Walking Street in South Pattaya is well known for its seafood
restaurants, but others are not so prevalent. Now open for just over one month,
the Kilkenny Irish Pub and Restaurant is in fact the only Irish representative
in the mall of mayhem and madness. Landlord Tim Rawlinson, a dry-humoured
Englishman, reports that people walk in saying, “At last! A place we can go to
in Walking Street and relax.” After spending an evening there, I can assure
you that none of the smartly turned out staff in the maroon waistcoats are
standing outside saying, “Hello sexy man. Welcome! Sit down please!”
The
venue is small and not brightly lit, so you have to be vigilant to spot it
amongst the neon glare, but it is on the water side of Walking Street 50m before
Marine Disco. It has a single frontage and is long and narrow, going right the
way through to a deck out over the water. The atmosphere is very much the UK
style pub. Dark wood panelling with flagstone floors, buttresses from railway
sleepers, knick-knacks, wooden furniture and a rough-hewn wood counter. There is
even a St. Patrick statue, keeping a saintly eye over the proceedings, and a
small elevated stage at the rear for the Irish band.
The kitchen is under the control of a cook who was spirited
away from Molly Malone’s in Phuket (perhaps that should now be Molly
Alone’s?). The menu begins with Starters and Snacks ranging in price from a
smidgen under B. 100 to B. 199. These cover soup of the day (B. 99), chicken
wings, chicken tenders, a chip butty and even Thai spring rolls (done in an
Irish way, I am sure).
Pasta
and Pies are next (B. 149-249) with a beef and Guinness pie, chicken pie and
cottage pie on offer. Burgers and Baguettes follow (B. 149-249) of various types
including NZ steak and BLT. There are salads (B. 199) and then a page of Pub
Favourites (B. 199-299) with baby back ribs, mixed grills and fish and chips
amongst them all. Desserts include apple crumble and cheese cakes.
Beers? Yes, it’s a pub - include the Irish Kilkenny and
Guinness (under B. 200), plus all the other usuals around B. 99, plus house
wines B. 129/glass, cocktails and three styles of Irish coffee.
While waiting for the rest of the Dining Out Team I decided
to have a chip butty as a starter. This was a mistake - it was huge! A gigantic
toasted soft bun and a mountain of roughly hewn British home-style chips.
Fabulous food, but enormous!
After the others had arrived, ordering beef and Guinness
pies, I decided on the Cornish and pastie and chips. Their pies were full of NZ
beef chunks, capped with a beautiful light pastry and I heard nothing but
appreciative grunts as they were head down and into it!
My pastie dish was again huge! The pastie covered half a
large plate, with the other half being another enormous mountain of Brit style
chips. The pastie was filled with tasty minced beef and vegetables and the
pastry was again delicious. But another giant portion of giant chips! It was all
too much, I have to admit that I was beaten by a chip butty and a Cornish
pastie. Though another beer did help!
We enjoyed the evening at the Kilkenny Irish Pub and
Restaurant. The food was good and in huge trencherman portions. The chips are
wonderful, authentic UK style and plentiful - certainly no potato famine here.
The atmosphere is convivial and the Dancing Fiddler quartet which comes on after
10 p.m. had everyone swaying in time with the Irish ballads. This is a
worthwhile addition to the eating and drinking scene in Pattaya, and the owners
are to be congratulated on getting it up and running and adding a touch of class
to Walking Street. “Hello sexy man! Sit down please!” “No thanks, I’m
going up the street for a quiet beer and a feed at Kilkenny’s!”
The Kilkenny Irish Pub and Restaurant, Walking Street (50m before Marine
Disco), telephone 038 711 094, email kilken [email protected]
