Many years ago there was a popular venue right at the end of Soi Whitehouse in Jomtien, called the Admiral’s Pub and Restaurant. As time progressed and Soi Whitehouse began to become a battlefield, it just became too hard to get to the end of the soi, and the Admiral’s Pub disappeared from public view. However, the Admiral had not gone down with his ship. The Admiral’s Pub and Restaurant has reappeared in Soi 8, Jomtien Beach Road, about 100 meters down from the beach.

For those who remember the ‘old’ venue, the new berth for the Admiral looks very much like the old one. In fact, much of the timber, the bar and furniture came directly from Soi Whitehouse, as have many of the staff. The owners are also the same - Wanna and Bent Laasholdt. From the Dining Out Team’s point of view, we wanted to know if the food, service and ambience were also the same. When we saw the familiar Admiral’s Pub sign outside, we had almost answered our own question.
There are many separate areas to dine within the venue. There is a lovely garden setting, with the familiar teak furniture set amongst the trees and bushes surrounding the main building.
There is another section indoors, which is air-conditioned, and has the horseshoe shaped sit-up bar connecting both the exterior and interior areas. The familiar photographs of old Siam are again displayed, plus a couple of old admirals. For private parties there are several rooms above, plus the temperature-controlled wine cellar.
We went on a Friday, which is the Scandinavian Buffet evening, but of course the a la carte menu is also on offer. Saturdays are the all-you-can-eat BBQ evenings.
Perusal of the menu showed that the prices were almost unchanged. Local beers were B. 55-65 and even the aperitifs such as Pernod were only B. 75. The menu has also small photographs with each item, something which is so necessary when you are dealing with an international clientele.
The cuisine is international with a Scandinavian touch with the addition of a full Thai menu covering steamed, pan-fries and curries and noodle dishes.
The menu begins with a full range of Danish open-face sandwiches, with most around B. 100. Burgers and sandwiches are also around the same price. The menu continues with appetizers, salads, soups, grills and steaks with the most expensive item being B. 395. This is not an expensive restaurant.
Madame had decided to try the Scandinavian Buffet and returned with a plate full of herrings and potato salad, beetroot and cheese. The herrings are naturally imported, but the different marinades are done in house. Madame was very content with her herrings!
Many years ago, I used to enjoy the Admiral’s Hungarian goulash soup (B. 120) and so, all nostalgic, began my evening with that. It arrived with the hot bread roll and was the hearty goulash of old. It was still very, very enjoyable!
For a main course I had chosen the Wiener Schnitzel with home fried potatoes and gravy. A large schnitzel arrived with a separate gravy boat, so I could add my own. The schnitzel was not tough and the home fries are such a welcome change from the almost universal french-fries. I enjoyed every mouthful.
We finished the evening by having one of Bent’s “special” espresso coffees, which has a full measure of Amaretto added to it. A perfectly relaxing finale for what had been a great reintroduction.
Did we enjoy the evening? Yes we did. It was almost as if we (or the Admiral’s Pub) had never been away. The goulash soup was still the meal in itself that it always was, and value for money is certainly the driving force behind management thought. If the Admiral’s Pub and Restaurant was one of your previous haunts, then it is well worth re-visiting at this new address. If you had never been to the original one, then come anyway. You will not regret it. And children are welcome. The Admiral likes families!
The Admiral’s Pub and Restaurant, Jomtien Soi 8, telephone 038 756 390, fax 038 232 227, open 10 a.m. until late, seven days. Plenty of parking in Soi 8.

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Scrambled eggs - pure and simple

It is amazing just how many recipes there are for scrambled eggs, and whilst adding cheese, onion, ham, bacon and countless other ingredients may sound enticing, nothing beats a nicely cooked, fluffy scrambled egg.

Ingredients         Serves three Eggs large                              6 Low-fat milk                   6 tspns Salt                            3 dashes Butter                           1 tbspn

Cooking Method
Heat a large non-stick frying pan to a setting just above medium.
In large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk and salt. Beat vigorously for two minutes.
Melt the butter in the frying pan. As the very last of the butter is liquefying, add the egg mixture.
As the egg mixture begins to cook, break up the larger pieces with a wooden spatula and push towards the center of the pan.
When there is no more runny mixture, allow the eggs to cook 15 to 25 seconds longer and serve. Add salt and pepper to taste.
By the way, you can use soy milk instead of low fat milk, and a pinch of baking soda will make the scrambled eggs even more fluffy.