Coco’s Bistro

Lex Granaada and Dylan Counsel enjoy the opening party.

A very, very new restaurant this week. So new we were there on the opening night and what an event that turned out to be! Called Coco’s Bistro, it is on Chaiyapruek 1, about 100 meters from the Chaiyapruek/Sukhumvit Road intersection.
Now if you are a ‘Googler’ and enter “Cocos Bistro”, you will be directed to a Cocos Bistro in Dayton Ohio USA, known as a “cool place to eat in the Oregon district of Dayton.” That is not our Coco’s Bistro, which is also a “cool place to eat” but our local one is right here in Jomtien!
This is a new venture for Peter Coughlan and fiancée Jade, but is a restaurant that comes with an amazing history. Initially conceived as a spin-off from Yorkies Butchery, the restaurant changed hands following the death of Eileen Denning’s husband Norman. Meanwhile, Peter Coughlan had suffered a massive stroke in Australia but had made a simply miraculous recovery and expressed the desire to live and work in Thailand. Enter Peter’s father Tom Coughlan, MD of CSP Constructions who conceived the idea, refurbished the restaurant and provided Peter and Jade with a made-to-order business in Thailand.
The restaurant is a Bistro, and the prices reflect this. Imported Australian steaks under B. 500 attests to that! The restaurant itself has two main air-conditioned areas, plus bar, and another section outside for al fresco dining, but is still under cover. Comfortable chairs inside and large tables complete the package.

Peter Coughlan raises a toast to the new venue.

Some of the staff date back to the Yorkies era, but there are two new chefs to assist the previous one. Some items in the menu also hearken back to the previous iteration, including several breakfasts (B. 40-280) available from 7.30 a.m. (and you know how difficult it is to get a real breakfast in Pattaya).
Sandwiches and toasties (B. 95-150) and a children’s menu (B. 90-110). Starters B. 90-190, soups B. 120 and traditional English pies, hot pot and gammon steak (B. 190-325). Grilled steaks with most under B. 500, a whole page of main courses with most under B. 350, followed by Mexican, Indian and Italian items and plenty of Thai choices too (all under B. 150). This is not an expensive bistro by any means.
This is a new venue which is certainly worth the trip to Jomtien. Good food, inexpensive and you will meet a very courageous couple in Peter and Jade. Highly recommended.
Coco’s Bistro, Chaiyapruek 1 (100 meters from the Chaiyapruek/Sukhumvit intersection), tel 038 074 814, open 7 days 7.30 a.m. - 10 p.m., www.cocospattaya .com, plenty of off-street parking.

Chicken Satays

Satays are the ideal BBQ food. You can eat single-handed while holding a drink in the other! To make the best satays is simple. Marinade, marinade, marinade! To make these chicken satays memorable, marinate the meat in a Ziploc bag overnight and prepare the skewers the next day. Use the commercially available satay sauce you can buy in the local supermarkets. A lot easier!

Ingredients	Makes ten 12 inch skewers
Chicken thigh fillet For marinade:	500 gm
Garlic minced	3 cloves
Onion, minced	½ large onion
Coriander (fresh) minced	2 tspns
Brown sugar	1 tbspn
Lime juice	from one lime
Fish sauce	1 tbspn
Vegetable oil	1 tbspn

Cooking Method
Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. In a large bowl, combine the garlic, onion, coriander, brown sugar, lime juice, fish sauce and vegetable oil. Now place the chicken meat into the bowl and thoroughly mix each piece in the marinade. Pour the meat and marinade into a Ziploc bag and leave in the refrigerator overnight.
Before cooking, thread the meat on to ten 12 inch skewers that have been soaked in water for 30 minutes and cook over a hot BBQ or on the griller. Do not overcook chicken. Serve the satays with the peanut sauce.