Chinese Tour Buses, Where Do They Eat Chinese Food?

[Jingthing]

Pattaya, being a tourist hub, has a phenom of "ethnic" restaurants catering to foreign nationals who prefer to stick with their own food. Often these tour groups include many children who tend to be even more finicky than adults about strange foods, so this is understandable.

I have found the Korean restaurants in town mostly cater to these tour buses of Korean tourists, so of course the food is very good because Koreans can tell the difference. There is also a half decent (but not great) low priced Indian buffet catering to Indians staying at a mostly Indian customer hotel.

However, when it comes to CHINESE food, I have yet to locate such places. I think I saw a place that might be like that on Sukhumwit but I am not sure.

So I am wondering does anyone know of such places, Chinese restaurants for large Chinese tour buses that are generally not known by locals? Chinese restaurants in hotels with Chinese customers also of interest. I am not talking about higher end places like the Marco Polo restaurant at the Montien. I am talking about lower cost hidden gems with REAL Chinese food.

[johng]

There is also a half decent (but not great) low priced Indian buffet catering to Indians staying at a mostly Indian customer hotel.

Jingthing,

Where is the Indian Buffet ?

[Jingthing]

There is also a half decent (but not great) low priced Indian buffet catering to Indians staying at a mostly Indian customer hotel.

Jingthing,

Where is the Indian Buffet ?

Beverly Hotel off Pratumnak, nothing to write home about and no tandoori but it is still worth the 200 baht. Its kind of peasant style Indian cooking. Never noticed any Indians complaining about it though.

Edited May 13, 2009 by Jingthing

[hanno]

Good luck. Here in Vietnam, the restaurants frequented by Chinese are some of the worst around as the most important criteria is prize.

[basjke]

I think they eat at 7-eleven.Anyway I always see them at my local 7 in groups of ten or more with in one hand a mama noodle soup and the other hand an cup of ice cream.Every of them the same.

[johng]

OK Jingthing... thanks for that, shame there's no tandoori.

[pattaya_girl]

There is also a half decent (but not great) low priced Indian buffet catering to Indians staying at a mostly Indian customer hotel.

Jingthing,

Where is the Indian Buffet ?

Beverly Hotel off Pratumnak, nothing to write home about and no tandoori but it is still worth the 200 baht. Its kind of peasant style Indian cooking. Never noticed any Indians complaining about it though.

Whats the Chicken Tikka Masala like? and can anyone go to this Buffet?

[Jingthing]

Like I said, no tandoori so no tikka masala. It's all curries and dahls, with one meat curry usually chicken. There is no menu, only the buffet, and yes its open to all for both lunch and dinner everyday. This food is nothing like UK style Indian food. They do have nan pre-buttered which I don't like.

Edited May 13, 2009 by Jingthing

[syd barrett]

I have three suggestions where they might go. I only suggest these because I have seen these places packed with Chinese tourists.

1. The open-air Chinese restaurant on Pattaya Klang on the corner of Soi Buckhaew.

2. The Fish restaurant place on Pattaya 2nd Road exactly next to the Royal Garden Mall.

3. The open-air restaurant on Pattaya 2nd Road on the same side as above #2 but two hundred yards down as the road bends.

Plus I might mention, I have seen Indian tour buses stop outside of Ali Baba restaurant on Pattaya Klang.

[Jingthing]

Thanks Syd but I am pretty certain Chinese tour buses do not go to any of those places. I do know them all. Smaller groups might go there of course. Also, in my view, none of those places is especially great although the Shark fin place is pretty good if you want to spend. The second one on 2nd isn't a Chinese food place anyway, it is Thai food. These are not tour bus kinds of places. I am kind of looking for generally unknown places. I suspect they really do exist but they don't go out of their way to publicize because they don't really expect anything but tour buses.

You're right, I do believe sometimes Ali Baba does special buffets for tour buses. Ahaar also used to do this, maybe still does, but the buffet was NOT open to the public.

Edited May 13, 2009 by Jingthing

[soundman]

Not strictly a "Chinese" restaurant, however hundreds of "Chinese" dishes on the menu & always has bus tour groups coming through, is the restaurant (I forget it's name) incorporated into the Furama hotel on the corner of Pattaya Klang and 2nd.

Well worth a visit for their Szezuan (Sp?) style steak dishes.

[patklang]

Jingthing

i have seen loads of buses with koreans/chinese at the restaraunt near Town In Town hotel,pattaya klang and on sukhumvit between pat thai and pat klang,left side going north.Not sure it is Chinese though.

[Jingthing]

Jingthing

i have seen loads of buses with koreans/chinese at the restaraunt near Town In Town hotel,pattaya klang and on sukhumvit between pat thai and pat klang,left side going north.Not sure it is Chinese though.

Those are both good clues. Anyone have more specific info on name/more precise location/food, etc.? I don't think all such places are open to walk in custom and/or don't have English menus.

Not strictly a "Chinese" restaurant, however hundreds of "Chinese" dishes on the menu & always has bus tour groups coming through, is the restaurant (I forget it's name) incorporated into the Furama hotel on the corner of Pattaya Klang and 2nd.

Well worth a visit for their Szezuan (Sp?) style steak dishes

I am not sure of exactly which place you mean because there are a few in that area, but I will have a sniff.

[CGW]

Would most of these tour groups not be fed at the hotels they are staying at, which leads to the question, where do they predominantly stay?

[Jingthing]

Would most of these tour groups not be fed at the hotels they are staying at, which leads to the question, where do they predominantly stay?

Quite possibly true and I have no idea. Maybe they even bed them out of town somewhere. I am looking for the places the more budget Chinese groups would stay and be fed.

BTW, the reason I care about this is that I love Chinese food and have been very disappointed by the Chinese food in Pattaya. Also, I really don't like Thai Chinese food very much, I would rather have Thai Thai food or Chinese (regional) Chinese food.

Edited May 13, 2009 by Jingthing

[basjke]

Would most of these tour groups not be fed at the hotels they are staying at, which leads to the question, where do they predominantly stay?

The hotel on soi khao talo is always packed with chinese tourists.I remember that in the past welcome plaza on 2nd road also had many chinese tour buses.

[Jingthing]

Would most of these tour groups not be fed at the hotels they are staying at, which leads to the question, where do they predominantly stay?

The hotel on soi khao talo is always packed with chinese tourists.I remember that in the past welcome plaza on 2nd road also had many chinese tour buses.

Good tips, but you are likely talking about Eastern Grand Palace and I don't think they have a Chinese restaurant based on a website. Also I don't think Welcome Plaza does either. Maybe the Chinese are more open minded than the Koreans and Indians and actually go out for Thai food! Good for them, bad for me.

Edited May 13, 2009 by Jingthing

[Michaelaway]

Pattaya, being a tourist hub, has a phenom of "ethnic" restaurants catering to foreign nationals who prefer to stick with their own food. Often these tour groups include many children who tend to be even more finicky than adults about strange foods, so this is understandable.

I have found the Korean restaurants in town mostly cater to these tour buses of Korean tourists, so of course the food is very good because Koreans can tell the difference. There is also a half decent (but not great) low priced Indian buffet catering to Indians staying at a mostly Indian customer hotel.

However, when it comes to CHINESE food, I have yet to locate such places. I think I saw a place that might be like that on Sukhumwit but I am not sure.

So I am wondering does anyone know of such places, Chinese restaurants for large Chinese tour buses that are generally not known by locals? Chinese restaurants in hotels with Chinese customers also of interest. I am not talking about higher end places like the Marco Polo restaurant at the Montien. I am talking about lower cost hidden gems with REAL Chinese food.

Khun Thing,

The name of the "Chinese" restaurant on Pattaya Klang is LUNG KEE, and it's pretty good, in my view. We've eaten there twice, and while it is, I believe, a good example of your "Thai-Chinese" restaurant reference, I found that their menu had several things this (American) Chinese food lover could enjoy (forgive my poor recollection for examples, but I do remember we enjoyed the food). Oh, I also spent many weeks working in Beijing in the past, and although nothing around here can touch the Chinese food we ate their, Leng kee wasn't bad... not a glowing reference, but it's really an unfair comparison, I guess. Also, have you tried PAK BOON LOY FAH restaurant on 2nd Rd., soi 13/3 (app.)? Duck with garlic, awesome. Baby clams, delectible. And, a lot more!! Also, the people watching there is truly great, especially if you go after 9:00 at night. I've eaten there about six times, never had a bad meal BUT had dull, disinterested service 4 out of the 6 times. Oh, well, whadaya gonna do?

Good luck, krap!

Regards,

-Michael

[farangfool]

Seems that thel BMs get stuck on Walking Street and never make it beyond. Here is the secret:

The Chinese are bused to Bali Hai and then shipped to those swimming restaurants. After that a walk on Walking street or direct into the bus and off they go. You do not want to walk on the pier when the migration happens. My Thai exgf, herself Chinese, was not pleased to say the least. We talk of at least 10 buses at a time, more like 20 on average, you do the math.

The Chinese tour groups will not spend like Koreans or Japanese. It has to be cheap for sure.

I guess I won the cup.

[Jingthing]

I am pretty spoiled so I have to respond, LUNG KEE does not come close to doing it for me and the Flying Vegetable place which I do like is a THAI restaurant. The clams are in Thai sauce. A Chinese prep would be clams in real Chinese black bean sauce. Thanks, I do realize I sound like a beyatch when I kvetch about food, but I can't help it.

It is possible this mystery place I am hunting does not exist, but I am not yet convinced, so the quest continues ...

There is one place I want to try again that may be OK. It is a Chinese place on the right going north on 2nd road between Big C and Pattaya North. I ate there once in their early days (they claim to have a Hong Kong chef) and I wasn't too impressed but they have been open now awhile and may have gotten better. They have things you don't see other places such as Chinese clay pot dishes and salt baked chicken. I don't think this is a tour bus place but that isn't exactly a requirement, just delicious authentic Chinese food without breaking the bank ...

Edited May 13, 2009 by Jingthing

[Basil B]

The advice I was told on finding a good Chinese Restaurant was to watch for where the Chinese go for Sunday lunch.

[Jingthing]

The advice I was told on finding a good Chinese Restaurant was to watch for where the Chinese go for Sunday lunch.

Well in a town with good Chinese restaurants, they would be having dim sum then.

Another good one: FOLLOW THE GRANNIES!

Edited May 14, 2009 by Jingthing

[monty]

There's a place on the soi Buakhao Tue/Fri market, somewhere at the far end closest to Third road.

The buses always got to there from soi 33 (I think) on third road.

[Jingthing]

There's a place on the soi Buakhao Tue/Fri market, somewhere at the far end closest to Third road.

The buses always got to there from soi 33 (I think) on third road.

Cool, a hot clue. Or maybe they are going to the market?

[monty]

Not between 7 and 10 PM I would think

[Jingthing]

Not between 7 and 10 PM I would think

Apparently not.

[redwood13]

Gulf Pattaya Restaurant - Beach Road - N. side of Hard Rock Hotel. Lots of tour buses.

Good luck.

-redwood