"hidden" "ethnic" Restaurant Wonders Of Pattaya!

[Jingthing]

I hereby start this ambitious thread, with the modest hope that it might become a pinned resource for Pattaya food lovers.

Pattaya of course is a major beach resort city, and as such, like such cities all over the world, hosts thousands of restaurants. Many or most are predictable and mediocre and many of these don't have to be anything more to rake in the baht. But like any big city, there are the more hidden "gems" known only to specific ethnic groups or more adventurous diners. Some call these diners chowhounds after the famous US website, chowhound.com. Some might call them foodies.

In any event, here are some examples of what I am talking about and also some examples of what I am NOT talking about:

There are two excellent small Korean restaurants on Pattaya Klang near Foodland. The customers are all Korean. The food must be good, and it is! This thread is about restaurants like that.

That Pakboong Loyfloh open air joint on 2nd road near the nightlife is already well known, but they happen to have exceptional crab fried rice. This thread is about already well known restaurants, Thai, farang, and "ethnic" like that when there is something new, like an exceptional dish, that people would want to hear about.

Street food: A beef noodle soup stand with no menu that you know about that serves exceptional beef noodle soup. This thread is about Thai food stands like that.

Manhattans Steak House. This thread is NOT about upscale restuarants like that. They are well covered in the local Pattaya media. They advertise heavily. They are known already by most everyone interested in Pattaya restaurants.

These aren't hard and fast rules or anything ... just some general guidelines of what might possibly become a treasured food resource for the Pattaya area. Or not. But I thought I would try.

When posting your info on restaurants, of course try to include all you can about the name of the place, the location, your favorite dishes, the prices, pictures if you have, etc.

[Mobi]

This topic is an excellent idea and will be of much ineterst to Pattaya residents and tourists alike.

Well done on the idea.

There's a few I can add, but I have to try and get their names/and or work out their exact locations. I'm thinking of at least two very good Thai food shops and a pretty good Dim sum shop in Pattaya Nua. More later when I've worked it out.

Let's hope no-one ruins this thread by Pattaya bashing or wholesale rubbishing of all the restaurants.

[Jai Dee]

Let's hope no-one ruins this thread by Pattaya bashing or wholesale rubbishing of all the restaurants.

If any of this does start to happen, please report the post to a moderator who can make the necessary adjustments.

[COBBER]

Lengkee on Pattaya Klang just past Sio Bahkoew heading towards Second Rd.

Thai food with a Chinese accent.

My favorite is the Duck with gravy. (not fatty or dried out as it can be at some places).

Its inexpensive, fast, and good quality.

Mobi, please tell about Dim Sum on Pattaya Nua. Is it Cantonese style with the carts going around.

[PATTAYAPUNTER]

Good topic. Thanks.

2 of my regular food haunts:

1-No apparent name but it's on Tai directly across from Krung Thai bank. There's a blue and white awning. Chicken Massaman (35 bt) is orgasmic. Very popular. Open 24 hrs. Also try the Chicken Kapow if you like spicey or Pumpkin Coconut curry.

2-IMF Restaurant. Just past soi 14 Naklua on East side. All dishes 30% cheaper than Pattaya. Seldom see farrangs. Closes 5am. Excellent food at give-away prices. I'm proudly addicted to this place. The squid in salted egg (#159) is orgasmic. Pla Tub Tim (large fish in lime) is only 100bt.

[Mobi]

Lengkee on Pattaya Klang just past Sio Bahkoew heading towards Second Rd.

Thai food with a Chinese accent.

My favorite is the Duck with gravy. (not fatty or dried out as it can be at some places).

Its inexpensive, fast, and good quality.

Mobi, please tell about Dim Sum on Pattaya Nua. Is it Cantonese style with the carts going around.

Yes I guess it is Cantonese - all the usual dimsums. But they don't come round in those dim sum boxes - the samples are all displayed on the left as you enter the shop, and you choose which ones you want and then they cook (heat ) them for you. There's quite a choice. It takes a few minutes but it's worth the wait.

You can also order as take away, and the prices are pretty reasonable.

The shop is located on the left as you drive down Pattya Nua from Sukhumvit. It's not far down, before the firts set of lights, and there it is on the corner of a small turning with a proper Chinese restaurant on the other side of the turning. It looks like a regular noodle/rice shop, but you should spot it if you drive slowly. I'll try to get the name from my wife when she comes home.

[Vespa]

I consider myself a Foodie being from New York City and used to having any and every kind of food available within an arms reach ( or a subway ride)

Here a some of my hidden spots:

Khanom Gene (sp) those homemade white noodles with some great curry toppings, location is Central Pattaya Road same side as Carrefor but up towards Foodland. The menu is in Thai as well as the sign ( hint: it is next to the 2nd hand shop and language and computer school). This place is really good - try the "sow nam" or "nam prik" khanom gene Pretty sure some of the members here know the place.

Cherry on 3rd Road , European food. Across from Excite disco

there was recent thread on this place. It can be hit or miss. Some nights the food is excellent others it can be cooked half assed

The Falafel Truck at the entrance to Marine Plaza Hotel right off 2nd road , this guy has been there for years on end and now has many people copying him. His chicken falafels are 60 baht a pop and they rock.

More to follow.

Edited January 3, 2007 by Vespa

[bazmlb]

Theres a Kebab stand on 2nd rd just between soi 13 and soi 12, they have beef and chicken ones at 50 baht or larger ones 70 baht, best have had in pattaya so far.

Also found a nice burger place on Pattaya Tai serves 20cm/8" burgers! just near the corner of 3rd rd, called bobs?

Still havent found a good lamb kebab here yet. Anyone?

[Tammi]

White Knight on Soi VC (just after Sunee Plaza when coming from VC Hotel) serves an excellent and different buffet every evening for 2 weeks then goes back to beginning. European and Thai. No MSG. Always serves several vegetarian dishes. And the desserts!! B220. Free meal after 12 meals. Desserts and tea/coffee is B130. Sample desserts on one of the Sundays: Orange Mousse with strawberries, Sherry Trifle, Apple and blackberry sponge, Apple pie, Chocolate steamed pudding, custard. There's also a goodbye drink. Run by Tony (Brit) and Ken (Thai).

[stickyb]

The best pad thai noodles around i think are in the Tukcom centre.

Basement food court. Come down the stairs by SCB bank on the ground floor, and it is the first stall on the left, with a sign that says "we try to speak english"

Run by a charming Thai guy who really does good stuff, cooked whilst you wait for 30Baht (40 Baht for prawns)

[klikster]

New Buffalo Grill (Steakhouse?) (did I get that name right .. it's been 2.5 years) on Soi Buakhao. Don't know about the steaks but their pork chop and fries with garlic butter .. yum!

Belgium, I believe. Not expensive for the quality, as I recall.

[COBBER]

Theres a Kebab stand on 2nd rd just between soi 13 and soi 12, they have beef and chicken ones at 50 baht or larger ones 70 baht, best have had in pattaya so far.

Also found a nice burger place on Pattaya Tai serves 20cm/8" burgers! just near the corner of 3rd rd, called bobs?

Still havent found a good lamb kebab here yet. Anyone?

Also tasty Chicken Kebabs for 30 baht on Soi Bahkeow near Sawasdee Hotel, on the same side heading towards Pattaya Tai , about 50 metres up. Near Soi Honey.

[buriramboy]

best pad thai, only 25 baht, just as you turn into soi nern plhap waan (suk 53) from suk road , it is barely 10 meters up the road on your left, only a little stall and doesn't open till 5 or 6pm, but you can see the cart parked there in the daytime. just look for the queues when the stall opens, mainly Thais but a few farangs know about it and probably a few more now.

BB

[Little Black Duck]

New Buffalo Grill (Steakhouse?) (did I get that name right .. it's been 2.5 years) on Soi Buakhao. Don't know about the steaks but their pork chop and fries with garlic butter .. yum!

Belgium, I believe. Not expensive for the quality, as I recall.

Thats real ethnic Thai food hey????

Is Panyas Kitchen still open in Soi 8a by Beach Road??

Thai food in there was great..

Edited January 3, 2007 by Little Black Duck

[bmanly]

One of the best Thai/Chinese style restaurants I've eaten in is the place just before Tesco Lotus on the same side as Tesco as you are heading up from dolphin roundabout, Pattaya Nua Rd. It is on the corner and has latice type decorations on the outside. It is an open air restaurant but also has an enclosed air con part too. Mostly frequented by Thai/Chinese with only a few farangs. My favourite dishes are the Somtum Thai and, Penang Gai. They give you the menu and you fill in the order sheet and hand it to the waiter/waitress, great service.

[britmaveric]

Da Da's Restaurant on second rd, new shopping complex on left hand side (same side as mike's shopping mall, a little past it).

Great Pad Thai and other thai dishes!!!!

Edited January 3, 2007 by britmaveric

[libya 115]

I recommend the new Pakistani-Indian restaurant/take-away on Soi Bukhaew.

It has a bright red sign ' Saleem Restaurant' and is opposite Soi Honey.

The curries I have had were great only 130 baht and a good sized portion. Pick up a menu outside, free delivery as well.

I am a bit worried though, it has been shut for the last four days, maybe for the holiday?

[Tammi]

Anybody know restaurants that definitely do not use MSG?

Was in a restaurant the other night and did my usual "mai cai ponjerot" and waiter didn't understand. Along came another waiter so said my piece again. No problem, immediately understood. Asked why first waiter didn't understand and was told he is from Isan!

Many folks are allergic to MSG and can get dreadfully ill. Would appreciate if next time you are in your favourite restaurants you ask if they use MSG. I'm guessing that most of the Thai/Chinese do use, but you never know. I love Thai and Chinese but can only eat if I cook it.

May I ask that MSG yes/no be added to details about restaurants on this excellent thread?

[Vespa]

Anybody know restaurants that definitely do not use MSG?

Was in a restaurant the other night and did my usual "mai cai ponjerot" and waiter didn't understand. Along came another waiter so said my piece again. No problem, immediately understood. Asked why first waiter didn't understand and was told he is from Isan!

Many folks are allergic to MSG and can get dreadfully ill. Would appreciate if next time you are in your favourite restaurants you ask if they use MSG. I'm guessing that most of the Thai/Chinese do use, but you never know. I love Thai and Chinese but can only eat if I cook it.

May I ask that MSG yes/no be added to details about restaurants on this excellent thread?

MSG seems to be a staple in Thai cooking. I often ask that it is not dumped into my food also.

[COBBER]

I recommend the new Pakistani-Indian restaurant/take-away on Soi Bukhaew.

It has a bright red sign ' Saleem Restaurant' and is opposite Soi Honey.

The curries I have had were great only 130 baht and a good sized portion. Pick up a menu outside, free delivery as well.

I am a bit worried though, it has been shut for the last four days, maybe for the holiday?

Just near there in Soi Chaiyapoon there is The Seaside Restaurant that does a half reasonable take away or eat in Chicken Curry. Also opposite The Seaside and just down a bit towards Soi Bukaew there is another place with advertising boards out front that does good curries. Both fairly inexpensive.

[Ulysses G.]

Many folks are allergic to MSG and can get dreadfully ill.

I realize that it has been trendy for maby years to claim that MSG is harmful, but it has been proven to be complete bunk.

Repeating this silly lie just shows everyone how gullible you are!

[COBBER]

Many folks are allergic to MSG and can get dreadfully ill.

I realize that it has been trendy for maby years to claim that MSG is harmful, but it has been proven to be complete bunk.

Repeating this silly lie just shows everyone how gullible you are!

Calm down a bit Ulysses G. If Tammi prefers no MSG there is no harm in requesting a mention for restaurants that will cook without it.

Wheather or not its fact or fiction if someone thinks they are getting ill from it , i would think its pretty good reason not to eat it.

[Mobi]

Many folks are allergic to MSG and can get dreadfully ill.

I realize that it has been trendy for maby years to claim that MSG is harmful, but it has been proven to be complete bunk.

Repeating this silly lie just shows everyone how gullible you are!

It is not a silly lie, and there is no way it has been proven top be complete bunk. I suggest you look nearer home for who may be gullible if you believe that an excess of MSG is not potentially harmful.

As a diabeteic of many years, I was warned by one of the most eminent diabetes specialists in Harley Street of the dangers of too much MSG, commonly found in Chinese and other Asian food, including Thai.

I have been eating a great deal of restaurant Thai food over the past few days, and as a result have become quite ill with extremely high blood sugars, despite increasing my daily insulin shots. However, I can Thai food at home all the time with no MSG and have no medical problems.

Maybe the following will be of ineterst:

Why should MSG matter to a diabetic?

.....MSG causes a very large insulin response after it is ingested since there are glutamate receptors in the pancreas. MSG manufacturers state that ingested MSG does not result in a corresponding increase in blood levels of free glutamic acid, but according to the following research done in Canada, ingested MSG DOES result in higher plasma concentrations of free glutamic acid AND higher insulin levels as well....

...This study alone makes free glutamic acid's role in diseases like Diabetes extremely relevant to the overuse of MSG and free glutamic acid in our food.....

.....MSG opens calcium channels, thus constricting blood vessels – this may put diabetics with high blood pressure at risk by negating calcium channel blocker medication.

....Since cardiovascular disease is a problem for those with diabetes, it would be wise to avoid any blood vessel constricting foods containing the free amino acids -Tyrosine, Tyramine and Glutamate. This means most fermented foods, as well as MSG, and hydrolyzed protein.....

Although the above is particularly relevant to diabetics, it is also clear that an excess of MSG is potentially harmful to anyone.

Now, who is the gullible one?

[Ulysses G.]

As a diabeteic of many years, I was warned by one of the most eminent diabetes specialists in Harley Street of the dangers of too much MSG, commonly found in Chinese and other Asian food, including Thai.

I must admit that I was talking about someone in normal health, I didn't mean someone afflicted with a very dangerous disease like diabetes. After all, even common table sugar can conceivably kill someone with diabetes.

Let me be clearer about my advice, if you suffer from a dangerous disease and your doctor tells you to avoid MSG or sugar or chlorinated water or white rice or anything else, by all means listen to him, but if you are a normal, healthy human being, MSG in normal doses won't do anything except make your food taste better.

I will also admit that perhaps it would have been better to call people with a MSG phobia, neurotic instead of gullible?

Edited January 4, 2007 by Ulysses G.

[Mobi]

As a diabeteic of many years, I was warned by one of the most eminent diabetes specialists in Harley Street of the dangers of too much MSG, commonly found in Chinese and other Asian food, including Thai.

I must admit that I was talking about someone in normal health, I didn't mean someone afflicted with a very dangerous disease like diabetes. After all, even common table sugar can conceivably kill someone with diabetes.

Let me be clearer about my advice, if you suffer from a dangerous disease and your doctor tells you to avoid MSG or sugar or chlorinated water or white rice or anything else, by all means listen to him, but if you are a normal, healthy human being, MSG in normal doses won't do anything except make your food taste better.

I will also admit that perhaps it would have been better to call people with a MSG phobia, neurotic instead of gullible?

I submit that Tammi's suggestion regarding MSG advice was eminently sensible and did not warrant your smug nonsense about :"Lies" and being "gullible"

This is a good thread.

PLEASE DON'T SPOIL IT!

MSG debate closed as far as I'm concerned. Start a new thread if you so desire.

Over to you

[Ulysses G.]

I submit that Tammi's suggestion regarding MSG advice was eminently sensible and did not warrant your smug nonsense about :"Lies" and being "gullible"

It was another urban myth; a bunch of malarkey which should be pointed out to those who don't bother with researching these things.

Unmitigated nonsense!

[johnh101]

I submit that Tammi's suggestion regarding MSG advice was eminently sensible and did not warrant your smug nonsense about :"Lies" and being "gullible"

It was another urban myth; a bunch of malarkey which should be pointed out to those who don't bother with researching these things.

Unmitigated nonsense!

Ulysses G, sorry to disagree with you but I have to.

I and many other people I know have adverse reactions to food wth MSG. It is not a naturally occuring product but a laboratory created chemical compound. Yes, and before you start, nature does produce something similar, but NOT the same.

[Jai Dee]

Can we please leave the msg discussion out of this thread (start a new one if you like) and get back to talking about good value restaurants?

[buriramboy]

for seafood , i like the fishing park on 3rd road past carrefour, nice surroundings, good quality, tasty food and cheap compared to similar places, only possible downer is that at night time the music might not be to everyones taste, but as i generally tend to go there late afternoon/early evening not a problem.

BB

[bazmlb]

What about Fish n Chips, has anybody found a good spot?