by Miss Terry
Diner
Whilst this column generally covers the more up-market
restaurants, all of us are looking at times for a quick, cheap meal,
especially with family and children. With this in mind, the Dining Out Team
decided to descend on one of the very well frequented eateries and try our
hand.
We chose Tesco-Lotus on Sukhumvit Road for many reasons,
including the fact that we knew the parking was good, and we could combine
shopping and eating under one roof.
The Food Court is on the first floor, above the ground
floor shopping level, and takes up a large area. There were at least 100
tables with live cooking stations along the back wall, and larger commercial
restaurants at each end. These included KFC, the Pizza Company, Swensons, MK
and the Sakura Japanese restaurant.
The financial side is very simple. There is a kiosk where
you purchase cards (instead of vouchers or coupons), with the value encoded
on a magnetic strip. When you pay, you hand over the card, it goes through
the swipe machine and the amount debited. If you are unsure of how much you
have left on any one card, there are card-check machines dotted around, so
you can swipe and see how much by yourself. The Dining Out Team suggests you
get B. 100 per card, per person. This will be more than enough, and you just
surrender the card at the end of your meal and collect the change (and there
will be some).
There is an army of cleaners who are kept busy clearing
and wiping down the tables, as well as keeping the floors spotless and the
cutlery dispensers recharged. The cutlery deserves a mention, being of a
reasonable standard, and not of the Uri Geller bending spoons genre. There
are metal forks and spoons, melamine Chinese spoons and plastic chopsticks.
It is worth the stroll along the stations before making
your decisions, though since the dishes are generally around B. 30, you will
never have an ‘expensive’ mistake! Most menu items are only in Thai, but
there are many photo displays to help newcomers.
There are around 20 live cooking stations, including many
classic noodle dishes, wet and dry styles. The prices are well displayed, as
were the government certifications as to cleanliness and hygiene. There was
also at the far end, a very large station that covered some Korean dishes,
as well as salmon, pork and chicken steaks, Saba fish and three Japanese
items, Gyoza, Yakisoba and Yakitori. The most expensive seemed to be B. 40.
We tried many dishes, but two which stood out were the
duck with noodles (B. 30) and a Pad Thai (stir-fried Thai noodles) with
prawn and oyster (B. 50). The cooking was done quickly and efficiently, and
in Miss Terry’s case, advice was given as to which condiments to use after
the dish was cooked. You can also ask for a little more of this or that
ingredient, which at worst may add B. 10 to the price of your selected item.
With the most expensive dish we could find being the
special Pad Thai with oysters, prawns or mussels at B. 50, it was easy to
see just why the Food Court was so popular. With seating for 400
(approximately), there was still a constant turnover of customers while we
were there. All the dishes we tried were good and not highly priced when you
look at the quality and the quantity. What really put the seal on a good
dinner was the helpful and friendly way the ladies on the Pad Thai stall
assisted with all the condiments and the amounts, and all done with the
largest smiles. For an inexpensive Thai experience, it is difficult to beat.
Good fun and somewhere you can let your visitors loose and be assured they
will enjoy it.
Tesco-Lotus Food Court, Sukhumvit Road South Pattaya,
just past Thepprasit Road (though there are others similar in most of the
large international supermarkets). Hours are determined by the hours of the
shopping centre itself, currently opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 11 p.m.
Secure shaded parking.
