The Sportsman On Soi 13

[edd]

We went to the Sportsman on Soi 13, it used to be the best Craver in Pattaya, and at about 425B it was not cheap but very good.

Now there is no Lamb and the Beef (Brisket) is not Roasted but Boiled .

With all the best will in the World this is not a Sunday Roast

The reason given was "New Menu,Lamb to expensive"

Sorry but this is one group of customers you have just lost.

[jbaldwin]

I went last week. I completely agree that the absence of lamb makes a big difference to whether the high price is justified.

[Darrel]

I'm not a big meat eater, so carvery meals don't do much for me, but at 425B (which seems quite a lot for a pub meal) how does it compare with the likes of (say) Robin's Nest at 249B, or those other two places near Soi Buakhow night market?

And for 425B do you really get 3 times better/more food than you would for a set Sunday roast at Le Katai or 18 Coins or Seaside, for example?

Just wondering.

[gmac]

I've never actually tried the carvery in the Sportsman as too expensive to my mind but then again I think the same goes for the whole menu.

[PattayaParent]

I'm not a big meat eater, so carvery meals don't do much for me, but at 425B (which seems quite a lot for a pub meal) how does it compare with the likes of (say) Robin's Nest at 249B, or those other two places near Soi Buakhow night market?

And for 425B do you really get 3 times better/more food than you would for a set Sunday roast at Le Katai or 18 Coins or Seaside, for example?

Just wondering.

I assume it's an 'all you can eat' at that price? So maybe it suits the greedy guts customers, but then they could just order 3 meals at the places you mention.

I had delicious lamb chops (3) with mint sauce and veggies and mash spuds at Seaside for only 249 Baht last week.

Plenty filling for me.

Edited November 7, 2011 by PattayaParent

[Theo007]

Found today that what little meat that was available at Big C Extra in Pattaya was very expensive and the price of the rather poor quality lamb had almost doubled.

[JimmyTheMook]

Had some nice English Breakfasts there , always a nice clean place with current newspapers at the ready.

Not a cheapie place but down the road is the Apex Buffet for those who like to go slumming when it comes to eating.

[PhilHarries]

I alway eat at the Sportsman when I pass through town, as likely I will again mid Dec, and will say, though their food is generally good, some of their meals are crap. I've never eaten their carvery lunches as I am not a fan of buffet style food cooked 'n' hours ago so I won't be bothered by this revelation. The place, as already remarked, serves little more than pub grub and if I want to spend over 400THB on a meal I'll find a better place than the Sportsman.

They used to knock out some really good sandwiches but last time I was there the range was much reduced and the quality left a lot to be desired. So maybe, like a lot of places, they are feeling the pinch and are cutting back on quality and, very likely, quantity.

[Spoonman]

I'm not a big meat eater, so carvery meals don't do much for me, but at 425B (which seems quite a lot for a pub meal) how does it compare with the likes of (say) Robin's Nest at 249B, or those other two places near Soi Buakhow night market?

And for 425B do you really get 3 times better/more food than you would for a set Sunday roast at Le Katai or 18 Coins or Seaside, for example?

Just wondering.

When comparing to Robins Nest, 3 times dog shit is better. No need to worry about the baht. Robins = Rancid.

[Darrel]

When comparing to Robins Nest, 3 times dog shit is better. No need to worry about the baht. Robins = Rancid.

I've never been inside but I pass it several times every day. There are usually a fair number of customers, which one wouldn't expect to see if the food was bad.

[William Osborne]

When comparing to Robins Nest, 3 times dog shit is better. No need to worry about the baht. Robins = Rancid.

I've never been inside but I pass it several times every day. There are usually a fair number of customers, which one wouldn't expect to see if the food was bad.

Ate there couple weeks ago.... can't remember what i had but no complaints from me or the mrs

[hotandhumid]

When comparing to Robins Nest, 3 times dog shit is better. No need to worry about the baht. Robins = Rancid.

I've never been inside but I pass it several times every day. There are usually a fair number of customers, which one wouldn't expect to see if the food was bad.

Are you a motorcycle courier? If not. why do you pass it several times a day?

[Darrel]

Are you a motorcycle courier? If not. why do you pass it several times a day?

Why shouldn't I?

Most days I walk past it 4 times a day (there and back, twice) to get from where I live to where I eat.

I will be walking past it in about 10 minutes, for the same reason.

[hotandhumid]

Are you a motorcycle courier? If not. why do you pass it several times a day?

Why shouldn't I?

Most days I walk past it 4 times a day (there and back, twice) to get from where I live to where I eat.

I will be walking past it in about 10 minutes, for the same reason.

You very much sound like a creature of habit. Enjoy your khao Pad gai.

[Darrel]

You very much sound like a creature of habit. Enjoy your khao Pad gai.

I do have a habit of eating twice a day, yes. Can't imagine I'm very different from several billion other people in that respect.

I regularly eat in about 10 different places in and around Soi Buakow, and get quite a lot of take-home dishes from street vendors around there also. Why there? It's nearby, the walk is interesting, the choice is large, the prices are low.

I dont eat much meat, and rice sticks in my teeth, so my Thai meals are generally noodle-based with vegetables and seafood, or spicy seafood salads.

Tonight I had pad tai seafood, and very nice it was too.

I haven't eaten fried rice in more than 20 years. Not my cup of tea at all.

[Michaelaway]

You very much sound like a creature of habit. Enjoy your khao Pad gai.

I do have a habit of eating twice a day, yes. Can't imagine I'm very different from several billion other people in that respect.

I regularly eat in about 10 different places in and around Soi Buakow, and get quite a lot of take-home dishes from street vendors around there also. Why there? It's nearby, the walk is interesting, the choice is large, the prices are low.

I dont eat much meat, and rice sticks in my teeth, so my Thai meals are generally noodle-based with vegetables and seafood, or spicy seafood salads.

Tonight I had pad tai seafood, and very nice it was too.

I haven't eaten fried rice in more than 20 years. Not my cup of tea at all.

TMI, krap...

[Darrel]

You're not obliged to read it if you're not interested.

[Jingthing]

I rarely eat fried rice as well. Coincidentally, I had some recently at Kiss-Dolphin. It was a greasy, soggy horror show! Yes I know not always that bad. Fried rice in general as a dish can be wonderful. Try it at a really good Cantonese Chinese restaurant if you can find one.

[zorro1]

Quite often stay next door and like the pub. I think the Haven restaurant just a few doors down is one the best in Pattaya and a lot cheaper with a selection western food. The fried liver and bacon with mash is a winner

[Ulysses G.]

I rarely eat fried rice as well. Coincidentally, I had some recently at Kiss-Dolphin. It was a greasy, soggy horror show! Yes I know not always that bad. Fried rice in general as a dish can be wonderful. Try it at a really good Cantonese Chinese restaurant if you can find one.

I find Chinese fried rice to taste a lot better than Thai. I can eat Thai style, but I LIKE Chinese fried rice.

[Darrel]

Fried rice in general as a dish can be wonderful. Try it at a really good Cantonese Chinese restaurant if you can find one.

Agreed. I think the last decent fried rice I had was in Hong Kong about 25 years ago. I've not been there since we gave it back to China. Macao (which was a total backwater back then) had good Chinese food also, and some very interesting mixtures of Chinese/Portuguese/Brazilian food.

[londoedan]

Fried rice in general as a dish can be wonderful. Try it at a really good Cantonese Chinese restaurant if you can find one.

Agreed. I think the last decent fried rice I had was in Hong Kong about 25 years ago. I've not been there since we gave it back to China. Macao (which was a total backwater back then) had good Chinese food also, and some very interesting mixtures of Chinese/Portuguese/Brazilian food.

I certainly agree with you re Chinese style fried rice. I'm not sure I agree with your phrasing of: "we gave it back to China". Is that the royal "We" ?

[tailspin]

Thai fried rice wins hands down, the combo of the jasmine rice and the various spices is siblime.....HK style is too bland but maybe good for farang for that reason

good explanation of the styles here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fried_rice

note the quality of any fried rice can vary alot depending on who cooks it.....

Fried rice in general as a dish can be wonderful. Try it at a really good Cantonese Chinese restaurant if you can find one.

Agreed. I think the last decent fried rice I had was in Hong Kong about 25 years ago. I've not been there since we gave it back to China. Macao (which was a total backwater back then) had good Chinese food also, and some very interesting mixtures of Chinese/Portuguese/Brazilian food.

[Ulysses G.]

Fried rice in general as a dish can be wonderful. Try it at a really good Cantonese Chinese restaurant if you can find one.

Agreed. I think the last decent fried rice I had was in Hong Kong about 25 years ago. I've not been there since we gave it back to China. Macao (which was a total backwater back then) had good Chinese food also, and some very interesting mixtures of Chinese/Portuguese/Brazilian food.

I certainly agree with you re Chinese style fried rice. I'm not sure I agree with your phrasing of: "we gave it back to China". Is that the royal "We" ?

We as in the British Empire.

[londoedan]

Thai fried rice wins hands down, the combo of the jasmine rice and the various spices is siblime.....HK style is too bland but maybe good for farang for that reason

good explanation of the styles here

http://en.wikipedia....wiki/Fried_rice

note the quality of any fried rice can vary alot depending on who cooks it.....

Can't agree with your comment re Thai style frice. I also find Chinese style better, but we are all different.

However the king of fried rice is, without a doubt, Nasi Goreng Pete (see photo above), made with fresh beans pulled-out of the pod just prior to cooking, slivers of chicken and liver and accompanied by crackers, sambal and a glass of Bintang outside an outdoor cooking stall. However nice I find living in Thailand, if Indonesia would ease up on its visa's a fraction, then I would be back there in a flash

Back on topic, I've eaten in Sportsman's a few times and found the Thai food particularly disappointing, at the advertised prices. I also though the small interior means that it feels a bit cramped plus you end up smelling everyone's else's grub. I prefer the outdoor places nowadays. However, it is in a great location, good sport on the TV's, range of beers and expat papers plus the staff are OK.

Simon

[Darrel]

We as in the British Empire.

Indeed.