Evil Penevil

I wouldn't be surprised if this one (995 baht) is already booked solid: For those looking for a Swedish julbord: Among the least expensive, but not much detail about the dinner: Christmas Dinner at O’Garas Irish Bar & Restaurant – Sunday 25th December 2016 O'Gara's is located in Jomtien on Pratumak Hill opposite Tara Court Hotel. First round: 13.00 – 15.30 hrs. Second round: 15.30 – 18.30 hrs. Third round: 18.30 – 00.00 hrs. Price is 1,200 THB per person I have a feeling this is just their standard buffet plus turkey and a Christmas dessert:

This one: It does have indoor seating. The chairs are more comfortable and substantial than many other Pattaya restaurants. Although it's an open-front restaurant, the ventilation "inside" worked well and it wasn't warm at all. They have proper place mats as well. I got there at 7.30 p.m., intending to have a Sunday roast dinner but Roast beef, pork and chicken were sold out, even the mashed potatoes were finished, so French fries were the only potato option with other meals. I've always said you should get to buffets and roast dinners as early as possible, so I should have taken my own advice. It's like the Pete Seeger song: Where have all the roast dinners gone, long time passing? Where have all the roast dinners gone, short time ago? Where have all the roast dinners gone? In punters bellies everyone Oh, when will I ever learn? Oh, when will I ever learn? I settled for a ham and cheese toastie at 85 baht. It was good. The ham had been sliced from a joint and wasn't the thin-sliced processed stuff. The bread was fresh and thick and the cheese had a lot of flavor. It had also been toasted in a sandwich press. It was among the best toasties I've had in Pattaya. Still hungry, I moved on to Harry's on Soi Diana which offers a Sunday roast buffet for 199 baht. But again- it was finished. So I had one more sandwich, a Scandinavian-style open-faced shrimp sandwich with boil egg, dill and mayonnaise for 185 baht. It was good, with plenty of shrimp. The cook had gone a touch heavy on the mayo and light on the dill for my taste, but that is down to personal preference. I actually took it as good sign the roast dinners were sold out in both places as that indicates they are popular. Clearly popularity with customers isn't the most important factor in judging the quality of a restaurant's food; otherwise, McDonalds and KFC would be serving the best food in the world. But for a meal like a Sunday roast, it's not a bad thing that expats and tourists flock to eat it. I noticed from the menu that The Coins offers roast dinners every day, not just Sundays. I'll try to order it today. Santa Penevil

This isn't cheap, but considering it includes a free flow of booze, it's a pretty good price, plus the menu options are good. Only downside is that trying to get to the buffet tables will be like the Battle of Stalingrad if Russian or Chinese groups are eating there. Santa Penevil

Does any restaurant in Pattaya offer a bowl of gruel as its Christmas dinner? Seems like there would be a lot of demand for it. Santa Penevil

The first two menus are for Casa Pascal.. I've edited in identifying info in the OP. Santa Penevil

..... "Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat, Book your dinner now lest your plans fall flat." If you intend on having Christmas dinner in Pattaya, you best make your reservations soon, especially if you're planning on eating at one of the more popular restaurants/bars. I read today on the Facebook page of Nicky's on Soi Bukhao that only 20 places were left for Dec. 25th. Prices range from 550 baht to 2,500 baht or more, depending on how fancy the place is, how many courses the meal includes and exactly what's on the menu. Several of the better known U.K.-style restaurants/bars have prices around 1,200 baht. But there are places with menus under 1,000 baht, including Sutus Court, Golden Ferret, Jolly's, etc. To begin with Casa Pascal off 2nd Road (first two menus): ... ... Santa Penevil

Weekly specials at Dicey Reilly's on 2nd Road: ,,,

I don't have much experience with Christmas dinners in Pattaya. Before I moved here, I never spent an Xmas here. Since moving, I've mostly eaten Xmas dinner at friends' homes or other special arrangements. This year it may well be Bite Me! although that's not certain as a friend may be planning a private party. I'll start a thread about Xmas dinner options later today. I've seen prices ranging from 550 baht (Sutus Court) through 2,495 baht (Edge at the Hilton). Bite Me! costs 1,200 something, with three sittings (1 p.m.; 4 p.m.; 7 p.m.). A lot depends on whether you want stuff like hats and Christmas crackers and whether it has to be child friendly or it's only the food which is important. There is no shortage of options, but many will be booked solid by Dec. 10, so it doesn't pay to ponder too long. Evil

My Way has proven to be one of the most consistent small restaurants in Pattaya. I've eaten there for close to 10 years and never had a bad meal. Evil

Posted Today, 04:17 PM I made a follow-up visit to Jim's to try the Lava Cheesy Burger, which promises triple the cheese of an ordinary cheeseburger. I chose the small version at 210 baht. The large goes for 290 baht. I ordered it on a traditional bun and it came with the usual side of a sampler portion of waffle fries. The buns at Jim's are homemade and fresh, which in fact adds to the overall burger experience. The Lava burger also came with Jim's signature garnish, a golden fried onion ring. The bun was perfectly toasted. Like Baby Bear's porridge in Goldilocks, it was "just right." I'm not sure it was triple the amount of cheese on my burger- I'd have pegged it at about double. But no doubt, it dripped with plenty of lovely melted cheese. The quality of the ingredients as well as the attention to detail is what makes Jim's burgers stand out in a crowded field. Some thought has gone into the construction of the various burgers. It's not just a bunch of stuff thrown together, but each component ingredient adds to the overall effect. In the Lava burger, the meat patty and cheese are the dominant flavors, and rightfully so. But the modest amount of veggies has a supporting role to play. The tomato slice and dill pickles add tartness and the lettuce leaf provide a bit of crunch. I'm not a fan of raw onion, but the two small rings gave the burger a bit of a kick. I had a half-pint of Singha draft (120 baht abv 5.0%) along with the burger. It's not the most interesting beer in the world, but it has good carbonation and a light taste, so it goes well with a burger. After the burger, I also had a glass of La Trappe, a Dutch wheat beer at 165 baht (abv 5.0%). It was easy to drink. with slight hints of citrus and spice. It's a refreshing hot-weather beer. The outdoor seating area at Jim's and the basketball cage. The staff at Jim's Burger is very friendly. You can look right into the kitchen, which is always a good thing. If anyone needs a landmark, Jim's is diagonally across the street from Differ, a Thai nightspot. Evil

These discussions can get complicated. I wasn't thinking about an authentic ragù alla bolognese, but the dish that is generally called spaghetti bolognese outside Italy. In Bologna, the classic version of ragù is usually served mixed with tagliatelle or other "broad" pasta, not spaghetti. Tomatoes play a much lesser role in the flavor profile and it's not a runny sauce. Here' s what real ragù alla bolognese looks like: But in the rest of the world, spaghetti bolognese has become the term used for spaghetti with a tomato sauce that includes ground beef (the bolognese connection). That type of sauce also includes oregano and bay leaves. An "Italian seasoning mix" that is mostly oregano and thyme, but could include marjoram, sage and rosemary, might be used instead. Evil

Here's another quick suggestion for under-300-baht dining on WS: P72 Restaurant. The open-front bar and restaurant only not provides one of the classic spots for people watching, the food isn't bad. It doesn't reach any culinary heights, but it doesn't scrape any bottoms. either. The other night I had what the menu called "spaghetti with meat sauce" for 150 baht. If they had called it "spaghetti bolognese," I would have been more critical because spag bol should at a minimum have an Italian-inspired flavor. The "spaghetti with meat sauce" at P72 had no spices or herbs of any kind, at least none I could taste. The tomato sauce was thick and full of ground beef and chopped onion, with some bits of green pepper. However, it hadn't been seasoned in the slightest. It came with two pieces of bread that had been warmed, but were no where near toast. "Bland" is the word that comes to mind It wasn't bad, just bland. Maybe I'm more tolerant of such food because I grew up eating similar. My dad didn't like spices or herbs of any kind and my mom made the same sort of spaghetti with meat sauce. But I learned a lesson all those years ago that holds to this very day: you can always add seasoning to a dish, you just can't take it away. With a bit of vinegar, chili powder and a splash of Worcestershire, it was fine. Not Italian spaghetti by any description, but all meat sauce over spaghetti doesn't have to be Italian. Portion size was good. P72 isn't exactly the type of restaurant to which you'd take your best girl for her birthday, but it's OK option for a quick bite when on WS, although the NY Diner is better. Evil

Monday night I tried the burger at the newly opened White Pines restaurant near WS and close by the intersection of Sois 14 and 15. At the promotional price of 89 baht, it was a good deal. The four basic food groups (burgers, pizza, pasta and fried meat) are well represented and I'll be sampling as many as I can through Nov. 30, the last day of the 89-baht promotion. However, prices will remain low, with many fixed at 89 baht and the most expensive 129 baht. Overall, I have a positive impression of White Pines. I can (and will) quibble a bit about the food, but it is as good as many and a lot better than some other restaurants that serve farang food in Pattaya. White Pines is cheap and cheerful with a friendly staff, apparently members of the same family. It's a good option for anyone heading to or from WS between 11.00 a.m. and 1.00 a.m. When I've eaten there, I've been the only customer and I've never seen anyone eating there on the occasions I've walked past. I hope they're able to develop a customer base as a low-price restaurant offering farang food is a welcome addition to the WS scene. However, it's a tough market to crack and I wish the owners of White Pines the best of luck. They'll need it. Was it the best hamburger I've had in Pattaya? Definitely not, but it passed the taste test with a B score. It was one of the best burgers I had under 100 baht. Not every meal will be a culinary peak but can nevertheless be good, especially as a snack. I got a nice beef patty, cooked medium rare as I asked, topped with cheese, caramelized onions and sweet peppers on a trendy charcoal black bun. The taste isn't affected. A lot of veggies (raw onion, sweet pepper, tomato and lettuce) had been piled under patty. For me, the burger didn't really fit together, literally or figuratively. As soon as the stick holding the components in place was removed, the burger fell a part on the wooden serving plate. I disassembled it and ate the cheese-covered patty with knife and fork, alternating with with bites of the bun and some of the veggies. It was not a "hands-on" burger. The onions and peppers hadn't been fried long enough to become truly caramelized and the raw veggies didn't really add anything to the burger experience. The components in any "assembled" dish should complement each other and they don't in this case. But that's no big thing and if I have the White Pines' burger again, I'll just ask them to skip the raw veggies. Considering the price, I have no serious complaints, just a few hassles with eating it. The French fries which came with the burger were good, freshly fried and crispy. I would have liked for them to have remained in the fryer a bit longer, but that's purely a personal preference. I also ordered a Greek salad at 89 baht. Authentic it wasn't, but still pretty good. Lettuce isn't part of a traditional Greek salad and the Whites Pines' version lacked herbs (oregano or mint). However, it did have more feta cheese and black olives than some so-called Greek salads I've had. One has to be realistic. There are very few restaurants in Pattaya that serve anything close to a village-style Greek salad and they charge more than 89 baht. I regarded the Whites Pines' salad as "Greek-inspired" rather than Greek and it went down well enough. Last night I had the pork chop. It was a good chop, cooked properly and with plenty of flavor. There were again a few minor misses, but nothing serious. The menu says you have a choice of fries or mashed potatoes, but the mash was finished (I was eating at 11.30 p.m.), so I got fries. To ease any disappointment, the lady in the kitchen gave me a free appetizer. It was basic bruschetta, diced tomatoes and basil dressed with oil and balsamic vinegar on grilled bread. No surprises in taste and a nice gesture on her part. I was a bit puzzled when my chop appeared on the table. There had been a choice of about six sauces and I picked peppercorn. However, the chop arrived with a little bit of BBQ sauce already on it. I don't know if that was intentional or a mistake, but the BBQ sauce was damn good and I wish I'd chosen it instead of the peppercorn. No problem to finish the pork chop; I just wish it had come with mash potatoes. The interior of Whites Pines is clean and well-lit, which is always a positive factor for me. The enclosed section doesn't have air conditioning (at least none I could see), but the fans kept the temperature at a comfortable level. The staff is very welcoming and friendly. I certainly didn't lack for attention, but I was the only customer. Bottom line: As long as White Pines holds its current quality, I, like Gen. MacArthur to the Philippines, shall return. Evil

And some information> I haven't tried this restaurant, so I can't recommend it. Just passing on the info of a special promotion through Nov. 30. It's located on Soi 14 near the intersection with Soi 15. If you enter Soi 14 from Pattaya Tai and walk towards WS, White Pines is on your left. I plan on trying it soon, hopefully before the promotion expires. Evil

Yorkshire pudding is simple to make but it requires skill and a very hot oven, both of which are sadly lacking in the kitchens of some farang restaurants in Pattaya. You'd think that with the number of ex-pats and tourists in town who are familiar with this classic side to a roast dinner, the restaurant would get it right or take it off the menu. Unfortunately, a few restaurants which should "know better" continue to serve truly bad Yorkshire pudding. One problem is that a lot of the cooking of farang food is done by Thai cooks who have no idea how it should look or taste. In one place, the cook came out of the kitchen and asked me if the dish I'd been served was OK. I was and I complimented her on it. She said she never eats farang food, only cooks it and never knows if what she's sending out is good or bad. I suggested that she should ask the farang boss to taste one example of each dish on the menu so she'd know if she'd gotten it right. "Boss not care," was her answer. Evil I

Jim's Burger offers some of the best, if not the best, hamburgers currently available in Pattaya. It's been open a few months, bringing the number of Jim's Burger restaurants to four. Three Jim's outlets have sprung up in Bangkok over the past two years. True to its name, Jim's specializes in burgers and craft beer, without much else on the menu. I forgot to take a pic of the sign when I was there Wednesday night, so I lifted one off the Web as well as the map that marks the location. If you are riding a baht bus along 2nd Road, push the buzzer when you see the parallel street that runs alongside the under-renovation Big C North. Cross the street, walk a block and turn left. Jim's beyond a couple of Thai restaurants. It opens Monday-Friday at 5.00 p.m. and closes at midnight. On Saturday and Sunday, it is also open for a couple of hours around noon. It's easy to walk past Jim's because it's in single shopfront and partially hidden by an abbreviated basketball court. Diners can burn off some calories shooting hoops before or after their meal! Another interesting aspect is that Jim's is Thai owned and operated. I've read the controlling partner spent time in the U.S. learning to make quality burgers. The burger and craft beer emphasis may have been inspired by similar gourmet burger places in the U.S. that have become an alternative for the more to fast-food and classic diner hamburgers. ................................................................................................. Inside, Jim's is relatively small, with space for 20 diners if every seat is taken. About 10 more could sit outside. It's cool and comfortable inside, but a bit eccentrically decorated for my tastes. The hanging light bulbs were annoying but the surreal chalk drawing was an original touch. But the important thing for my tastes is the food and Jim's doesn't disappoint. As said, the menu is limited to burgers and a few sides (mostly potatoes) and salads. There is, however, a variety of burgers, not just beef burgers, but also pork, chicken and vegetarian (mushroom). They are fancy and perhaps busy burgers, topped with a lot of stuff. Most come in two sizes, large and small. The pic of the menu has a high enough resolution that you can enlarge it to read the detailed descriptions of the burgers, which range in price from 160 to 380 baht. Most are 200 to 250 baht. There isn't much on the menu besides burgers. The salads are huge, served in big bowls and could be shared among three or four people. The beer list for the day sported an impressive 12 draft beers and one draft cider in small and large sizes, roughly equivalent to half-pints and pints. There were some lauded imported beers on the list as well as plain ole' Singha. Jim's also has an assortment of bottled craft beers. I was in a dark mood that evening, so I went for a half-pint of draft Brewdog Bourbon Baby, a Scotch ale with a subtle but complex taste and a hearty 5.80% alcohol by volume. It's refreshing and fortifying without the dominant flavor of many other dark beers. You have a choice of buns at Jim's, so I continued my dark theme by picking a charcoal bun for my small Honey Beef Burger at 190 baht. It immediately attracted attention! The Honey Beef Burger is a 100% beef patty cooked to order and topped with an onion ring, a tiny bit of fried onion, cheddar cheese, a slice of bacon and Jim's special honey sauce, which isn't very sweet but adds a offsetting touch to the burger's saltiness. The patty rests on a cabbage leaf and slices of dill pickle. The burger came with a "sampler portion" of waffle fries and a dipping sauce. Very tasty and freshly fried! The bun's black color comes from vegetal charcoal, either bamboo or coconut. Black has become a bit of a trendy food hue in Asia and even Burger King in Japan offers a burger with a black bun and black cheese. The charcoal has a startling effect on the bun's color but doesn't affect the taste. For those less adventurous, the homemade buns at Jim's come in plain and wholewheat versions as well as spinach. I finished my glass of Bourbon Baby and ordered a half-pint of Brewdog Elvis Juice, an India pale ale infused with grapefruit. The citrus-tinged bitterness goes well with burgers and it packs 6.50% abv. Brewdog products have a special place in my heart, but that's a story for another thread. The onion ring atop the patty was great. I'm sorry I didn't order a full side of them. I guessing the purpose of the burger's "business" - toppings and sauce - is in part due to the trend towards piled burgers but also an attempt to add and balance ingredients with salty, sour and sweet flavors in the same dish. That's a sophisticated Thai approach applied to the plebeian U.S. hamburger. I rounded off my meal with a glass of Weihenstephan Vitus, a German weisenbock that tipped the abv scale at a big 7.70%. It was creamy with great mouth feel. It had a hint of citrus and spice that somehow reminded me of Christmas. I'd never had it before, but will certainly be having it again. In the pic below, the Weihenstephan Vitus to the right and the Brewdog Bourbon Baby to the left. All three of the draft beers I tried cost 180 baht for the 0.25 liter glasses. Bottom line: Jim's Burger now ranks as my favorite hamburger place in Pattaya, with the range of craft beers also a strong draw. Service is very friendly. It's not cheap, but for the quality you get, it's not extravagantly priced, either. I just wonder if it might suffer from its location. I'm sure it would be full every night on Walking Street or LK Metro, but it's unlikely to attract many passers-by on that side street. Maybe, though, it's better situated for the Thais who patronize some of the nightspots nearby and tourists who stay in that area, assuming they know Jim's exists. My best wishes for it to live long and prosper! Evil

I saw quite a few Miss Kitty's on Beach Road and more than a few farang potato heads. ... I saw some people chasing pokemon but no real stars. ... I put up a Thanksgiving greeting in the food thread, so I'll just say: ... Pilgrim Penevil

I was one of the 11 diners who had ordered the special by 11.30 a.m. In fact, I was the first customer of the day at Bite Me for the Thanksgiving special. As a meal, it was very good and held Bite Me's high standard. However, as a traditional North American Thanksgiving meal, it had some shortcomings that mainly had to do with the perception of what dishes should be included in a Turkey Day meal. Some of it had to do with differences in U.K. and U.S. terminology. None of this affected the taste of the food on the plate, only the preconceived notion of what should be there. Bite Me! is well-known for its innovative take on classic dishes, so it's not surprising the Thanksgiving meal you get there would be different from one served in Omaha or Jersey City. First, the positives. The star of the plate, the roast turkey, was moist and full of flavor. It was a generous portion, too. In the pic, some of the turkey is hidden under the potatoes. The mashed potato, gravy, cranberry sauce, roast sweet potato and veggies were all fine, properly cooked from fresh quality ingredients. The overall meal was large and value for money at 320 baht. A bit of trivia: the roast sweet potato belonged to the "firm sweet potato" category, with yellow skin and flesh. The type of sweet potato commonly served at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but also widely eaten as an everyday starch, has a copper skin and orange flesh. When cooked, the flesh is softer, less waxy and has a more pronounced taste than its firm cousin. Soft sweet potatoes are often called "yams" in the U.S., but true yams are an entirely different tuber from a separate plant family. Now to the deviations from a traditional N American Thanksgiving meal. Biscuits and country gravy is ordinarily a breakfast dish in the U.S., less often a quick dinner when money is tight. I've never before seen it included in a Thanksgiving meal. Also, the biscuit at Bite Me! wasn't the soft U.S. variety, but more like a shortbread crust. Green bean casserole is a relatively new addition to N American holiday tables. It was invented in 1955 by the Campbell Soup company and consisted of green beans, canned mushroom soup and French fried onions baked in the oven. It was an easily prepared side dish that became an instant hit. In the past 62, many variations have appeared, including the addition of bacon, sliced almonds, sweet peppers, etc. and substituting sour cream for canned soup. The bean casserole side I got at Bite Me! was very good, but I wouldn't have guessed it was a green bean casserole. I would have liked more stuffing with my meal. What I got was fine and had an interesting taste accented by the bacon wrap. A traditional Thanksgiving meal would have included a scoop or two of bread-based stuffing. Also, in U.K., creamed potatoes are a luxury variation of mashed potatoes with butter and boiling milk added to roughly mashed boiled potatoes, then the mixture is whipped. In the U.S., that might be called creamy mashed potatoes, but creamed potatoes are something different- chunks of boiled potatoes served in a white sauce. Most of this has been nitpicking, sometimes about the name of the dish. I want to emphasis I had no complaints about the taste of the food. Bottom line: A good but different Thanksgiving meal at a modest price for a big plate of food. Pumpkin pie was also on the menu for dessert at 120 baht, but I was just too full to give it a try. Maybe next year! Evil ...

I want to wish everyone a ... whether you'll be eating turkey with all the trimmings or not! It's actually been fun doing this thread. The comments have been reasonable even when there's disagreement. And for that I am thankful! Evil

I began this thread with a tinge of trepidation as I worried it could get very silly, very fast and I'd have to request the mods to lock it. That DIDN'T happen; the comments have remained quite sensible. Well done! It seems like the Toxic Avenger beef noodle soup - only for those who have burned out their taste buds- is sticking to the top of the "Bad at Any Price" list. It doesn't appear to have many rivals. That's in sharp contrast to the "Under 300 Baht" thread where many BMs had suggestions for good places to eat. It's just one more bit of evidence that when it comes to food, Pattaya isn't bad at all. Evil

Nope, never. Is he Australian? Evil

On Sunday, I had the daily special at Retox Game On- the Sunday roast. It's offered in both small (199 baht) and large portions (299 baht), with a choice of beef, lamb, pork or chicken as the meat. I got there around 9.00 p.m.- late for a Sunday roast dinner - and beef was was the only option left, but that's what I would have ordered anyway. It came with Yorkshire pudding; veggies; roast and mashed potatoes; stuffing; a mini U.K. pig in a blanket (sausage wrapped with bacon); and gravy. I chose the small portion and it was plenty enough for me. The meal was good, but I've had better in Pattaya, albeit at a high price. And here I have to be both fair and realistic. I'm sure the meal would have been better if I'd gotten to Retox closer to the start of service at noon. Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding is best when fresh from the oven. A small restaurant in Pattaya isn't set up to serve food on the same basis as a Las Vegas casino buffet casino restaurant that does hundreds of covers in an evening. It's my own fault I didn't get there earlier. I plan on trying the Sunday roast at Retox again but will go in the early afternoon. I got a generous slice of beef and two smaller slices. The meat had a lot of flavor but it was slightly- just slightly- chewy and perhaps a bit overcooked. I blame that on the latest of the hour. The vegetables were cooked al dente, just as I prefer them. The Yorkshire pudding was fine, light and crisp on the outside, like my grandmother. It had definitely been in a very hot oven with the right amount of fat. Unfortunately the roast potatoes hadn't been in the oven long enough. No color and uncooked on the inside. The stuffing and mashed potatoes were good. I skipped the bacon-wrapped sausage as it's not something I normally like. Bottom line: The Sunday roast at Retox is definitely worth a try and value for money, but get there early. One other note: At 9.00 p.m., the inside section of Retox was full almost to the last seat with football fans watching a match. The body heat of the patrons and the many smokers made it a bit stuffy inside, so I took a seat on the veranda. The outside fan worked well and there was a good breeze coming off the sea, so it was cooler outside than in. (Edit in to add information about smoking in Retox Game On). Half the enclosed area is no smoking. In the part of the bar closest to the entrance from Soi Honey, smoking is allowed but forbidden in the other half. Unknowingly, I sat in the smoking section on my previous visits. I will make sure I sit in the non-smoking section during my next meal at Retox. Evil

I didn't have it, but my friend said it was excellent and he ate every morsel. Evil

Not a waste of time at all. It's good to be aware of what's happening with Web crawlers. What I found fascinating about the Online Users List is that a BM with zero posts was using the board messaging system. I've also noticed that several long-term but inactive members are frequent users of the messaging system. Evil

This is what came up on the first page of Google search results when I searched for Mae Sri Ruen: Evil