Pattaya Cantina Mexican Food?

[bubba1]

The location of this Red Palm Mexican bistro is well off my radar. I am more likely to visit a Mexican restaurant in Paris France before I get out that way ...

All I can say about it based on the list of dishes in the review is that it is some kind of gringo-Mex, which isn't necessarily a bad thing (burritos rule), just saying ...

If the chef is so good (who cares if he's rude!), why not locate more centrally and give the masses a taste of this reported good stuff?

It is not that far, after all your complaints about the other places you should make an effort and share the review with us.

[Jingthing]

No, I won't be going.

Check out their website! This is NOT a Mexican restaurant! All they have on the menu that is remotely Mexican is nachos (which is junk food basically, I have never ordered that anywhere and never will) and Texas chili which is of course Texan, not even Tex-Mex. They sound like they do have a good chef, but he is doing European food mostly. Cheers. Folks, there is no way this place is what we are looking for in Pattaya to rate like the real Mexican places in Bangkok and CM. Why delude yourselves?

http://www.redpalmbistro.com/red_palm_bistro_guesthouse_pattaya_thailand-rooms_suites-restaurant_menu_details.php?language=en&currency=USD&fcatid=4

[bubba1]

No, I won't be going.

Check out their website! This is NOT a Mexican restaurant! All they have on the menu that is remotely Mexican is nachos (which is junk food basically, I have never ordered that anywhere and never will) and Texas chili which is of course Texan, not even Tex-Mex. They sound like they do have a good chef, but he is doing European food mostly. Cheers. Folks, there is no way this place is what we are looking for in Pattaya to rate like the real Mexican places in Bangkok and CM. Why delude yourselves?

http://www.redpalmbi...cy=USD&fcatid=4

you are right, that review was bullshit

[craigt3365]

I tried Mike's a couple of week ago and it was not very good, the best I have had is Tequila Reef and I know some people didn't like that. One thing for ceratin, you can get a jar of salsa at any grocery store better than what they have at Mike's, also the refried beans tasted like cardboard. There were a lot of customers, but none were of Mexican descent that I could tell.

We ate at TR a few years ago. Great owner, food was OK, margs were from a mix, and it is NOT cheap. But that is true for Mikes also. We live south of town, so Mikes is easier to get to than TR....though wifey cooks most of my Mexican food!

I found the refrieds at Mikes to be OK. I am a refried nut. Love um!

[buddy]

Can anybody provide me the location of Mikes restaurant?

http://www.mikespattaya.com/

Thank you very much for the info Jingthing.

[PolPat]

Tried the Red Palm Cantina tonight. I arrived and they had no customers. I sat down and asked if they had a Farang cooking or a Thai. They stated the Farang was not cooking, but the thai cook could make everything on the menu.

I almost walked out, but gave it a try anyway. I ordered the beef fajitas. I must say that they were pretty good. I had to ask for salsa and was given what appeared to be some enchillada sauce. I managed to roll three nice sized burritos. I don't think this place will make it as the prices seemed high for some of the menu items. The location is also a draw back. I could see myself eating here every couple of months when I get an uncontrolable Mexican urge, but it is not like the cheap places in Cali that put out a great product at reasonable price and then do major volume. I don't know if Pattaya could support this concept, but until this happens Mexican will be a once in awhile thing. Fajitas and soda water 355 Baht.

[PolPat]

No, I won't be going.

Check out their website! This is NOT a Mexican restaurant! All they have on the menu that is remotely Mexican is nachos (which is junk food basically, I have never ordered that anywhere and never will) and Texas chili which is of course Texan, not even Tex-Mex. They sound like they do have a good chef, but he is doing European food mostly. Cheers. Folks, there is no way this place is what we are looking for in Pattaya to rate like the real Mexican places in Bangkok and CM. Why delude yourselves?

http://www.redpalmbi...cy=USD&fcatid=4

Thats not the complete menu that you get when you go to the restaurant.

[Jingthing]

Enchilada sauce for salsa? Oy Caramba!

Edited August 20, 2010 by Jingthing

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

Fajitas and soda water 355 Baht.

That's very expensive, even by US standards. Fajitas are Tex-Mex, and are named after the skirt steak used to make them. Easy to make at home, and wouldn't dream of paying US$10 to eat them at a restaurant. What ingredients in fajitas justify the high price? It's just beef, onions, some chili, and bell pepper marinated in oil, lime juice, garlic and cumin. Pan fry and serve with tortillas. Doesn't sound like they even offer sour cream, guac or cheese.

[Jingthing]

Yeah you won't find fajitas in Mexico except at a tourist type place catering to Americanadians ... (no he di'int). That said, they can be tasty and I would pay that price for them again and again if they were really excellent, and by that I mean really tasty beef, real homemade and very spicy salsa (preferably multiple choices on the table), guacamole and hand made flour tortillas.

I know what you are thinking, asking for hand made flour tortillas is over the top. Really? Have you seen the chef resume for that east side place? You think he couldn't cook such a thing? Of course he can. But I'm sure he doesn't. Nothing but excuses for the crapola Mexican food scene in Pattaya.

Edited August 20, 2010 by Jingthing

[craigt3365]

There ya go...making me all crazy now for fajitas. Wifey does a pretty good job, and as mentioned above, easy to make...except the good, hand made flour tortillas. That was always a treat when we arrived into a small Mexican town....find the bakery or hole in the wall where they cooked them up. I would eat several right there...hot off the griddle so to speak.

I think there are good excuses for the poor Mexican food here. Not enough Mexicans! At the places I visit in the US, the cooks, waitresses, and most of the customers are all Mexicans. Can't really duplicate that over here. The reverse is the (usually) poor Thai food we find in the US....

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

The reverse is the (usually) poor Thai food we find in the US....

In L.A., there's over 100,000 ethnic Thais living in Thaitown (near Hollywood). I've had good Thai food at restaurants in San Francisco, and especially at Keo's in Honolulu.

There's some decent Mexican in Bangkok, but we do't have it in Pattaya . . .yet. Maybe we need to import some Mexican cooks?

[craigt3365]

I've been to Thaitown in LA. I use to buy my tickets to Thailand from an agency located there. Yes, for sure some good places, but most in the US cater to American tastes...not hot enough!!!!

It always cracked me up to visit a Japanese restaurant in Vegas or California and see Mexican cooks! I knew I was at the wrong restaurant then....

[Jingthing]

I can cook very tasty, hot and spicy, Thai food using the correct ingredients. Race and nationality doesn't determine the ability to cook, understanding what the food is supposed to taste like, caring about that, and some cooking ability of course, are what matters. I get the point about needing a base of customers who know the difference, and in Thailand that crowd is mostly North Americans including the rare Mexican.

[bubba1]

I've been to Thaitown in LA. I use to buy my tickets to Thailand from an agency located there. Yes, for sure some good places, but most in the US cater to American tastes...not hot enough!!!!

It always cracked me up to visit a Japanese restaurant in Vegas or California and see Mexican cooks! I knew I was at the wrong restaurant then....

Japanese restaurants can't afford Japanese cooks

[bubba1]

I can cook very tasty, hot and spicy, Thai food using the correct ingredients. Race and nationality doesn't determine the ability to cook, understanding what the food is supposed to taste like, caring about that, and some cooking ability of course, are what matters. I get the point about needing a base of customers who know the difference, and in Thailand that crowd is mostly North Americans including the rare Mexican.

North Americans? Never seen a Canadian big on Mexican food or many Yankees for that matter. Mostly people from Texas, California, Arizona, etc.

[whatchamacallit]

I can cook very tasty, hot and spicy, Thai food using the correct ingredients. Race and nationality doesn't determine the ability to cook, understanding what the food is supposed to taste like, caring about that, and some cooking ability of course, are what matters.

Agree wholeheartedly!!! The worse Chinese food I have ever had was when I was in China. .... and yes I am Chinese :-).

[lonewolf99]

Enchilada sauce for salsa? Oy Caramba!

This is not aimed at any one in particular or even JingThing......BUT folks.....remember where you are.....NO WHERE NEAR MEXICO .....

An American work colleague of mine who had to commute through Paris France (as oppose to Paris Texas) bemoaned the fact that the hotel he stayed in had really crap T.V.

"There's just sh*%ty french programmes on all the channels" he said. DOOOH as Homer would say...what do you expect in France ? Hungarian T.V.

The same goes for food. Go to India and ask for a Chicken Tika Masalla and they wo'nt know what you are talking about. Its a "westernised' version of Indian ingredients.

"Indian" restaurants around teh globe offer Tandoori chicken....but just use the sauce - because the do not have a clay TANDOOR oven to cook it in - so its not really Tandoori chicken is it.... ?

JING if you are such an expert on Mexican food and sauces....Why not open your own Mexican food cantina ...but be prepared to take the bad reviews in Thai Visa....

Come on Jing do your thing......

:jap:

[Jingthing]

Again, no excuses! If it can be done well in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, it can be done in Pattaya. Geez!

[Ulysses G.]

Once upon a time, there were no good Japanese restaurants in Chiang Mai and everyone missed them. Finally one decent one opened and shortly afterwards the town was swamped with them. The same thing happened in Bangkok fairly recently wiith Mexican places. One opened and now there are a number of good ones.

[Tolley]

I suppose one of the issues is that there isn't a big market for Mexican food in Pattaya.

For some US citizens it may well be on the radar but for many other nationalities there is no real interest in Mexican food.

Having said that it is dead easy to make Mexican dishes so it is hard to understand why most places can't even get the basics right.

Tequila Reef springs to mind as being a grand example of not having a clue when it comes to Mexican food.

Margeritas are ok but there is where it ends at TR.

Haven't tried any other places in Pattaya as i prefer Japanese and Thai food.

[ciaociao]

I suppose one of the issues is that there isn't a big market for Mexican food in Pattaya.

For some US citizens it may well be on the radar but for many other nationalities there is no real interest in Mexican food.

Having said that it is dead easy to make Mexican dishes so it is hard to understand why most places can't even get the basics right.

Tequila Reef springs to mind as being a grand example of not having a clue when it comes to Mexican food.

Margeritas are ok but there is where it ends at TR.

Haven't tried any other places in Pattaya as i prefer Japanese and Thai food.

Pattaya needs a TACO BELL.

[Jingthing]

Balderdash! There is certainly a market here, in the biggest beach resort city in Asia, for at least ONE good Mexican restaurant. That is the most absurd argument I have heard yet, that there is no market for this. Next ...

[ciaociao]

I suppose one of the issues is that there isn't a big market for Mexican food in Pattaya.

For some US citizens it may well be on the radar but for many other nationalities there is no real interest in Mexican food.

Having said that it is dead easy to make Mexican dishes so it is hard to understand why most places can't even get the basics right.

Tequila Reef springs to mind as being a grand example of not having a clue when it comes to Mexican food.

Margeritas are ok but there is where it ends at TR.

Haven't tried any other places in Pattaya as i prefer Japanese and Thai food.

Pattaya needs a TACO BELL.

[Jingthing]

To me Taco Bell is crap on a stick, but I acknowledge there is a market for that. It isn't Mexican food though, it is American fast food, and not what most people have in mind when they are pining for a good local Mexican restaurant.

[Ulysses G.]

I agree on Taco Bell. It is not Mexican food. It is fast food that is inspired by Mexican food. I do not mind it, but have no strong desire for it either. There are other fast food places and decent Mexican chains that I would prefer.

[Jingthing]

I agree on Taco Bell. It is not Mexican food. It is fast food that is inspired by Mexican food. I do not mind it, but have no strong desire for it either. There are other fast food places and decent Mexican chains that I would prefer.

A while back I read that Taco Bell was opening in Mexico. For their ads, they went out of their way to explain, that no, we don't sell real Mexican food, but hey you might like it anyway.

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

I agree on Taco Bell. It is not Mexican food. It is fast food that is inspired by Mexican food. I do not mind it, but have no strong desire for it either. There are other fast food places and decent Mexican chains that I would prefer.

Taco Bell has launched new tacos on its menu which resemble authentic Mexican food. I'd like to hear from anyone in the states who gets a chance to try them. Cantina Tacos by Taco Bell While I'm glad to be far away from the fast food imitation offered by Taco Bell, they do have a few stores in Asia, in particular the Philippines and Hong Kong, but they closed their two Shanghai stores. The ones in the Philippines are like US stores, but the ones in China are called Taco Bell Grande, and offer up different food. Yum opens Taco Bell Grande in China Yum replaced their Shanghai stores with a new Americanized Chinese fastfood restaurant.

That being said, I think a taqueria could do nicely in Pattaya. There's several family style Mexican restaurants, but none of them are very good.

[Jingthing]

OK, enough about Taco Bell. So how many years are we going to have to wait in Pattaya for a Mexican place the equal of the best places in CM and Bangkok? I thought we would have it by now.

[Tolley]

OK, enough about Taco Bell. So how many years are we going to have to wait in Pattaya for a Mexican place the equal of the best places in CM and Bangkok? I thought we would have it by now.

A bit longer by the look of things.

But hey how hard is Mexican surely you could do a reasonable imitation at home!