DINING OUT - ENTERTAINMENT

Mez equals “Memorable”

by Miss Terry Diner

The Dining Out Team has just returned from the most memorable evening this year. It is very rare to find a ‘complete’ package in any restaurant, but Mez in the Sheraton Pattaya Resort has to come very close.
When reviewing any restaurant one looks at the food, the wines, the service and the surroundings. To get to the top of the tree requires excellence in all these aspects. Let me tell you from the start that Mez does (almost) all that.
Beginning with the food. This is under the control of one of the world’s most enthusiastic chefs, Matthew Woolford (who was the subject of the Local Personality interview last week). He has worked all over SE Asia, including Singapore, Korea and Hong Kong, and he has put this Asian experience into the menu. However, he has not followed the ‘fusion’ concept, but has taken Asian techniques and refined them. The steamed snowfish, for example, uses a Chinese style of preparation, but adds to it with subtle flavors produced by some non-Chinese ingredients. This is the ‘secret’ of his cuisine.

The wines. Mez has a very carefully selected range of wines, which features some outstanding wines, such as the Penfolds Bin 407 for which you will pay a premium, but also has many good-drinking affordable wines such as Tyrrells Long Flat Red. Representative wines from both Old and New Worlds are on the menu, including some Monsoon Valley wines from Thailand. It is also pleasing to see some locally produced wines making their way into the local wine lists.
The service. This is another high point at Mez. Elegantly attired young ladies who are just bursting with enthusiasm. Nothing is too much trouble, flashing smiles that will assure them of forgiveness no matter what sins might have been committed, and yet knowledgeable at the same time. From the very first welcome, you are made to feel that you are important.

And so to the surroundings. Mez is very elegant as well. Open plan and on split level, large wooden tables and chairs (though I found I needed a few cushions behind me to fill the space between me and the back of the chair). The lower level houses a cocktail/wine bar, looking out over the Sheraton’s private beach and would be a marvelous venue for a relaxed ‘sundowners’. However, the restaurant does take some exploring to get there. The topography is such that the architects were forced to design the resort on descending levels, linked by winding pathways and steps. For the elderly, or those with walking problems, this could be daunting. However, the Sheraton does have a buggy service which will get you close enough, but you may have to ask for it, as the charming staff in the lobby appear to want you to take the guided scenic tour on foot!
The menu is not huge but even a brief perusal will bring up names you may not have heard of, such as Hamachi (imported Japanese fish) Sashmimi, which has celery salt, tomato and caramelized walnut to contrast softness and crunchiness (B. 260) or maple grilled young bamboo shoots, Edamame, Enoki and asparagus (B. 480). They are designed to “Ignite your senses,” said Chef Matthew. There are enough vegetarian, seafood or meat and poultry items on offer, and every one is something new. It is a culinary exploration.
As I stated at the outset, this was a most memorable meal and a magnificent evening. Chef Matthew is inventive, and the snowfish dish was the best both Madame and I have ever tasted. The food is very artfully presented and there are no knives at the table, nor or are any needed. Even for the beef. It is not a cheap evening, but is not ‘over the top’ and the superb mélange of tastes, textures and flavors make it all worthwhile. Highest recommendation possible. I would also suggest you try chef Matthew’s five course offering. Given his head, he will personally produce something extraordinary for you!
Mez, Sheraton Pattaya Resort, 437 Pratamnak Road, Pattaya, telephone 038 259 888, fax 038 259 899. Open six days 6 p.m. until 11 p.m. (closed Sundays), valet service and secure parking.