Surfcrest
November 15th, 2009, 17:06
A couple more very good Pattaya suggestions for dinner:
A few nights ago my b.f. And I went to the new (new since I've been back last) Central Mall. I had wondered a few days earlier why the Royal Garden Center seemed to have gone down hill quite a bit and lost some of their bigger business clients. It's quite easy to see with this monster sized mall sporting many of the fine clothing shops that have departed the Royal.
We sort of discovered the mall by accident, it does not appear on the SPICE map and so it's approximately at Soi 8 between the big Mike's and Central Pattaya road. We were originally on our way to Tops to try and find a favorite Hot Pot place and perhaps bowl a few frames at the same mall. This mall too has gone down hill a bit, but the bowling alley remains up on the top floor. The old M&K Hot Pot is now a cheap clothing store.
So back to the Central Mall we had passed on our way to Tops and low and behold we found M&K's new location upstairs with several other restaurant choices. The place had a very nice, modern design. It was quite busy, but we were able to get a nice table without more than a minute or two wait. The menu had changed with not as much seafood selection / combinations as they once had, but still the rest of the selections were quite good. With very affordable drink prices, supplemented with free re-fillable ice tea...M&K not only is good value for the baht, but is a good nutritious alternative to Thai / Western food that even your Thai friend should appreciate. For those of you that aren't familiar with Hot Pot, you essentially get a hot boiling pot of water to which you add the ingredients that you choose. There really is no wrong choices, the combinations are good as are the a la cart choices. The cost, with drinks should average 300 to 400 baht each with a paid drink.
A side note to mention that probably won't enhance or take away from your dining experience, it was nice to see a staff of Thais working efficiently for once. They were all organized well in their tasks and worked with smooth efficiency.
We also ate out at Pagoda in the Jomtien Complex Friday night and had an excellent meal. The host, Helmut sitting outdoors personally showed us to our table and for the most part the restaurant was completely full. There was a limited, but good selection of wine choices. We ordered wine by the glass, although wine by the half litre or bottle appeared to be much better value. They have a very good selection of salads, appetizers and soups for starters and here is also a very attractive selection of rich looking deserts to choose from after your meal. With the last table for two available, we sat near the bar with a view into the kitchen. While this may not have been the best table for two in the house, it enabled us to peak into the kitchen to see the staff at work. The only thing that needed a change is the swinging door without a window, as the staff quite often bumped into each other there as a result. This can hardly be seen as a real significant minus for the restaurant, simply a small design flaw that was overlooked.
The meal was excellent, not only for Pattaya but on an International level. I've spent quite a bit of time over the past year in Europe and the meal rivaled some of the better places I enjoyed in Paris.
My b.f. (a big steak connoisseur) had the filet mignon in cognac sauce and I had the mixed seafood platter on a light Bearnaise sauce. With comfortable seating, management attentive to their customers and creations that take advantage of local ingredients....Pagoda was an amazing two thumbs up from me and my b.f.
A few nights ago my b.f. And I went to the new (new since I've been back last) Central Mall. I had wondered a few days earlier why the Royal Garden Center seemed to have gone down hill quite a bit and lost some of their bigger business clients. It's quite easy to see with this monster sized mall sporting many of the fine clothing shops that have departed the Royal.
We sort of discovered the mall by accident, it does not appear on the SPICE map and so it's approximately at Soi 8 between the big Mike's and Central Pattaya road. We were originally on our way to Tops to try and find a favorite Hot Pot place and perhaps bowl a few frames at the same mall. This mall too has gone down hill a bit, but the bowling alley remains up on the top floor. The old M&K Hot Pot is now a cheap clothing store.
So back to the Central Mall we had passed on our way to Tops and low and behold we found M&K's new location upstairs with several other restaurant choices. The place had a very nice, modern design. It was quite busy, but we were able to get a nice table without more than a minute or two wait. The menu had changed with not as much seafood selection / combinations as they once had, but still the rest of the selections were quite good. With very affordable drink prices, supplemented with free re-fillable ice tea...M&K not only is good value for the baht, but is a good nutritious alternative to Thai / Western food that even your Thai friend should appreciate. For those of you that aren't familiar with Hot Pot, you essentially get a hot boiling pot of water to which you add the ingredients that you choose. There really is no wrong choices, the combinations are good as are the a la cart choices. The cost, with drinks should average 300 to 400 baht each with a paid drink.
A side note to mention that probably won't enhance or take away from your dining experience, it was nice to see a staff of Thais working efficiently for once. They were all organized well in their tasks and worked with smooth efficiency.
We also ate out at Pagoda in the Jomtien Complex Friday night and had an excellent meal. The host, Helmut sitting outdoors personally showed us to our table and for the most part the restaurant was completely full. There was a limited, but good selection of wine choices. We ordered wine by the glass, although wine by the half litre or bottle appeared to be much better value. They have a very good selection of salads, appetizers and soups for starters and here is also a very attractive selection of rich looking deserts to choose from after your meal. With the last table for two available, we sat near the bar with a view into the kitchen. While this may not have been the best table for two in the house, it enabled us to peak into the kitchen to see the staff at work. The only thing that needed a change is the swinging door without a window, as the staff quite often bumped into each other there as a result. This can hardly be seen as a real significant minus for the restaurant, simply a small design flaw that was overlooked.
The meal was excellent, not only for Pattaya but on an International level. I've spent quite a bit of time over the past year in Europe and the meal rivaled some of the better places I enjoyed in Paris.
My b.f. (a big steak connoisseur) had the filet mignon in cognac sauce and I had the mixed seafood platter on a light Bearnaise sauce. With comfortable seating, management attentive to their customers and creations that take advantage of local ingredients....Pagoda was an amazing two thumbs up from me and my b.f.