Evil Penevil

I wanted to try the fish and chips and apple crumble, but that turned out to be a mistake. Yup I agree. The chips I had were awful. They definitely hadn't been twice-cooked which is an absolute necessary to achieve decent French fries or thick-cut chips. The fish was pretty bad as well. It had a thin batter that had turned rubbery from an excess of oil. The fish itself was watery and flavorless. It cost 160 baht. The apple crumble with warm custard sauce should have been called warm custard sauce with apple crumble. Way too much custard for a small dollop of crumble. Cost was 75 baht. The crumble itself was sickeningly sweet. I think they'd used some sort of apple compote rather than sliced apples. For some reason, I found the tiny plastic flower pot on the salt and pepper tray to be existentially depressing. Bottom line: It will be a long time before I go back to the Golden Ferret. Evil

From what the owner wrote on another board, it will remain the same at least for awhile. They had dory, cod, halibut and salmon on the menu. Dory was the cheapest at 129 baht and cod the most expensive at 300 baht. Evil

They also had: but the lemon and lime were enough for me. Evil

The Jolly Friar on Soi Lengkee is open again under new management. I had the tilapia fish 'n chips tonight at 169 baht. I'm not qualified to do a review of whether it was good or not, other than to say I liked the fish but not the chips. Evil

I do love a challenge! On another board, I was called out over my review of the lamb shank at Nicky's. The suggestion was the lamb shank at the Golden Ferret was both cheaper and better than Nicky's, so I went that evening to try the same meal at the GF. The lamb shank at the Golden Ferret was indeed cheaper, but better? No way! . Here's what I got for 295 baht: This is what I'd been served at Nicky's. The shanks themselves look pretty much the same in my eyes, except there is visible exterior fat on the Golden Ferret version. But the Golden Ferret spoiled the meal for me by dousing the plate with a generic gravy, especially after I asked for the gravy to be served on the side. However, it's the taste of the food that's most important, not the plating. Nicky's won hands down. The lamb at Nicky's was better quality and had more flavor. It had been properly trimmed so that there was only meat on the bone. A fair amount of the shank at the Golden Ferret was inedible membrane, fat and gristle: That's a sign that the shank hadn't been trimmed and hadn't been braised long enough to allow the connective tissue to render. The carrots and peas were soggy and tasteless from having been boiled too long and then left sitting in water. I know the softness of cooked vegetables is a matter of personal preference. I prefer mine al dente, others like them very soft. However, I don't think anyone wants flavorless vegetables. The mashed potatoes were borderline OK; I believe the potatoes had been boiled too long before mashing and hence watery. The condiment basket at the Golden Ferret was similar to Nicky's, but the mint sauce was from a bottle and I believe it was made in-house at Nicky's. On the positive side, my meal at the Golden Ferret came very quickly, in about 10 minutes, and was piping hot. When I arrived (at 9.40 pm) it was empty, but several other diners entered while I was eating. New Plaza was pretty quiet on the whole. The lamb shank at Nicky's cost 510 baht and 295 baht at the Golden Ferret. A bottle of SML cost 80 baht at Nicky's and 65 baht at the GF. Was Nicky's worth the extra money? Yes. No. Maybe. It depends on your perspective. For me, the meal, both the lamb and sides, was better at Nicky's. Whenever possible, I prefer to eat in an enclosed air-conditioned restaurant and am willing to pay extra for it. Nicky's is priced at the top end of the scale for pub-style dining, but the lamb shank meal was better than at the Golden Ferret in the most important respects. But in the budget-eatery category, the Golden Ferret appears light-years ahead of the Sailor Restaurant and Seaside. Evil

I had lamb shank with mashed potatoes and vegetables last night at Nicky's on Soi Bukhao. It was a generous portion of tasty braised lamb and sides. The lamb was cooked very well, flaking off the bone but still retaining a lot of flavor. According to the menu, it had a "hint of garlic aand rosemary," but to my taste buds, it was more of a hint of a hint. I could't taste much of either garlic or rosemary. That didn't matter much to me as the lamb was good enough that it didn't need any fortification, but a diner who was looking for garlic or rosemary might have been disappointed. The mashed potatoes were excellent and two (cabbage and brocoli) of the three vegetables were cooked al dente and still had flavor left. Only the carrots were over-boiled by my standards. The gravy that was served in boat had clearly been made in the kitchen, but lacked taste and seasoning. That wasn't a problem for me as I'm not a big fan of gravy, but again, others might have been disappointed. I really liked the fact that an assortment of condiments accompanied the meal. In addition to the usual (for British pubs) ketchup, HP Sauce and malt vinegar, Nicky's had English mustard, horseradish, mint sauce and applesauce in Thai-style condiment jars. The restaurant isn't fancy, but it has an authentic British feel to it. It's not a plastic fake interior like you might find in a British pub in a suburb of Akron, Ohio. The friendly service staff also make a determined effort to welcome guests and help them feel at home. A few less favorable observations. I placed my order at 9.20 pm, but the lamb shank wasn't in front of me until about 9.50 pm. That's a long wait, considering I was the sole customer in the restaurant the whole time I was there. I want my food to be piping hot when it's placed in front of me and it was barely warm. Finally, the price was 510 baht, which isn't out of line for imported lamb in Pattaya, but is approaching the same price (equivalent of 575 baht) I paid for a similar dish at an Irish pub in mid-town Manhattan a few months ago: Nicky's is a well-established and well-known restaurant for British food, notably it's Sunday roast and breakfast plates in various-seized portions. Based on the quality of the lamb shank, I'll be back to try a few other items on it's menu. Nicky's is located maybe 50 meters from the intersection of Soi Bukhao and Soi 15. Evil

Update September 6- Skeeter served mac and cheese last night and it was exceptionally good. Perfect crust, creamy and just the right degree of cheesiness. It was better than any mac 'n cheese I've had in a U.S. restaurant, including trendy soul food places in Harlem. The fried chicken that went along with it was also excellent. Evil

Nope, only spaghetti (five different variations, ranging in price from 80 baht to 105 baht per portion). Last night I got two portions for take away, intending to freeze one and have the other for lunch today. But even though we had eaten a full meal in a restaurant a few hours earlier, the young lady who was with me wanted to try the spaghetti as soon as we got back to my condo. She ate half of each portion, then finished the rest a couple of hours later. I had to eat lunch elsewhere today. Some more pics: According to the sign, the spaghetti stand is open from 6 pm to 4 am. This is one of the things I like best about the spaghetti stand - freshly grated Parm. Evil

I gave Taiwan one more try and I wasn't disappointed this time. I ate there early, ahead of the tour group that arrived just as I was leaving. This dish is called "pork shard" on the menu, but it's actually braised pork belly that has been simmered in a soy sauce. Very good! Remember, with this dish, you are supposed to eat the fat. It cost 70 baht. It's called "mater convolvulus" on the menu, but's better known as morning glory or water spinach. It was cooked Taiwan style with ginger, garlic and chilies. A bit too much heat for me. The cost was 70 baht. With a big bottle of Singha, the meal cost a total of 240 baht. Bottom line: Taiwan is a decent option for Taiwanese street food moved indoors. It's very cheap, but get there early to beat the tour groups. Evil

I don't think anything is available but spaghetti, but I'm not 100% sure. I'll be back to check out the menu more carefully. After having been overly served at a number of bars and go gos Friday night, I mainly tried the spaghetti there to wait out a sudden downpour. I was very pleasantly surprised at the quality of the food and the value for money. It ranks as one of the better plates of spaghetti I've had in Pattaya. But in the future, I'll probably be using it mainly for take away. Evil

Thank you for the review. It's always good to get tips on new places to visit. Evil

I had a very late night supper at the spaghetti stand on Soi Diana close by the intersection with Soi Bukhao. It was good and very reasonable at 110 baht for a generous portion of spaghetti alla bolognese. The Parmesan cheese was freshly grated over the spaghetti just before serving. It tasted better than the spaghetti in many enclosed restaurants in Pattaya. There were several different variations of spaghetti available, ranging from 70 baht to 110 baht. I'm not sure how late it stays open, but it did a roaring trade between midnight and 1.00 am. Evil

I would, but it's Coop's birthday party at the Chik N Coop Bar tonight. I don't want to miss out on his American food. Evil

The spinach was in a too-watery cream-type sauce. Angels isn't directly behind The Avenue, but about 150-200 meters south of it on Soi 15. Back to the review: The manager, a very friendly guy, told me that the dishes on offer vay from day to day. What will keep me coming back is the antipasto. The food on the main buffet table is OK, but it's not going to win any prizes. Some of the hot dishes have been excellent. I thought the pumpkin risotto was delicious. The antipasto followed by a plate of it alone would be fie with me. The pasta dishes were OK, but a bit skimpy on seasoning and cheese. On the other hand, the Thai dishes were too spicy for my palate. The mashed potatoes were more like potato pur`e, far too watery. My plate of starters and antipasto for my first meal at Angels: My selections from the main buffet table: What was labeled "lamb stew" was actually "stewed lamb," small pieces of lamb that had been long-cooked. It was very tasty; I just wish the mashed potatoes had been better. The dessert was a shot-glass of panna cotta: My first plate on my second visit: The manager brought me over a glass full of bread sticks to go with my antipasto, which was a nice touch. My second plate that day: I'm not a huge fan of buffet dining, but I'll probably visit Angels again because it's so close to where I live. It's an OK buffet at a reasonable price. Evil

Angels is a new restaurant that opened maybe two weeks ago in the same premises as the former Copa Cabana. It's located on the Soi 15 that runs between 2nd Road and Soi Bukhao. It's located right next to the Urban Condo and about 100 yards from the Mercure Hotel. The big news about Angels is that it features an all-you-can eat buffet for 249 baht. Drinks are very cheap, with a bottle of water at 15 baht; a bottle of Leo or Chang at 55 baht and SML o Heineken at 70 baht. I've eaten there twice in the past few days and was happy with my meals, especially the starters. I could have eaten only from the starter table and still felt like I'd gotten my money's worth. ... The emphasis is on Italian food, although the interior doesn't reflect a particularly Italian theme. There's a table with starters, salad ingredients and antipasto; the main buffet table with 12 hot dishes, including three or four Thai dishes; and a small selection of dessert items. The starters' (and dessert) table: The tomato-and- mozzarella appetizer was especially good. Some selections from the main buffet table: Pumpkin risotto. Pasta: Tortellini: Spinach: And a dish you don't see often at buffets, soya protein stew: More in the next post!

Rolled oats and dried fruits are available in many places in Pattaya (Central Festival, Villa Market, Foodland, Big C, etc). You can even get dried fruit in 7-11 and Family Mart. However, Western dried fruits like the ones you listed are much more expensive in Thailand than in North America or Europe. You're better off bringing it with you - that way you know you'll have exactly what you want without any hassle. Evil

The name is the restaurant's game. Taiwan, a relatively new small establishment on 2nd Road near the intersection with Pattaya Tai, serves Taiwanese food. It's not a generic Chinese restaurant but specialized in xiaochi, literally "small eats." It's the type of food that's sold at street stalls and night markets all over Taiwan. I'd noticed Taiwan as soon as it opened in mid-June, but didn't have occasion to try it until a few nights ago. I walked in at about 10.30 p.m just as a group that had pretty well filled the restaurant's eight tables was leaving. It was unlucky timing on my part, as the sharp-toothed group had consumed nearly everything Taiwan had on offer. I had wanted to try the stewed pork over rice and the rice tube pudding, but those two dishes were "mei you" (Chinese equivalent of "no hab"). In fact, the only two dishes available that night were the sweet-and-sou tofu (90 baht) ... and the soy-braised chicken leg (60 baht). Both were good, with a lot of flavor. A large bottle of Singha cost 80 baht. The menu featured several dishes priced at 40 or 50 baht, which is the same you'd pay at a street stall. Last I went back, but again, choice was limited. Even worse, the rice tube pudding had been blanked out on the menu; I assume it is no longer offered. What I had was a bowl of pork noodle soup, a very generous portion at 80 baht. It was OK, but was a generic Chinese soup that could have been seasoned better. I wish I could muster more enthusiasm for Taiwan as I wanted to like it. However, the small menu- only about 10 dishes- and the fact that they had run out of food on both of visits is discouraging. I'll go once again earlier in the day in hopes they won't be be out of too many dishes. Evil

MM, another friend and I had dinner Thursday night at Steak & Co, a new steak house on Soi Lengkee, about halfway between Soi Bukhao ad 3rd Road. To cut to the chase, we'd give the meal we had a 6 out of 10. We all had steak and in each case we got quality Australian beef cooked as we had ordered it. In terms of the "main event," the steak itself, the restaurant got it right, at least for me. However, some misses regarding starters, side dishes and service pulled the overall score down several notches. Steak & Co. operates on the same premises as the fomer China Garden and has the same owner. According to what he has written elsewhere, the owner hopes to povide a "viable alternative" to Beefeater (Soi Diana), which he says is "widely accepted" as the "best steak house in Pattaya."Basically, he intends Steak & Co. to become the best steak house in town and that's the hypothetical standard against which it should be judged. The positive news first: I thought the steak I got was good in terms of of the quality of the meat and the grilling. The 250-gram Australian sirloin for 595 baht had nice char stripes outside (which are important for flavor) and was a perfect medium rare inside. That indicates to me that the grill surface was hot enough, the chef kept the steak on the grill the right amount of time and the steak was rested before serving. A major failing at a lot of restaurants in Thailand that serve steak is that the grill isn't set at a sufficiently high temperature to char the steak's surface quickly while leaving the inside pink and juicy. However, the big miss was that the sauce for steak au poivre had been poured over part of my steak; I had ordered the sherry-blue cheese sauce which I understood would be served in a boat. So not only did I get sauce poured on my steak when I wanted it on the side, it was the wrong sauce! This was brought to the chef's attention and he said my steak had left the kitchen as ordered, but one of the serving girls had added the sauce by mistake. In reality, this wasn't a huge problem for me. A swipe or two of the my knife removed most of the unwanted sauce from the surface of the steak. However, for a restaurant that aspires to place among the best, it's a pretty serious miss. And there are certainly diners who are less easy-going than I am. Some other points: 1) Stale generic French bread and a weird butter spread sure aren't going make a good first impression on the customer. Steak & Co.'s owner has responded to this complaint in a reply on another board, so no need go into detail about it. He has promised improvement. 2) my goat cheese and beetroot tart (240 baht) did not taste of goat cheese or beetroot. The pastry was nice, the egg custard had a good consistency, but the flavor just wasn't there. Perhaps the answer is simply to add more goat cheese? It's certainly an attractive starter, but it should taste as good as it looks. 3) the chef brought us six sauces to taste. The sherry-blue cheese and steak au poivre sauces were good, the other four weren't. To me, those four tasted almost the same and way too salty. When I commented to the chef that some of the sauces were too salty, he answered that no salt had been added! If that's the case, then the only reason for the Dead-Sea taste would have to be the stock or demi-glace from which the sauce was made. 4) one of us ordered creamed spinach as his side and it was totally wrong. The spinach should have be blanched quickly, the excess water squeezed out and then chopped roughly before the ceam sauce is added. The spinach in the side your friend got hadn't been chopped, which made it very difficult to eat. On the positive side, the restaurant is done up very well inside and out. The ventilation/cooling system functioned well even though the night was hot and humid. The furnishings/tableware were first-rate, which is always a nice touch. A small dish of sherbet (sorbet) was served to cleanse the palate between the stater and main course, also a very nice and highly professional touch. Bottom line: Steak & Co. has the potential to challenge Beefeater at the upper end of the market, but it has to sort out some problems regarding its starters, sauces and service before it can considered a serious challenger. Evil Some other pics: MM's crab and avocado starter: A friend's Norwegian smoked salmon starter: MM's 250-gram Australian rib eye with sherry-blue cheese sauce: The grilled tomato and vegetables that came with our steaks:

Here's what it says on their Web site: It may have replaced L'Olivier in the Jomtien Complex, but I'm not sure. You could always give them a call. Evil

Another meal at Globetrotter, again very good. I had two iconic Swedish dishes. A pickled herring sandwich on rye bread (120 baht) ... ... and pyttipanna, a type of Swedish hash served with fried eggs and pickled beets (225 baht). My pyttipanna came with two substantial wedges of bread, which one of my companions buttered and ate with gusto along with one of my fried eggs. One of my dining companions had a 250-gram pork chop with French fries (pretty much a generic Western dish) at 325 baht. She really liked the fries and ate them with a huge amount of ketchup. She finished the pork chop as well, but it's a pet peeve of mine that it came covered in brown sauce which should always be served in gravy boat. My other companion had Thai food, a spicy rice noodle salad ... ... and panang red curry with rice. The two Thai dishes together cost about 200 baht.

I had an excellent Swedish-style open-faced shrimp-and egg sandwich at the Globetrotter, followed by poached fillet of sole and boiled potatoes. I was happy with the meal and will definitely return to try some of the Globetrotter's other Swedish specialties. It's located close to the intesection of Pattaya Klang and Beach Road, about 50 meters in on the unnamed alley that runs between Klang and Soi 7. The Globetrotter is next to the Seaside and just around the corner from Tequila Reef on Soi 7. The sandwich cost 140 baht, the sole 295 baht and a mug of draft beer 65 baht. Fresh shrimp, crab, sliced boiled egg with Swedish-style mayonnaise and dill on white bread. I also had the poached sole and boiled potatoes. ... ... There's plenty of info on what is available at the Globetrotter. The menu is very heavy on Swedish dishes, but pizza is also available. I'm a big fan of draft beer and I had a good mug of it at the Globetrotter. Unfortunately, a lot of the draft served in Pattaya is poor. Draft beer is a fresh product that needs to be transported, handled, stored and dispensed properly. Globetrotter got it right. ... Bottom line: The food at the Globetrotter is very good, but it may seem different to anyone not familiar with Swedish cuisine. Evil

Not sure if there was meat in it, but it looks like it in the pic. It was a large potion intended for two people and served on a sizzling platter. I've had the "ordinary" stir-fried morning glory there and it was cheaper, but I can't remember the exact price. Evil

Another update from a couple of days ago. I decided to try the duck soup with rice noodles for 60 baht. The waiter's reaction was a bit surprising when I ordered it. He appeared dumbfounded for a full minute, then said in a voice full of incredulity: "But YOU not Cheap Charlie!" It certainly wasn't a microscopic portion. The broth was very rich and full of flavor. There was quite a bit of meat, but you don't really order duck soup for the meat. It's the broth that is important and this bowl ticked all the boxes in terms of ingredients and seasoning. I then had the pork spareribs with pineapple (200 baht). Very tasty and a good balance between the slightly salty sauce and sweetness of the pineapple. The flavors all blended well. My friend and his companion had a spicy shrimp salad for 130 baht: stir-fried morning glory at 90 baht and two different chicken dishes with rice. One cost 45 baht, the other 55 baht It was all very good and very moderately priced. It's not a fancy place, but a excellent choice if you enjoy Thai food. Evil