DINING OUT - ENTERTAINMENT

Paradise Restaurant

On the rocks?

Hans Banziger, the driving force behind the Paradise Restaurant on Pattaya Second Road is not a man to let grass, or in this case barnacles, grow under his feet. During the four years that his Paradise Restaurant has been in operation, he has been instrumental in pushing the concept of revolving special promotions, with the most popular items eventually finding their way into the regular menu. In this way the restaurant menu is continuously evolving.

Hans and Daeng Banziger and their loyal staff celebrate the 4th anniversary of the Paradise Restaurant.

The venue itself has also been through a gentle evolution, rather than revolution, with the latest being a repaint, refurbish and retiling. There are some new table ‘dividers’ to provide some more privacy for the diners.

For those people who have not been to Paradise, the restaurant has a tropical ambience with huge rainforest murals, high ceilings, picture windows with green foliage outside, screening the diners from the street outside. Quality furniture, tablecloths and cutlery all show that this is a quality restaurant.

The Dining Out Team had been invited to try Hans’ new monthly special - called the Rock-Lobster Promotion, which is current for January, hence my caption “on the rocks”! Both of us being partial to rock lobster, we were looking forward to the evening, and I must admit that we always do at Paradise Restaurant. While we perused the menu, we sipped the Kir Paradise pre-dinner cocktail, which has champagne, cassis and lychees. A wonderful palate refresher and was so much enjoyed by Madame that she stole my second lychee!

A word about the menu will not go astray here. Regulars will find that it has steadily grown with the incorporation of the most popular items from previous specials. There are now 48 ‘international’ items, each with a photographic ‘thumbnail’ so you can see what you are going to get. Starters and salads are generally under B. 100, as are the home-made soups, which include a wild mushroom, which is a Swiss item. Mains are generally between B. 200-400 and include meats, poultry and fish. There is even a separate “Exotic Delights”, with kangaroo, ostrich, emu and crocodile items. Hans also offers a 26 item Thai menu and a 13 item vegetarian menu, covering all tastes.

Hans provided the Dining Out Team with several ‘tasters’ so we could try most of the new promotional items. We began with the rock lobster and scallops Alfredo, with the lobster meat saut้ed in butter and onion, topped with a creamy cheese sauce and returned to the shell. This featured large ‘chunks’ of the rock lobster meat and the result was so succulent that we were scratching around inside the lobster shell to get the last little pieces.

The second style was a ‘Caperese’ with the rock lobster meat still in the shell, with the capers and the taste of the lobster meat a pleasant combination.

We also tried the ‘American’ with the lobster meat flamed with brandy, and finally a thermidor with the pieces cooked with garlic and onion in a creamy parmesan and mustard sauce. For me, this was the dish of the night. The sauce held the flavour of both the cheese and the mustard. Superb!

From the outset, let me say that the rock lobster promotion is fabulous. Hans is best when dreaming up different ways of dishing up his dishes and his six versions of rock lobster take some beating. The portions consisting of two lobsters are also generous enough to be filling. This restaurant has continued to move upwards, but as Hans said when he first opened the restaurant four years ago, “The price is right.” With the rock lobster promotion starting at B. 395, it still is.

Paradise is not ‘fine dining’, and does not claim to be, but has to be one of the top middle priced venues in Pattaya. The menu is varied enough to stop boredom with repeat customers, and the special promotions are always ‘special’. Highly recommended. (I’ll be back, just for the thermidor - and Madame for the Kir lychees!)

The Paradise Restaurant, 215/62-63 Pattaya City (opposite the Marriott Resort and Spa), telephone 038 723 177, email banziger @hotmail.com. This is another restaurant with restricted seating, so it is best to book.