dishes that I like.

Based upon your recommendation, I'll have to get off my "addiction" to the John Dory, and try a couple of other items. I'm personally glad to read your positive comments on the level of business. I DO want this place to survive; and I'm always willing to allow for improvement over time. I certainly had to do that with The Courtyard, which was a near disaster when they first opened; and is now my most frequent lunch stop.

[raro]

Just want to raise awareness for a new Italian place at the bottom of SSCC. Good sandwiches and other Italian stuff at reasonable prices. The place as such is nothing special, just a shophouse but they do deliveries.

wife and i were pleased with these place. if anything, the prices are right. decent italian food without having to go all the way "downtown".

sidenote, is no one going to Nice still? i fear he's at his wits end trying to maintain a consistent fan base. i'm perplexed myself as i consider this to be the best westaurant this side of the rockies...

Must admit that I haven't been to Nice for a while and cannot figure out why. It IS a fantastic place.

[Digger]

Just want to raise awareness for a new Italian place at the bottom of SSCC. Good sandwiches and other Italian stuff at reasonable prices. The place as such is nothing special, just a shophouse but they do deliveries.

wife and i were pleased with these place. if anything, the prices are right. decent italian food without having to go all the way "downtown".

sidenote, is no one going to Nice still? i fear he's at his wits end trying to maintain a consistent fan base. i'm perplexed myself as i consider this to be the best westaurant this side of the rockies...

Must admit that I haven't been to Nice for a while and cannot figure out why. It IS a fantastic place.

The problem with that place is the fact that its always empty and sat bang next door to a girly bar. Thats why I have never bothered stopping there - but based on these comments I must try it one night.

[Digger]

I think there's a rough road ahead for The Lakeside; and the original Deli Bean is a shorter drive for me (and for you) when I want a good sandwich, or smaller meal.

The original Delibean has closed and the staff moved into the one at Lakeside - I believe the original location is being turned back into offices for the residential housing estate where it sits.

That must have been a fairly recent development, Digger. I haven't been to Lakeside for about 3 weeks (or more); but, on that visit, the owner told me that the original DB was still running, as the residents of the moo ban there were a steady customer base. Oh well, still worth the drive to Lakeside for Deli Bean food, as well as for the Lakeside dishes that I like.

Based upon your recommendation, I'll have to get off my "addiction" to the John Dory, and try a couple of other items. I'm personally glad to read your positive comments on the level of business. I DO want this place to survive; and I'm always willing to allow for improvement over time. I certainly had to do that with The Courtyard, which was a near disaster when they first opened; and is now my most frequent lunch stop.

I found out last weekend when I went there for breakfast - everything has been moved to Lakeside including the staff that remain - apparently its because Lakeside was sucking their volume (no surprises there) and a key member of the staff left that store without warning - the owner said, its easier to close it than to try and support it from Lakeside when it would be inevitable that the store at Horseshoe Point would not be viable. (And I suspect he wanted to bring those experienced girls into the store at Lakeside which presumably has a much larger potential.) - The menu at Delibean has also expanded considerably - its now much more than just sandwiches given their bigger kitchen facilities at Lakeside. Everything else seems much the same.

[Mobi]

I dined at Lakeside a couple of weeks ago with my wife and another couple.

The food was excellent, the service was pretty good, the ambience was great, and the price was very reasonable. (4 starters, 4 main courses, ice cream, soft drinks and some beer- just over 2,00Baht)

Everyone thought it was probably the best overall dinner we have had on the Darkside, and we will definitely go again.

I agree that all drinking and dining establishments on the Darkside have a hard time to survive, but firmly believe that the Lakeside will survive and prosper, it will just take a bit of time.

The same week we also went to Ticinos, where we enjoyed excellent Italian food, again very reasonably priced, in a lovely setting, and good service. You will not regret trying it out. I recommend the house red wine which is served in carafes - much better than I was expecting - good value.

There is another new place - "The Rendezvous" which recently opened between the Terrace and Manneke Pis.This is a bar, with a large restaurant on it's left, and a just opened bakery on it's right. Owned by a farang/Thai wife couple. The bar is, large, spacious and very nicely decorated, and somehow manages to stay cool, even on the hottest days. Prices are reasonable, and the staff very friendly. They already seem to have acquired a number of regulars.

The restaurant has a very large selection of farang and Thai food, and everything I have tried so far is very good. I really recommend their breakfasts. Obviously not in the same league as Lakeside, but the prices are extremely reasonable. The Thai wife seems to have a lot of catering experience, and even makes her own recipe Englsih sausages, which are delicious.

Yet another establishment has recently opened on the Pong side of the Lake at it's very Northern end. If you drive down towards Pattaya on the 3240, just past the right hand main turning which goes to Mabprachan resort and Wat Pong, you hit the end of the lake and there is a sign for "Happy Village" on the right just past The Pong Or Bor Tor offices. Easy to see, and there are large model elephants near the entrance.

This is a very low priced, family place, where they also have a fishing lake, and will lend you rods.

There is a play area for kids, including a Wendy House etc. and a large covered bar and restaurant area which has been tastefully done in rustic wood and bamboo. To my knowledge, it is the only bar around the lake where you can buy large bottles of beer, and all prices are the lowest I have seen anywhere. It is run by an Englishman, Steve, and as with the "Rendezvous", has already acquired a load of regulars, including many with young children who have their own large area to safely run around and play, without disturbing the customers at the bar.

Very friendly and very nice atmosphere, and I would definitely say this place is here to stay. Haven't tried the food yet, but I am told by Thais that the Thai food is good, and the farang menu looks interesting.

BTW, no bar girls. An excellent family venue - try it.

[raro]

BTW, no bar girls. An excellent family venue - try it.

I was almost tempted...but this one spoiled it...

[MeetJohnDoe]

This is what led to the menu of Asian foods although as I understand it, he considers it a trial - having said that, he then told me its proving very popular with farang customers and the feedback has been very good. None were bad, but none were the same apart from having egg noodles as the base.

Having said all that - did you mention it to the owner - he is always there every evening I have been there and very approachable guy, although he tends to come to you so I am asuming he was not there when you ate, otherwise at least based on what I have seen, he would have come and chatted and checked that everything was good with the food. As I say, I have always found him very keen to hear feedback either good or negative which frankly is how it should be.

I have traveled in Indonesia and Malaysia and what Lakeside served me and called "chow mein" was very much like a nasi goreng...thin glassy type noodles and chilies in it. Why not call it that and I would know what to expect! Whatever you call it, it was crap and way too expensive at B 260 for a TINY portion (with very little "imported Australian" beef)

As to the owner, he was nowhere to be seen on the evenings I was there. Like I said, I hoped this place might become a regular stop as I live on the Farside but I have yet to be overly impressed with any meal I have had (some dishes are okay, some terrible, nothing outstanding) and the prices expensive (expecially for the Thai food). He does good with sandwiches at the cafes...maybe he should stick to them.

[Digger]

This is what led to the menu of Asian foods although as I understand it, he considers it a trial - having said that, he then told me its proving very popular with farang customers and the feedback has been very good. None were bad, but none were the same apart from having egg noodles as the base.

Having said all that - did you mention it to the owner - he is always there every evening I have been there and very approachable guy, although he tends to come to you so I am asuming he was not there when you ate, otherwise at least based on what I have seen, he would have come and chatted and checked that everything was good with the food. As I say, I have always found him very keen to hear feedback either good or negative which frankly is how it should be.

I have traveled in Indonesia and Malaysia and what Lakeside served me and called "chow mein" was very much like a nasi goreng...thin glassy type noodles and chilies in it. Why not call it that and I would know what to expect! Whatever you call it, it was crap and way too expensive at B 260 for a TINY portion (with very little "imported Australian" beef)

As to the owner, he was nowhere to be seen on the evenings I was there. Like I said, I hoped this place might become a regular stop as I live on the Farside but I have yet to be overly impressed with any meal I have had (some dishes are okay, some terrible, nothing outstanding) and the prices expensive (expecially for the Thai food). He does good with sandwiches at the cafes...maybe he should stick to them.

That must be in the race for inaccurate quote of the year - Chow Mein is fried noodles and Nasi Goreng is fried rice. Any other comments are clearly not merited or warranted given your demonstrated understanding in matters of Asian basic foodstuffs :D

[MeetJohnDoe]

That must be in the race for inaccurate quote of the year - Chow Mein is fried noodles and Nasi Goreng is fried rice. Any other comments are clearly not merited or warranted given your demonstrated understanding in matters of Asian basic foodstuffs

Whatever the terminology, they reminded me of the stir-fry noodle dishes I have had in those countries (also like the pancit I have had in the Phlippines). They are fine for what they are but they are not chow mein - mainly that they use the thinner wheat or sometimes mung-bean noodles and not the thicker yellow egg noodles.

But as you are such a fan of Lakeside, by all means I am sure you will wish to run over there and plunk down US$ 7.50 for a tiny portion of "imported beef chow mein."

Edited June 11, 2009 by MeetJohnDoe

[raro]

Have been to Nice the other night and learned that the owner is selling the business. Hope he sells his recipes as well!

[anothertorres]

Have been to Nice the other night and learned that the owner is selling the business. Hope he sells his recipes as well!

[patsfangr]

Have been to Nice the other night and learned that the owner is selling the business. Hope he sells his recipes as well!

I drove over and ate there for the first time today. I was the only customer, and, after eating a very tasty dish of fettucine, with chicken, mushrooms, and garlic, I spoke with the owner, Jean-Claude, for a while. He told me that the main reason why he's closing is that he's fed up with trying to find decent Thai staff in the area. I think we can all understand his frustration with that.

I suggested to him that I'd post here tonight, and ask that any of you who knows of a solid restaurant worker in the Mabprachan area, you send that person to talk with Jean Claude at Nice. His salary seems more that fair to me; but I won't publicly post that. Perhaps we could ask some of the better cooks and/or waitresses around if they have any friends who are looking for a good job in these tough times. I am NOT suggesting that we steer anyone away from their current job; just that we try to help find a good, out of work, restaurant helper (preferably one who can learn to cook the excellent Belgian recipes that JC has).

Some of you have expressed satisfaction with the unique food served there; and, based upon my one meal, and an examination of the unusual meny, I agree with you. I think it will be a loss to the area if we can't help JC find at least one top notch employee.

[MeetJohnDoe]

Where is this Nice Restaurant anyways? I have only heard of it here when someone posted the place was closing! Maybe it it has been mentioned before but I lost it in the nearly 900 posts on this thread

If I knew about the place, I would go there.

Edited June 13, 2009 by MeetJohnDoe

[patsfangr]

Where is this Nice Restaurant anyways? I have only heard of it here when someone posted the place was closing! Maybe it it has been mentioned before but I lost it in the nearly 900 posts on this thread

If I knew about the place, I would go there.

Shortly after the first big turn around the lake, John. It's the first in a cluster of 3 places: Nice, a small beer bar, and a larger beer bar (I forget the name!).

[Digger]

Have been to Nice the other night and learned that the owner is selling the business. Hope he sells his recipes as well!

I drove over and ate there for the first time today. I was the only customer, and, after eating a very tasty dish of fettucine, with chicken, mushrooms, and garlic, I spoke with the owner, Jean-Claude, for a while. He told me that the main reason why he's closing is that he's fed up with trying to find decent Thai staff in the area. I think we can all understand his frustration with that.

I suggested to him that I'd post here tonight, and ask that any of you who knows of a solid restaurant worker in the Mabprachan area, you send that person to talk with Jean Claude at Nice. His salary seems more that fair to me; but I won't publicly post that. Perhaps we could ask some of the better cooks and/or waitresses around if they have any friends who are looking for a good job in these tough times. I am NOT suggesting that we steer anyone away from their current job; just that we try to help find a good, out of work, restaurant helper (preferably one who can learn to cook the excellent Belgian recipes that JC has).

Some of you have expressed satisfaction with the unique food served there; and, based upon my one meal, and an examination of the unusual meny, I agree with you. I think it will be a loss to the area if we can't help JC find at least one top notch employee.

The obvious question to me would be how do places like Lakeside and Delibean find good staff? I always think they are good as I equally find the staff at Ticino, Courtyard, Rung Tip and to a lesser but not a bad extent Manekin Pis. Maybe these guys know something our man from Belgium does not? Having said all that, I do recall lakeside said they were having problems with 3 of their chef team so maybe its just a Mabprachan thing or maybe I have been in Thailand too long to actually expect anything more than routine service - if they get the food and drink order correct I consider it a major bonus

[Mobi]

The obvious question to me would be how do places like Lakeside and Delibean find good staff? I always think they are good as I equally find the staff at Ticino, Courtyard, Rung Tip and to a lesser but not a bad extent Manekin Pis. Maybe these guys know something our man from Belgium does not? Having said all that, I do recall lakeside said they were having problems with 3 of their chef team so maybe its just a Mabprachan thing or maybe I have been in Thailand too long to actually expect anything more than routine service - if they get the food and drink order correct I consider it a major bonus

It's not hard to figure out of you think about it.

Mabprachan area is is relatively isolated spot - especially for those without their own transport. There are song tows (Baht buses) in that area, but to my knowledge there still isn't a route that goes right round the lake, and there is an area of the lake that is rarely served, or not served at all.

As a consequence Many eating and drinking places around the lake also have to provide accommodation for their staff. But this also creates a problem, because the staff are stuck there, and are rarely able to get out, except the few who have their own motorcycles - and even then it it is a long , dangerous and lonely road to Pattaya.

Most of the housing around the lake is farang owned, and the nearest areas where Thais can find cheap accommodation is either at Pong at the North end or Nern Plub Wan at the south end. Both these are a very long way from places like Nice, if you have no transport.

Bars around the lake are notorious for trying to steal each other's staff, and there been several unsavoury incidents where owners have almost come to blows. Even without the "stealing" aspect, Thais being Thai, they move to other jobs in the same area of their own accord, often chasing higher wages, which desperate farang owners are willing to pay.

Almost every month there seems to be new places opening, and this stretches the resources of the potential staff pool as well as clientèle. This means in turn that the new places find it very difficult to find staff, and often struggle to stay in business due to a limited number of customers, which means low tips etc.

Then there is the "leakage" factor. As many habitués of the Lake bars will know, any girl who is half way decent looking never lasts long in that area. Most the customers are male, elderly farang residents, and many of them are on the look out for wives or "live in GFs". Likewise, the bar girls are on the lookout for a farang ATM. So the better looking one are invariable snapped up within a few week of starting work.

Places owned by Thais, or farangs who have Thai wives are often able to find staff from their home villages or family or encourage their friends to come out from Pattaya City to work. This provides new pools of labour, but the leakage rate is high. They either shack up with farangs, or don't like the isolated existence, and gravitate to Walking Street.

Not all Thais have contacts to find new staff. There was a Thai manager/ wife of a short time bar owner who actually asked me to help find her some girls who were interested in to moving jobs during my sojourns around the bars on the Darkside. (I declined on the ground that I didn't want to be arrested for human trafficking )

Here endeth my thesis.

[patsfangr]

It's not hard to figure out of you think about it.

Mabprachan area is is relatively isolated spot - especially for those without their own transport. There are song tows (Baht buses) in that area, but to my knowledge there still isn't a route that goes right round the lake, and there is an area of the lake that is rarely served, or not served at all.

As a consequence Many eating and drinking places around the lake also have to provide accommodation for their staff. But this also creates a problem, because the staff are stuck there, and are rarely able to get out, except the few who have their own motorcycles - and even then it it is a long , dangerous and lonely road to Pattaya.

Most of the housing around the lake is farang owned, and the nearest areas where Thais can find cheap accommodation is either at Pong at the North end or Nern Plub Wan at the south end. Both these are a very long way from places like Nice, if you have no transport.

Bars around the lake are notorious for trying to steal each other's staff, and there been several unsavoury incidents where owners have almost come to blows. Even without the "stealing" aspect, Thais being Thai, they move to other jobs in the same area of their own accord, often chasing higher wages, which desperate farang owners are willing to pay.

Almost every month there seems to be new places opening, and this stretches the resources of the potential staff pool as well as clientèle. This means in turn that the new places find it very difficult to find staff, and often struggle to stay in business due to a limited number of customers, which means low tips etc.

Then there is the "leakage" factor. As many habitués of the Lake bars will know, any girl who is half way decent looking never lasts long in that area. Most the customers are male, elderly farang residents, and many of them are on the look out for wives or "live in GFs". Likewise, the bar girls are on the lookout for a farang ATM. So the better looking one are invariable snapped up within a few week of starting work.

Places owned by Thais, or farangs who have Thai wives are often able to find staff from their home villages or family or encourage their friends to come out from Pattaya City to work. This provides new pools of labour, but the leakage rate is high. They either shack up with farangs, or don't like the isolated existence, and gravitate to Walking Street.

Not all Thais have contacts to find new staff. There was a Thai manager/ wife of a short time bar owner who actually asked me to help find her some girls who were interested in to moving jobs during my sojourns around the bars on the Darkside. (I declined on the ground that I didn't want to be arrested for human trafficking )

Here endeth my thesis.

Darn, Mobi! Just when it was getting interesting!

But, seriously, that's pretty much what JC said about the difficulty of finding good staff for that location. He said he'd tried talking to girls over on the west side; but nearly every one referred to the problem of getting to and from Mabprachan every day, and declined. As you said, there simply isn't a very large population of Thais clustered near enough to the lakefront area. Add that the fact that there's a relatively small percentage of Thais who truly have the combination of a good work ethic; an enthusiasm for serving customers; at least a little bit of English language; and the intelligence/education to learn both the cooking and serving routine. While the west side of Suk isn't exactly Beacon Hill (Boston's "elite" district), the Thai population there is still a more (dare I use the word?) sophisticated in such things than the "farmer" population in the "far away land" of Mabprachan.

I fully understand his difficulty; and wouldn't want to have to deal with it myself.

Still, I repeat the hope that we can help JC find a good employee, by keeping our eyes and ears open; and at least asking the question about capable friends who might be looking for a decent job.

[monty]

I have to fully concur with Mobi's thesis

It is extremely hard to find proper staff and hold on to them.

If you do not have live-in facilities it's next to impossible. Most places which hold on to their staff for longer then average all accommodate them. For example Manneken Pis, where there are obviously no living quarters, the owner rents a house (or bought it) in VJ land just as accommodation for his staff!

One thing (from business owner point of view) I experienced, is that the financial demands by proper prospective staff are becoming utterly ridiculous. Just had a chef looking for work, asking salary 25,000 Baht/month. And one of his demands was kitchen help as well, he needed at least a sous-chef (to prepare the salad on the plates and bake the fries), and a dishwasher. He only considered a job where the actual art of cooking was what he would do

This is not an isolated case, have had about 6 of them in the last 3 months (most of them having been laid of on Koh Chang and gravitating towards Pattaya), all of them demanding between 15,000 and 30,000 Baht salary. Ended up hiring one (in the lower end of the pay scale) and had to fire him after a few days, as he didn't know that when frying fries you have to wait until the oil is hot. Not at 90 degrees. He actually never fried fries before as that was normally a job for kitchen helpers...

So imagine the hassles a smallish place such as Nice would have staff wise...

[farangpattaya]

For the people who are familiar with Papa David near the Hanuman Statue in Jomtien: He opened a second branch on the 'Dark Side' on Soi Khao Talo.

From Sukhumvit drive/walk/crawl up Soi Khao Talo, pass the rail way tracks and approx. 300 meters pass the tracks on the right side there it is, right opposite the new branch of the Krungsri/Ayudhaya Bank.

Menu and type of staff is similar to the fist branch of Papa David. Food and service excellent, as always.

[MeetJohnDoe]

Not much new to report here...just another generally positive report for Cafe Uno on Khow Noi. I had my first dinner there tonite and was quite pleased with 2 items and non-plussed with another. As is my wont, I tried the spegetti carbonara as a post on another thread mentioned the pasta being very good. I agree...it was a very nice portion of properly cooked (al dente) noodles with a tasty carbonara sauce...quality bacon chunks were used and the sauce was well reduced and not "milky." It's served with 2 small pieces of garlic bread. At B 160 a very tasty and reasonably priced dish indeed.

Well, that was my starter and for my mains, I ordered from the Indian menu a portion of the Chicken El Jafrizi [sp]. Now, not being British nor having lived in London, I admit that I am not an expert on Indian curries. Mine was served over rice and consisted of large chunks of white meat chicken that was tender and tasty. The sauce, however, was what seemed to be a tomato based one and rather thin and watery...not really what I picture an Indian curry sauce to be from other experiences. While the dish was not bad per se...it really seemed more like a spicy chicken stew than anything Indian.

I also had a side-order of nan bread and this was very good...real Indian style with butter and garlic. At B 75 it's not expensive as the piece is quite large and filling.

To sum it up, I would definitely have the carbonara again but would pass on the Jafrizi. I would probably have an order of the carbonara with the nan on the side. Others have raved about the Jafrizi but it was not my thing. I have had a yellow chicken curry dish (forget name) at Uno and liked that one much better.

Edited June 19, 2009 by MeetJohnDoe

[MeetJohnDoe]

FYI: Tocinos Italian restaurant is closed for their annual holiday and will reopen on the 26th of June (I think the date is right).

Also, Swiss Paradise Restaurant is having a special Swiss Day celebration and buffet on August 1st. Reservations are recommended as space is filling up fast.

[patsfangr]

Not much new to report here...just another generally positive report for Cafe Uno on Khow Noi. I had my first dinner there tonite and was quite pleased with 2 items and non-plussed with another. As is my wont, I tried the spegetti carbonara as a post on another thread mentioned the pasta being very good. I agree...it was a very nice portion of properly cooked (al dente) noodles with a tasty carbonara sauce...quality bacon chunks were used and the sauce was well reduced and not "milky." It's served with 2 small pieces of garlic bread. At B 160 a very tasty and reasonably priced dish indeed.

Well, that was my starter and for my mains, I ordered from the Indian menu a portion of the Chicken El Jafrizi [sp]. Now, not being British nor having lived in London, I admit that I am not an expert on Indian curries. Mine was served over rice and consisted of large chunks of white meat chicken that was tender and tasty. The sauce, however, was what seemed to be a tomato based one and rather thin and watery...not really what I picture an Indian curry sauce to be from other experiences. While the dish was not bad per se...it really seemed more like a spicy chicken stew than anything Indian.

I also had a side-order of nan bread and this was very good...real Indian style with butter and garlic. At B 75 it's not expensive as the piece is quite large and filling.

To sum it up, I would definitely have the carbonara again but would pass on the Jafrizi. I would probably have an order of the carbonara with the nan on the side. Others have raved about the Jafrizi but it was not my thing. I have had a yellow chicken curry dish (forget name) at Uno and liked that one much better.

The yellow one is 'Chicken Dhansak', John; and I definitely liked that one. I haven't tried the Jafrizi yet. I also recommend the Beef Madras, which I had last week.

Cafe Uno is solidly entrenched on my "regulars" list for lunch. I usually hit there once a week, and rotate through the menu.

[patsfangr]

Speaking of closures, Rungthip will be closed from the 23rd through the 25th next week.

[anothertorres]

Speaking of closures, Rungthip will be closed from the 23rd through the 25th next week.

good lookin' out, thanks.

you guys eating at the "country food" restaurant next to 7/11 on SCCC/NPW? hot dam_n, that Nam Tog is awesome as is the BBQ prawns. slightly more expensive that i should be paying for thai/esan, but it's dead on delicious.