Wooden Box on Thapphraya Road in Jomtien

[Evil Penevil 7,628]

PLEASE NOTE: This review concerns a restaurant called the Wooden Box, not some of the other wooden boxes that can be encountered in Jomtien, whether in condo buildings or in bars.

 

The Wooden Box has been open about six months on Thapphraya Road in Jomtien, next door to the Pattaya Provincial building. It specializes in salads and other healthy food, although it is by no means vegetarian. There's plenty of meat, fish and seafood on the menu to keep the veggies company.

 

 

According to its Facebook page, the Wooden Box is Thai owned and operated. The Facebook page also says the restuarant grows its own vegetables and herbs on site hydroponically. There's a pic on the page of the tanks and trays in full bloom with healthy green stuff, but they were empty when I visited yesterday.

 

 

The view after dark. The restaurant is open from 9.30 a.m. until 10.30 p.m. and serves all-day breakfasts in addition to its lunch and dinner fare.

 

 

Salads are the restaurant's focal point. The "basic" salad, a huge portion of greens and three toppings, costs only 77 bahr, including dressing. My salad below cost 123 baht as I asked for extra toppings (boiled egg, beetroot, almond slivers, raisins, etc.). The salad is literally a meal in itself.

 

 

The interior is bright and spotlessly clean. The seating, which includes some sofa and armchairs. is comfortable. There are tables indoors and out with space for 60 diners.

 

 

 

The salad bar is impressive, but I'm not sure if there's an "all-you-can-eat" buffet option. I'll ask about that next time I visit.

 

 

 

 

Prices are very reasonable for the salads and a lot of the other dishes, with plenty of options under 300 baht. However, if your tastes run to ribeye steak or lobster, you'll be paqying the same prices as in comparable restaurants. The steak cost 535 baht and the lobster 935 baht.

 

 

The first time I visited Wooden Box, I only ordered salad and a watermelon smoothie. You order the salad on a check-box menu, ticking off the options you want.

 

 

The salad was fresh and the various components were packed with flavor. The homemade balsamic dressing (one of about five options) was great and the salad came with a bowl of grated Parmesan cheese, which gave my salad a nice accent. Total cost was 198 baht (123 baht for the salad, 75 baht for the smoothie).

 

 

 

 

On my next visit, I had the mushroom cheeseburger at 255 baht. Instead of a bun, it features two extra large mushroom caps (breaded and deep-fried) as the top and bottom layers.

 

It was a novel idea- I've never seen it before- and very well executed. It came with a small serving of salad, shredded beetroot and a few potato wedges.

 

 

The beef patty was tender, well-seasoned and cooked properly.

 

 

In all, a delicious and filling meal and good value for money.

 

 

 

My next meal wasn't nearly as good as the mushroom burger. I decided to try the eggs Benedict, which turned out to be a big mistake. Eggs Benedict is a U.S. dish consisting of poached eggs and Canadian bacon on a toasted muffin, then topped with Hollandaise sauce. This is what it's supposed to look like (pics from the Net):

 

 

And this was what I got:

 

 

Everything was smothered with a thick Hollandaise sauce that wasn't good. Instead of a layer of Canadian bacon, it was topped with a slice of streaky bacon and had some diced ham inside. There was also a layer of spinach and slices of French bread had been used rather a muffin.

 

 

The eggs were poached properly, but that's about the only positive comment I can make.

 

 

It didn't taste any better than it looked. Since the pics are depressing, I'll add a bit of info about the dish itself. There are two main versions of how it originated. The most accepted version says it was invented in the 1860's by Charles Ranhofer, the legendary chef at Delmonico's in New York City. Supposedly the wife of a NYC millionaire named Benedict wanted a dish featuring poached eggs with Hollandaise sauce and Raqnhofer came up with eggs Benedict. The other version holds that it was invented in the 1890's when a stock broker named Benedict asked in the restaurant of the Waldorf Hotel for poached eggs and bacon on toast with a boat of Hollandaise on the side. He wanted it as a cure for a hangover. The chef at the Waldorf was impressed and decided to add it to the menu, but substituted Canadian bacon and a muffin to make the dish more fitting for the fancy Waldorf.

 

 

I scraped off the sauce and ate the eggs. It can be that eggs Benedict was a culinary bridge too far for the Wooden Box. Eggs Benedict is like the girl in the nursery rhyme who had a curl in the middle of her forehead: when she was good, she was very, very good, but when she was bad, she was horrid! It's rare in the U.S. to find eggs Benedict done properly, even less likely abroad.

 

 

However, the meal wasn't a complete flop. The 235-baht price included coffe or tea, a glass of real orange juice and some fruit. On that basis, I'd give it a 4 out of 10.

 

 

 

The miss with the eggs Benedict won't stop me from returning to Wooden Box. I want to try this special before it runs out on Aug. 15:

 

 

Bottom line: Wooden Box is a welcome addition to the Pattaya food scene with its salads and "Thai fusion" dishes. Just don't order the eggs Benedict.

 

Evil

Edited August 7, 2016 by Evil Penevil

[halfaboy 31]

Happy to read this story. I like having the option to go to a salad restaurant (away from the Beach Road places as Sizzlers).

 

The menu looks good and I will try the place for sure.

 

Can you give me an indiction about the location (i.e. coming from Jomtien it's on the left / right side etc). Note that I am not on facebook.

 

Thanks for your review.

 

Have fun !

[laongsbistro 8]

Eggs Benedict at Laong's Bistro on Jomtien 2nd Road

 

 

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[MM 6,562]

Happy to read this story. I like having the option to go to a salad restaurant (away from the Beach Road places as Sizzlers).

 

The menu looks good and I will try the place for sure.

 

Can you give me an indiction about the location (i.e. coming from Jomtien it's on the left / right side etc). Note that I am not on facebook.

 

Thanks for your review.

 

Have fun !

Coming from Jomtien, it's on the right, just after the Le Baguette and the provincial court house entrance. It's well up the hill, but before the summit.

 

 

Eggs Benedict at Laong's Bistro on Jomtien 2nd Road

 

 

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Is it normally served with (what looks to me like) a broken poached egg and salmon?

[laongsbistro 8]

Hilarious MM. The Smoked Salmon is the Royale version of our eggs Benedict which can also be ordered with bacon or smoked ham. The egg has been delicately sliced to demonstrate the cooked state when served.

 

 

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[JONPAT 222]

Laong's Bistro on Jomtien 2nd Road

 

is that across from Rompho market ? That picture looks good enough to eat. I've never had eggs Benedict and want to try them.

[capdagde 1,954]

Excellent review. I'm now hungry and thousands of kilometres from the Wooden Box. I'll show Flo the pics and see what she comes up with!

[Evil Penevil 7,628]

Eggs Benedict is a tricky dish to make and it doesn't allow for substitutions. The Hollandaise sauce has to be freshly made as it doesn't tolerate long periods under heat. American-style side (streaky) bacon doesn't go well with Hollandaise, so it has to be the leaner, more subtly flavored Canadian-style back bacon. The eggs have to be poached properly, which depends on split-second timing, and it has to be a muffin as the base because bread gets too soggy, even when toasted. It's a lot for a busy chef to get right, which is why many restaurants don't offer it. Just like the little girl with a curl in the middle of her forehead in the nursery rhyme, when eggs Benedict is good, it is very, very good, but when it is bad, it is horrid.

 

Evil

[MM 6,562]

Hilarious MM. The Smoked Salmon is the Royale version of our eggs Benedict which can also be ordered with bacon or smoked ham. The egg has been delicately sliced to demonstrate the cooked state when served.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Regarding the sliced egg, that's something you should mention.

 

If you extrapolate eggs Benedict to eggs Benedict Royale, have at it, but as Evil points out, the "real deal" is as described.

 

I've had your eggs Benedict and found the hollandaise sauce lacking. As I recall, it was a bit sour, perhaps due to too much lemon.

 

This was, I believe, shortly after you opened or added eggs Benedict to your menu.

 

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[laongsbistro 8]

Laong's Bistro on Jomtien 2nd Road

 

is that across from Rompho market ? That picture looks good enough to eat. I've never had eggs Benedict and want to try them.

No John, we are further along 2nd road, between Soi 9 & Soi 11. Check out our Facebook page for directions or search us on Google maps

 

 

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[Bazle 1,480]

If you extrapolate eggs Benedict to eggs Benedict Royale, have at it, but as Evil points out, the "real deal" is as described.

 

 

I think this is a bit harsh. Many dishes are varied from the original but still referred to just the same as the original. Take a look at a Google search for Eggs Benedict and you'll see countless variations, just as with many other dishes.

[laongsbistro 8]

Regarding the sliced egg, that's something you should mention.

 

If you extrapolate eggs Benedict to eggs Benedict Royale, have at it, but as Evil points out, the "real deal" is as described.

 

I've had your eggs Benedict and found the hollandaise sauce lacking. As I recall, it was a bit sour, perhaps due to too much lemon.

 

This was, I believe, shortly after you opened or added eggs Benedict to your menu.

 

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

Time to try us again then my friend. Ask for Robert when you arrive, I'll be happy to serve you personally

 

 

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[MM 6,562]

 

I think this is a bit harsh. Many dishes are varied from the original but still referred to just the same as the original. Take a look at a Google search for Eggs Benedict and you'll see countless variations, just as with many other dishes.

Not harsh at all. Eggs Benedict is fairly simple to describe with its ingredients.

Getting it right is altogether another thing.

 

Variations from the original should be called out for the consumer.

 

The standard doesn't use salmon, Parma ham, streaky bacon, spam in a can or other substitutes at the whim of the purveyor.

 

Given perfect hollandaise, perfect back bacon, perfectly poached eggs, the muffin base is the hardest thing to get right in Thailand.

 

The Coffee Club did everything right except they had no muffins and substituted ciabatta, but that was also mentioned on the menu. It was a very good substitute, and I'd order it again.

 

 

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[MM 6,562]

Time to try us again then my friend. Ask for Robert when you arrive, I'll be happy to serve you personally

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'll give yours another try. You've had adequate time to perfect the dish by now.

 

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[laongsbistro 8]

I look forward to meeting you

 

 

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[yselmike 389]

Not harsh at all. Eggs Benedict is fairly simple to describe with its ingredients.

Getting it right is altogether another thing.

Variations from the original should be called out for the consumer.

The standard doesn't use salmon, Parma ham, streaky bacon, spam in a can or other substitutes at the whim of the purveyor.

Given perfect hollandaise, perfect back bacon, perfectly poached eggs, the muffin base is the hardest thing to get right in Thailand.

The Coffee Club did everything right except they had no muffins and substituted ciabatta, but that was also mentioned on the menu. It was a very good substitute, and I'd order it again.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

My guess is that the hollandaise would be the most difficult thing to get right consistently,I imagine that most places would use a ready made mix and not fresh yolks

and butter.

[yselmike 389]

I think this is a bit harsh. Many dishes are varied from the original but still referred to just the same as the original. Take a look at a Google search for Eggs Benedict and you'll see countless variations, just as with many other dishes.

Poached eggs,hollandaise,muffins should be there bacon,ham,smoked salmon,chorizo,spinach or anything you choose to use is allowed as long as it's specified on the menu.

[Evil Penevil 7,628]

An update from a recent meal at Wooden Box. My friend had the salad (giant portion) and rib-eye steak; I had the chicken tacos and sea bass baked in parchment with riceberry rice and quinoa. Both were very good and value for money. I'll upload the pics first while I have a fast Internet connection and get back with more text later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[capdagde 1,954]

Those last pics are a bit mega-yum! Are the tacos deep-fried tortillas?

 

(Just had Flo-made fish "en papillote" for lunch)

 

Andy

Edited August 20, 2016 by capdagde

[wwwbkkaptcom 2]

Still open and good ?

[MM 6,562]

Still open and good ?

Yes, I ate there two days ago.

[atlas2 4,329]

Mostly looks good......I heard about this place from two gay blokes at my gym who swear by it.

 

Must give it a try when I'm not in salad dodging mode.......

 

As for 'EB' I've only had Eggs Benedict' once and that was at the Bourbon ST Hotel in Washington Square.......It was recommended as one of the best example to be had anywhere.

 

Not my thing...

Never wanted to ever try another one.