The Hit And Run Restaurant "review" Thread

[Jupiterjim]

I didn't even know they were open for lunch. Anyway a lot of places don't turn on aircon until the first customer arrives. Did you ask them to turn it on?

Stupid policy then. It's 33 degrees today and probably 35 inside the restaurant.

Saving 10Bt. in electric by not firing up the air con an hour before lunch time. By By.

Up to you, but like I said, I see the same thing in a lot of places here.

Agreed. Lots of stupidity going around.

[balo]

They open at 12 but this restaurant is not busy until after 6 PM when the dinner guests arrive,If you arrived 12:45 I can understand why it was still hot inside if you were the first customer. The staff working there is very polite and attentive, I had a very pleasent experience the other night. I am sure it would have been cold enough for you if you just had waited 10 minutes. But as they say : up to you.

[smokie36]

I'm with Jim on that one....its all about comfort and that should happen on arrival....I'd have walked as well.

[Jingthing]

I'm still very surprised they're open for lunch at all.

It really feels like a fancy dinner place.

[KittenKong]

I'm with Jim on that one....its all about comfort and that should happen on arrival....I'd have walked as well.

Yes, if they are open and you are paying for air-con then you should get air-con or a discount. It's not complicated.

Would anyone order food, not get it and still pay? I doubt it.

[Jingthing]

Much ado about nothing.

[KittenKong]

Much ado about nothing.

No one is stopping you from paying extra for air-con and not getting it, if you like that sort of thing.

Some other people just want what they are paying for. I know I do.

[Jingthing]

This is getting super stupid.

Just ask them to turn it on.

They obviously weren't really expecting any customers.

I can't believe how petty some people here are.

I take that back.

Not only can I believe it, I expect it.

Frankly, I fear this thread may be going downhill and heading towards extinction if over half the comments are bitching about such trivialities.

The BIGGER PICTURE here is helping people discover new and exciting places to eat in our city.

Edited July 24, 2015 by Jingthing

[Jupiterjim]

This is getting super stupid.

Just ask them to turn it on.

They obviously weren't really expecting any customers.

I can't believe how petty some people here are.

I take that back.

Not only can I believe it, I expect it.

Frankly, I fear this thread may be going downhill and heading towards extinction if over half the comments are bitching about such trivialities.

The BIGGER PICTURE here is helping people discover new and exciting places to eat in our city.

"Weren't really expecting customers"

Fancy new restaurant with a OPEN sign on the door......

Edited July 24, 2015 by Jupiterjim

[KittenKong]

This is getting super stupid.

Just ask them to turn it on.

They obviously weren't really expecting any customers.

I can't believe how petty some people here are.

I take that back.

Not only can I believe it, I expect it.

Frankly, I fear this thread may be going downhill and heading towards extinction if over half the comments are bitching about such trivialities.

The BIGGER PICTURE here is helping people discover new and exciting places to eat in our city.

When I go into a cheap eating place where I will eat for 50B or 100B I dont expect much in the way of service and I dont complain when I dont get it.

When I go into a fancy place that charges much higher prices, I expect commensurate service. It's really very simple.

Clearly you have been here a long time and you are inured to the notion that Thais need to have their hands held and have to be told to do everything, but I dont see why that should be necessary when they position themselves as being up-market and are charging up-market prices.

As to the direction of this thread, I think that comments on service levels and prices are as important as comments on the food. After all, when one eats in one is buying a complete experience, not just a take-away in a bag.

[balo]

This is getting super stupid.

Just ask them to turn it on.

They obviously weren't really expecting any customers.

I can't believe how petty some people here are.

I take that back.

Not only can I believe it, I expect it.

Frankly, I fear this thread may be going downhill and heading towards extinction if over half the comments are bitching about such trivialities.

The BIGGER PICTURE here is helping people discover new and exciting places to eat in our city.

When I go into a cheap eating place where I will eat for 50B or 100B I dont expect much in the way of service and I dont complain when I dont get it.

When I go into a fancy place that charges much higher prices, I expect commensurate service. It's really very simple.

Clearly you have been here a long time and you are inured to the notion that Thais need to have their hands held and have to be told to do everything, but I dont see why that should be necessary when they position themselves as being up-market and are charging up-market prices.

As to the direction of this thread, I think that comments on service levels and prices are as important as comments on the food. After all, when one eats in one is buying a complete experience, not just a take-away in a bag.

So they forgot to turn on the air con. Why didnt you explain it to the Italian owner who is always aroumd to talk to the guests? I am sure he will not let his staff do the same mistake twice. What is your agenda here? This is probably the restaurant with the best service in this area. Edited July 25, 2015 by balo

[Jingthing]

I think the service there is actually too much.

It's just silly to announce the dishes in Italian to non-Italian customers.

How many English speakers know the Italian word for eggplant?

Also if you don't want staff staring at your every bite, I suggest going when it is more crowded.

Edited July 25, 2015 by Jingthing

[manarak]

I think the service there is actually too much.

It's just silly to announce the dishes in Italian to non-Italian customers.

How many English speakers know the Italian word for eggplant?

Also if you don't want staff staring at your every bite, I suggest going when it is more crowded.

Eggplant is actually a difficult English word. It took me ages to learn and to remember it simply means "aubergine".

Can't see the ressemblance with an egg and it also tastes horrible.

[KittenKong]

So they forgot to turn on the air con. Why didnt you explain it to the Italian owner who is always aroumd to talk to the guests? I am sure he will not let his staff do the same mistake twice. What is your agenda here? This is probably the restaurant with the best service in this area.

I wasnt the person who had the problem with the air-con at all. I was just agreeing with his that if I pay for air-con I expect to get it. I have no agenda.

It often takes a long time for air-con to cool a large room, so waiting might not have been a comfortable option.

[Jingthing]

It's quite a small restaurant actually.

Anyway, I don't imagine there is a big market for lunch at that place and wouldn't be surprised if they cut lunch service entirely.

Most fancier places in Jomtien are only open for dinner.

Edited July 25, 2015 by Jingthing

[KittenKong]

Can't see the ressemblance with an egg and it also tastes horrible.

Anyone used to the big black/purple aubergines common in Europe would also wonder about the name which comes from this type which I think used to be the most common by far, back when they were a wild plant and before breeding.

[manarak]

Can't see the ressemblance with an egg and it also tastes horrible.

Anyone used to the big black/purple aubergines common in Europe would also wonder about the name which comes from this type which I think used to be the most common by far, back when they were a wild plant and before breeding.

now I see the ressemblance :-)

does the white variant also taste better?

[KittenKong]

does the white variant also taste better?

Quite similar really. I generally like aubergine, unless it's bitter.

There are also the various types/colours of tiny aubergines used in Thai curries etc.

https://www.google.com/search?q=thai+small+aubergines&safe=off&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAmoVChMI__Hr_Mz3xgIVSHOOCh3HxQrR&biw=1594&bih=871

[Jingthing]

Palace Restaurant (Lebanese) opens new location in South Pattaya opposite Nova Platinum Hotel.

This is an area with several existing Middle Eastern and Indian restaurants so it should fit there.

https://www.facebook.com/PalaceRestaurant

The existing long standing Pattaya Beach mall place is a fancy, rather higher priced place.

They feature an ocean view and used to have lots of shisha going on, but apparently cracked down on.

What I like about the place is that they seem to have the famous Lebanese dish kibbe (fried meat and bulgar thingies) regularly on the menu.

Image of Kibbe not from restaurant but it's very similar:

Other Lebanese places have it on the menu but usually don't actually have it.

You can get eatigo.com discounts up to 30 percent though at the mall place and hopefully they will add the new location to that offer.

I think the place is good food and good value with the discount.

Edited July 28, 2015 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

"Historic" Russian restaurant on 2nd road South Pattaya across from Citywalk CLOSES!

Sign of the times for sure!

It used to be a dark and mysterious place on the outside but then in what I reckon was a last ditch desperate effort they totally opened up the place to the street.

This is the really old place with the large Russian dolls icon in front.

When I first came to Pattaya in 1998 it was the ONLY Russian place that I was aware of.

Then the Russian invasion.

Now this.

Oh well!

Edited July 28, 2015 by Jingthing

[KittenKong]

Made In Italy Special Promotions

(gourmet Italian deli and casual small restaurant)

Also Jomtien 2nd road across from Rompho Market

Place has a simple menu.

Appetizers, mostly bruschettas and salads, pastas, pizzas, and a few meat dishes.

Others have highly praised the pizza.

Daily they have a pasta special for 99 for items normally over 200 baht.

Otherwise, prices moderate, not cheap.

EVERY FRIDAY there is an all you can eat buffet starting at 6 P.M. for 299.

Tried this. Cant really fault it for the price (buffet + water = 311B).

If I had to criticise I would say that the servings of some items in the buffet are very large and would be easier to manage if half the size. Yes, I know you can try and cut half off on the serving plate but it isnt always easy to cut cannelloni or frittata with serving tongs and only using one hand.

Good service. Nice decor. Pleasant Italian girl (owner?) in attendance. Coffee smelt good but didn't dare try it in the evening. Many Italian groceries and fresh foods for sale, for those who want it.

It was quite busy and deserves to be busier.

[Jingthing]

Angels restaurant (on road in back of Avenue Mall) which showed some early promise offering a largely Italian food buffet at a good price currently offers no buffet at all.

However their a la carte menu is discounted at 20 percent.

Not sure if this is a low season only thing.

http://www.angelspattaya.com/

[Jingthing]

AMERICAN RESTAURANT

"Wings and Things"

Now open.

Located right above Pizza Pizza in the front of the Avenue Mall.

This appears to be a soft opening as by appearances it wasn't clear they were even open yet.

But I thought they might be so I popped in to sniff out the atmosphere and the menu.

My initial impression was that they are not ready for prime time ... but that is to be expected in a soft opening kind of scenario.

The atmosphere did not feel festive.

Based on the outside signage ... I was expecting a kind of "fun" atmosphere inside, but really, it's more like no atmosphere. I didn't even notice the decor.

But the real surprise was the menu. Quite an odd one.

I am guessing this menu unlike Pastrami and Rye in Jomtien is not focused on American and European expats and tourists (there aren't many anyway) but much more for the general ASIAN market who might be interested in some more unusual "American" food as a novelty experience.

When I say unusual I am not joking.

I opened up the menu and there was HUGE ARRAY of chicken wing flavors.

For those who don't know, that is not typical in the USA.

Generally in the USA chicken wing flavors are limited to how hot the sauce is.

These flavors were really, really bizarre.

The first one that caught my eye was PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY CHICKEN WINGS.

I kid you not.

You couldn't make that up, but someone did.

I recall the myriad of wing flavor choices were priced about 250 baht.

A Thai waiter proudly pointed to the chicken wing selection and announced: TRADITIONAL AMERICAN FOOD.

Now that was just too funny and I had to be a bit of a prig and told him, no, it's not.

By that time I may have been hallucinating ... I really should have taken a pic of the menu ... but I think I also saw a Coca Cola Chicken wing option. Which I have to admit doesn't sound so bad when compared to Peanut Butter and Jelly.

Moving on in the menu, another standout was CHEESEBURGER SOUP.

Normally, I would strongly assert cheeseburger soup is not a thing, a cheeseburger is a cheeseburger and soup is soup, but there it was in black and white ... unless again, I really may have been hallucinating.

There were of course other more down to earth selections like BBQ PULLED PORK sandwich, and priced a bit lower than Pastrami and Rye for that, but frankly I just don't feel very confident in a restaurant serving PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY CHICKEN WINGS, so I will leave it others to sample their food offerings ... so please report back. I am curious but not curious enough to actually eat there.

___

BTW, coincidentally just below this place is PIZZA PIZZA and they still have their amazing 69 baht Margarita pizza promotion going. Wow ... good and so cheap. Tonight I paired it with their Italian style OVEN COOKED chicken drumettes (150 baht) served with a small salad and the combo really made a wonderfully satisfying meal. American chicken wings are generally FRIED so I appreciate this more healthy Italian take on it.

To add, PIZZA PIZZA was packed ... but I didn't notice how many tables were only ordering the promotion pizza and pasta.

Edited August 13, 2015 by Jingthing

[KittenKong]

PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY CHICKEN WINGS.

.... Coca Cola Chicken wing option...... CHEESEBURGER SOUP.

I will leave it others to sample their food offerings ...

I hope no one counts on me going!

Sounds even worse than Thai pizza with sweet mayonnaise.

[Jingthing]

PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY CHICKEN WINGS.

.... Coca Cola Chicken wing option...... CHEESEBURGER SOUP.

I will leave it others to sample their food offerings ...

I hope no one counts on me going!

Sounds even worse than Thai pizza with sweet mayonnaise.

Frankly, I was one of the most bizarre menus I have ever seen.

I live for such experiences!

Who knows ... maybe the Chinese tour buses will be coming ... and going back home and telling their grandkids about the traditional American peanut butter and jelly wings!

Edited August 13, 2015 by Jingthing

[peterb17]

AMERICAN RESTAURANT

"Wings and Things"

Now open.

Located right above Pizza Pizza in the front of the Avenue Mall.

This appears to be a soft opening as by appearances it wasn't clear they were even open yet.

But I thought they might be so I popped in to sniff out the atmosphere and the menu.

My initial impression was that they are not ready for prime time ... but that is to be expected in a soft opening kind of scenario.

The atmosphere did not feel festive.

Based on the outside signage ... I was expecting a kind of "fun" atmosphere inside, but really, it's more like no atmosphere. I didn't even notice the decor.

But the real surprise was the menu. Quite an odd one.

I am guessing this menu unlike Pastrami and Rye in Jomtien is not focused on American and European expats and tourists (there aren't many anyway) but much more for the general ASIAN market who might be interested in some more unusual "American" food as a novelty experience.

When I say unusual I am not joking.

I opened up the menu and there was HUGE ARRAY of chicken wing flavors.

For those who don't know, that is not typical in the USA.

Generally in the USA chicken wing flavors are limited to how hot the sauce is.

These flavors were really, really bizarre.

The first one that caught my eye was PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY CHICKEN WINGS.

I kid you not.

You couldn't make that up, but someone did.

I recall the myriad of wing flavor choices were priced about 250 baht.

A Thai waiter proudly pointed to the chicken wing selection and announced: TRADITIONAL AMERICAN FOOD.

Now that was just too funny and I had to be a bit of a prig and told him, no, it's not.

By that time I may have been hallucinating ... I really should have taken a pic of the menu ... but I think I also saw a Coca Cola Chicken wing option.

Moving on in the menu, another standout was CHEESEBURGER SOUP.

Normally, I would strongly assert cheeseburger soup is not a thing, a cheeseburger is a cheeseburger and soup is soup, but there it was in black and white ... unless again, I really may have been hallucinating.

There were of course other more down to earth selections like BBQ PULLED PORK sandwich, and priced a bit lower than Pastrami and Rye for that, but frankly I just don't feel very confident in a restaurant serving PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY CHICKEN WINGS, so I will leave it others to sample their food offerings ... so please report back. I am curious but not curious enough to actually eat there.

___

BTW, coincidentally just below this place is PIZZA PIZZA and they still have their amazing 69 baht Margarita pizza promotion going. Wow ... good and so cheap. I paired it with their Italian style OVEN COOKED chicken drumettes (150 baht) served with a small salad and the combo really made a wonderfully satisfying meal. American chicken wings are generally FRIED so I appreciate this more healthy Italian take on it.

Must admit it all sounds a bit bizarre

Jingthing can you answer a question- being one of those pesky Brits - brought up on roast beef , pheasant , grouse , pigeon, rabbit , tripe and steamed sponge puddings ( yes I was a country lad)

When did chicken wings actually become a food item? It was the bit you cut off and gave to the faithful hound.

There is not much on chicken wings- they seem more like something the food industry / restaurants have invented- minimum price- maximum profit

And what on earth is a Buffalo Wing ?

Sorry Jingthing - I love this thread and probably eat out as much as you do- your recent slating of the PCEC is quite simply below you .

[balo]

I agree it sounds weird , and I wonder how it will taste like.

If it was the real deal it would be more like Wings'nThings in the US .

www.wingsnthings.com/

[Jingthing]

I have nothing at all against the PCEC.

I was just joking around a little bit.

Believe it or not I had never even eaten Buffalo Chicken wings in the U.S. before I moved to Thailand. I first had them at the Great American Rib Company when they were open in Pattaya, and they were excellent. They used a famous brand of imported American wing sauce and I chose the SUICIDE HOT level, which for me is not challenging. It's basically a bar food that originated in Buffalo, New York.

The combination of the hot and spicy fried wings with the actual typical pairings ... blue cheese sauce (as a dip) and celery ... and of course BEER does work remarkably well.

Edited August 13, 2015 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

Well egg on my face, PB and J chicken wing is a thing.

Check out the kicky ingredients in this recipe. Fish sauce, Sriracha, soy, tabasco jelly ... who knew?

Edited August 13, 2015 by Jingthing

[KittenKong]

..... PB and J chicken wing is a thing.

It sure is.

Just not a thing that anyone would want to eat.