Best Sunday Roast In Bangkok

[jfchandler]

I thought about the same question myself, and guessed at an answer....

Since that kind of a setup is not in compliance with BKK's indoor smoking ordinance, I'm guessing they would be unlikely to do anything to advertise it...such as posting signs for the smoking vs. non smoking areas.

If they did that, it would be advertising that they don't comply with the law in a very visible, formalized way. From their perspective, I suppose, it's better to just quietly flout the law and not do anything to bring attention to the subject.

[jfchandler]

Speaking of Sunday roasts, I got around last weekend to sampling the "Family Sunday Roast" at the Londoner Brew Pub at the corner of Sukhumvit Road and Soi 33, a short walk from the Phrom Phong BTS Station. Served Sundays from noon to 3 p.m. and again from 6 to 9 p.m. 470 baht plus tax (totals 503 baht) for adults, and 260 baht plus tax for children under 12.

You can always spend 1,000 to 2,000 for a weekend buffet at one of the many pricey hotels around BKK. But I'm more interested in places that provide good food and good value at a reasonable price, places you can go and/or bring the family without breaking the bank. The Londoner is such a place, along with the even more reasonably priced Molly Malone's Pub on Soi Convent, and the slightly more expensive Huntsman Pub at the Landmark Hotel, Sukhumvit Soi 6.

Not only does the Londoner fit in-between MM's and the Huntsman pricewise, it also fits in-between them in terms of the variety and selection of foods offered. The Londoner pretty much covers all the Sunday roast basics, and is particularly extensive in its salad and cold dishes offerings. Altogether, the Londoner has far more food choices than Molly Malone's, and far less than offered at the Huntsman, which you might expect given their relative pricing.

That said, I wasn't especially impressed by the overall buffet experience at the Londoner. On the good side, they offered mashed potatoes, not just the more typically found (around BKK) roasted variety, which was a rare treat. They also served up a decent, nicely rare variety of roast beef. And I noticed the Thai ladies eating the buffet seemed to be particularly fond of the iced shrimps and mussels that were on display, along with the accompanying condiments--a nice touch for a Sunday meal.

However, for my tastes, things weren't quite right. To start, the Londoner also resembles the Huntsman in another respect, being another basement-located place with a kind of dark, underground kind of feel. In another issue of atmospherics, when I originally arrived, they had music on the sound system, and sports on the TVs with no sound. But then at seemingly random times, the music just stopped for extended periods and there was silence, and then later music again. And then finally, someone decided to turn off the music altogether and crank up the volume on the motorcycle racing event that was showing on half of the televisions. It all seemed kind of haphazard.

But what we're really talking about here is the food. Curiously, the mashed potatoes that I like so much tasted unusually bland, as if absolutely no seasonings had been added. And I tried the roast chicken, which tasted fine, but the meat had the kind of pasty consistency of something that had been cooked or sitting for a long time. And while I enjoyed the sliced roast beef, the accompanying horseradish-flavored sauce was pretty much diluted and mild for my taste. Likewise, the cream sauce cauliflower was kind of thin and runny, rather than the thick and cheesey-baked variety that I'd prefer.

Another issue is the general setup of the room. While the Londoner devotes a large and long table to quite a variety of cold and salad dishes (including things as smoked salmon, parma ham, cold roast beef, and even pate), all of the hot/roast meat and vegetable items are squeezed into a small heat tray area in one corner of the buffet area, where only one or two people at most can be helped at a time. On my visit, the quite large dining room only had a half dozen or so tables occupied, so there was no jostling going on. But if they had any larger of a crowd, getting to the hot food section would be pretty inconvenient.

After my main meal was finished, it was time to look toward the deserts and a finishing drink. Although they don't clearly spell it out, the buffet apparently does include a hot drink, so I ordered hot tea. And rather than serving a pot of tea, I was served a single cup of hot water with the tea bag plunked inside. As for the deserts, the Londoner offered a pretty standard variety of cakes and custards, all cut into tiny matchbook-sized squares or placed in little mini glass cups (I think that's what's called "portion-controlled" servings). On the good side, they have a paper sign on a table there indicating you can ask your waiter/waitress for ice cream, and I did, and was rewarded with a quite tasty scoop of rum raisin ice cream, one of about a half dozen flavors supposedly on offer.

If I was keen on salads and cold sliced meats and a bit of fresh seafood, I suspect the Londoner is the place I'd go for my Sunday buffet. But for the sheer quantity, variety and quality of the food offered, the Huntsman has the edge, if you're content to pay their 650 baht nett price. For my tastes, I still prefer the leaner, more economical 399 baht plus tax offering of Molly Malone's, where the atmosphere is quite pleasant and the Sunday roast foods they do offer are pretty consistently good (except for their invariably overcooked roast beef... )

PS - As to their various smoking policies...

--The Londoner appears to have a flat no-smoking inside policy, and signs posted as such.

--Molly Malone's doesn't allow smoking on the ground floor/buffet area, but does upstairs.

--The Huntsman divides its room, right half for smokers, left half for non-smokers.

[pitrevie]

I think your reply is very informative and had I read that last week then I would not have gone to the Hunstman. Quite apart from allowing smoking in their restaurant why on earth they seated me in an area reserved for smoking is beyond me. I had no idea when I was led to the table that the area was thus designated. Now if I was in some place in Patpong or Khaosan road then having being a visitor here for some 20 years I could understand, but this is 5 star international hotel which boasts first class service.

[smokie36]

I think your reply is very informative and had I read that last week then I would not have gone to the Hunstman. Quite apart from allowing smoking in their restaurant why on earth they seated me in an area reserved for smoking is beyond me. I had no idea when I was led to the table that the area was thus designated. Now if I was in some place in Patpong or Khaosan road then having being a visitor here for some 20 years I could understand, but this is 5 star international hotel which boasts first class service.

The Landmark is one of few places still allowing smoking in the bar. You just made an unlucky choice. I don't believe its allowed in the bar upstairs either.

I wouldn't describe it as an international 5 star hotel...just an imitation of the real thing.

Edited October 27, 2009 by smokie36

[bonobo]

I went to Molly Malones a weeka go, and I was rather disappointed.  The beef and ham were so over-cooked and dry as to be inedible. The lamb was OK, especially the little bits of scrap lamb as the roast was almost finished.  Only the pork was good.  And I really wish they had mashed potatoes.  

[jfchandler]

Haaa!!! I'm not the only ones lusting after mashed potatoes.... Hehehehe....

Just seems a crime to me that these various places offer Sunday roasts... and beef and pork and etc.... and no mashed potatoes... So I was pretty surprised when I found them served up at the Londoner... I pretty much cleaned out the entire tray in multiple helpings...

About MM's.... I've never noticed a problem about their ham...but I don't eat it much... However, yes, their roast beef seems to be regularly overcooked in the extremis... I talked to their manager about it.... But so far... no success.... Whomever is cooking their beef should be convicted of murder....