Evil Penevil

You have to be very careful with pirated software. Disconnect from the Internet, then scan it like hell with every virus-detection program known to man. There's often a lot of really nasty stuff on pirated software discs. Evil

Today Robin Hood is starting with its Sunday roast dinners. I'm assuming it will be very similar to the Sunday roast at Retox Game On and it was excellent. The small version at 199 baht was more than enough for me. If you like British roast dinners, you might want to try it. Evil

The Robin Hood Tavern has its own thread, but it deserves mention in this thread, too. Quite a few of the dishes on its menu cost less than 300 baht and the daily special usually goes for 199 baht. Portions are not just large but huge and all the meals that I've had so far have been good. High-quality ingredients have been used in the dishes and they have been skillfully prepared. That's not always the case in Pattaya, so I give both respect and praise for the effort. Yesterday afternoon I had the daily special, billed "The Fat Friar Tuck" at 199 baht. It consisted of a pan-fired fillet of chicken breast topped with tomato sauce, smoked streaky bacon, mozzarella cheese and spring onions and resting on a bed of garlic potatoes. I ordered a pint of Peroni (175 baht) to go with it. Peroni is a light and crisp Italian pale lager that goes well with food because it doesn't overwhelm or clash with the taste of the food, but I guess a pint of Old Speckled Hen would be a more natural pairing for a chicken dish. The tomato sauce was perhaps a bit too dominant, but otherwise it was fine. The chicken fillet had been breaded properly and fried to just the right point so the meat wasn't dry. The quality and quantity of the mozzarella and bacon topping lifted the flavor. I have eaten quite bit at TRHT since it opened, largely because it's a five-minute walk from my condo. There's no need to venture farther to get a decent meal. Another motivation has been to see if the dishes that had been offered at the Bite Me Bistro were re-emerging at the TRHT. Some of the pics of the Robin Hood daily specials resemble the specials which BMB used to offer. I don't think that was the case with Saturday's special. "The Fat Friar Tuck" might have been a tentative step by Robin Hood to gentrify Sherwood Forest rather that Bite Me Bistro slumming it. Friar Tuck's chicken was hearty, well prepared and good value-for-money at 199 baht, but also light-years from the sophisticated and creative dishes that were the hallmark of BMB. One point to emphasize: the portions are large indeed at TRHT. There aren't too many places in Pattaya where you can get that much quality food for 199 baht. Evil

Breakfast is a beloved topic on the Pattaya, but I'm not usually a good source of information as I seldom eat a farang breakfast. However, due to the problems with the Internet in my building, I've had more Western breakfasts this week than I would normally have in six months. Internet connectivity, rather than the food, has been my reason for visiting restaurants in the morning. Yesterday I had the Sheriff of Nottingham breakfast at TRHT for 179 baht. It was a big plate of food and what came down in front of me closely corresponded to the pic in the ad for the Sheriff of Nottingham breakfast. It included a cup of coffee or tea and a small glass of orange juice. I added a watermelon smoothie for 85 baht. According to traditional Chinese medicine, watermelon juice is a cold food that helps dispel the heat of a tropical climate. The coldness doesn't have to do with the temperature of the juice, but its position on the yin-yang scale. The yin of the watermelon juice helps balance the both the yang of the outside heat and humidity and the other components of the breakfast. Others are more qualified to discuss the details of an English breakfast, so I'll abstain. It tasted pretty good to me, even though English sausage and tinned beans don't rank among my favorites for breakfast. However, there was no mistaking the ingredients were quality. The eggs were fried nicely, once over lightly. The grilled tomato, fried mushroom and potato were also tasty, as was the back bacon, sometimes called Irish bacon in the U.S. Look at the knife and fork in relation to the size of the plate. That's a lot of food! And it wasn't greasy, which is often the case with English fry-ups. In terms of value-for-money, the quality of ingredients as well as the portion size make the Sheriff's breakfast a reasonable deal. However, the other Retrox restaurants have similar breakfasts at about 100 baht. If you add another 61 baht to your breakfast outlay, you can have the buffet at Casa Pascal, without question the best breakfast offer in central Pattaya and just a hop, skip and jump from TRHT. Evil

Some of the daily specials that show up on The Robin Hood Tavern's Facebook page sound and look like Bite Me dishes. Take a look at Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday's specials, Link Only circumstantial evidence, but it may be a soft start to Bite Me's re-emergence. Evil

I went to TRHT on Sunday looking to have the once-a-week roast dinner. The inside area was packed full at 2.30 p.m., not a single seat open and people standing with drinks in hand. But there were plenty of seats outside, probably because of the impending rain. Although I'm not a big fan of al fresco dining, I was more disappointed to find the roast dinners weren't available that Sunday. Whether it was due to staff shortages or other hassles, I don't know. In fact, TRHT was using an abbreviated menu with about half of its usual offering: That's not a bad idea at all when a restaurant is forced for any reason to operate on a limited basis. There's still plenty of choice, but customers won't have to constantly hear, "No hab" or wait for many minutes before the food arrives on the table. I had my heart set on a roast dinner and if it hadn't been for the heavy rain, I would have gone elsewhere. I swallowed my disappointment and ordered the cottage pie. It was excellent- a generous portion of minced meat topped with mashed potatoes and cheddar cheese. Three pieces of warm French bread accompanied it. It was made from quality ingredients cooked properly. The mince mixture had a good beef-and-vegetable flavor, but was perhaps a bit bland. However, that what the condiment basket is for. Cottage pie isn't supposed to be a tongue-tingling dish and with Worcestershire sauce or Tabasco, you can add as much zip as you like. No complaints on my part and I wouldn't hesitate to order it again. It 275 baht, it wasn't cheap, but the quality ingredients justified a premium price. I went back again Wednesday night, not so much because I love TRHT, but The Avenue is five minutes from where I live and the Internet was down in my building. TRHT has free WiFi that's both strong and fast. The Internet is still down in my building and I'm filing this report from the Robin Hood. It's the WiFi rather than the food that is the immediate draw this time round. Somewhat to my surprise, it was nearly empty at 8.00 p.m. I stayed until nearly 1.00 a.m. and there weren't many customers the whole time. At one point, around 9.30 p.m., I was the ONLY customer. Things picked up a smidgen when a group of twelve guys entered a half-hour later. They were still there when I left, eating and drinking heartily. Without them, the night would have been a real bust for TRHT. Every other time I've been to the Robin Hood, it's had plenty of customers and the service staff really had to rush. Such are the vagaries of the bar/restaurant branch in Pattaya. At least the lack of customers allowed me to get clear pics of the layout of the main inside area. For my meal, I had the lamb burger for 395 baht. The longer Robin Hood menu was back on Wednesday. The burger consisted of a 180-gram patty of Australian lamb, three slices of feta cheese, tomato and lettuce on a sesame bun. The sides were thick-cut chips (they would be called potato wedges in the U.S.) and coleslaw. The menu said it was mint yogurt slaw, but that wasn't the case. The mint yogurt sauce came in a separate little dish and the coleslaw was doused with the usual mayonnaise-based dressing. It was good, but not the most exciting burger I've had. The feta cheese and lamb went well together. I know imported lamb is expensive in Thailand, but 395 baht did seem a bit on the high side for what you got. I ordered the bread-and-butter pudding for dessert along with a coffee latte. Both were excellent. The bread-and-butter pudding was just like Grandma used to make. Plenty of egg/cream mixture and butter and baked perfectly so it got a great topping of caramelized sugar but not too sweet. The cook had been a bit stingy regarding raisins, but so was my Grandma. The custard sauce was also lovely, smooth, full-flavored and again, not too sweet. The pudding went for a very reasonable 140 baht. I would have liked to have had another portion, but that would have been overindulgence, so I'll post another picture instead. Less fattening! Bottom line: So far I've been very happy with the food at the Robin Hood. It's not inexpensive, but the quality is higher than in a lot of places that serve English food. Two other points: 1) I saw no evidence of any Bite Me Bistro dishes on the menu, but I was served Sunday by Apple, who used to work at Bite Me; and 2) smoking is not allowed inside. Half of the guys in the group of 12 went outside to smoke. If TRHT had been flexible on smoking, I'm sure they would have allowed them to smoke inside on a night with almost no other customers. Evil

If the restaurant is going to close, maybe I should have kept "lamented." Evil

Thanks. Corrected now. I should turn off the automatic "word suggestion" feature in the program I use to write my reviews, but it saves quite a bit of time, although it does result in some funny mistakes from time to time Evil

With a name like ShamaLama Ding Dong, it's got to be good! The unusual name goes well with the eclectic but appealing decor of a restaurant on Naklua Road that flies the Portuguese flag and bills itself as "fusion," a trendy word for a combination of different cuisines. (FaceBook photo) ShamaLama Ding Dong's menu is as varied as its decor: Portuguese, Thai, Tex-Mex and a wide selection of burgers and hot dogs. I've eaten at SLDD twice so far and was happy with the meals I've had. However, its location (between sois 18/1 and 18 on Naklua Road) means a 20 to 25-minute baht-bus ride to get there from where I live and at least 30 minutes to return home, so I doubt I'll be a frequent customer because of the travel time. The food itself would keep me coming back and if I have reason to be in Naklua, I'll be sure to visit SLDD again. For those of you who use pizza parlors as landmarks, SLDD is across the street from Pizza Big and a few doors south of Domino's. (lifted from Pattaya Mail; I didn't take a pic of the 88-baht menu.) In addition to its catchy name, ShamaLama Ding Dong has generated some buzz with its "Buy 2, Get 3" offer. SLDD has a limited number of 88-baht items and diners who buy two of them get a third for free. The first time I ate at SLDD the special offer wasn't available, but it was back on the second time. I had the following three items: fish 'n chips; a Portuguese pork sandwich called a bifana; and three canape-sized hamburgers. 9a and the homemade peach ice tea. All of the dishes were good but small. They were tasting or appetizer-sized portions. It would depend on which 88-baht items you chose, but three together probably wouldn't be enough food to satisfy the guys with big appetites. However, 176 baht for three dishes is certainly value for money. Not everyone who steps into a restaurant is ravenously hungry and the three items could be enough for them. I know they were for me. I didn't leave SLDD feeling hungry; I wasn't even tempted to order another dish or dessert. The mini fish 'n chips were excellent. The fish was tasty and the breading was light but crispy, same-same with the chopstick fries. The canape hamburgers were OK, bite-sized and spicy, but I doubt I'd order them again. There just doesn't seem to be much point with such small burgers, except perhaps as canapes at a party. For me, the bifana was the meal's highlight. I'd never had a Portuguese pork sandwich before, but I was delighted to make its acquaintance. The pork had been marinated and then grilled. The meat was tender and juicy. The bun had been baked on the premises and was among the better I've had in Pattaya. A delicious sandwich, one which I'll definitely have again. The second time I went to SLDD, I wanted to try a couple of dishes I spotted on the menu during my initial visit. I had the crispy pork with basil and minced garlic at 250 baht. A touch of citrus (lime?) helped balance the fattiness of the pork belly. It wasn't a large portion, but filling. I'm a big fan of pork belly dishes, assuming they are made of high-quality pork and cooked properly. SLDD got it right on both counts. I still had room for dessert. I had wanted to try the chocolate lava cake at 150 baht, but it wasn't available, so I took the chocolate fudge cake at 125 baht. It was light with a rich chocolate taste, but not too sweet. The lady who served me said she had baked it herself. The menu at SLDD is big, but I'm taking about physical size, not the number of dishes. The menu card is about two feet by 18 inches, printed and laminated on both sides. The "main page" features a lot of burger options, ranging in size from the Triple Mess down to the canape burgers. Four kinds of hot dogs are also featured. On the Tex-Mex side, SLDD offers chili con carne, a burrito and nachos as well burgers and hot dogs with Tex=Mex touches. The caption for the chili con carne reads, "Mexican chili so authentic Trump would build a wall around it." Oh, dear, as my Grandma would say. Despite its Spanish language name, chili con carne is as American as cherry pie. The hugely popular dish that has become an international favorite has it roots not in Mexico but as one-pot cooking along the 19th-century cattle and wagon trails of the U.S. There's nothing in authentic Mexican cuisine that resembles chili con carne. SLDD puts emphasis on coffee and smoothies, but also has a full range of alcoholic beverages, including cocktails and sangria, a citrusy wine punch. A handful of Portuguese dishes, such as the iconic carne de porco à Alentejana (pork with clams), round out the menu. Prices are reasonable for the high-quality food you receive. SLDD has a "Man vs Food" challenge regarding one of its hamburgers. The restaurant's FaceBook page says 25 diners have so far attempted the challenge, but only one has succeeded. Bottom line: ShamaLama Ding Dong offers interesting and tasty food in comfortable surroundings, but its out-of-the-way location will tend to limit the number of customers. Best of luck in the Pattaya restaurant shark pool! The town needs more places that show some originality while upholding high standards of quality. Evil

The map isn't drawn to scale, but it is correct in terms of position. From 2nd Road, walk east on Soi 2 and turn left at the first cross street (Soi Phettrakul). Differ will be on your right and Jim's is on the left side of the street, about 2/3s down the block bounded by Sois 2 and 1. Evil

That's not necessary as the other review is in the "Under 300 Baht ..." thread. But the name of the restaurant is "White Pines" and it's on Soi 14 rather than Soi 15. The routes of Sois 14 and 15 off WS are counter-intuitive. Evil

Is this the restaurant you mean? If so, there's already a review of it in this thread: White Pines. If not, we need to distinguish between the two. White Pines was originally open until 1.00 a.m., but they might have extended their hours, especially on weekends. Evil

Is this the restaurant you mean? If so, there's already a review of it in this thread: White Pines. If not, we need to distinguish between the two. Evil

Saturday morning, I had the breakfast buffet at the Atlantis in the Centara Azure. Bottom line: You can have as much mediocre-to-poor food as you want for 199 baht. But the surroundings are striking and comfortable. There's better available nearby at a comparable price, namely the buffet at Casa Pascal, and numerous restaurants that offer breakfast specials at 100 to 200 baht. I got there at 9.00 a.m. (the buffet runs from 6.30 a.m. to 10.30 a.m.) and there were about 20 customers, or roughly 20% full. Most of the other customers seemed to be Russian families and Asian tourists. The set-up was similar to the dinner buffet: seven chafing platters for warm dishes and a separate table for fruit, cold cuts and salad. In addition, there were "stations" for eggs and Asian soup. The eggs were cooked to order and ingredients were added to the soup at the customer's request. Breakfast juices/beverages were also on offer, as were cold cereals, yogurt, bread and pastries. Of the seven warm dishes, four related to Western breakfast: streaky bacon, ham, sauteed potatoes and those horrible little cocktail sausages. But some people like them I saw a Russian teenager load a dozen (yes, I counted them) onto his plate, along with three fried eggs, an omelet and a heaping pile of potatoes. The other warm dishes were rice and Asian cooked vegetables. Small, silver-dollar pancakes were also on offer. I tried one; it was thick, heavy and not cooked all the way through. Yuck! But at least maple syrup was available. That's often not the case. Anyway, this is the plate of food I got: As said, better breakfast plates can be had for 100 baht. Thing is, I don't want baked beans, stewed tomatoes or black pudding for breakfast, so my options are limited. That's the big advantage of a buffet- you can fill up on the things you like and skip the ones you don't. The streaky bacon was low quality- not much flavor other than salt- and not crispy at all. It seemed to have been fried in a clump rather than in individual strips. I didn't try the ham; it was of the processed kind and in slices so thin they looked micro-planed. Again, yuck! But the bread was very fresh and tasty. Also note: there was no cheese of any sort and no beans, black pudding, mushrooms or stewed tomatoes. I guess I got value-for-money by having a couple of salami sandwiches and a plate of fresh fruit, but overall, the buffet at Atlantis is eminently skippable. Not good, not too bad (although some low points, the bacon, ham and pancakes), mediocre in sum total. The sting ray in the aquarium tank fascinates me. It was swimming much closer to the surface than it had been the night I had the dinner buffet. Evil

` The premises are "hidden" on the second level of The Avenue. The previous three occupants (Shenanigans, Acorn, All American Restaurant) had no chance of attracting walk-ins. Whatever customers the failed ventures had been able to attract had to have known from some source (Internet, print ad, word-of-mouth, etc) the restaurant was there. The failed places weren't able to generate the marketing "buzz" needed to attract new customers. However, the location in and of itself isn't bad. The Avenue is centrally located on the Jomtien-to-Naklua baht bus route and an easy walk from the Beach Road and So Bukhao routes. Parking is plentiful for those with wheels. There's an escalator and elevator to the second level, so customers don't have to climb stairs. An Oishi branch has prospered on the second level since The Avenue opened. As long as people know the Robin Hood/Bite Me are there, it's not hard to get to them. Both have a strong presence on the Internet (big FB followings, plenty of mention in the food groups and on the punter boards) and an established customer base. The two existing (and popular) Retox restaurants will feed customers to the new premises. This will make up for the inability to attract passersby. Evil

I had breakfast there this morning. Review and pics coming up, but short version is, "Don't bother, much better elsewhere." Late for this week, but Centara Azure has a Saturday Grill Buffet (399 baht), also a lunch buffet Saturday-Sunday for 299 baht. Fror what I've seen and tasted so far, I wouldn't be too optimistic about the grill or lunch buffets. Evil

In a word, it was disappointing, even at 299 baht. There was nothing wrong with the food except the lack of variety. Only three "main courses" were offered: roast pork; roast chicken; and chicken with cashew nuts. The other four warm dishes in the chafing platters were all sides: fried rice; steamed rice; sauteed potatoes; and mixed vegetables. The salad table was measly ... and the small dishes and starters were almost non-existence: mini spring rolls, deep fried fish and a couple of other bits and bobs. There was one type of soup (minced pork with tofu) and dessert was sliced watermelon and papaya. That's it. No cheese, bread or cold cuts. It's not the type of buffet you usually see in the restaurants of big hotels, but then again, they cost more than 299 baht. My SML was 120 baht. No doubt you can eat yourself full, but one of the pleasures of a buffet is having a lot of choice, particularly when it comes to the starters. The dinner buffet at the Atlantis Restaurant in the Centara Azure fell well short in that respect. Here's what I had: The roast pork and chicken were both good, tender and juicy. The pork was especially flavorful through the addition of a green peppercorn sauce, but it's not a meal I'd go out of my way to have again. I got there at 7.15 p.m. and the dishes of pork and chicken were already pretty empty, but the staff seemed to partially re-fill them after diners helped themselves. It may have to do with keeping the food fresh, but perhaps also a psychological ploy to prevent diners from taking too much. The ad for the buffet was hype, albeit a mild form. The pictures in no way correspond to the food that is actually offered on the buffet tables. However, the Atlantis is a visually impressive restaurant, inside and out. The eye-catching floor-to-ceiling aquarium is the main feature. The chairs are very comfortable, which would make it easy to sit for hours in the Atlantis. The restaurant has a capacity of about 100 diners, but I didn't see more than 10. Even the ceiling is quite striking. It's a sad comment, though, when watching fish, rather than eating them, is the high point of the meal. I watched the stingray swim round and round in an endless circle. It reminded me of some posters on the punter boards, although the stingray did change course occasionally. And just like a few of the most combative posters, it was a true bottom feeder. I'll go back to the Atlantis to try the a la carte menu. It's a very attractive place in which to have meal, just not the buffet. The Centara Azure has only been open a couple of weeks. It is located about halfway down the stretch of Soi 15 that runs between Soi Bukhao and The Avenue. While the hotel really stands outs, its surroundings are bleak: construction on one side and an empty lot directly across. Evil

You should check their Facebook page, but I believe on Saturdays and Sundays they are open between noon and 2 p.m., then 5 p.m. to 22.00 p.m. (last order). I think they have plans to stay open later to catch the crowds that go to Differ (Thai nightclub and disco). Evil

Yup, knife and fork is the only way to tackle one of those burgers. Evil

Tuesday night I tried the daily special- Chicken Breast Chasseur (aka Hunter's Chicken) at the Robin's Nest on Soi Diana. It was tasty and substantial, a bargain at 199 baht. They also had a special on pints of Heineken at 99 baht, but I stuck with SML. However, a main dish and a pint of draft beer for 298 baht is one of the better value-for-money meals I've seen in Pattaya. I got two generous pieces of nicely grilled chicken breast smothered in a sauce of tomato, mushrooms and onions, with sauteed potatoes on the side. In the classic French version of Chicken Chasseur, the sauce features white wine and tarragon. I didn't notice much of a taste of tarragon in the Robin's Nest's dish, but it was still good. The sauteed potatoes were good. They had a touch of natural sweetness that comes when the potatoes begin to caramelize in the hot oil. It gives a nice balance to the acidity of the chasseur sauce. I think I already posted the list of daily specials at the Robin's Nest, but here it is again. The Robin's Nest is also noted for its all-you-can-eat Sunday carvery for 299 baht. A friend and I tried it a few months ago. It was OK, but I've had better at a similar price. The meat was very thinly sliced and swimming in liquid; the Yorkshire pudding was heavy and tough. The cottage pie was good, as were the veggies, and the pea soup was excellent. The price included ice cream with chocolate sauce, which is a nice touch. Bottom line: I'll be back to try the Robin Nest's other daily specials, but I won't rush back for the carvery. Evil

It's still early days, but Robin Hood continues to pack them in. At 9.00 p.m. last night, about 90% of the dining area was full. I went back to the Robin Hood because a dish on the menu had caught my eye. I wanted to try the "3 hour slow braised ham hock" with English mustard mash in a giant Yorkshire pudding for 295 baht. I was curious to try a ham hock done British style as I usually associate ham hocks with U.S. regional or ethnic-group cooking. Not only was Robin Hood's version really good, it was one of the biggest single-plate portions I've ever gotten in a Pattaya restaurant. Maybe Little John or Friar Tuck could have polished it off, but not Will Scarlet or Much the Miller's Son. There was quite literally enough food for two meals. I'm a fan of big flavors and the Retox group doesn't disappoint in that respect. The flavors may not be sophisticated, but they are bold. The braised ham hock was not an exception. Good ham flavor, not too salty or smokey. The red wine gravy added the right accent. The mashed potatoes with English mustard were also good, but I would have liked an even more pronounced mustard taste. I asked the waitress if I could have some extra mustard to put on both the ham and mash, but I don't think she understood and I never got it. The giant Yorkshire pudding harks back not only to the time of Robin Hood but even earlier. While the puffy individual-style Yorkshires date from the 1800s, batter and dripping puddings go back many centuries in Britain, probably to Roman times. The giant Yorkshire that provided the bottom layer for the ham hock is closer to the type of batter pudding Maid Marian would have served to the Merry Men. I'll definitely order the braised ham hock again, but as a take-away dish. There's just too much to eat in one sitting, plus the soi dogs will really like the bone. For me, the most interesting thing about the Robin Hood is that willbe the new home of Bite Me. While I like the food at Retox/Robin Hood, it falls way short of the masterpieces offered at Bite Me, which, for the price, was the best food in Pattaya. Bite Me became popular quickly with Pattaya visitors and resident ex-pats who know and appreciate truly good food. The difficulty for Bite Me to "fit in" at the Robin Hood Tavern is that most Retox customers use transport cafes and truck stops as their benchmark of culinary excellence. Nothing wrong with truck stop food; in fact, it can at times be excellent, but it is very, very different to what Bite Me offers. I think the management will have to figure out a way to make clear the distinction between Robin Hood and Bite Me dishes, otherwise, you risk disappointing one group of diners or the other. This could be a particularly sore point when it comes to portion size. Evil

I sure hope you go with the "inside room" option, but it would have to be smoking-free and in the best case, noise-free enough so that conservation is possible between diners. The Retox bars can get well rowdy at times- nothing bad, just enthusiastic sports fans, but that type of atmosphere isn't the best for Bite Me-style dining. It's my fervent hope that Bite Me isn't, uh, swallowed by Retox and you are able to maintain your unique concept and food within a larger and better-located shell. They say luck shows up most often at the intersection of preparation and opportunity, so Evil

It's all down to personal preference, but I think the burgers at Jim's look damn good. In fact, if burgers were bar girls, they'd all be on the Bikini Mafia Team. My personal favorite: I think I'll suggest they start offering the LaLa Burger. Evil

A hero has emerged who, together with his band of merry men and women, may be able to break the Curse of The Avenue. The Robin Hood Tavern, part of the Retox group,.was jammed with customers when I had a late supper there. on Friday night. It's on the second level of The Avenue shopping plaza on 2nd Road in the premises once occupied by failed ventures like Shenanigans, Acorn and most recently, All American Restaurant. The exciting news is that Bite Me Bistro, formerly on 3rd Road, has entered into an arrangement with Robin Hood Tavern to prepare and serve it's standard dishes and specials from the new premises. More on that later. The Robin Hood Tavern had only been open since Dec. 27 and Friday was its Grand Opening. I wasn't aware of that when I walked in, otherwise I probably wouldn't have gone there that night. But there weren't any balloons adorning the entrance nor any signs announcing a party. I thought the place was packed because of a televised sport event or the novelty of a new Retox-associated pub. I didn't learn about the Grand Opening until I checked the Robin Hood's Web site for a copy of the menu while writing this review. At 9.30 p.m., I got the last small table for dining. There were a few open seats at the bar, but that was about it. The restaurant was full and it isn't a small place. While The Avenue has proved unlucky for a whole string of businesses and probably three-quarters of the floor space is now empty or under renovation, The Robin Hood Tavern has every chance of succeeding. The Retox "brand" is strong and has a lot of loyal customers. The second-level location isn't necessarily a major disadvantage as long as customers know about the bar/restaurant and want to go there.. An Oishi branch has prospered for years on the second level of The Avenue because it's popular with Thais and Asian tourists. It's easy to get to The Avenue and there's plenty of parking for those with vehicles. I doubt the location of The Robin Hood Tavern will deter many Retox fans, although it will prove more difficult to attract walk-ins by customers who've never heard of Retox. Essentially, TRHT is Retox Game On in a more comfortable and spacious incarnation. You can sit on chairs at tables to have your meal, rather than on bar stools as at Retox Game On. For me at least, that's a big attraction. I'm not sure what the official policy is on smoking. I saw no one smoking, nor did I see any ashtrays on tables. The smokers seemed to be gathered around the outside tables. The Robin Hood claims to have Pattaya's biggest TV screen, but I don't know the details. I chose the "tender slow cooked rich beef casserole" at 285 baht. Here I have to note that "casserole," a word borrowed from French, has a different meaning in the U.K, Australia and N. Zealand than in N. America. I would call what came down in front of me oven-braised beef stew or beef pot pie. If I had tasted a piece of the beef while blindfolded, I would have guessed it was pot roast. In U.S. and Canadian English, a casserole consists of layers of ingredients baked uncovered in the oven. Whatever the name, it was very tasty. There was a lot- and I mean a lot- of chunks of beef that had been slow-cooked until tender but not falling apart. Same-same with the veggies. The sauce had been seasoned with thyme and I believe sage. One nice touch was that celery had been added, but late in the cooking process, so that the bits retained their flavor and a bit of crunch. However, the puff pastry top wasn't the crown of the dish except in the literal sense. It was tough and soggy. That usually happens when rough puff has been baked ahead and reheated. I took only one bite. The warm bread that came on the side was much better and served admirably to sop up the sauce. The menu at TRHT is very close to that at Retox Game On. It's basically British comfort food and "international" dishes like hamburgers, pizza and pasta. The prices for draft and bottled beer are reasonable- my pint of draft Tiger cost 120 baht, but cocktails and other fancy drinks seem a bit steep. It will be very interesting to see how the Bite Me dishes will be incorporated into the overall menu. Bite Me offered modern Mediterranean "fusion," with creative takes on old favorites something of a hallmark. Top quality ingredients prepared and presented skillfully in casual surroundings made one of the best restaurants in Pattaya when the modest prices are taken into consideration. I would really be sad to see Bite Me disappear, or even worse, go downhill. I just hope it doesn't lose its originality or compromise on quality. By 10.30 p.m., the crowd had thinned a bit, but new customers were arriving as I was leaving. Bottom line: I'll be back and if the Bite Me "fusion" is successful, very regularly. Evil This is view from the area outside the Robin Hood. Whatever else happens in Pattaya, the cocktail vans always do a brisk trade.

The announcement from Bite Me says that the dishes on the Bite Me menu will be available at the Robin Hood. But it remains to be seen exactly what that means: will the Bite Me dishes be cooked on site at the Robin Hood or will they be "prepared" in some other fashion? If Bite Me can offer the same great food at the same prices but from inside the Robin Hood Tavern, I on't see the location as a negative factor. Both Bite Me and Retox have loyal followings that won't be deterred by an elevator or escalator ride to the second level. The Robin Hood premises have a separate dining area that could be devoted to gastro pub dining, but that only a wild guess on my part. The acid test will be whether the food that appears in front of diners is as good as it was the Bite Me restaurant on 3rd Road at roughly the same prices. Evil