Evil Penevil

Some good jokes on late night TV about the US win over Ghana. One talk show host said it was an important win because now 10% of all Americans can locate Ghana on a map. Another said the US team celebrated the win in traditional US soccer fashion - a couple of the players' moms loaded up the team members in SUVs and drove them to the nearest Pizza Hut for a meal . Evil

This wasn't a meal in Pattaya, but nevertheless a good one. I had the braised leg of lamb and side salad at Eamonn's, an Irish-style pub and restaurant on 45th St (between 5th Ave and Madison) in mid-town Manhattan. Eamonn's is a popular bar/restaurant, directly behind Grand Central Station. The afternoon we ate there, it was packed with people watching the Germany-Portugal match. The only two tables available were at the extreme front of the house, with no view of the TVs. It's interesting to compare costs. This meal, a generous portion of good quality lamb and salad, cost the equivalent of 575 baht at an NYC establishment with a top location. Sides of potato or rice were available at extra cost. A lot of health-aware diners don't have a starch for lunch. Evil

I'm in NYC right now and I'm a bit surprised how much World Cup fever there is. Seems like every Manhattan bar is offering WC specials and viewing parties. ABC was showing Switzerland vs Ecuador and France vs Honduras this afternoon instead of a baseball game or golf. ESPN is airing 43 matches and ESPN2 another 11. ESPN Radio will cover all the matches. The WC Final will be broadcast by ABC. To be sure, there are a lot of immigrants in NYC from countries where WC football is hugely popular and they're probably the biggest enthusiasts. But even the plain-vanilla Joe Sixpack guys seem to be catching the fever. There's a lot of interest ahead of the USA-Ghana match on Monday, with all sports newscasts devoting time to it every night. Evil

A few days ago I used the return part of first class ticket JFK-BKK-JFK on Asiana. The flight went via Incheon, Seoul's international airport, and I had a three-hour stopover in which to enjoy Asiana's First Class lounge. The overnight leg of the trip in Business Class between Swampy and Incheon departed at midnight, 40 minutes late. I slept nearly all of the five-hour flight. It didn't take long to de-plane, clear security and make my way to the First Class Lounge: It was quite a lounge. At 7.30 am. there weren't very many people inside. How about a grand piano? The food was the most impressive I've ever seen in an airport lounge. It would put some breakfast buffets in five-star hotels to shame. French toast with real maple syrup: Seabream: Gnocchi: Salmon and various cheeses: Time went very quickly in that lounge! The first class cabin was the same as on the October flight from JFK, so I won't add any new pics. But the food was fantastic! Pate hors d'oeuvres: Butter and olive oil with balsamic vinegar for dipping the bread: I wish I could get bread like this in Pattaya! Caviar: Salmon appetizer: Creamy chicken soup: Salad: Sorbet to cleanse the palate before the main course: Wagyu beef, some of best beef I've ever had. It's amazing that I had it on an airplane. Cheese and fruit: Blackberry dessert sandwich: The mid-flight snack, cold kimchi noodles: The pre-landing breakfast began with breads and a choice of spreads. I took honey. Fresh fruit: Cheese souffle (I wonder how they managed that one in an airplane galley after 13 hours of flight). They also served yoghurt and cold cereal, but there's no reason to take pics of such familiar items. Amazingly good food for a flight! Evil

Chimaki is a family-style Japanese restaurant about half way down Soi 3 between 2nd Road and Beach Road. I was tipped about it by a poster on another board. The signage is easy to see from the street ... ... but the entrance to the restaurant is non-descript and felt a bit like I was walking into someone's home. The emphasis is clearly on the food at Chimaki and not the decor. Nor is it a place that catches much of the casual tourist trade. The times I've been there, I've been the only farang guest. All the other customers have been Japanese and Thai. Part of the lack of appeal to farang may be the menu, which is written in the Roman alphabet as well as Japanese characters. However, the names of the dishes are mainly transcriptions of Japanese words without much explanation in English. So unless you already know what dishes with names like syo-ku, piment jyako and tori kara age consist of, it could be difficult knowing what to order. There are some pictures of the food in the menu, but not many. This item on the menu intrigued me, since I'd only previously seen "bukkake" used in one connection: The food is great, the prices are reasonable and I have no problems recommending it to anyone who enjoys Japanese cuisine. But without some familarity with the types of dishes served in small home-style Japanese eating places, you'll need some patience. One supper I began with sushi at 170 baht: Following by cold soba noodles at 140 baht: I washed it down with a large bottle of Asahi at 135 baht: 445 baht all in for a meal like that wasn't bad at all. I began another meal with a different sushi set at 170 baht: And grilled squid, very fresh, at 170 baht . Also a bowl of rice and Japanese pickles at 35 baht. With a large Asahi, it totaled 510 baht. You know you're close to Chimaki when you pass this sign on the wall of what appears to be a night club with a refreshingly honest name: Bottom line: I'll be back! Evil

Sunday roast at Punch and Judy (info on location here, it's hard to explain). I had the New Zealand lamb, a friend had the roast chicken, other friends had the "trio of meats" option (beef, pork, lamb). It was an excellent meal. You can't see it well in the pic, but there were a lot of vegetables included: broccoli, cauliflower, beans, cabbage and both roast and mashed potatoes. The lamb, Yorkshire pudding and gravy were all delicious. And an excellent Irish coffee for me to end the meal! The lamb cost 310 baht, a Happy Hour SML was 80 baht and the Irish coffee 150 baht. Evil My lamb: A friend's chicken: His wife's Thai food:

I'm off to Soi 6 now! Evil

I'd have to check the exact wording, but I believe it was called a pork schnitzel on the menu. Evil

The pork was moist and not dry, one of the better schnitzels I've had in Pattaya. But it's not a classic wiener schnitzel, as a wiener schnitzel should be veal, not pork. Evil

The Brooklyn Diner is easing back into operation after several weeks of renovation. It's still not up to full speed, but the owner introduced his new menu at a "soft start" last night. I had the pork schnitzel and it was huge as well as delicious. Flavorful pork had been pounded to the right thickness, then breaded and fried correctly. The fried potatoes were also very good, accented by bacon and onions. The schnitzel cost 200 baht. With a SML and by using the BD discount card, the entire meal cost 255 baht. Evil

Yamato is the oldest Japanese restaurant in Pattaya, with about 30 years of continuous operation under its kimono. It also has the distinction of giving its name to the street on which it is located, better known as Soi Yamato than Soi 13/1. It's popular with both Japanese and non-Japanese visitors and ex-pat residents of Pattaya. It's nicely decorated inside, a spot of Japanese calm in the madness that is Pattaya. There's a platform, tatami-covered area for traditional dining ... ... as well as Western-style table dining. About a week ago, I had a quick supper there consisting of various Japanese appetizers: And katsu don, a personal favorite of mine. It was excellent value at 160 baht. Together with a large bottle of Asahi, the whole meal cost 300 baht. Several things figured prominently in the meal at Yamato that I shared with two young ladies a few days later. The appetizers and Japanese "salads" were excellent. ... We all had salmon sashimi ,, and fried shrimp. The ladies continued with salmon sashimi rice bowls (they really liked salmon sashimi) ... while I had mixed tempura as my main dish. The total cost for the food for three was 1,300 baht. The ingredients were very fresh and the sashimi was the best I've had in Pattaya. Everything else was done well. I'll definitely be back. Evil

I don't eat many hamburgers in Pattaya. It's a once-a-month treat at most. Evil

The Deluxe Burger at Dicey Reilly's: It consists of a thick patty of meat, cheese, bacon, tomato, onions and lettuce, topped with a fried egg. Fried mushrooms, french fries and a tiny dab of coleslaw come with it. The cost was 360 baht. The patty was grilled nicely and the bun was properly toasted. In all, a good burger and a filling meal. Evil

A few more pics from Fuji. The restaurant offers a beef set meal that is excellent value for money at 230 baht. The set includes sliced beef, flavorful, tender and cooked properly; rice; miso soup; kimchi and a bite-sized item I don't know the name for but it tasted good. Salmon tikka don (sashimi over rice) Gyoza Sashimi salad: Fresh fruit for dessert. I wish I knew from where they get their watermelons. Salmon sashimi closeup Watermelon ditto Evil

Yes, it has definitely gone up. Evil

My remaining allowance will probably be exhausted in a few months. Evil

Here's some other dishes from other meals at Fuji. All were good. Bento set with its various components: Grilled shrimp: Sashimi: Gyu don (beef bowl over rice): Fried mushrooms: Evil

A couple of things stick out about the meals I've enjoyed at Fuji: the ingredients have been very fresh and the presentation of the dishes was attractive. And it's always pleasant to have a titillating companion with which to share the meal. Fuji at Central Festival Mall (5th floor) is part of a Thai chain of Japanese restaurants. There are 99 branches in Thailand and two each in Laos and Burma. It's pretty standard Japanese fare, but done well. We started off with salmon sashima. Very fresh indeed. One of my companions wanted the Fuji steak set, which the three of us more or less split. The steak set came with various sides, including shrimp. We also ordered a sashimi salad Thai-style, i.e., with a spicy citrus dressing. The fried mushrooms in the steak set were so good that we ordered a full portion. Geso kara-age (fried squid tentacles) Katsu don- very tasty, one of my favorites. Strawberry yoghurt pudding Matcha aisu (green tea ice cream) My dessert: Just joking! I had fresh fruit: Fuji wasn't crowded, but had a decent crowd for 4 pm. Total cost for three people including drinks and dessert, was 2,000 baht. Evil

It tasted fine! Good quality lamb cooked properly and the sauce was fragrant with a noticeable taste of cardamom and star anise, which I like. The naan was good, too, and the ginger chutney was a nice accent. At 360 baht, it wasn't cheap but not out of line considering the size of the portion and its quality. The poppadams were heavily spiced and could be used to add a bit of heat to the rogan josh. Stew-type dishes often don't look very appetizing in pics. Evil

Last night's supper at Dicey Reilly's. I had the lamb rogan josh with naan, rice and ginger chutney: My friend from NYC had cottage pie: My friend's Thai lady had tom yum gai. It was her birthday and he asked the waiter to put a candle on a dessert of some kind, as there was no cake on the menu. But the waiter got a small cake from somewhere - and there was no charge for it! Evil

Bumping up this post because BMs who live in Thailand may encounter more and more blocked sites. I've been using Tunnelbear for over a month now and it's been great. Check it out. Evil

This poem, written in the 1920's by Dutch travel writer Gerard Nolst Trenité, is probably the best comment ever on the irregularities of English pronunciation. Here's a link to it with a lot of background and explanation: The Classic Concordance of Cacographic Chaos Evil

At the Thai consulate in New York City, you can leave in your application for a double-entry tourist visa in the morning and pick up the visa the next afternoon. You can parlay that visa into a six-month stay with only one border run or trip abroad. A single-entry visa gives you two months, plus it can be extended a month. If anyone plans on staying more than 30 days in Thailand, why wouldn't they get a tourist visa before leaving home? It just doesn't make sense. The visa exempt stamp is intended only for those staying 30 days or less. Evil

Rene Russo