Chinese Shaxian Snacks on 2nd Road Near Soi 6 (updated Feb. 28, 2019)

[Evil Penevil 7,628]

Chinese Shaxian Snacks is a small restaurant on the east side of 2nd Road near Soi 6 that's been open a week. The name can be a bit misleading as the word "snack" in Chinese (xiaochi, literally "small eats") encompasses a lot more than potato chips and salted peanuts. Chinese snacks are street food that has traditionally been sold by hawkers and vendors from carts or stalls on busy streets, often near markets or temples.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shaxian refers to Sha county in Fujian province. In the 1990s, local entrepreneurs began selling their county's specialties on the streets of larger cities. The "snacks" became hugely popular and an association was formed to market the Shaxian brand name. The snacks themselves are Chinese standards like dumplings and noodles as served in Sha county. Today there are thousands of outlets for Shaxian Snacks across China and even some branches in foreign countries.

 

 

 

 

 

The new Pattaya branch has four tables indoors and three outside. It's cramped and basic with no A/C or fans. It was clean but messy, with no decorations. The exterior sign is its fanciest feature. However, the food I've tried so far has been delicious. Last night I had the steamed dumplings:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and the beef brisket noodle soup:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the dumplings is missing in the pic, as I popped it in my mouth before I took out my camera. Each dish cost 100 baht. The bowl of soup was huge. The wheat noodles were fresh, but hadn't been made on-site. The broth had a great taste, quite sophisticated for a Chinese restaurant in Pattaya. Each table had a container of soy sauce, a bowl of chili paste and a squeeze bottle of chili oil. The condiment I lacked was vinegar. I asked for it, but was told "mei you," the Chinese equivalent of "No hab." They didn't have any sort of beverage on sale, not even water.

 

 

 

 

 

A couple of things to note: this is an authentic Chinese hole-in-the-wall place, more a glorified food stall than a sit-down restaurant. I believe it's mainly intended for take-away rather than in-house dining, just like in China. The poor ventilation made it warm inside and I was soon sweating, not really a meal-time experience I want. If you sit outside, you're about six feet from the fumes and noise of 2nd Road, again an experience I don't want.

 

 

 

 

 

The menu is short, about a dozen dishes, with text in Chinese and English, but the English can be strange. Who would guess that "Fried Cow River Powder Noodles" are actually broad rice noodles with beef brisket? Large and accurate pictures are the menu's saving grace; just point at what you want. Next up for me will be zhajiangmian (noodles with minced pork in bean paste) and wontons with peanut sauce.

 

 

 

 

 

Chinese Shaxian Snacks is clearly aimed at ethnic Chinese visitors to Pattaya. It offers a taste of China, not Chinatown. Farang looking for U.S.- or U.K.-style Chinese food will be sorely disappointed. There's no General Tso's Chicken or chow mein on the menu. The two young Chinese men who were operating Shaxian Snacks last night spoke putonghua (China's official standardized language) with each other and didn't seem to know much English, but they did their best to make me feel welcome. They smiled a lot and praised me on my use of chopsticks.

 

 

 

 

 

Bottom line: A very positive addition to Pattaya's food scene.

 

 

 

 

 

Evil

 

Edited February 28, 2019 by Evil Penevil

[jacko 8,822]

Good review, odd not to supply any drinks. I was a little worried that Chinese snacks was going to be duck webs!

[Regyai 415]

Beaks are better

[midlifecrisis 4,048]

Good review, odd not to supply any drinks. I was a little worried that Chinese snacks was going to be duck webs!

 

 

mmmmm. Chewy!

[Evil Penevil 7,628]

Chinese Shaxian Snacks is one of the better recent additions to the local food scene as Pattaya has always been weak on the Chinese side.  I've eaten there a number of times since it opened in September, 2018, and it's time for an update.  I have to emphasize something I wrote in the OP:

On 9/29/2018 at 5:03 AM, Evil Penevil said:

Chinese Shaxian Snacks is clearly aimed at ethnic Chinese visitors to Pattaya. It offers a taste of China, not Chinatown.  Farang looking for U.S.- or U.K.-style Chinese food will be sorely disappointed. There's no General Tso's Chicken or chow mein on the menu. 

Several times at Shaxian,  I've seen farang families walk in, sit down but not recognize any items on the menu.  After some fruitless questions the staff didn't understand, these families got up and left in frustration.  On a couple of occasions,  the family father made stupid remarks that reflected his ignorance rather than any shortcoming with the restaurant. If Orange Chicken at Panda Express defines your taste in Chinese cuisine, you're better off skipping Chinese Shaxian Snacks.  While its menu has expanded at bit since it opened 5 1/2 months ago, it is still concentrated on a few types of Chinese food, namely dumplings, noodles and soups.  If your heart beats warmly for  boiled or fried dumplings, beef brisket noodles,  herbal soups and wonton or noodles in peanut sauce, then Shaxian is the place for you. 

I also want to correct an error in the OP.  Shaxian does have air conditioning, but it wasn't working the first night I was there.  It's been fine on every subsequent visit.

The big attraction for me is that the jiaozi are made fresh daily in the traditional fashion.

The fact that she sat in the dining area filling the jiaozi  gives Shaxian a very authentic Chinese feel.  It's a bit rough at the edges and about as far way as you can get from elegant dining, but the food is excellent.  

 

And this is how those dumplings will end up: either  steamed , boiled in broth-

or fried-

Most of the staff at Shaxian know I can use the nimble tongs, but a new waiter brought me the order above with a fork and side dish of ketchup ()!!!   The fork was replaced with chopsticks and I used the dark vinegar instead of ketchup (). 

 

 

One of my favorite dishes is the noodles in peanut sauce and topped with scallion and pickled cabbage.

You have to mix it thoroughly.

I have a fair amount of take away from Shaxian, but they tend to skimp on the sauce to avoid messiness.  Dumplings do best for takeaway.

 

Bottom line:  I eat at Chinese Shaxian Snacks two or three times a week.  I can definitely recommend it, but only if you are familiar with and enjoy traditional Chinese snacks.

Evil

Edited February 28, 2019 by Evil Penevil

[sailingbill 1,039]

Evil, Terrific. Thanks for the review,  I have long not understood while there is an Indian restaurant ,still my favorite cuisine, every 100 meters there is almost no Chinese.I am a frequent visitor to the Corner Bar Soi 6. Could you point me to Shaxian? Thanks, Bill

[Evil Penevil 7,628]

6 hours ago, sailingbill said:

.I am a frequent visitor to the Corner Bar Soi 6. Could you point me to Shaxian? Thanks, Bill

Shaxian is very close to Corner Bar, diagonally across the street.

When I took this pic of Shaxian,

I swiveled 90 degrees and snapped a photo of Corner Bar.

They are in a line of sight, maybe 100 meters distance.

Evil

[capdagde 1,954]

That's really handy for a fill-up before the "gauntlet" - can you take us there in August, Uncle Evil?  If so, I'll PM when we get there.

We can write down transliterations of the food as I assume the menu is in Chinese or Pinyin.

Andy & Flo

[sailingbill 1,039]

Thanks Evil , very much appreciated , a better alternative to the pies at the Soi 6 Corner bar. Though they are good.  Andy i know a bit OT. I remember you , Flo and i sat with Larry , a bit long ago. You guys went to Phuket while i was going to Bali. So we never spent time together,   I hope not the same in August. .I am going to a wedding late August . Hope you are coming early August