DINING OUT -  KHUN OCHA'S COOKBOOK & ENTERTAINMENT

Jameson’s for an “Irish” lasagna

by Miss Terry Diner

Many years ago, Spike Milligan starred in the TV comedy “Curry and Chips” where he played the part of an Irish Pakistani. Whether this was the concept behind the latest Thursday special at Jameson’s Irish Pub I was not sure, but when landlord Kim Fletcher suggested the Dining Out team come and try the new lasagna and chips, I presumed that he must have changed chefs and the new chap came from Italy and had served an apprenticeship in Belfast!
The truth was nothing quite as romantic. Having decided that lasagna would be a good item for the daily rotating specials, local chef Vinai set to and came up with his own recipe. This was an immediate hit with Kim and Jameson’s regulars, but one diner asked to have chips with his lasagna. The unlikely combination of Bologna and Belfast caught on, and soon there were dozens of people ordering the lasagna with chips.
Now, is there anyone who does not know the location of Jameson’s? It is next to Nova Park on Soi AR (Sukrudee) which you can easily find by driving up Soi 4 Second Road to the top. Jameson’s has its own private car park as well.
Inside it is the archetypal Irish/British pub, with dark wood everywhere and many areas for dining as well as others for some serious thinking, or was that drinking? It also has some of the happiest service staff around.
Being a weekly Thursday special means that the lasagna and chips is actually a three course meal, so for my first course I chose the goulash, a very well packed soup served hot to the table. A great start for my dinner.
The main course was the lasagna, and this was not a small piece surrounded by half a dozen chips and a limp lettuce. Quite the contrary. It was an enormous slab of lasagna on a pre-warmed plate, with two side plates, one with a mountain of chips and the other a mountain of fresh salad. These Irish-Italians must like their tucker, there was no doubting that!
Madame was unable to make it to Jameson’s that day, so a substitute was roped in and my dining partner had a penchant for fajitas, and the thought of “Irish” fajitas had taken his fancy. The menu assured us that the meat for the fajitas was cooked in the traditional way in Guinness (that’s Irish traditional not Mexican), and he asked for a mixed selection of beef and chicken. Again the helping that arrived at the table was huge, on a sizzling plate with lashings of capsicum plus another large plate with the trimmings of cheese, salsa, guacamole and sour cream, and another plate with the tortillas. Madame’s stand-in was a big lad, and even he had to say he was unable to finish it all, believing that there was more than enough for two people in his serving. This was confirmed by landlord Kim Fletcher, who said that it was a dish very often shared between two. Whatever, the Irish fajitas were given top marks.
I had to admit that I was in the same situation, being unable to finish all my lasagna, but the combination did go down well, especially with the vinegar and salt liberally applied to the fries. A chip isn’t a chip without the salt and vinegar. After clearing away the plates, our waiter wanted to know which dessert did I want. Dessert? He had to be joking. Quite impossible! Totally out of the question.
Next came the bill. The Thursday three course special lasagna and chips costs only 195 baht. That is an incredible bargain. Just make sure you are really hungry, so you can do justice to it all. The Irish fajitas were 415 baht, and remember that it will easily feed two, so again a bargain.
Jameson’s Irish Pub continues to be one of the leading value for money restaurants in Pattaya. Do try it! Highly recommended.
Jameson’s Irish Pub, 80/164 Moo 9, Soi Sukrudee (Soi AR), Central Pattaya. Secure parking. Open seven days 8 a.m. until 1 a.m. Telephone 038 361 873, email [email protected], and website www.jamesons-pattaya.com. Secure parking just around the corner.


Minestrone Soup

Minestrone soup would be as Italian as Michelangelo’s David, but unlike the famous statue, you can substitute many vegetables and not take away from its Italian heritage. It was, after all, a soup made by Mumma, with whatever was available at the time.

Cooking Method:
Add one tablespoon of olive oil to the frying pan and warm to a medium heat. Add the chopped streaky bacon pieces and turn them frequently for two minutes. Add the chopped onion and cook for a further two minutes.
Turn the heat down low then add the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil, carrots, celery, tomato and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 15 minutes stirring every five minutes.
Add the risotto rice and stir well for three minutes. Add the stock, tomato puree and basil to the pan. Bring the soup to the boil then simmer for 30 minutes.
Add the chopped cabbage. Stir in well and cook for another 30 minutes, seasoning when necessary.

Ingredients                  Serves 4
Italian risotto rice                    100 gm
Streaky bacon (chopped small) 50 gm
Carrots (chopped small)          200 gm
Celery (chopped small)          2 sticks
Onion (chopped)                 1 medium
Tomatoes (chopped)           2 medium
Potatoes (diced)                   200 gm
Cabbage (chopped)               150 gm
Garlic (chopped fine)            2 cloves
Tomato puree            1 desert spoon
Olive oil                             3 tbspns
Basil (fresh)                       2 tbspns
Parsley (fresh)                    2 tbspns
Chicken stock                      1.1 liter
Salt and pepper to taste