The Hit And Run Restaurant "review" Thread

[abab]

1 hour ago, Rajab Al Zarahni said:

Greek Grill House

Cafe style dining in a light, bright and white venue on Soi Buakow.

Everything looks strikingly clean , including the toilets

Choose from a limited range of dishes in a central display area.

The businesslike lady running the show is a Thai-Greek dual national.

Service is prompt.

I had Moussaka at 180 bahts including  salad trimmings.

The food was pleasant and tasty. I recognise that their are a number of regional variations but this is the first time I have been served Moussaka cooked without tomatoes or aubergines.

The portion size would have been OK for a former Biafran war refugee but not for the average western male.

Overall, my verdict: 5/10

 

 

 

Hello,

 

Without tomatoes or aubergines  ? Seems impossible ?!

 

Was the food as oily as the dirty thing that someone posted here few days ago ?

 

Thank you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rajab Al Zarahni]

Was the food as oily as the dirty thing that someone posted here few days ago ?

 

 

Moussaka is an oily dish but this wasn't  particularly oily. 

What dirty thing are you referring to ?

[Roger Lee]

2 hours ago, marinediscoking said:

Beetroot is purely an Australian thing. Never seen it offered on a burger in the states.

 

Best burger i have had here was at Hooters. Hardrock is second Jim's 3rd Pastrami on Rye 4th. But PoR by far is the best value priced at around 260 bath about half the price of the other places.

I've heard different reports about Hooters, never been to Hardrock and I am planning on visiting Jim's.  What made the Hooters and Hardrock burger best?  Just wondering.  

 

Eventually I should try them out also but I am asking for a reason to do so.  Right now judging from the pictures, Jim's look like they make awesome burgers.  It's a shame about Pastrami on Rye, hopefully it's just a hiccup. 

[champers]

On 2/10/2017 at 9:49 AM, Damrongsak said:

So glad my wife is a good cook and we eat a home, at least until she retired ahead of me 6 months ago and went back to Thailand.  Thai and Vietnamese food, nothing stinky (except for fermented shrimp paste - :)).  Her Asian friends here in USA are all over it.  Not too bad at making spaghetti sauce or some other things after 30+ years in a foreign land. Maybe I should tel her to move out of Isaan and open a restaurant in Pattaya.  She can do bacon and her room-temperature fried eggs are good if the weather is warm.  :)

Has she got any sisters (single) ?

[champers]

2 hours ago, Rajab Al Zarahni said:

Greek Grill House

Cafe style dining in a light, bright and white venue on Soi Buakow.

Everything looks strikingly clean , including the toilets

Choose from a limited range of dishes in a central display area.

The businesslike lady running the show is a Thai-Greek dual national.

Service is prompt.

I had Moussaka at 180 bahts including  salad trimmings.

The food was pleasant and tasty. I recognise that their are a number of regional variations but this is the first time I have been served Moussaka cooked without tomatoes or aubergines.

The portion size would have been OK for a former Biafran war refugee but not for the average western male.

Overall, my verdict: 5/10

 

 

No aubergines or tomatoes, leaving lamb, taters and onions. Sounds like you had Lancashire Hotpot.

[Rajab Al Zarahni]

1 hour ago, champers said:

No aubergines or tomatoes, leaving lamb, taters and onions. Sounds like you had Lancashire Hotpot.

Exactly

[Jingthing]

4 hours ago, Rajab Al Zarahni said:

Greek Grill House

Cafe style dining in a light, bright and white venue on Soi Buakow.

Everything looks strikingly clean , including the toilets

Choose from a limited range of dishes in a central display area.

The businesslike lady running the show is a Thai-Greek dual national.

Service is prompt.

I had Moussaka at 180 bahts including  salad trimmings.

The food was pleasant and tasty. I recognise that their are a number of regional variations but this is the first time I have been served Moussaka cooked without tomatoes or aubergines.

The portion size would have been OK for a former Biafran war refugee but not for the average western male.

Overall, my verdict: 5/10

 

 

I'm not challenging what you say about your experience but my experience was different. 
Referring to the moussaka, as anyone can see in the picture mine did have eggplant and the portion was MORE than  adequate especially considering the creamy aspect of the dish. Whether the minced meat in the dish was cooked with tomato sauce or not, I really can't say as I didn't really notice that either way. I would agree that no eggplant would be an unacceptable fault for traditional moussaka.

 

Aside from the included salad, the bean dish on the plate was a separate 1/2 order that I requested.

The Thai lady you spoke of told me she doesn't actually do the cooking and isn't an owner, but she does run the retail show.

As I mentioned before I did find the food on the oily side but not unpleasantly so, but I can understand why people looking at the pictures I posted may think differently. Probably a lot of water from the steam table  on the plate that looks like oil. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rajab Al Zarahni]

jingthing:

 I  did not find the Moussaka to be excessively oily,  rather It was less oily than I would have anticipated, had it been authentic

To be authentic one would expect a true Moussaka to be cooked with tomatoes rather than tomato sauce , although tinned cooking tomatoes probably deliver a better result than fresh tomatoes. Without doubt this Moussaka had never seen a tomato or an aubergine although  it was certainly edible and tasty.

Portion size is a subjective issue but  I could only describe my serving as a snack size light lunch.

If your experience was discordant with mine then inconsistency is possibly the explanation.

 

 

[Jingthing]

Well, you can see the picture. I'll check next time if there is any tomato thing going on in the minced meat layer.  I wouldn't even order it without eggplant (you can  see on the steam table). 

[Rajab Al Zarahni]

I have seen your picture and it doesn't reflect my experience of the same dish purchased in the  same establishment.

I invite you to agree that, If like me  you ordered the first portion from a full tray, then it would not be possible to assess the inner contents of the dish. 

It's entirely possible that the dish is not the same every day. Chefs don't normally work 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Perhaps other members should try it and report their experience ?  

[Jingthing]

Of course I agree if it's a full tray you can't see the contents. But on the other hand that's one of the glories of a point point operation. You usually can see what you're ordering. I walked in there once and didn't find a meal to appeal (the offerings change daily) so just said, see you later.

In any case, I don't think anyone including the owners there are suggesting the joint is a high end gourmet level Greek restaurant. But in my experience, they're doing pretty well at offering "working class style" Greek food for their price level in Thailand. 

[bkk6060]

The problem with the Hardrock or Hooter's is the prices.  $20 for a burger fries,  and diet coke at Hardrock.  I am just saying be prepared to pay for that premium burger.

[Rajab Al Zarahni]

7 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Of course I agree if it's a full tray you can't see the contents. But on the other hand that's one of the glories of a point point operation. You usually can see what you're ordering. I walked in there once and didn't find a meal to appeal (the offerings change daily) so just said, see you later.

In any case, I don't think anyone including the owners there are suggesting the joint is a high end gourmet level Greek restaurant. But in my experience, they're doing pretty well at offering "working class style" Greek food for their price level in Thailand. 

My observations were not made against the expectation of a high end gourmet restaurant.  I have simply reported my own  experience in a fair, measured and objective manner. There is nothing uncommon about two customers having a different experience on different occasions. Consistency is itself a measure of quality !

[TaaSaparot]

15 hours ago, Rajab Al Zarahni said:

Greek Grill House

Cafe style dining in a light, bright and white venue on Soi Buakow.

Everything looks strikingly clean , including the toilets

 

Apart from the ashtrays on every table !

[Rajab Al Zarahni]

20 minutes ago, TaaSaparot said:

 

Apart from the ashtrays on every table !

True but to be fair these were all clean and empty on my visit.

What did you think of the food ?

[Damrongsak]

14 hours ago, champers said:

Has she got any sisters (single) ?

No, but I would have "adopted" a couple of her acquaintances who have come up from time to time.   Just not within the budget.  :)

[marinediscoking]

On 2/11/2017 at 7:13 PM, Roger Lee said:

What made the Hooters and Hardrock burger best?  Just wondering.  

 

Hooters burger tasted just like I would get back in the USA, basiclly the same taste. I think they are using Aussie beef but even when I cook it myself it doesn't taste that good. I am guessing they are adding fat and using a Hooters hamburger seasoning.  

 

Hardrock is a bigger burger but I liked hooters better. Its been a long time since i had it but with a drink it was 600 baht. 

 

Best burger I'v had is Asia was in Sn.ville Cambodia from an american run restaurant. The owner told me he used Australian angus ground beef adding fat and seasoning to it. When the patty was on the grill he would then put bacon grease on it too.

[champers]

Bacon grease is grossly underrated and criminally underused. Try soaking a thick slice of bread in bacon fat then stick it under the grill like you would toast. In civilised parts of the UK pork dripping is used to make sandwiches - dripping cakes as they are known. Beef dripping is used in chip shops for deep frying chips.

If you have a dodgy ticker avoid all of the above.

[Jingthing]

Yeah we could talk about using lard in cooking, your lady's home cookin', etc. till the cows come home, but just another friendly reminder.

Please try to keep the posts on THIS thread about Pattaya area restaurants specifically. 

If you need renewed guidance, please refer to the O.P. 

[champers]

59 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Yeah we could talk about using lard in cooking, your lady's home cookin', etc. till the cows come home, but just another friendly reminder.

Please try to keep the posts on THIS thread about Pattaya area restaurants specifically. 

If you need renewed guidance, please refer to the O.P. 

That's a bit rich from someone who often mentions SoCal cooking in this thread, if you don't mind me saying so. It is incumbent on us all to state our own preferences and cooking styles from time to time in the hope that they may be represented in the eateries of this fair city; whether those preferences come from Southern California or the North of England or anywhere else. Please don't assume that your preferences are better than mine and can be discussed whenever it takes your fancy, whilst advising that any discourse of my preferences are to be nipped in the bud. Let's celebrate our culinary differences. You haven't lived a full culinary life, JT, until you have had fish and chips fried in beef dripping from a proper chippy in the North of England. The very best fish and chips in Pattaya are the palest of pale comparisons. Pass the salt and vinegar, me owd cocker and pardon me for challenging your Executive Order.

[Jingthing]

Your Southern California reference is really bizarre.

 

Please get back on topic --

 

PATTAYA AREA RESTAURANTS.

It's a huge topic already without people going off on endless tangents.

 

[TaaSaparot]

On 12/02/2017 at 1:42 AM, Rajab Al Zarahni said:

True but to be fair these were all clean and empty on my visit.

What did you think of the food ?

 

Took one look at the ashtrays and left.

 

Tells me everything of what the owner thinks of his food.

[Rajab Al Zarahni]

El Greco: Soi Bong Kod

A small Greek-Mediterranean styled cafe diner, slightly off the beaten track, in walking distance to Soi Buakow.

Inside and outside dining

Ashtray free

Friendly and helpful staff

Wide ranging menu including Greek Italian and Arabic items.

You can order small or large portion versions of many dishes

Prices look fairly typical for the area.

Portion sizes look fine.

Seems to have a regular turnover of customers.

I had a Tzatziki starter served with Pitta bread. The Pitta bread was sumptuous.

I then had beef Moussaka and found it to be excellent. You can order a pork version if you prefer. The dish was a bit cold for my palate but they were happy to heat it up for me.

I also tried a Feta cheese salad. The salad items were fresh and the salad was finished with herbs.

My partner had chicken kebabs. I think they called it Chicken Souvlaki. I tried a little and found the meat tender and tasty.

Overall I would give it a preliminary 7/10

I will certainly give it another try and savour the red wine and some further distinctively Greek dishes.

 

 

 

[TaaSaparot]

34 minutes ago, Rajab Al Zarahni said:

El Greco: Soi Bong Kod

 

Ashtray free

Unfortunately, no.

[marinediscoking]

I really like el greco and have eaten there many times. Everything I have had has been good, portion sizes are large and fairly priced. I also love the small fresh pita bread they give with just about everything. They have even made dishes for me that were not on the menu when requested, they only asked me to give them a day in advance notice. 

 

Something they have that no other Greek restaurant has is 'Giant beans". They bring them back with them from Greece as they not available here. It is kind of a a tomoto based stew.  It is a husband and wife place, very nice people.

 

Some dishes do take time though even when they are not busy. Another plus is they are usually open until midnight for some of us late eaters.

 

[marinediscoking]

Map point el greco

https://www.google.co.th/maps/place/El+Greco+Greek+and+Mediterranean+Restaurant+Pattaya/@12.9262661,100.8893469,19.36z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x9210eb6a72ef19be!8m2!3d12.9263488!4d100.8893971?hl=en

 

[hackjam]

Use El Greco many times, love their food.

Not too gone on the tzatziki and the bread with the Souvlaki is way too thick and heavy.

[BruceMangosteen]

3 hours ago, Rajab Al Zarahni said:

 

Prices look fairly typical for the area.

 

 

 

That's basically a farang ghetto mixed with low end Thai housing. So with that said, and it's true, please give us an actual example of the prices. Thanks and regards. 

[Rajab Al Zarahni]

1 hour ago, BruceMangosteen said:

That's basically a farang ghetto mixed with low end Thai housing. So with that said, and it's true, please give us an actual example of the prices. Thanks and regards. 

The large Moussaka with salad trimmings was 230 bhts.

[Roger Lee]

Hmm, on their Facebook page a post made yesterday says they are open 11-12, although in the hours section it says they aren't. I just called them at 2pm and they say they are open.

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I just enjoyed their Lava Cheesy beef burger, large and cooked well done.

This probably the best burger I've had in Thailand. Even though it was completely cooked it was still extremely juicy and tasty.

You get a choice of large or small burger, well done or medium, and a choice of three different buns original, wheat or black. I got the original and it wasn't toasted (or if it was I didn't notice) but was very fresh and tasty.

I'll be back!

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