Evil Penevil

The bots are viewing three threads I started, all about restaurants! Evil

The "guests" all seem to be the "Open to Everyone" forum and could be a Web crawler or bots downloading pages for later processing by a search engine. Evil

I agree and I should have mentioned the service in the OP. The male manager at the Beach Road branch gives customers a warm welcome and speaks good English, but the rest of the service staff, while very friendly, speaks little to no English. That's not a problem when ordering, as each dish is numbered and has a picture. Just point to it on the menu, no need for words at all. However, Mae Sri Ruen isn't the right place for special requests or a lot of questions about the food unless you speak Thai. If as a non-Thai speaker you're not prepared to "pick and point," then you are probably better off going to another restaurant. Evil

Mae Sri Ruen (or maesriruen) is a chain of inexpensive Thai restaurants that began 50 years ago in Pattaya as a small place selling chicken noodle soup. It now has 20 branches, with three in Pattaya and 17 in Bangkok. The branch on Beach Road next to Central Festival has been open a few months. I don't know if it is the replacement for the branch at Big C North that was closed due to the big renovation project or is an expansion unit in case the Big C North restaurant reopens. The interior is bright and extremely clean, both very positive factors for me. There is an outdoor seating as well as a large enclosed, air conditioned section. It's not a fancy place, but much more comfortable than hole-in-the-wall restaurants that serve similar food. The times I've eaten there or just passed by, it seemed most of the customers were Thai, but also a fair number of foreigners. The menu has expanded far beyond the signature chicken noodle soup. In fact, Mae Sri Ruen could serve as a primer in basic Thai dishes. Prices are very reasonable for the quality of food served. You won't find expensive seafood dishes on the menu, but most of the Thai standards are there. My friend began his meal with minced pork and tofu soup. He liked it and a big bowl was 90 baht. He followed up with roast duck on a bed of vegetables. Again, he had no complaints and thought the portion was fair-sized for 160 baht. The total cost of his meal with a bottle of water (15 baht) was 265 baht. I began with hoy tod, a savory pancake made with oysters or mussels and served on a bed of bed sprouts. I chose the oyster version and it came on an extremely hot sizzling plate. That's a mistake in my eyes (and mouth) as the moisture in the bean sprouts produced a lot of steam, which turned what should be a crispy a bit soggy. The taste, however, was excellent, with plenty of small oysters to give the right accent. At 140 baht, it was reasonable. My second dish was roast pork with rice at 60 baht. It was tasty if unremarkable. With a watermelon shake, my meal cost 252 baht. On another night, I had the chicken soup with rice noodles. It was very good and I understand why it became the restaurant's signature dish. At 45 baht, it wasn't more expensive than street food. Nice strips of tasty chicken. I next had pad thai with shrimp wrapped in a lace-like layer of egg. It was delicious as well as visually appealing. It had a surprisingly complex taste with the ingredients complementing each other and the herbs providing accent. I'm sure for Thais it would have come in as mildly spicy, but for my farang palate, it was medium. At 185 baht, it was one of the more expensive items on the menu. Bottom line: Mae Sri Ruen offers inexpensive Thai food in air-conditioned comfort. If you want to enjoy your meal in more appealing surroundings than Tin Cups and similar places, then it is a good choice. Evil

A bargain tip for sandwich lovers. The Food Hall (supermarket) at Central Festival has a 2-for-1 special for 129 baht most days after 9.00 p.m. If I have my way past CF at that hour, I'll often pick a couple of sandwiches. The sandwiches are decent sized and it would be hard for me to polish off both in one sitting, so it's usually a post-go go snack and lunch the next day. One sandwich was salami, cheese, tomatoes and lettuce on a bun; the other was ham, cheese, tomatoes and lettuce on light rye. No complaints about either. They don't rank among the best sandwiches I've had, but are good value for money by Pattaya standards. The Food Hall at CF has been rearranged. The bakery section has been moved and is smaller than before. The salad bar is bigger and there's more prepared hot food for take away. The booze section has been expanded and a lot of other changes have been made as well. Very few items are in the same place as before. Evil

Since reviewing restaurants has become a hazardous undertaking in Pattaya, I've ordered some new outfits to wear while out and around: The first will be for street wear, the second for sleeping as well in case one morning I wake up with a problem. Seriously, I still have NO IDEA which of my reviews could have caused anyone so much distress that they would want to get back at me in real life. If any of my reports or reviews contain errors of fact, I'm happy to correct them. If you have a different opinion to mine- and board members often do- you are free to post a direct response or start your own thread on any of the boards. But I can't fix anything if I don't know what is wrong. I want to stress that in all the years I've been doing food reviews on the punter boards, no restaurant or bar owner has ever reacted negatively to them, not through a post, a PM or any other type of communication. So if any reader feels I've written a review that's been unfair, please let me know what's wrong. Anyway, I decided to go out last night and have a meal minus protective gear. I went to Retox Game On (2nd Road and Soi Honey) to try the daily special, the Insanity Burger at 285 baht, including a bottle of SML. From Retox Game On's Facebook page. The meal in the pic was very close to what came down in front of me, which isn't always the case. The Insanity Burger consisted of a thick beef patty topped with cheese, two slices of streaky bacon, onion rings, lettuce and a couple of slices of tomato. The bun was fresh. The burger came with a generous helping of thick-cut U.K.-style chips, what might be called pan fries or potato wedges in the U.S. There was also a small portion of cole slaw. The onion rings were great, the rest of the meal was OK. I'm not a fan of thick-cut chips but that is purely a personal preference. A friend who had the same order thought the chips were fine. There was a lot of food on the plate, so it was value for money at 285 baht, considering the price included a beer. It's not the best burger I've had - the beef patty needed a bit of seasoning- but it was definitely OK. I like onion rings and I'll be back to enjoy a full order of them. Evil

Wow! I didn't even notice the interruption. Evil :

That's exactly how I like my steak. As my grandfather would say, the only way to cook beef a long time is in a stew. Evil

Oops! Thanks. Corrected that now. I should have just left it at 180 grams. Evil

An update on My Way's beef tenderloin file (180 grams, or (EDIT IN to correct error) 6.3 ounces for Americans) at 295 baht. It comes with a small side salad and choice of potatoes, which in my case was fried. The beef was tender and full of flavor. My Way has held a high standard through the years regarding its beef. I would have preferred the gravy on the side, but I forgot to tell the waitress and got it European style. It was cooked as I ordered it, medium rare. Bottom line: My Way (in the arcade on 2nd Road that runs beside Kiss Food and Beefeater) remains a good option for those who want decent beef but aren't prepared to spend a lot. Evil

Yes, the pricing does seem a bit weird. I should have mentioned New York Diner has an extensive Thai menu and some "value for money" prices. I haven't tried the Thai food, but I've heard it is pretty good. Evil

LOL! "Service unavaiable" three times in a row when I tried to open your answer. Evil

I got "Service unavailable" when I tried to open this thread! Refresh usually works. Evil

Atlas- I find your post encouraging and your good experience at Boat adds balance to the thread. As I said, one bad dish doesn't make the restaurant bad, although I am a bit surprised Boat would cock up a staple dish like beef noodle soup. My goal with this thread- and I realize I'm treading on treacherous ground here- is to highlight bad dishes, not to label the restaurant as bad. I have generally avoided Boat for meals because most of the TGs I've been with have turned their noses up at it. However, I have bought cakes and other bakery goods from Boat Bakery and they have always been fine. Just about any restaurant in the world can put out a bad dish or two from time to time. By way of illustration: Noma in Copenhagen, which had been named the best restaurant in the world in 2010, 2011, and 2012, had 63 diners fall victim to the norovirus (aka vomiting bug) in one night in 2013. Noma fell to #2 that year and regained the #1 ranking in 2014. And of course it's not uncommon for a restaurant that had been good in the past to decline because of a change in ownership or management, among other reasons. And inconsistency has always been the hobgoblin of small restaurants in Pattaya. Good one day, bad the next, often because the regular chef didn't show up for work. We'll see how this thread goes. If it's not heading in a constructive direction, it will either fade into obscurity or I'll ask the mods to close it. Evil

I started a thread a few months ago on restaurants in Pattaya where you can eat good farang food under 300 baht. It was quite well received, so I thought I'd push the envelope a bit and start a thread about restaurants which have served me really bad or inedible food in Pattaya. Farang and Thai food at any sort of restaurant or street stall will be eligible as "hall of shame" candidates. While this thread can serve a useful purpose, I fully realize there is a huge risk of abuse by trolls and others with a grudge against a restaurant owner. If the thread becomes too silly or obnoxious, I'll simply chalk it up as an experiment that failed and ask the mods to close or delete it. One point has to be emphasized: even good restaurants can serve a bad dish. One bad dish doesn't make the restaurant "bad" as a whole. Sometimes bad, even inedible, dishes get served due to a mistake or carelessness. It's one of those things that shouldn't happen but occasionally does. In other cases, the dish is bad because all the food the restaurant serves is unacceptable. That's when it's a bad dish from a bad restaurant. I'll kick things off with an example that shouldn't prove controversial: the beef noodle soup from the Boat Restaurant on 2nd Road near Pattaya Tai. I can't imagine that anyone who has their taste buds intact would think it anything but bad. The only positive point is that cost only 60 baht and I didn't get sick from a mouthful of broth. The broth tasted off and meat had a very odd color and texture for beef. The Boat closes relatively early and lets in its last guests for the evening around 8.00 p.m. and I made it just under the wire. That I was the final customer for the day may have had something to do with the bad bowl of soup. The appearance of the fat on the meat kind of creeped me out. It should have been rendered more if the meat had been slow cooked for a long time, as would be expected with that sort of soup. One mouthful was enough to tell me I didn't want more. I chek binned and left almost immediately. The waiter didn't bat an eyelid. I pondered for a moment what sort of customer could like the Boat's beef noodle soup. The only one I could come up with was Melvin, the Toxic Avenger, who eats peanut-butter-and-Draino sandwiches. Seriously, I have read that scientific studies have shown heavy smokers sometimes lose the ability to sense bitter taste due to the deformation of their taste buds. Bitterness is the primary taste that warns when food is potentially poisonous or at least bad to eat. So Toxie and two-pack-a-day smokers might find the Boat's beef noodle soup to be acceptable. Standard disclaimer: one bad dish does not necessarily imply that other food served by the restaurant would also be bad. The Boat Restaurant is one of the oldest restaurants in town, dating back to the 1970s, I believe. It couldn't have survived all those years by only serving bad food. However, from what I've seen (and I pass the Boat several times a day), its customer base is almost entirely farang with a sprinkling of Thai female companions who've been dragged along. It's only a guess, but I'd say the extremely cheap prices are the main attraction of the Boat. When prices are very low and profit margins razor-thin, food that should have been tossed sometimes gets served. That said, the Boat Bakery turns out good products, including custom-made birthday cakes. OK, time to get off the Boat. I invite other BMs to offer their examples of really bad dishes. Keep in mind it should be BAD to the point you can't eat it, not just a dish you didn't like. Moreover, it should be the taste, flavor and to some extent the appearance that makes the dish bad. Portion size, value for money, sullen service, etc., shouldn't become decisive factors. It should be a recent meal, not an ancient atrocity story that dates back many years. Just to give some indication: I have rarely had a bad meal in Pattaya. I've a number that weren't very good, mediocre at best, but only a few that were bad under the definition I'm using for this thread. I am absolutely not saying inedible restaurant food is common in Pattaya. Fire away, but do so accurately and at appropriate targets. It can be the most expensive restaurant in the city or the simplest street cart. As long as you got something in your mouth you wanted to spit rather than swallow, then the place is a fair subject for a post in this thread. Evil

For several years now, New York Diner, next to Insomnia on WS, has been a late-night option for me. It offers tasty and (relatively) cheap U.S.-style comfort food as well as some international and Thai dishes. The food won't made your taste buds want to run up the stairs and dance in Insomnia, but it's very acceptable when you need something solid to soak up the booze at 2.00 a.m. The seating is comfortable and I personally like the New York themed walls. The New York Diner is part of the Insomnia group and there's a hallway connecting it to Ibar. From time to time, I've seen some of the more famous Insomnia princesses having a meal at the New York Diner without farang male companions. It's also not a bad spot for people watching. I've seen everything from fist fights to what I figured was a marriage proposal- or maybe the girl was just ecstatic over an offer above 1,000 baht for L/T. A few nights ago, I had the grilled ham and cheese sandwich for 109 baht. Simple comfort food, but sometimes that's all you need after a few hours of imbibing. Last week I had the macaroni and cheese for 249 baht, which the waiter said was a popular choice. Mac and cheese has become a favorite dish in several countries around the globe, so it doesn't surprise me that more than Americans order it. The pieces of crispy bacon really added flavor. It wasn't a big portion, but it was enough for me when my belly was already pretty full of beer. I also tried the current special offer, a pulled beef sandwich for 285 baht. It was good, slow-cooked beef with a homemade barbecue sauce and all the trimmings, but not good value for money. There a restaurants all over Pattaya where you can get a full for about the same price, including New York Diner! Some representative prices from the menu: I quite like the chili cheese dog at 219 baht, even though that's a premium price. Be aware that the chili topping is spicier than you'll normally get in the U.S. New York Diner has several types of pizza on its menu, but I don't think the 69-baht special is currently on offer. It was OK, nothing special, but acceptable. I haven't taken any pics of the spaghetti Bolognese for awhile, but it is basically the same. The portion isn't large, but sufficient as a late-night beer soaker. Bottom line: I've never been entirely sober when I've eaten at New York Diner, so that may have influenced my opinions of the food. As a convenient place to get a food fortifier late at night, New York Diner gets the job done. It wouldn't be my first choice for a normal dinner, but it's OK for snacks and comfort food in the wee hours. Evil

One night last week I felt a need for comfort food, so I popped into Secrets for a plate of macaroni and cheese at 199 baht, including two slices of garlic bread. Mac and cheese is the quintessential comfort food for me, bringing back memories of elementary school lunches and Saturday dinners on cold fall and winter evenings. It's one of the simplest comfort foods to make, but also among the best. The combination of pasta and cheddar cheese is irresistible. Secrets' mac and cheese didn't disappoint. It was stove top as opposed to oven baked, but still very good. The sauce was rich and creamy with a heavy cheddar taste. That's exactly how I like it. The pasta was a perfect al dente. Mushy pasta is unfortunately all too common in Pattaya restaurants, but not at Secrets. It was a generous portion, if not a huge one. But unless you're burning 10,000 calories a day, you shouldn't be eating huge portions of high-calorie high-carbohydrate food. Bottom line: Good! There's not much more I need to say about mac and cheese. Through the years, Secrets has proved to be a good place for classic U.K. and U.S. comfort food. Evil

Little Old Lady On Trial Defense Attorney: Will you please state your age? Little Old Lady: I am 86 years old. Defense Attorney: Will you tell us, in your own words, what happened the night of April 1st? Little Old Lady: There I was, sitting there in my swing on my front porch on a warm spring evening, when a young man comes creeping up on the Porch and sat down beside me. Defense Attorney: Did you know him? Little Old Lady: No, but he sure was friendly. Defense Attorney: What happened after he sat down? Little Old Lady: He started to rub my thigh. Defense Attorney: Did you stop him? Little Old Lady: No, I didn't stop him. Defense Attorney: Why not? Little Old Lady: It felt good. Nobody had done that since my Abler died some 30 years ago. Defense Attorney: What happened next? Little Old Lady: He began to rub my breasts. Defense Attorney: Did you stop him then? Little Old Lady: No, I did not stop him. Defense Attorney: Why not? Little Old Lady: His rubbing made me feel all alive and excited. I haven't felt that good in years! Defense Attorney: What happened next? Little Old Lady: Well, by then, I was feeling really "spicy" that I just laid down and told him "Take me, young man. Take me!" Defense Attorney: Did he take you? Little Old Lady: Hell, no! He just yelled, "April Fool!" And that's when I shot him, the little bastard.

I don't know if they still take place, but there used to be very well-attended aerobics sessions on Beach Road at the bottom on Soi 6. Dozens of Thais and farang took part. Evil

Pattaya has been named the 10th most popular destination among the 167 Asian destinations (cities, towns, resorts) in the MasterCard Asia Pacific Destinations Index 2016, This isn't new, the release goes back to June, but it didn't get much coverage at the time. Pattaya is the fifth-most-popular destination inAsia for tourists from China. Thailand has three of the top five spots for Chinese tourists: Again according to MasterCard, China will be the top contributor of tourists to Pattaya in 2016 with 28.8% of the total. Russia will be in second place with 11.6% and South Korea third with 6.6%. With 7.3 million international arrivals; 25.2 million overnight stays; and USD3.3 billion in expenditures in 2016, Pattaya isn't a ghost town. Keep in mind that Pattaya is preferred to 157 other destinations across Asia. Overall tourism to Pattaya isn't declining, but the demographics are changing. Any fall-off in farang "sex tourists" is mitigated by increases in Chinese and other Asian tourists. Separately, Bangkok has been named the top tourist destination in the world in the MasterCard Global Destinations Cities Index 2016. The index covers 132 major cities around the world. The Index doesn't include Pattaya nor many other popular tourist destinations like Las Vegas, Orlando, Honolulu, St. Tropez and many others. Whatever problems bars are having, tourism to Thailand in general and Pattaya in particular are doing fine. Evil

You and your family were treated atrociously by the management. You should definitely submit your review to TripAdvisor. Just copy and paste your P-T post, perhaps leaving out the above final sentence. In many cities, it's illegal (a violation of local ordinances) for a hotel to put a registered guest on the street in the middle of the night. That's to prevent fully booked hotels from kicking out guests because they are offered more money for a room by a prospective guest. Evil

Chik-N-Coop bar shows the Monday night NFL game. It is possible Coop might show the debate on one screen. I don't know, just a guess. But the debate will be live streamed on YouTube, so there are quite a few places that might be persuaded to show it on one TV. Evil

Every airline ticket has a fare (basis) code that begins with a letter like F, J, C, Y, B, H, Y, M, K, L, W, S, N, Q, O, U, V, X, etc. The initial letter indicates not only the class of cabin service (First, Business, Premium Economy, Economy) but also the restrictions on the fare, i.e., refunds in case all or part of the ticket isn't used and fees for changes to travel dates. Seats in the Economy Cabin may have anywhere from seven to 13 different fare codes, depending on how flexible the ticket is. Each fare code has its own rules regarding refunds and changing travel dates. Basically, the cheaper the ticket is, the more restrictions it carries. The most heavily discounted tickets on some airlines are not refundable or changeable for any reason; others carry stiff fees for changes to travel dates. It's the fare code, rather than whether you buy the ticket through an agent or directly from the airline, that determines how much you pay and how flexible the ticket is. When you get a quote for an air fare, the most important thing is to check the rules associated with its fare code. That will tell you the restrictions on that particular ticket. It doesn't matter who sells you the ticket, it's the fare code that determines restrictions. That said, airlines are usually more willing to make exceptions to the rules if you have bought the ticket directly from them rather than from an agent, online booking service, bucket shop, etc. Also, the guys who think they've found bargains on line that are much cheaper than the airlines' own Web sites are just buying a heavily discounted ticket with more restrictions. Bottom line: there are seldom any cases when it isn't best to buy your ticket directly from the airline. Evil