Golden Ferret at New Plaza

[Evil Penevil 7,628]

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

Edited September 12, 2014 by Evil Penevil

[parry 58]

Thanks for the review Evil. Ive eaten twice at the Ferret and won't be going back. The worst soggy chips you can imagine, even worse than Palmers

[Nightrider 340]

Another good review Evil , i think that places like the GF have there place because there are a lot of people on tight budgets that will spend less on food and don't worry about the quality too much.....!

[JONPAT 222]

Good review, thanks for spending your time and money.

 

Is there anything at the GF you think you might like to try?

[Evil Penevil 7,628]

Good review, thanks for spending your time and money.

 

Is there anything at the GF you think you might like to try?

I wanted to try the fish and chips and apple crumble, but that turned out to be a mistake.

 

Thanks for the review Evil. Ive eaten twice at the Ferret and won't be going back. The worst soggy chips you can imagine, even worse than Palmers

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

[MM 6,562]

Evil, I haven't been to the GF...I'd read many favorable reviews from one person in particular in the old Facebook group "The Breakfast Club", but always opted to eat at Fryday's one or two doors up...everything I have had there has been very good...I've had the roasted half-chicken, the ribs, and the really good Cod Fish and Chips (180 baht I think, but worth it IMHO).

[Nightrider 340]

Those ribs and chips look very good.......

[mrlasvegas 124]

Where is New Plaza located? Seems worth a try.

[MM 6,562]

Where is New Plaza located? Seems worth a try.

 

Across from Soi 8 on Second Road..the right side going north.

[mrlasvegas 124]

Across from Soi 8 on Second Road..the right side going north.

Thanks for the info.

[Evil Penevil 7,628]

but always opted to eat at Fryday's one or two doors up...everything I have had there has been very good...I've had the roasted half-chicken, the ribs, and the really good Cod Fish and Chips (180 baht I think, but worth it IMHO).

 

I tried Fry Day's popular 99 baht version, but the batter was too thick and oily for me.

 

 

 

The batter could have served as body armor for an Imperial Stormtrooper. The chips were OK.

 

 

I'm not having much luck with fish 'n chips in Pattaya.

 

Evil

[MM 6,562]

EP, I only tried the cod at whatever the higher price is...but if you didn't like the batter, then it doesn't make much difference what fish is inside.

[parry 58]

That batter looks ok to me Evil, at least its not stodgy, but each to his own. Ive sort of given up on fish and chips in Thailand, although I do think Frydays are pretty decent. The cottage Pie is excellent though,as are the sausages and Pork Steaks. Its well worth another visit Evil IMHO

[darkmancomes 75]

ANy fish I have tried in Pattaya seems to have the same problems a watery soft fish with thick oil ridden batter biggest problem seems to be the quality of the fish I think are they maybe using mainly John Dory? I even tried the one that a lot raved about on here cant remember the name of it on second road now gone between 7&8 not only was it the same but very expensive!

Edited September 18, 2014 by darkmancomes

[jacko 8,815]

ANy fish I have tried in Pattaya seems to have the same problems a watery soft fish with thick oil ridden batter biggest problem seems to be the quality of the fish I think are they maybe using mainly John Dory? I even tried the one that a lot raved about on here cant remember the name of it on second road now gone between 7&8 not only was it the same but very expensive!

I stopped having Fish and Chips here, because I never knew what type of fish it was.

As you say some were watery and mushy, quite awful, I was told this was a cheaper freshwater variety.

I always liked a steamed grouper at Thai style places, particularly where they were recently swimming in a tank, but they got more and more expensive, and some seafood restaurants have ripped me off with the priced by weight result.......

 

Even in the UK they just list it as 'fish', and if you ask 'what type of fish', you can get a puzzled look.

Love a freshly battered cod.