Evil Penevil

In mid-March, I took the Bell D M - Pattaya bus to get back to Pattaya after a trip to Bali. I hadn't booked car service pick up in advance because I hadn't known on which flight or day I would return. I thought I'd just get a taxi at D M or possibly take the shuttle to Swampy and then the bus to Pattaya if the timing were right. Wrong on both accounts. The taxi queue at D M was enormous and totally chaotic. There were five or six separate lines,but just a mass of people at the back of them, all pushing and shoving. Worst thing was the queue wasn't moving much; there weren't many taxis arriving at DM. It looked like at least 90 minutes wait, so I went to the shuttle bus pick-up point, but they were carefully checking passengers for boarding passes or a printed itinerary for flights from Swampy that day. They weren't letting anyone on without proof of an onward flight. Another option would be to take the city bus to the BTS station at Mo Chit and then get a taxi off the street, a bus to Pattaya or the BTS to Swampy and then a bus or taxi to Pattaya. But that seemed a lot of hassle, so I went back inside the terminal to check with the private "limo" counter. No cars available and they thought it would be at least two hours until one was back. At that point, I saw a lady walking around holding the Bell Bus sign. I asked when the next bus to Pattaya was leaving. I was lucky, it departed in 30 minutes (only two a day, at noon and 5 p.m.). I paid her the 400 baht and boarded the bus. There were only two other passengers on a bus that seats 60. The bus departed exactly at noon and pulled into the North Pattaya bus terminal at 2.15 pm. There was no hotel dropoff, but it was easy to get a baht bus back to my condo. I don't know if the service still runs today or if a lack of demand has led Bell to cancel it. According to the Web site, it still runs. Evil

Last night I ate again at Shakariki 432, this time with a farang friend. We were there at 8 p.m. and the restaurant was fairly busy, with 10 other customers besides the two of us. We were the only farang, the others were Japanese or Thai. I had okonomiyaki, a savory, filled pancake that is a specialty of Osaka . Many times Westerners only think of Japanese cuisine in terms of sushi and maybe tempura, but of course there's vastly more that's worth trying. The cross-hatch topping is Japanese mayonnaise, which has a softer, lighter taste than its U.S. equivalent but is largely appreciated by Japanese diners for its silky "mouth feel." Despite its substantial appearance, the okonomiyaki wasn't heavy Identifying the individual items that had been folded into the batter was difficult, it seemed to be mostly vegetables. I then had a bowl of finely chopped raw tuna and scallions over rice. Fresh and subtly seasoned, it was nevertheless a filling dish thanks to the rice. My friend had the "tomato salad," was in fact three nicely sliced tomatoes. Presentation is important part of Japanese cuisine I tasted a slice of the tomato. It was OK, but should have had more flavor to be able to stand alone in that fashion. It's odd that in a wet, tropical country with plenty of sun, tomatos grown in Thailand are so insipid. He then had the shrimp tempura over rice, which he thought was excellent. Another good meal at Shakariki 432 and I'll be back for more. Evil

One point that should be mentioned: There's a huge difference between what's called corned beef ("bully beef") in the U.K. and the corned beef sold in the U.S. The U.K. version is brined and boiled beef that has been minced and mixed with gelatin, then packed in cans. From around 1900 through at least the 1950s, it was a standard field ration for the military of many countries. The U.S. version is beef brisket which has been brined, pickled and cured, then slow roasted. It's called salt beef in the U.K. The U.K. version is roughly equivalent to Spam except based on beef rather than pork, while U.S. corned beef would correspond to ham. It's very possible to like U.S. corned beef but hate its U.K. cousin, just as some people who retch at the thought of Spam may well enjoy a ham sandwich. Evil

I wasn't just referring to ingredients P O R imports directly. Some wheat flour is milled in Thailand, but the wheat has be imported from abroad. Same with olive oil, cheese, spices, sausage, canned tomato puree, etc. I don't know if P O R uses locally produced sauerkraut or imported, but the risk is that local, small-batch stuff may not have the same flavor as the product with which most customers are familiar. For example, getting quality fresh tomatoes is difficult in Thailand, which affects the taste of the finished product. Imported tomato puree is used to bolster the flavor of tomato-based sauces. One Italian chef in Pattaya told me he imports every ingredient he uses except fresh vegetables, fish and some pork. He even uses imported salt! Evil

Pastrami on Rye currently has a 50% off "Happy Hour" special on large pizzas between 4.00 and 6.00 pm. The offer applies to dining at the restaurant and/or take away, but not delivery. There's a limit of two pizzas. You can choose from thin crust, Sicilian or pan pizza (also called Chicago style or deep dish pizza). The crust on square Sicilian pizzas is about 1" thick and about 1.5" on a pan pizza. Both have more topping than thin crust and as the name implies, pan pizza is baked in a pan. I'm not a big fan of either style, but I will try a Sicilian pizza in the next few days. You can find the details of the special offer on the restaurant's Facebook page. (www.Facebook.com/pastramionryethailand) Evil

Shakariki 432 is a relatively new Japanese restaurant on 2nd Road, about 100 meters north of the intersection with Pattaya Tai. It's an izakaya, which in Japan ia an informal "drinking restaurant" where food accompanies the booze. It's a bit like a tapas bar, except the food is more substantial than snacks or finger-food. The customers at Japanese izakaya generally start out with lighter dishes and progress to more substantial fare. There are different kinds of izakaya in Japan (the word translates as "sit-down sake shop") and Skakariki 432 is billed as Osaka style. The cuisine of Osaka is noted for dishesmade from wheat flour (savory pancakes, grilled filled dumplings, thick noodles, etc.) ; skewers of grilled meat; and beef dishes. Sharariki 432 is a chain restaurant with branches in Japan, Bangkok and now Pattaya. It's clear from the signage, mostly in Japanese and Thai, that it's making a play for Asian visitors and residents of Pattaya. I doubt the izakaya concept will catch on with a significant number of plain-vanilla farang. The ones who do eat there will be looking for a casual Japanese meal and not the full izakaya experience What will bring me back is the huge menu, which features some dishes not available at other Japanese restaurants in Pattaya. I started out with a mug of draft Asahi (95 baht) and seaweed salad (60 baht). It wasn't an original choice, but chuka wakame has always been a favorite of mine. I followed that up with sunomono moriawase (mixed seafood salad) at 150 baht. Again, not an original choice, but I really enjoy the vinegary taste of the seafood. and it's a standard starter for me in Japanese restaurants. I then had oumi gyu tataki, or seared Omi beef on a bed of raw onions, with sliced garlic, chopped scallions and fish roe as accents and a dish of ponzu (soy sauce ad citrus vinegar) for dipping.. The very rare, almost raw, slices of sirloin were exremely tender and had a delicate but distinct beef flavor. This in't the right post to get into all the intricacies, but Omi is third -ranking type of Japanese beef, trailing Kobe and Matsuzaka.. The beef I had wasn't top-grade (A5) by Japanese standards, but it was cetainly high-grade. The best grade of wagyu (Japanese beef) would be wasted in a seared dish. I then had a bowl of kasu udon to round off the meal. It was a generous portion of soft, thick wheat noodles in a beef broth with vegetables and what the menu called beef innards- offal or organ meat, including small pieces of cow intestine. It was delicious. The cost was 200 baht.. Tax of 7% and a service charge of 5% was added to the bill. It wasn't a cheap meal, but a reasonable price in terms of the quality. Bottom line: I'll be back to try some of the Osaka-specific specialities. Some interior shots: Evil

Many of the ingredients that Pastrami on Rye uses in its sandwiches and pizzas are imported and there's a huge duty on imported food in Thailand. Farang food made from ingredients sourced in LOS should be cheaper than in the US, but not food made from imported ingredients. Also, economies of scale figure in. While the rent in prime locations in Philly or NYC will be higher, there are many more potential customers looking to buy US-style sandwiches than in Pattaya. Rents in smaller US towns away from major cities could well be lower than Pattaya. Evil

Pastrami on Rye offers a high-quality niche product . It's a fair price considering what you get for your money. Of course there are cheaper places to eat in Pattaya, but not if you have your heart set on a U.S.-style sandwich. Evil

Done. That kind of mistake would have gotten me fired, lucky I'm retired. Evil

I finally made it to Pastrami On Rye's relocated premises on Thrappraya Road, about 100 yards north of the dog-leg right turn towards Jomtien Beach Road. I had planned to have breakfast there, but my errand at the Jomtien Immigration office took longer than I expected, so I didn't get to Pastrami On Rye until 11.15 a.m., after they'd stopped serving breakfast. Instead of a sausage biscuit, I had a meatball sub. It was a excellent sandwich, a meal-and-a-half with the coleslaw and dill pickle sides that were included in the 285-baht price. The meatballs, made inh-house, were topped with a tangy marinara sauce and melted mozzarella, then topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. The cloleslaw was also very fresh and coarsely chopped, exactly how I like it. I took one of their signature sandwiches, a Reuben, home with me to have later. A reuben is a relatively modern U.S. sandwich, most likely dating from the 1950's. It consists of corned beef topped with sauerkraut, melted Swiss cheese and "Reuben sauce" on toasted rye bread. Traditionally, a Reuben uses either Russian or Thousand Island dressing (based on mayonnaise and tomato puree or ketchup and other ingredients), but many restaurants make their own variation. The bread was properly toasted on the very top of the slice, but still soft on the inside. I took potato salad as my take-away side and it was very good. The potatoes were cooked correctly and not too soft. Some shots of the interior. It's spotlessly clean, which you can't say about every restaurant in Pattaya. The outside dining area. Bottom line: if you like U.S.-style sandwiches, you can't go wrong with Pastrami On Rye. Evil

I dropped into Pizza Italy to try more dishes. I started with the bruschetta topped with chopped tomato and garlic. It was very good. The bread was perfectly toasted and the topping was properly seasoned and balanced between the garlic and tomato. The tomato had a lot of flavor (unusual for Thailand). I added a touch of heat with a few drops of olive oil infused with chilies. ]... Tortellini in brodo (broth) came next. It's a northern Italian dish that is traditionally served as the first course at Christmas dinner. The tortellini was fresh an tasty, but the pork broth should have had a stronger flavor. [ Total cost was 380 baht for the two dishes, a San Miguel Light and a Coke Lite. I'll be back again! Evil

Now that's also what a steak dinner should look like! Evil

I don't know why you got so emotional over a steak house in NYC. If you ever visit NYC, just don't go there. It's not like you'll be hurting for choice when it comes to steak houses or any other sort of restaurant. Of course, customers can have a steak well-done at PL's should they want it that way. But the waiters may advise the customer that the USDA Prime (top 2-3% of U.S. beef) is better when coked at a lower temperature. That's because USDA Prime meat is heavily marbled, i.e., tendrils of fat run through it. The melting of the fat at an internal temperature of 125 F or lower contributes much to the flavor and juiciness of the steak, but that fat is lost at temperatures high enough to cook it well done. Also, the beef PL uses is dry-aged in house for 28 days and dry-aged beef is best when cooked rare or medium rare as it has most flavor at that stage of "doneness." Those who like their meat well-done would be better off selecting a wet-aged cut of beef, but it really wouldn't matter if it is USDA Prime or Choice, as high temperature cooking blurs the distinction between the grades. And there is one more reason for preferring a steak cooked medium rare or rare: Evil

Really detailed info about Peter Luger's: http://www.eater.com/2014/7/7/6196861/the-porterhouse-at-peter-luger-steakhouse-in-new-york-city Evil

Been dealing with a broken tooth and root canal procedure since Thursday. I've certainly had more enjoyable days in Pattaya. Evil

And in case anyone wants more info about the best steak houses in NYC, the U.S. and the world, take a look at these links: https://www.zagat.com/l/new-york-city/best-steakhouses-in-nyc http://www.foodandwine.com/slideshows/best-steak-in-the-us http://www.cntraveller.com/recommended/food/best-steak-restaurants-in-the-world Evil

The big difference between a top-end steakhouse like Peter Luger and the steakhouse chains like Outback is the quality of the meat. PL uses only USDA Prime, which is the highest classification given to beef in the U.S., with less than 3% of the carcasses receiving a Prime stamp. Prime is virtually never sold in supermarkets, it goes to top-end restaurants. Outback uses meat labeled Choice, which is the second highest of the US meat grades. About 54% of the beef in the U.S. is Choice and there can be considerable variation within the Choice category. Evil

The reason I asked the name of the restaurant is that I did a Tineye image search for the source of the photo you posted. It's a pic that is used by the Outback Steakhouse chain inside and outside the U.S. www.outbacksteakhouse.com.au: If there is a local restaurant in Perth that is ripping off an Outback signature dish and photo, the owner could be in real trouble. But if you had that steak in an Outback branch (is there one in Perth?), then you'll have a difficult time convincing many people that a corporate chain steakhouse serves a better product thaan Peter Luger. Evil

In which restaurant was the photo taken? Evil

I don't think there's any problem with doggie bags at P L. I believe the meals in the pics are for two people to share, which is common at Peter Luger's. Traditionally, steak houses in the U.S. had short and simple menus with very little choice. They were places for men to eat steak, end of story. A lot of them didn't have printed menus. But that began to change in the 1950s when steak houses started shifting to family trade. More choices were added to the menu to accommodate women and children. However, Peter Luger is still very much a "single purpose" steak house, even though it does offer fish, lamb and a few more veggies than in the 1950s. The menu at Luger's: Evil

In the U.S., the real steak purists will almost always choose pan-fried potatoes or baked potato rather than steak fries From the Peter Luger Web site: My dad, who was born in 1906 and raised on a ranch in Montana, said boiled or pan-fried potatoes were the side for steak out West, along with sweet corn in season. He said he never tasted French fries until he attended graduate school in NYC in the 1930s. During WWII, he became a big fan of English-style chips, but thought they were appropriate for fish 'n chips, not as a side for steak. Evil

Right off the bat- this isn't about a restaurant in Pattaya, so if you only want to read about local steak houses, you can save yourself a few minutes of unnecessary reading. Where to go for the best steak dinner is a near and dear topic for many people, myself included. Because references and comparisons have been made to U.S. steak houses, I thought to start a topic about what a steak dinner should be. Here's a pic from a traditional dinner at Peter Luger Steak House in NYC, one of the most famous and widely imitated restaurants in the country. It began operation in 1887 as "Carl Luger's Café, Billiards and Bowling Alley" and for the past 30 years has been rated as the #1 steak house in NYC by Zagat. Note: These are NOT my pics; I downloaded them from a Web site, but I can't remember which one. USDA prime Porterhouse steak; tomato and onion salad; thick-cut slab bacon;creamed spinach; steak fries and bread. The freshly baked bread is fantastic. The deep-fried potato variation at Luger's is a far cry from McDonald's or crinkle-cut fries. The steak fries are thicker and closer to British chips than what we usually associate with U.S.-style fries. For many steakhouse purists, it's the fried potatoes with onions that are preferred. Peter Luger serves the best bacon I've ever tasted. And the star of show, a Porterhouse "double," big enough to feed two people: A steak like this costs US $72, or 2,340 baht. A steak for one person would run about $40 (1,300 baht). With sides and no alcohol, a dinner for two will run $100 to $120. Depending on whether you order wine, it can get much more expensive. [ The staff at Peter Luger does have a bit of a "soup Nazi" rep. You would probably be laughed at if you asked for gravy, wanted your steak well-done or put sauce on the steak rather than the bacon, vegetables or fries. If you still have room after such a huge meal, the hot-fudge sundae is another American classic. Evil

That's a good reminder. It is easy to click on a link, picture or anywhere on the page by habit or mistake and you're in virus or Trojan land. If you are going to look at a suspect email, take you fingers off the mouse until you're ready to delete it. Evil

Some of my favorites: Key Lime pie Sloppy Joes Turducken New England clam chowder File gumbo Hush puppies Meatloaf sandwiches Dairy Queen soft ice cream Fudge Evil

I just hope they serve good food there! Evil