Recent Dining Experiences - Reviews

[cochran]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Edited March 9, 2009 by cochran

[Jingthing]

I know most of those places and mostly agree. Also agree Madras Darbar is a great find. But I never liked Ali Baba at all. You are also correct Shenanigans Jomtien is crap.

Edited March 9, 2009 by Jingthing

[LtCol]

Have to agree about Shennaigans Jomtien....Yuk! cooked chicken bloody in the middle in more than one piece.Group of 4 of us , all agreed last time.

I enjoyed 18 coins in Soi Boukhao , had Bangers & Mash , Wife had Roast Pork....went back yesterday I had Roast Beef , Wife had Roast Lamb.Great both times...barely able to finish , very generous portions.

Just off North Pattaya Road, a little Thai family place called RELAX, near the Golf Range , don't know the little street name been back there a few times , good for Thai & Western , simple & well done.

" My Way " a Dutch / Indonesian / Thai menu near Soi Diana , Second Road...Fabulous.

Bobs , OK ,but disappointed , might have over expected

Ribs at Tequila Reef ..Not bad at all.

Have been told the Chicken Tikka Marsala at the Butchers Arms is great , haven't got thee yet.

[foxxx]

bartimes under that russian strip joint on walking street has great food (restaurant at the back on the water) nice and quiet back there.- noisy out the front.

[thaimate]

agree mum aroy one of the best seafood places around,thats why they drive up from Bangers to eat there.

also like Tequila Reef,soi 7.

[paul1970]

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

If you venture over to the darkside, personally I would advise you to give rungs a miss and head to Cafe Uno where IMO you'll get a much better burger (closed on Tuesdays) it also does a lot of nice falang food.

[sotsira]

agree mum aroy one of the best seafood places around,thats why they drive up from Bangers to eat there.

also like Tequila Reef,soi 7.

Where is mum aroy?

Whats their prices like?

[expatgaz]

Agree that food in Shenanigans Jomtien is awful,The Avenue one is barely any better.

Good food for me is Nicky's,Caddyshack,pig & whistle.

The restaurant that has gone downhill the most in my opinion is the Sportsman.

EPG.

[cochran]

Sotsira,

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

expatgaz,

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

[Jimmyd]

Sotsira,

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

There is also a Mum Aroy in Central Pattaya. It's on Third road on the southwestern corner at the stop light between North and Central Pattaya roads. (There's one in Sri Racha also.)

[barryofthailand]

The Loft in the new Festival Center Beach, fifth floor I think, is excellent. Not cheap, and really not expensive. This company is out of Bangkok, and Pattaya is their second location. They tried Phucket, but it didn't work. They have several different kitchens, and you pick what kind of food you would like, as they have several different dishes from all over the world. Food, and service was excellent.

Barry

[cochran]

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

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

[daveb1]

The Loft in the new Festival Center Beach, fifth floor I think, is excellent. Not cheap, and really not expensive. This company is out of Bangkok, and Pattaya is their second location. They tried Phucket, but it didn't work. They have several different kitchens, and you pick what kind of food you would like, as they have several different dishes from all over the world. Food, and service was excellent.

Barry

Fantastic place great food, fantastic views over pattaya beach and the service is great, staff really nice.

Edited March 10, 2009 by daveb1

[cochran]

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

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

[paul1970]

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

I have tried 18 Coins a few times and not overly impressed, seems cheapness of food takes priority over quality. Roast Lamb dinner was rank, fish and chips passable.

Good place for a few cheap beers though.

[expatgaz]

Sotsira,

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

expatgaz,

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

Caddy shack next door to Harley Bar (Eden Club) Soi 17,or if in Jomtien turn left at the 7-11 on Threppasit and follow the rd.Nicky's Soi Buckhao,left hand side before you get to the market.

EPG.

[cochran]

Okay, today's update:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Jimmyd]

I appreciate your reviews. Keep them coming.

[highchol]

Had a nice breakfast at the pig & whistle, good value at 170 baht for the large selection but more importantly the quality was good. Next time i will go for the smaller 130 baht version as i was well stuffed and could not eat it all.

Wnt to 18 coins a few days ago and had the pastie special, food was fine and at 99 baht cant complain much, will go back again.

[Asianrider]

Eat at Ahaar Indian restaurant last night - first time.

Despite a few successful takeaways from them via Door to Door last nights meal was poor - quality of meat suspect, no spicy papadums, and huge projection screen broadcasting Indian soaps !!

[cochran]

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

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

[highchol]

Eat at Ahaar Indian restaurant last night - first time.

Despite a few successful takeaways from them via Door to Door last nights meal was poor - quality of meat suspect, no spicy papadums, and huge projection screen broadcasting Indian soaps !!

Best stick with their take aways and watch coronation street at home

[LtCol]

Trattoria , Italian 5th Floor Grand Central.

Wife had Raviolli , I had Scallopini with a side of Spaghetti . Food was good , prices were on the high side.

Made a mistake by having a Bacardi each with Coke the price was even higher than Shenanigans (thats saying something) 200bht plus the coke , for a drink - daylight robbery.

A Bottle costs 500 - 550Bht. Profit is not a dirty word , but this is ridiculous.

Eat but don't drink. Allora ,muelto bueno - nor el dente paisano

[Chaimai]

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

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

I doubt that you will be disappointed by the quality of the Pig & Whistle breakfast. I have also always enjoyed Tequila Reef for both Thai and Falang food.

Aloha is OK as a reasonable tourist restaurant with OK quality at tourist prices. Pretty much what you would expect from the location - I think Ruan Thai has a better atmosphere.

Edited March 11, 2009 by Chaimai

[cochran]

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

[bergen]

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

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

I can vote for Indian By nature..............been there a couple of times....

good food, attentive staff, and a peaceful environment

[syd barrett]

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

Agreed, also their house wine is excellent. A 500ml carafe costing just 500 baht.

[cochran]

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

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

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

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

[bartender100]

Plug for Pig and Whistle too, but "hint" please put the proper chips back on,

[JimmyTheMook]

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

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

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

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

You get points for willing to try this place.