Recent Dining Experiences - Reviews

[aussiechick]

patklang - I left the toast and jam

Thank god for that hehehehehehehehe.

BTW

how many hours did you sleep after that monster brekkie lol.

I then went to work!!! Main reason for the large breakfast was to soak up the overindulgence in alcohol the night before.

[patklang]

patklang - I left the toast and jam

Thank god for that hehehehehehehehe.

BTW

how many hours did you sleep after that monster brekkie lol.

I then went to work!!! Main reason for the large breakfast was to soak up the overindulgence in alcohol the night before.

Now thats a good idea,lol

[dalmatian]

Thanks for updating directions to Cafe Uno, went to bed early last night so appreciate others for passing on info about the place.

I agree Dao do the best pizzas although I must admit the one I had at Cafe Uno was most acceptable although I really only like pizzas with anchovies and capers, I am not much of a meat eater. I still think their paninnis are exceptional. Craig will try and accommodate most tastes and is willing to add or take out ingredients as requested.

Cafe Uno is open on Sundays and Tuesdays from 1000 -1500 believe it's 1000 - 2200 on all other days.

Heh, it isn't Casa Pascal but for good honest food, especially if you are drinking over the Darkside or just need a change, it is well worth a visit.

[Asianrider]

Pitta bread & homous sauce last night in Gullivers was a pleasant change. Also like the handmade pate & toast at Robin's Nest is very filling !

[MeetJohnDoe]

Thanks for updating directions to Cafe Uno, went to bed early last night so appreciate others for passing on info about the place.

I agree Dao do the best pizzas although I must admit the one I had at Cafe Uno was most acceptable although I really only like pizzas with anchovies and capers, I am not much of a meat eater. I still think their paninnis are exceptional. Craig will try and accommodate most tastes and is willing to add or take out ingredients as requested.

Alternative directions for people who know Dao Cafe is if coming to Dao from Nernplubwan, just keep driving past Dao down the road and the next major cross-street at the bottom of the hill is Kao Noi. Make a right and Uno is about 50' down on the right.

[cochran]

Mata Hari, Sunday night:

After a fairly tame weekend this week, we wanted a really good dinner and decided to try Mata Hari. Based on the conversations on this forum, I expected a home-run, and was not disappointed.

First off, atmosphere. This is a really nice restaurant, on a par with Manhattan's and Bruno's. The only facility related problem is the mess of the construction on the road outside impacting the parking area. The place was not packed, but had a fair number of tables seated already and the flow was steady during our meal.

Service was of course fantastic, but not obtrusive. They have it right.

We started off with drinks. We were not in the mood for a bottle of wine, so she ordered a mojito and I ordered a Chimay Blue. The mojito here appears to be made with dark rum, and was quite good. The Chimay was a pleasant change of pace - its so good to see something other than Chang/Leo/Singha/San Mig/Heinekein for the beer selection. I tried this beer before, direct from the bottle (you can buy this at Villa Market at the Avenue) and wasn't too impressed, but enjoyed it much more here when poured into a glass. Odd, but there it is.

For starters, my girlfriend ordered the Mediterranean fish soup. This is served with fish-shaped croutons, chunks of white fish, in a rich, garlic-infused broth. Delicious! I had bruschetta, served as three slices. This was very fresh - the tomatoes were juicy, but the bread was toasted enough to stand up to it, without being too crunchy. You could really taste the garlic on the bread as well. Definitely satisfactory.

For mains, she had a breast of chicken grilled with parma ham, mashed potatoes, and vegetables (green beans, carrot, broccoli, bundled with a slice of zucchini wrapped around). Very nice dish. I didn't sample this, as I was quite busy with my own, but she was well satisfied.

I had the Fillet Steak Mata Hari - a medium-sized fillet served with a slice of chicken liver pate on top, a rich brown sauce, mushrooms, the same veg as above, and a few stems of asparagus with bacon. This also came with croquette potatoes. Far too much food to finish it all. The steak had a great texture and was cooked exactly to order. Well pleased there. The sauce was velvety smooth, a touch sweet, but worked well with the flavors of the steak and the pate. The brown sauce actually went a little better with the potatoes than with the steak. No need for steak sauce - this was good enough already! I really enjoy asparagus, and this was done exactly right.

We tried the apple cinnamon crepe, flambeed with Calvados, as dessert. Too much to finish, but the flavor was outstanding. This thin and delicate crepe is laid out, has diced apples and dates placed inside, then folded over and dusted with cinnamon. Its served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce, a small dab of whipped cream, and a fresh raspberry. Then they light up a glass of Calvados and pour it on the crepe at the table. Great presentation. The burning alcohol crisps up the edges of the crepe just a little, and you can really taste the Calvados as you enjoy this dessert.

When the bill came, I was surprised at the total: just over 2300 thb. Quite reasonable in my opinion for this level of food and service.

The owner stopped by for a moment to check on us. While he didn't stay long, he seemed very sociable and sounds like he has a great sense of humour.

This was a win. We'll be back.

[PattayaParent]

I ate at Mata Hari Friday night and it was as good as you describe.

I even had a shock when the bill came and it was ONLY 2,400 Baht for 4 of us.

[MeetJohnDoe]

After a fairly tame weekend this week, we wanted a really good dinner and decided to try Mata Hari. Based on the conversations on this forum, I expected a home-run, and was not disappointed.

This was a win. We'll be back.

This is news...any true Pattayan knows how good MH is...some of us even knew Louie when his restaurant was housed in a single-wide shophouse on 2nd Road

Next time try the pork fillet with a cream-mushroom sauce; for dessert, go for the bread-pudding with cinnamon ice cream...yum

Edited May 11, 2009 by MeetJohnDoe

[indieke]

I am only in patts for holiday. but food was my business!

I love the Bartimes, on Walking street. Yes the income is noisy and that can just put you off! Don't let it! You go to the back and it is surprising, how well this is isolated. The Thai food is a bit more expensive then the plastic chairs restaurants, but ingredients are of the best quality. The woman that makes the Thai food, was a cook of a real Thai gourmet restaurant in Belgium. So a real pro, not an occasional cook.

The French food is very good. The beef is fantastic. For imported beef it is fairly priced. The Belgian restaurant opposites "Mikes"is 30 % more expensive. Nice small wine-list and very friendly service from the owners, that welcome you as a friend.

When I am in Thailand, i do prefer to eat good, very good Thai food. It can be good or bad in small places as expensive one's. I heard guys talking about a very, simple Thai restaurant, with very, very good Thai food. just plastic chairs, but always full! Somebody have an idea, which one it is! Tg's seem to love the place as much as farangs that appreciate real Thai food. other ideas for Thai food are welcome!

[MeetJohnDoe]

I am only in patts for holiday. but food was my business! I love the Bartimes, on Walking street.

I have often wondered about this place when walking by...the owner seems very nice (tries to pull me in when I walk by but in a friendly way). I may give it a try next time based on your recco. However, I wouldn't have the Thai food as I don't consider it a real "world cuisine," but more of a lunch time fare. I also don't pay more than B 100 a dish for it (usually much less) and I'm sure that like most farang restaurants, it's mainly on the menu to give the one-nite girlfriends something to eat; and as the farang is paying, it's marked-up accordingly.

Edited May 11, 2009 by MeetJohnDoe

[indieke]

I am only in patts for holiday. but food was my business! I love the Bartimes, on Walking street.

I have often wondered about this place when walking by...the owner seems very nice (tries to pull me in when I walk by but in a friendly way). I may give it a try next time based on your recco. However, I wouldn't have the Thai food as I don't consider it a real "world cuisine," but more of a lunch time fare. I also don't pay more than B 100 a dish for it (usually much less) and I'm sure that like most farang restaurants, it's mainly on the menu to give the one-nite girlfriends something to eat; and as the farang is paying, it's marked-up accordingly.

Then it is not for you. it is an evening restaurant, with the lights of the seaside next to you. Thai food is very refined like everything else. It is an upscale restaurant, but at reasonable prices compared to some other places. I saw a lot of foreigners also eat Thai food and my ex TG eating... Pepper steak!

[timekeeper]

After a fairly tame weekend this week, we wanted a really good dinner and decided to try Mata Hari. Based on the conversations on this forum, I expected a home-run, and was not disappointed.

This was a win. We'll be back.

This is news...any true Pattayan knows how good MH is...some of us even knew Louie when his restaurant was housed in a single-wide shophouse on 2nd Road

Next time try the pork fillet with a cream-mushroom sauce; for dessert, go for the bread-pudding with cinnamon ice cream...yum

the old MH was great too

always a good atmosphere and always busy

we went there many times, even after Hugh took it over and renamed it Symphony it was still very, very good

Louie deserves his success, he is a very jovial host

another good revue Cochran

[Lost in LOS]

After a fairly tame weekend this week, we wanted a really good dinner and decided to try Mata Hari. Based on the conversations on this forum, I expected a home-run, and was not disappointed.

This was a win. We'll be back.

This is news...any true Pattayan knows how good MH is...some of us even knew Louie when his restaurant was housed in a single-wide shophouse on 2nd Road

Next time try the pork fillet with a cream-mushroom sauce; for dessert, go for the bread-pudding with cinnamon ice cream...yum

had many of the dishes there but steak diane to die for

[buddy]

If you like Japanese food there is a small new restaurant called Wasabi Tei on 3rd road a few shops down from the Family Mart on the corner where Xzyte dico is located (red and black decor easily seen from the road).

The Chef spent 15 years in Japan and it shows in his cooking, cheap too.

Buddy.

[MeetJohnDoe]

If you like Japanese food there is a small new restaurant called Wasabi Tei on 3rd road a few shops down from the Family Mart on the corner where Xzyte dico is located (red and black decor easily seen from the road).

The Chef spent 15 years in Japan and it shows in his cooking, cheap too.

I saw this place yesterday when driving down 3rd Road...can't wait to try it.

Another hole-in-the-wall Japanese place in the alley off South Pattaya Road next to Tuk-Com where they park all the motocycles.

Edited May 13, 2009 by MeetJohnDoe

[Jingthing]

Another hole-in-the-wall Japanese place in the alley next to Tuk-Com where they park all the motocycles.

Yeah, the owner there is a sweetheart of a guy. The food there is kind of homey. The curry sauce with meat is quite nice there.

[MeetJohnDoe]

Another hole-in-the-wall Japanese place in the alley next to Tuk-Com where they park all the motocycles.

Yeah, the owner there is a sweetheart of a guy. The food there is kind of homey. The curry sauce with meat is quite nice there.

Do you remember the name...I forgot?

[Jingthing]

Osaka.

Soi Day/Night 2, (off South Pattaya Road), opposite TUK.Com building

[cochran]

My experience with Japanese food is quite limited, but I'm frequently in the neighborhood of Xzyte (I work out at Tony's on 3rd) so may give this one a try.

[Jingthing]

My experience with Japanese food is quite limited, but I'm frequently in the neighborhood of Xzyte (I work out at Tony's on 3rd) so may give this one a try.

I will too. That place on Soi Day Night is pleasant but really mostly pretty average. Always looking for better especially if its good value!

[MeetJohnDoe]

My experience with Japanese food is quite limited, but I'm frequently in the neighborhood of Xzyte (I work out at Tony's on 3rd) so may give this one a try.

It's easy to find...if driving on 3rd Road towards Central, it's just past Xzyte, about 50 meters of so, on the same side of the street. Don't know if open for lunch, but at nite, it's easy to spot because there are a bunch of Japanese style lanterns lite up on the outside.

Edited May 13, 2009 by MeetJohnDoe

[bob4you]

they are open for lunch 11am to 2am. I took 14 friends there last week, filled the place, everyone liked and and said they would go back.

[syd barrett]

they are open for lunch 11am to 2am. I took 14 friends there last week, filled the place, everyone liked and and said they would go back.

Thanks for the 'heads-up': I intend to eat there in the next few days. I will report back.

[cochran]

This past week has been absolutely insanely busy, so our adventures in dining have been quite limited. Today we managed to escape from work quite early (only half an hour past quitting time!) and decided we'd try someplace new. I reviewed this thread and looked at recommendations from all of you, and decided on La Notte. We took a song taew from our place down to the Beach Rd. entrance to Walking Street, and hiked in from there.

From the street, the place is quite unprepossessing. But once you walk inside and are seated, you wonder at the juxtaposition of this restaurant and those environs. This is a nice restaurant, with well dressed staff, nice appointments and furnishings, and a genuinely good atmosphere. Its not an overly large establishment, but attention has been paid to the surroundings, and it shows.

We were served a small standard appetizer while we perused the menus - a highball glass of ice, with spears of cucumber, carrot, celery, and green onion, and a shot glass sized serving of a really nice tartar sauce for dipping. Cold and crunchy - just right.

I know that there was a previous criticism of this restaurant's temperature, and I have to agree. Because of all the rain, its not so hot outside, and the fans inside were doing a good job of keeping up, but I can see where this could be problematic with our normal temps outside here.

On to the action: I ordered a glass of their house red wine to drink, and my girlfriend ordered the "Perfect Cocktail", which is gin, sweet vermouth, and dry vermouth. Once the drinks arrived, we were a little nervous. The wine was served very cold (which I don't think anyone wants in a red wine), and the perfect cocktail was not a very tasty concoction. After I allowed the wine to warm up toward room temp a little, it was an acceptable glass. We replaced the Perfect with a double shot of Grand Marnier, neat, and all was well on that front.

For some reason, my girlfriend decided I should order her food tonight. Was I nervous? You betcha, but never one to let a little trepidation get in the way of things, I forged ahead, ordering her the Fisherman's Soup as an appetizer. This is a tomato-based soup that is absolutely loaded with tender chunks of white fish and savory herbs. Delicious is an understatement. She recently enjoyed a fish soup at Mata Hari as an appetizer, and the offering at La Notte is a hands down winner. No kidding - it was that good. It was served with a small basket of crusty bread and should be on everyone's must-try list if you visit this place.

I saw a dish on the menu listed as smoked fish and potato salad. i assumed this was a potato salad, with smoked fish incorporated into the dish. The actual delivery was a large serving of a very good potato salad (finely chopped red onion throughout, firm but well cooked cubes of potato, and just the right amount of dressing) with slices of assorted smoked fish arranged around it. The smoked fish was not exemplary, but exactly what you'd expect. The potato salad was more than good enough to carry the dish.

One warning - both appetizers and main dishes here are very large and very good. Order accordingly!!

For main dishes, I ordered the braised lamb shoulder with white kidney beans for her, and the roast pork mignon with mustard sauce for me. Huge portions! Her food was served with as advertised, but with a serving of carrot, cauliflower, and broccoli, plus a serving of a tomato, eggplant, and pepper saute' on the side. While the white kidney beans were just average (after all, what can you really do with a kidney bean?), this lamb was amazing. it was served in a smooth brown sauce, and was absolutely fork tender. Melted in our mouths.

The pork mignon came with roasted potatoes and the same sets of veg mentioned above, plus a gravy boat with a nice mustard sauce. The mustard used was a whole grain version, so lent the sauce a great mouth feel. I was on the fence flavor wise, probably because the roast pork was perfectly capable of standing alone. It was cooked and seasoned perfectly, which means it was cooked well through but not dried out, and wasn't crusted in black pepper. it had the perfect touch of salt, and not much else, which is great. i really enjoyed this dish, and appreciate the recommendation from Lost in LOS and others.

Of course, I couldn't leave without trying the dessert recommended here earlier as puff pastry with ice cream. This is on the menu as profiteroles, puff pastry sliced open, vanilla ice cream inserted, then the pastry top is stacked back on. this is covered with a chocolate sauce (and you can actually taste the cocoa in this sauce - not just an overly sweet sauce here), slivered almonds, and whipped cream. I was able to eat one of the three served. So good!! I think I will make another trip here just for the profiteroles and to see if the espresso machine behind the bar turns out a good cup.

Folks, if you haven't been here yet, please go. The prices are reasonable (2400 thb for us tonight) and you won't be disappointed. As I said, once we got past that speed bump with the drinks, it was an awesome meal.

[timekeeper]

This past week has been absolutely insanely busy, so our adventures in dining have been quite limited. Today we managed to escape from work quite early (only half an hour past quitting time!) and decided we'd try someplace new. I reviewed this thread and looked at recommendations from all of you, and decided on La Notte. We took a song taew from our place down to the Beach Rd. entrance to Walking Street, and hiked in from there.

From the street, the place is quite unprepossessing. But once you walk inside and are seated, you wonder at the juxtaposition of this restaurant and those environs. This is a nice restaurant, with well dressed staff, nice appointments and furnishings, and a genuinely good atmosphere. Its not an overly large establishment, but attention has been paid to the surroundings, and it shows.

We were served a small standard appetizer while we perused the menus - a highball glass of ice, with spears of cucumber, carrot, celery, and green onion, and a shot glass sized serving of a really nice tartar sauce for dipping. Cold and crunchy - just right.

I know that there was a previous criticism of this restaurant's temperature, and I have to agree. Because of all the rain, its not so hot outside, and the fans inside were doing a good job of keeping up, but I can see where this could be problematic with our normal temps outside here.

On to the action: I ordered a glass of their house red wine to drink, and my girlfriend ordered the "Perfect Cocktail", which is gin, sweet vermouth, and dry vermouth. Once the drinks arrived, we were a little nervous. The wine was served very cold (which I don't think anyone wants in a red wine), and the perfect cocktail was not a very tasty concoction. After I allowed the wine to warm up toward room temp a little, it was an acceptable glass. We replaced the Perfect with a double shot of Grand Marnier, neat, and all was well on that front.

For some reason, my girlfriend decided I should order her food tonight. Was I nervous? You betcha, but never one to let a little trepidation get in the way of things, I forged ahead, ordering her the Fisherman's Soup as an appetizer. This is a tomato-based soup that is absolutely loaded with tender chunks of white fish and savory herbs. Delicious is an understatement. She recently enjoyed a fish soup at Mata Hari as an appetizer, and the offering at La Notte is a hands down winner. No kidding - it was that good. It was served with a small basket of crusty bread and should be on everyone's must-try list if you visit this place.

I saw a dish on the menu listed as smoked fish and potato salad. i assumed this was a potato salad, with smoked fish incorporated into the dish. The actual delivery was a large serving of a very good potato salad (finely chopped red onion throughout, firm but well cooked cubes of potato, and just the right amount of dressing) with slices of assorted smoked fish arranged around it. The smoked fish was not exemplary, but exactly what you'd expect. The potato salad was more than good enough to carry the dish.

One warning - both appetizers and main dishes here are very large and very good. Order accordingly!!

For main dishes, I ordered the braised lamb shoulder with white kidney beans for her, and the roast pork mignon with mustard sauce for me. Huge portions! Her food was served with as advertised, but with a serving of carrot, cauliflower, and broccoli, plus a serving of a tomato, eggplant, and pepper saute' on the side. While the white kidney beans were just average (after all, what can you really do with a kidney bean?), this lamb was amazing. it was served in a smooth brown sauce, and was absolutely fork tender. Melted in our mouths.

The pork mignon came with roasted potatoes and the same sets of veg mentioned above, plus a gravy boat with a nice mustard sauce. The mustard used was a whole grain version, so lent the sauce a great mouth feel. I was on the fence flavor wise, probably because the roast pork was perfectly capable of standing alone. It was cooked and seasoned perfectly, which means it was cooked well through but not dried out, and wasn't crusted in black pepper. it had the perfect touch of salt, and not much else, which is great. i really enjoyed this dish, and appreciate the recommendation from Lost in LOS and others.

Of course, I couldn't leave without trying the dessert recommended here earlier as puff pastry with ice cream. This is on the menu as profiteroles, puff pastry sliced open, vanilla ice cream inserted, then the pastry top is stacked back on. this is covered with a chocolate sauce (and you can actually taste the cocoa in this sauce - not just an overly sweet sauce here), slivered almonds, and whipped cream. I was able to eat one of the three served. So good!! I think I will make another trip here just for the profiteroles and to see if the espresso machine behind the bar turns out a good cup.

Folks, if you haven't been here yet, please go. The prices are reasonable (2400 thb for us tonight) and you won't be disappointed. As I said, once we got past that speed bump with the drinks, it was an awesome meal.

i am pleased you enjoyed it Cochran

its a great little refuge on Walking Street, ''far from the madding crowd''

[Lost in LOS]

This past week has been absolutely insanely busy, so our adventures in dining have been quite limited. Today we managed to escape from work quite early (only half an hour past quitting time!) and decided we'd try someplace new. I reviewed this thread and looked at recommendations from all of you, and decided on La Notte. We took a song taew from our place down to the Beach Rd. entrance to Walking Street, and hiked in from there.

From the street, the place is quite unprepossessing. But once you walk inside and are seated, you wonder at the juxtaposition of this restaurant and those environs. This is a nice restaurant, with well dressed staff, nice appointments and furnishings, and a genuinely good atmosphere. Its not an overly large establishment, but attention has been paid to the surroundings, and it shows.

We were served a small standard appetizer while we perused the menus - a highball glass of ice, with spears of cucumber, carrot, celery, and green onion, and a shot glass sized serving of a really nice tartar sauce for dipping. Cold and crunchy - just right.

I know that there was a previous criticism of this restaurant's temperature, and I have to agree. Because of all the rain, its not so hot outside, and the fans inside were doing a good job of keeping up, but I can see where this could be problematic with our normal temps outside here.

On to the action: I ordered a glass of their house red wine to drink, and my girlfriend ordered the "Perfect Cocktail", which is gin, sweet vermouth, and dry vermouth. Once the drinks arrived, we were a little nervous. The wine was served very cold (which I don't think anyone wants in a red wine), and the perfect cocktail was not a very tasty concoction. After I allowed the wine to warm up toward room temp a little, it was an acceptable glass. We replaced the Perfect with a double shot of Grand Marnier, neat, and all was well on that front.

For some reason, my girlfriend decided I should order her food tonight. Was I nervous? You betcha, but never one to let a little trepidation get in the way of things, I forged ahead, ordering her the Fisherman's Soup as an appetizer. This is a tomato-based soup that is absolutely loaded with tender chunks of white fish and savory herbs. Delicious is an understatement. She recently enjoyed a fish soup at Mata Hari as an appetizer, and the offering at La Notte is a hands down winner. No kidding - it was that good. It was served with a small basket of crusty bread and should be on everyone's must-try list if you visit this place.

I saw a dish on the menu listed as smoked fish and potato salad. i assumed this was a potato salad, with smoked fish incorporated into the dish. The actual delivery was a large serving of a very good potato salad (finely chopped red onion throughout, firm but well cooked cubes of potato, and just the right amount of dressing) with slices of assorted smoked fish arranged around it. The smoked fish was not exemplary, but exactly what you'd expect. The potato salad was more than good enough to carry the dish.

One warning - both appetizers and main dishes here are very large and very good. Order accordingly!!

For main dishes, I ordered the braised lamb shoulder with white kidney beans for her, and the roast pork mignon with mustard sauce for me. Huge portions! Her food was served with as advertised, but with a serving of carrot, cauliflower, and broccoli, plus a serving of a tomato, eggplant, and pepper saute' on the side. While the white kidney beans were just average (after all, what can you really do with a kidney bean?), this lamb was amazing. it was served in a smooth brown sauce, and was absolutely fork tender. Melted in our mouths.

The pork mignon came with roasted potatoes and the same sets of veg mentioned above, plus a gravy boat with a nice mustard sauce. The mustard used was a whole grain version, so lent the sauce a great mouth feel. I was on the fence flavor wise, probably because the roast pork was perfectly capable of standing alone. It was cooked and seasoned perfectly, which means it was cooked well through but not dried out, and wasn't crusted in black pepper. it had the perfect touch of salt, and not much else, which is great. i really enjoyed this dish, and appreciate the recommendation from Lost in LOS and others.

Of course, I couldn't leave without trying the dessert recommended here earlier as puff pastry with ice cream. This is on the menu as profiteroles, puff pastry sliced open, vanilla ice cream inserted, then the pastry top is stacked back on. this is covered with a chocolate sauce (and you can actually taste the cocoa in this sauce - not just an overly sweet sauce here), slivered almonds, and whipped cream. I was able to eat one of the three served. So good!! I think I will make another trip here just for the profiteroles and to see if the espresso machine behind the bar turns out a good cup.

Folks, if you haven't been here yet, please go. The prices are reasonable (2400 thb for us tonight) and you won't be disappointed. As I said, once we got past that speed bump with the drinks, it was an awesome meal.

la notte and mata hari are my favorite two restaurants. la notte i always get the tomatoes with feta and pesto as the appetizer. mata hari i get the steak diane. both great restaurants and never had a bad experience at either

[MeetJohnDoe]

I had a change to try the new Coffee Club bistro in the Royal Garden Shopping Mall (where the Au Bon Pain used to be) last nite. I think this is basically a food outlet of the Marriott Hotel. It has a nice atmosphere and pleasant efficient staff and a varied venue of breakfast, salads, sandwiches, pastas, and coffees and desserts. I had the spaghetti boognaise and the chicken spaghetti carbonara, and a side order of garlic bread. The pastas were pretty good, cooked el dente. The bolognaise was a little sweet for my taste (typical Thai seasoning) but the carbonara was fine. The portion size on the bolonaise was pretty small...more like a starter...but again, the carbonara was more than enough. The garlic bread was four pieces of bread, well seasoned, but a little expensive at B 90.

The Coffee Club is running a 2 for 1 special that for main courses...you order 2 dishes (for one person or 2 people dining) and the cheaper one is free. They are also running this 2 for 1 special for breakfasts and coffee beverages.

Edited May 16, 2009 by MeetJohnDoe

[cochran]

Saturday's update:

We slept in a little today, so missed breakfast. As I needed a haircut, we headed for Central Festival today (and by the way, the new Star Trek movie is awesome!) and for lunch we tried the Segafredi Zanetti Espresso place on the ground floor.

We'd stopped at Starbucks as soon as we hit the mall, as is our custom, so i can't comment on beverage quality at Segafredi. I will say that if you're hungry, head elsewhere.

My gf ordered spaghetti carbonara. As I've previously noted, this is one of her frequent orders in restaurants, and this one just wasn't up to par. The noodle was very thick, and looked more like buscatina than spaghetti. We'd tried to order marinara with corn chips for an appetizer, but they didn't have it, so we got garlic bread. This came out at the same time as the carbonara, four slices, well seasoned but disappointingly thin.

My entree came out some time after hers. So the delivery was her entree arrived with the appetizer, and mine maybe 5 to 10 minutes later. I ordered the tuna panini, with capers and onion and black olive and cheese. The bread was nice and crisp on the outside, but the filling was more a spread - very skimpy, to the point that I took the tuna and etc. from one half and added it to the other side to make a decent bite. All in all, this was a loss.

For dinner, we had no major plans. Took a walk down Beach Road and stopped in at Hopf. After reviewing their menu, we decided to have a drink there and move on. Their wheat beer is okay, but the food just didn't look good. We wound up at Benihana inside Royal Plaza.

There were no surprises here. The drinks were very good. The food was nicely presented and the perfectly seasoned, and came with the normal teppanyaki show. When I say no surprises, I mean that in a positive fashion. Our chef was very personable. and put on a good show. My gf had tempura shrimp and chicken, while I had the pork and chicken.

The chicken was cooked with sesame seeds and soy sauce, and was quite good. The pork was cooked with garlic butter, soy, and pineapple. Delicious. This place also has the best pork gyoza that I've had yet. Crisp on the outside and with a delicious filling.

Keep in mind that the portion sizes at Benihana are quite large, so order accordingly. you don't really need appetizers.

This place was a little pricey. We had one cocktail each, then an appetizer and a main course. No wine, no dessert, and the bill was about 2950. I was still pleased with the meal and could easily recommend this place as a sure thing.

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

For dinner, we had no major plans. Took a walk down Beach Road and stopped in at Hopf. After reviewing their menu, we decided to have a drink there and move on. Their wheat beer is okay, but the food just didn't look good. We wound up at Benihana inside Royal Plaza.

Worst pizza I ever had came out of Hopf. The dough towards the center of the pie was served raw. Benihana is a good splurge.

[MeetJohnDoe]

Worst pizza I ever had came out of Hopf. The dough towards the center of the pie was served raw.

Their bacon pizza is one of my favs and has always been properly cooked. Pretty good value too at around B 220. I assume you sent the undercooked pizza back...another minute in the oven would be all it needed.