Evil Penevil

This may not be the best burger in town, but it is probably the biggest: 14 beef patties, 14 slices each of bacon and cheese and five bun halves. The pic is from M.C.Burger's Web site. The giant burger is part of a food challenge- you have to eat the burger as well as one order each of French fries, curly fries and onion rings in 45 minutes. Down it all and you win 1,000 baht plus a custom T-shirt. Fail and it costs you 1,000 baht. I did a review of M.C. Burger in the "Under 300 Baht..." thread, so I won't repeat it here. Evil

Yes, it is- and very popular. I was there at 7.00 p.m. on a Sunday a couple of weeks ago and they had already run out of all roast dinners. Evil

A good egg mayo sandwich at Secrets for 99 baht.  Evil

This is the worst case of a homeless farang I've seen in Pattaya, the German guy from 7-8 years ago: I had a conversation with the poor guy in mid-September, 2011. I saw him sitting near the corner of Soi Diana and Second Road, close to Kiss. He looked terrible - filthy, in rags and clearly malnourished, perhaps even starving. You can see it in the pictures. No body fat and very little muscle on his arms or legs, His body was eating itself. The foot without the sandal was inflamed and swollen. I'm sure if it went untreated it would have become gangrenous. I had tried approaching him before, but he had been incoherent those days. He looked so bad I felt I had to try to do something. Not knowing what to say, I just asked him in English, "You OK, man?" He nodded yes with a very unconcerned facial expression, then asked me if I knew of a hotel with a dinner buffet. That took me aback, but I answered without letting my jaw drop. I said I didn't, but I'd be happy to get him some take-away food at Kiss. He declined and said the food at Kiss was "too bad." He wanted a buffet! He wasn't begging, but he sure was choosing. I offered him 100 baht to get food later, but he answered he didn't need it. He said he liked my shirt - I tend to wear loud print shirts - and I offered to get him one just like it. Again, he refused. I offered food or money one more time, but he repeated he didn't need it. On one level, this was humorous: a raggedy homeless man refusing food at Kiss because of its poor quality. But on another level, it was tragic and not at all funny. For a man in his condition to refuse food is a clear indication he had become so delusional he was a threat to himself. He needed to be institutionalized at least in the short run, but that wouldn't happen in Pattaya. A few weeks later, after many, many complaints, the police did pick him up and I heard he was deported back to Germany where he would receive appropriate care. I wonder how things turned out for him and if he's still choosy about his food. Evil

I very seldom eat a full farang breakfast in Pattaya as I never seem to be hungry in the morning. A cup of yogurt, some fresh fruit or a small bowl of rice soup does me fine until noon. But on rare occasions, I am hungry early on and will have a bacon-and-egg breakfast. A few days ago I felt very hungry at 9.30 a.m. and decided to try the breakfast at Smokin' Joe's BBQ on Soi Lengkee. I had the "Standard Breakfast" for 95 baht. The quality of the ingredients was good and the portion was enough for me. I got two eggs cooked sunny-side-up at my request; a link of pork sausage; two extra-wide rashers of streaky bacon; two pieces of toast with butter; and a cup of coffee. You have a choice of back or streaky bacon. The rashers looked as if they might have been sliced in-house from a slab of bacon. The coffee was good and tea was available. I also had a small glass of fresh orange juice for 50 baht, so 145 baht all-in. I was happy with the Standard Breakfast, but Smokin' Joe's had many more options. I'll be back sometime to try the buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup; the Eggs Benedict and the Breakfast Burrito, but probably as lunch rather than breakfast. From Smokin' Joe's Facebook page: I'm not much concerned with a restaurant's ambiance in Pattaya. I do want it to be clean, well-lit, air-conditioned. smoke-free and without loud music. SJ's ticked all those boxes. It also offers free Wi-Fi. If you like to spend some time over breakfast reading a newspaper or catching up on the Internet, SJ's is a comfortable place for a leisurely morning meal. Bottom line: If you're looking for a small breakfast with good quality, Smokin' Joe's Standard Breakfast is an excellent option. If you want a much bigger breakfast for just a few baht more, then you're better off continuing on Soi Lengkee to Retox. Smokin' Joe's is best known for its U.S.-style BQQ and Tex-Mex dishes. Some of the daily specials: Evil

We went back to LPP on Wednesday for a second try with the three-course set menu. My friend started with tomato soup, which he said was very good. I had the house pate, which came with a small portion of salad and pickles. Very good country-style pate! My friend had the salmon steak as his main course. He described it as delicious, among the best he'd had in Pattaya- and he eats salmon steak just about every time it's on the menu. I had the entrecote, which added an extra 50 baht to the 320-baht three-course menu. I was good, although not as tender as I remember the entrecote at LPP in the past. I asked for it medium rare. but it came more on the medium side. For dessert, he had the chocolate mousse again ... ... and I had the lemon sorbet. The food we got on the two nights we visited LPP this week was up to the old standard with the exception of the entrecote and that wasn't a huge miss. At 320 baht, the three-course set menu is still excellent value for money. Evil

I hadn't eaten at La Petite Planete for a long time, but I have eaten there twice in the past week. The food is as good as it's always been and very little has changed inside or out. A friend and I had dinner there Monday and Wednesday nights (LPP is closed Tuesdays). Both nights each of us went for the three-course meal for 320 baht. He chose the asparagus salad as his starter ... ... while I had the asparagus soup. A basket of sliced bread and pats of butter came with the starters. My friend thought his salad was "original" in that it was different from most of the salads you get in Pattaya. It wasn't just vegetables and lettuce heaped on a plate. The asparagus flavor shone through in my soup. It wasn't too thick or creamy. Both of us picked coq au vin as our main course and we weren't disappointed. The chicken leg and thigh had been braised in red wine and seasoned perfectly. The meat and the sauce were delicious. Diners get a choice of French fries, mashed potatoes or potato croquettes and we picked the croquettes. It would have been better with boiled potatoes, but the croquettes were fine. For dessert, my friend had the chocolate mousse and I had the creme caramel. Both were "homemade" and excellent. My friend was so impressed that that he wanted to come back the next night, but LPP is closed Tuesdays, so we had to wait until Wednesday. I'll review that meal in the next post. Evil

Last night I tried the 99-baht hamburger at Harry's, the second of the restaurant's summer specials. It was a tasty burger. Considering the price and that it came with plenty of crispy skinny fries, it was excellent value for money. It had a bit too much dressing for my taste, but that's a matter of personal preference. If you have a big appetite, the portion may not be large enough. I saw one guy scarf the burger and fries quickly, then order the other 99-baht summer special (the minute steak in post #217), which he ate at a more leisurely pace. That's a fair amount of food for 198 baht. Bottom line: Harry's two summer specials (hamburger or minute steak) at 99 baht each are good options if you want something cheap and quick in the LK Metro area. Evil

Quite a few people are allergic to some of the chemicals that result from the fermentation process or are added as preservatives to beer and wine. I discovered in my 20s that I was allergic to some types of red wine. The reaction can be severe in the worst case and I haven't drunk red wine in 40 years. The doc told me it's estimated that 25% of the population has alcohol-related allergies but don't know it. He said allergic reactions are the cause of many hangovers. I heard the Clydesdale horses are the symbol of Budweiser because the beer is brewed through them. Evil

It had a real kick to it. If you're not a fan of spicy food, you might want to ask them to hold back on the Thai chiles. Evil

Just a brief update- I recently had nasi goreng (Indonesian fried rice) with pork satay and deep-fried shrimp chips at My Way. It cost 325 baht, but the portion of fried rice was at least double the size of what you get in most restaurants. It's definitely a meal you want to order when quite hungry. The prok satay was also excellent, particularly the peanut sauce. I think nasi goreng is most flavorful of all Asian fried rice variations and the cook at My Way did it well. If you enjoy nasi goreng, you might want to give My Way's version a try. Evil

Buakhao Bistro has been open about six weeks. It's located on the stretch of Soi Bukhao between Soi Diana and LK Metro and across the street from Oasis A Go Go and Soi Chaiyapoon. As its sign proclaims, Buakhao Bistro offers international and Thai cuisine. There's everything on the menu from pad thai and Chinese steamed dumplings through hamburgers. pizza and pasta to steaks, onion soup and a French open-faced sandwich. Prices are mid-range, with plenty of main dishes under 200 and 300 baht. The owner/manager is a very friendly French man who enjoys talking with his customers. He told he had been in the restaurant business in Pattaya for 11 years and was previously associated with The Kitchen on Beach Road. The veranda is a good spot for people watching. I prefer to sit in the covered section of the restaurant, but I still had a clear view of the street. What struck me most is the number of near traffic accidents I saw. That crazy intersection of Soi Diana, Soi Lenkee and Soi Diana leads to some hair-raising left and right turns. The restaurant has a selection of bottled Belgian beer. I like lambic fruit beers and was pleased to see St Louis Premium Framboise (raspberry) on the menu. Fruit lambics go very well with spicy foods, so I ordered the penne arabiata at 160 baht. It was indeed spicy, but very good. One nice touch is the free pate and bread that comes with some of Buakhao Bistro main dishes. The pate is homemade and tasty. I next tried the parma ham tartine, an open-faced French sandwich. It wasn't cheap at 220 baht, but then neither is parma ham in Thailand. Again, very good but not particularly filling. I've also had the fish burger and fries at 210 baht ... and the smoked salmon wrap at 180 baht. No complaints about either. The fish fillet in the burger had been nicely breaded and season, while the taste of the smoked salmon wasn't overwhelmed by the other ingredients. Bottom line: Good food at a good location. Evil

At various times, I've had conflicts regarding photo uploads with all the major browsers- Firefox, Chrome, Opera, IE and Edge. The one I use least, like almost never, is the one that has proved most consistent regarding photo uploads to P-T- the old Internet Explorer. Usually these conflicts go away on their own. Evil

Frosty- Just FYI, I got the following error a few minutes ago when I tried to post: The board does seem to be running slow for me. Also, I cannot use the multiple photo upload function, the advanced uploader. The Choose Files button doesn't show. I have no problem uploading pics one by one. I have the latest version of Flash and it's enabled, so this might be a conflict between my browser and the Invision software. Evil

Just a small update. I have pretty well eaten my way through the whole menu at So's, so I finally got around to trying the sweet and sour chicken, It and chicken with cashews are the last two dishes I order at a Thai restaurant. Nothing inherently wrong with either, but all too often they' are adapted to meet farang expectations based on Chinese restaurants in the West. I'm happy to say that wasn't the case at So's. It wasn't overly sweet from sugar or a plateful of pineapple chunks. The dish had plenty of vegetables and chicken, with only a couple of pieces of pineapple. The sauce was indeed well balanced between sweet and sour. It cost 80 baht. I won't be hesitant to try the chicken with cashews at So's! Evil

I don't know for sure, but Balti Towers by Retox may not be operating. The Web site and FB page have been closed and there's been no review on TripAdvisor since February. Perhaps another member knows for sure what happened? I can't offer any suggestions on other sources for U.K.-style curry as I don't eat it. Evil

Another update on White Pines.  The other night I had the Crispy Chicken Burger at 220 baht. I never tried it in the "good ol' days" at White Pines, so I can't make a direct comparison. I can say that the burger I got was indeed good. i'm not a fan of "busy" burgers of any sort that have unnecessary toppings, but it wasn't much of a hassle to pull off two onion rings. The fried chicken breast was substantial and cooked well- lightly breaded and crispy on the outside, moist on the inside. It was topped with a modest amount of cheese and underneath was the customary lettuce and tomato slices. The bun was nicely toasted. The French fries were also good. The onion rings needed a few seconds longer in the fryer, but since I don't like onion rings much, that didn't matter to me. I began to wish the chicken breast had been served on a plate with mashed potatoes, gravy and peas. That would have been an excellent meal! Bottom line: White Pines continues to recover. From what I've observed in the restaurant itself and read online, more of its old customers are giving it a second chance. Evil

I'm going to try this one: Harry's is located on Soi Diana between Soi Bukhao and LK Metro. EDIT IN: I did try the"99er" minute steak at Harry's and it was excellent, especially considering the price. The word "minced" in the Facebook blurb is a bit of a mistranslation. It's a Swedish-style minute steak, pure and simple. There is nothing "minced" about it. In Swedish, it's called lövbiff. Minute steak is a thin slice of top round (sometimes sirloin) that is then pounded to tenderize it. Swedish lövbiff tends to be thinner than a U.S. minute steak. The one I got at Harry's last night was about as thick as a 10-baht coin. The crucial factor with minute steak is not to cook it too long. When it is as thin as at Harry's, it only needs a few seconds each side on a very hot griddle. More than that and it will be frazzled, tough and basically inedible. The minute steak at Harry's was done properly, even a bit pink on the inside. It was tender and had plenty of beef flavor. The skinny fries were also good and even the slices of tomato were tastier than a lot you get on your plate in Pattaya. I was well-pleased with my meal and have no problem in recommending it. I'm sure I'll have it again several times before the summer is over. Was the portion big enough to satisfy a lumberjack who's just come back from eight hours of chopping trees? No, it wasn't. But for those of us who have sedentary lifestyles, it's sufficient. And if it isn't. the price is cheap enough to order a salad or other dish to fill up, maybe even the 99-baht hamburger. A couple more photos with the knife and fork on the plate so you get a better idea of the portion size. Bottom line: Go for it! Evil

Kilkenny on LK Metro has lasagna as a special for 199 baht several times a week. It's not exactly the lasagna an Italian grandmother would make, but it's tasty and the portion is huge. It comes with three small slices of garlic bread and a smattering of salad on the side. The Kilkenny version of lasagna is very heavy on the meat filling and cheese topping, but light on the pasta. It's sort of like an upside down cottage pie with pasta instead of mashed potatoes. The bechamel sauce that is used in some types of lasagna was most noticeable by its absence. There's nothing wrong with that. Many traditonal recipes have been adapted by restaurants to suit the preferences of their diners and that's almost certainly the case with Kilkenny's lasagna. But if your looking for a many-layered lasagna dressed with a lighter ragu-style sauce, that's not what Kilkenny's lasagna is about. Another special that Kilkenny frequently offers is liver and onions with bacon for 169 baht. I'm not a fan of liver and onions, so I won't be ordering it. According to a friend who does like it, it's done well at Kilkenny and again, the portion is large. This is a pic I lifted from Kilkenny's Facebook page: Bottom line: If you're a hearty eater who wants a lot of food on his plate, you can't go wrong at Kilkenny. Evil :

So's Place on Soi 15 behind The Avenue mainly serves Thai food, so I have written a separate (as yet incomplete) review here. However, on Saturdays So's does offer a BBQ smoked pork rib dinner U.S. style for 299 baht. The rib dinners start at 6.30 p.m. and continue until the ribs run out. It's also possible to order the ribs without the side dishes for 199 baht. That's probably a nod to take-away customers and to the farang diners' Thai lady companions who like ribs but not Western side dishes. The dinner consists of a half rack of pork ribs (six ribs), two pieces of sweet corn, coleslaw and half a baked (and steamed?) potato topped with cheddar cheese, sour cream and chives. The ribs had a nice smoky flavor. The meat wasn't falling-off-the-bone tender, but many rib enthusiasts say that if the meat literally falls off the bone, it's been overcooked. My grandfather used to say the meat "should have a bit of fight left in it." There's no right or wrong about it; it's just a matter of personal preference. But if you want fork-tender ribs, you won't find them at So's. The BBQ sauce was tangy and not too sweet, with a definite kick to it. The corn was very tasty, although I would have liked a pat of butter to go with it. The coleslaw was the standard "school cafeteria" variety. There was nothing wrong with it, but nothing very special, either. The half-potato was a bit mushy for my taste, as though it had been baked and then steamed to reheat it. Bottom line: It's not the best rib dinner in Pattaya, but those better dinners will cost you a lot more than 299 baht. For its price, it is good value for money. Remember, though, the ribs are only available of Saturdays. So's otherwise serves Thai food seven days a week. Evil

So's Place (Bar and Restaurant) is a small family-owned establishment on Soi 15 across the street from The Avenue shopping plaza. It serves standard Thai dishes at low prices, with only a couple of Western dishes on the menu. The food is excellent and the service is very friendly. There's nothing fancy about So's Place, but it's cheap and cheerful, which is exactly what many tourists and long-term residents are looking for in a neighborhood eatery. It's open daily between noon and midnight, with last orders for food taken at 11.00 p.m. So's has been in business for a few years and has built a loyal following. It recently expanded, taking over a beer bar next door and knocking down the wall between them. This is what it looked like before the expansion: And now: Most of the dishes at So's run between 80 and 120 baht. It's home-style Thai cooking by a lady who knows what she's doing. The portions aren't huge, but they are certainly adequate. My favorite is the minced pork with holy basil. It costs 80 baht, with an egg atop the rice an extra 15 baht. The waitresses at So's ask each diner whether he or she wants the dish spicy. One nice is that diners get a cold towel before the meal. EDIT IN: I'll add some text, but not much more is really needed. The dishes on the menu at So's will be familiar to anyone who enjoys Thai food. Thai-style "omelette" filled with minced pork and vegetables: Shrimp with black pepper and garlic: Pork and vegetable stir-fry with oyster sauce: Pad thai: Pork noodle soup: Crispy pork with kale: Bottom line: If you want good Thai food at a low price, So's is an excellent choice. I should add that I eat frequently at So's, but not only on the basis of the food. It's a very convenient location for me. Evil

Another update on White Pines. I had the pumpkin soup- and everyone's former favorite, the calamari- Both were pretty good, but still not quite up to the former standard. I know pumpkin soup isn't a "big taste" item, but it seemed a bit too bland, just not enough pumpkin flavor. The garlic bread was excellent. In terms of portion size and preparation, the calamari was closer to the version we all loved. The garlic had been added as before. Maybe it's only psychological, but I just felt something was missing in terms of flavor. If the calamari before the staff change had been a 9 in my estimation, this was a 7. I didn't see the male chef this time round, but two females were working in the kitchen. Service was quick and friendly, but again, only one other customer. Bottom line: The jury is still out, but there are positive signs from White Pines. Evil

Eighteen pages and over 260 posts in the thread on Thai Visa about the threatened defamation action but NO ONE dares to name the restaurant. If I ever do learn the name and pay the establishment a visit, I will definitely be on the lookout for Luca Brasi. The owner (or manager) must indeed inspire fear. Evil

No, that wasn't me. I was there Sunday night. The other customer who came in while I was there was a WS go go bar manager. Evil

WTF??? Fourteen pages and over 200 posts in the Thai Visa thread, but no one will name the restaurant!!! Why is everyone so scared? Is the restaurant owned by the Corleone family and managed by Luca Brasi? No matter how strict the defamation laws are in Thailand, you can't be charged for writing something like "XYZ is the name of the restaurant that was reviewed." I'm not a member of the Breakfast Club or any other Facebook food group, so I have no idea what this is really about. But if anyone knows the name of the restaurant, could you please PM me if you don't want to post it in this thread? I'd like to visit that restaurant and write my own review. Evil