Baan Chaiyapruk Restaurant changed owners around 12 months
ago, and the Dining Out Team was interested to see how this small, but
different, garden restaurant had progressed since the last time we ate there
about two years ago. It is easy to find, being about 100 metres up Chaiyapruk
Road from Jomtien Beach (turn left at the Chaiyapruk police box, before Nang
Nual Restaurant, coming from Pattaya).
However,
before going further, if any readers had previously dined at the Sala Rim Talay
Restaurant on Jomtien Beach Road, you will immediately spot some similarities.
The primary one being the management, and the secondary one being the
appointments. Yes, the entire management and kitchen from Sala Rim Talay has
moved into Baan Chaiyapruk. This explained the familiar woven traditional
tablecloths, the bronze Thai cutlery and the heavy wooden tables and chairs.
This is a restaurant that has been transplanted and its name changed!
The actual venue has ‘grown’ too. It is in a covered
tropical garden and the foliage is more lush, there are more trees and bushes,
and the garden appears to have settled. There are fans dotted amongst the tables
to just keep the air circulating, but on our balmy evening, they were not
necessary.
We
were given cold towels after we sat down and we began to peruse the menu. Yes,
it was Sala Rim Talay all over again, with sections in German, English and
Russian, and there is one in Thai language too. The menu begins with appetizers
and soups ranging in price from B. 50 for a fresh vegetable tempura, through egg
noodle soups to the famous tom yum goong (spicy prawn soup) at B. 100.
Salads are next (B. 50-110), all made with organically grown
vegetables and covering beef, chicken, ham, tuna and seafood. Several ways of
serving fried rice around B. 80 are followed by Thai favourites (B. 70-100) with
most being stir-fries, then several curries (green, red, yellow and panang) with
all under B. 90.
The seafood section is generally under B. 100 and covers
prawns and fish cooked in different ways and then finally there is a page of
Euro items (B. 160-230) such as wiener schnitzel and pork steak.
The drinks list is not large but the house wine is only B.
70, red or white, while beers are around B. 50 for small bottles or B. 140 for 1
litre of draft. Softs are generally around B. 30.
We began with tempura prawns, four very large and succulent
prawns, which came cooked in a wonderful tasty batter, complete with a dipping
sauce. This was followed by a pad Thai, made with thin noodles with small dried
shrimps, vegetables, egg and peanuts. Again very tasty.
We then had a panang curry chicken, presented in a coconut
(beautiful and the spice was just right), prawns in garlic and pepper
(flavoursome) and a stir-fried beef and bamboo with tomato, with very tender
beef. All dishes being good sized serves as well.
The food at Baan Chaiyapruk was delightful (as it was at Sala
Rim Talay) and the presentation is still amazing. This restaurant does not
pretend to be five star, but the way the food is presented is better than I have
seen in many so-called up-market hotels. The kitchen being under the control of
a Thai ex-executive chef from the NY Hilton goes a long way to explain this, and
it was very pleasing to see that the standards have not slipped. The beef dish
was cooked to ensure the meat was still tender, and the panang curry served in
the fresh coconut is sensational.
This is a restaurant where you do not need to dress up, but
one where you can most inexpensively enjoy excellent high quality food. If you
used to go to Sala Rim Talay, reacquaint yourself with Peter at Baan Chaiyapruk.
If you had not, go and try Baan Chaiyapruk anyway. Highly recommended.
Baan Chaiyapruk, 131/9 Chaiyapruk Road, Jomtien (100 metres from the beach),
telephone 01 295 5030. Open 10.30 a.m. till 11 p.m. Plenty of on-street parking
outside. Live music Wednesdays and Fridays. B. 135 BBQ Buffet Friday evenings.
