Mae Sri Ruen on Beach Road

[Evil Penevil 7,628]

Mae Sri Ruen (or maesriruen) is a chain of inexpensive Thai restaurants that began 50 years ago in Pattaya as a small place selling chicken noodle soup. It now has 20 branches, with three in Pattaya and 17 in Bangkok.

The branch on Beach Road next to Central Festival has been open a few months. I don't know if it is the replacement for the branch at Big C North that was closed due to the big renovation project or is an expansion unit in case the Big C North restaurant reopens.

The interior is bright and extremely clean, both very positive factors for me. There is an outdoor seating as well as a large enclosed, air conditioned section.

It's not a fancy place, but much more comfortable than hole-in-the-wall restaurants that serve similar food. The times I've eaten there or just passed by, it seemed most of the customers were Thai, but also a fair number of foreigners.

The menu has expanded far beyond the signature chicken noodle soup. In fact, Mae Sri Ruen could serve as a primer in basic Thai dishes. Prices are very reasonable for the quality of food served. You won't find expensive seafood dishes on the menu, but most of the Thai standards are there.

My friend began his meal with minced pork and tofu soup. He liked it and a big bowl was 90 baht.

He followed up with roast duck on a bed of vegetables. Again, he had no complaints and thought the portion was fair-sized for 160 baht. The total cost of his meal with a bottle of water (15 baht) was 265 baht.

I began with hoy tod, a savory pancake made with oysters or mussels and served on a bed of bed sprouts. I chose the oyster version and it came on an extremely hot sizzling plate. That's a mistake in my eyes (and mouth) as the moisture in the bean sprouts produced a lot of steam, which turned what should be a crispy a bit soggy. The taste, however, was excellent, with plenty of small oysters to give the right accent. At 140 baht, it was reasonable.

My second dish was roast pork with rice at 60 baht. It was tasty if unremarkable. With a watermelon shake, my meal cost 252 baht.

On another night, I had the chicken soup with rice noodles. It was very good and I understand why it became the restaurant's signature dish. At 45 baht, it wasn't more expensive than street food.

Nice strips of tasty chicken.

I next had pad thai with shrimp wrapped in a lace-like layer of egg. It was delicious as well as visually appealing.

It had a surprisingly complex taste with the ingredients complementing each other and the herbs providing accent.

I'm sure for Thais it would have come in as mildly spicy, but for my farang palate, it was medium.

At 185 baht, it was one of the more expensive items on the menu.

Bottom line: Mae Sri Ruen offers inexpensive Thai food in air-conditioned comfort. If you want to enjoy your meal in more appealing surroundings than Tin Cups and similar places, then it is a good choice.

Evil

Edited November 13, 2016 by Evil Penevil

[yorta2 693]

That made me very hungry. Thank you.

[plahgat 523]

One of my favorite Thaifood places since many years!

I especially like the PorkSatay with peanut sauce!

 

Plahgat

 

Here's one of my regular three meal courses, including drink it was 308 baht.

 

 

 

[atlas2 4,329]

I go often to the branch next to outlet mall in Jomtien.

 

Never had a bad meal there.

[halfaboy 31]

I have been a customer for years at the Big C and the Jomtien Outlet Mall branch. Never been disapponted. Quality food for very reasonable price.

 

Thanks for the report. It reminds me I should go back sooon.

[teelack 9,640]

Wow. This is my sort of food and the prices are brilliant. Who would have thought such a place existed on Beach Road. Thanks.

[atlas2 4,329]

Actually i should have said something about the service....In the one opposite Outlet Mall they have a couple of senior overseers and lots of what seem like school age boys and girls on work experience.

 

This means that they are really polite, attentive......and prompt.

 

Though you can also sense a little nervousness at serving (let's face it) tricky falangs......This also means that they are polite, attentive and prompt..

 

So to sum up

 

I find the staff to be........polite and attentive and prompt.

[Evil Penevil 7,628]

 

I find the staff to be........polite and attentive and prompt.

 

I agree and I should have mentioned the service in the OP. The male manager at the Beach Road branch gives customers a warm welcome and speaks good English, but the rest of the service staff, while very friendly, speaks little to no English. That's not a problem when ordering, as each dish is numbered and has a picture. Just point to it on the menu, no need for words at all.

However, Mae Sri Ruen isn't the right place for special requests or a lot of questions about the food unless you speak Thai. If as a non-Thai speaker you're not prepared to "pick and point," then you are probably better off going to another restaurant.

Evil

[Harvey 249]

Evil, how was the duck. It looks really good. (Am a sucker for a good roast duck over rice).

[Evil Penevil 7,628]

Evil, how was the duck. It looks really good. (Am a sucker for a good roast duck over rice).

 

I didn't have it, but my friend said it was excellent and he ate every morsel.

 

Evil

[Harvey 249]

 

I didn't have it, but my friend said it was excellent and he ate every morsel.

 

Evil

 

 

Thanks Evil. I'm gonna put it on my list when I'm back in February.

[teelack 9,640]

I made it here last night as I was heading to the beach to do a bit of sailing with my Loy (or is it the Kratong that sails?) I had a seat outside watching all the action on Beach Road.

 

I ordered the spring rolls and the same pad Thai as Evil, the one in the egg wrapper. Here are my impressions. I might also add from the start that total cost with a bottle of soda water was 190 baht, but was it value?

 

OK, first off with a place on Beach Road it was a fair price and good value. I actually ordered too much as there was a good pile of spring rolls and was really meant to be shared by two. There was a nice little green salad on the side and the rolls were served in a shaped fried crispy edible thingo. The pad Thai was fine and I was struggling to eat all on the plates but just managed it by wasting a bit of salad.

 

Had I have shared the rolls the meal would have been spot on for size and taste. The only things that slightly irked me is the Thai inability to serve a starter and leave a minute or two between courses but this is Thailand and not Europe. Then there was the pad Thai. I am used when eating Thai to expect not less than 6 kung but in this case and I believe by design you get two. It was still a good meal and the service was fine but I never seemed to have the same person serve or collect twice. Again, not a biggie.

 

I can recommend this place for a cheap and cheerful meal as you watch Beach Road at its frenetic best. If however you want authentic Thai as opposed to tourist Thai food then a little bit of looking might be worth your while. This is the first Evil review I have tried. He might be onto something!

[wacmedia 277]

Hi,

 

Nice one. Seems good value for money.

[teelack 9,640]

I visited this place late last year and wrote a good review of the place. I decided to take Lek there a week ago for a Thai view point on the cuisine. I really didnt get an answer as the whole visit was a farce.

 

It took some tie to place an order but why worry as we sat out doors enjoying the evening.

 

I decided on the prawn basket again. Not sure what the lady wanted. To drink simply two bottles of water.

 

First thing we get is the rice. This sits there getting cold. Then after a wait the water arrives.

 

Next Lek's meal arrives.

 

Five minutes later nothing for me. Its been forgotten so I wait again for it to arrive. I then request hot rice as recall it was first served and quite cold by then. This took a committee decision and by the time that arrives the main is cold! Bugger it. Eat up, no tip and head off into the night.

[Brewmaster 28]

Am really glad to hear that there is now one near Central as it will save me going to the Big C and finding that the one there is closed.

Have eaten at the Big C one many times and enjoy their large cocoanuts to go with their great variety of dishes.

 

What is the timeline on the Big C redevelopment? - will be heading to Pattaya in June which roughly speaking is 88 days and 6 hours before touch down.

[plahgat 523]

Am really glad to hear that there is now one near Central as it will save me going to the Big C and finding that the one there is closed.

Have eaten at the Big C one many times and enjoy their large cocoanuts to go with their great variety of dishes.

 

What is the timeline on the Big C redevelopment? - will be heading to Pattaya in June which roughly speaking is 88 days and 6 hours before touch down.

It's been finished a long time already and is now called "Central Marina", lots of new restaurants, but no Mae Sri Reuan!

 

Plahgat

 

 

[Bullfrog 2,224]

It's been finished a long time already and is now called "Central Marina", lots of new restaurants, but no Mae Sri Reuan!

 

Plahgat

 

Central Marina (2).JPG

 

Central Marina (3).JPG

Yep....and you caught it when it was busy....