Fredi Schaub, the guiding hand behind Bruno’s Restaurant and Wine Bar, both front of house and in the kitchen, has invited a visiting chef into the restaurant each August. These visiting chefs have been very popular, and over the years have introduced many new items into the Bruno’s menu.
For this year, the invited chef is Patrick Zellweger, a young Swiss chef with international accreditation, who has been currently working as the Deputy Executive Chef in the Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia, and who won his first gold medal in 2004. An adventurous chef in many ways, he was in charge of one of the exclusive restaurants on the QE II during his last working holiday.
There is also a very strong tie-in between Fredi and Patrick, with Fredi having worked under Bruno Zellweger, Patrick’s father, at the Hotel Bellevue in Arosa Switzerland and also at the Hotel Casa Berno in Ascona, while at the same time Fredi was watching the very young Patrick developing his interest in the kitchen. Having kept in touch with Bruno Zellweger, Fredi also was able to witness Patrick pick up his father’s culinary interests and develop them even further. Now the wheel has turned full circle, and Patrick Zellweger has earned his place amongst the talented visiting chefs at Bruno’s.
Patrick had already indicated to Fredi some of the items he would present for the Bruno’s patrons during August, and Fredi was impressed. These follow a predominantly French style but with Mediterranean and Australian influences. These culinary directions have come about from Patrick working in such well known places as Hotel Giardino, Hotel Kulm, Hotel Alpenhof and Schloss Neuweier, as well as the current Crown Casino Hotel.
So it was with high expectations that the Dining Out team visited Bruno’s Restaurant and Wine Bar to meet the new arrival and to sample his cooking.
The warm welcome given to diners at Bruno’s is well known, and we were soon at a familiar table with a glass of chilled white chardonnay (French house wine and very drinkable), to discuss the August Bruno’s menu with Fredi and Patrick. The more than 50 item menu has been the result of three months of emailing between them, with reference having to be made as far as availability of some items in Thailand. Patrick also saying that freshness of ingredients is number one in his cooking, and then combining them in simple ways for a good result.
We began with a medley of appetizers with a Tuna tatar with red onions, olives, chive and lime dressing, then a Smoked duck breast (with the smoking done by Patrick himself) on cous-cous and orange salad and creamy parsley dressing, a Crab salad with fresh mint and avocado and baby spinach salad and Pan-fried scallop wrapped in pancetta served on a green pea puree with sage and tomato butter. You can see immediately the wonderful combinations. The tastes were also wonderful. We were also very taken with Patrick’s soups, especially the gazpacho-styled chilled soup with pan-fried scallops.
Our mains included Australian lamb rack with thyme and garlic and an Atlantic salmon fillet wrapped in prosciutto and fresh herbs. If you like salmon, this was sensational! (We drank a Rufus Stone McLaren Vale Shiraz 2003 with our mains and it is an excellent full-bodied drop!)
Fredi had already said how impressed he was with the depth and variety of the items, and as the Dining Out Team, we have to agree. Patrick Zellweger will impress you with his approach and the results are simply excellent.
Whilst Pattaya is very fortunate having some very fine restaurants these days, there is no denying that by introducing new talent in the kitchen, Fredi Schaub, Patrick Zellweger and Bruno’s are introducing new dishes, flavors, textures and tastes in Pattaya, which can spark up even the most jaded of palates. Chef Patrick is ‘in residence’ until the end of August, and I suggest you make a booking soon. You will not be disappointed.
Bruno’s restaurant, 306/63 Chateau Dale Plaza, Thappraya Road, Pattaya,
Tel, 038 364 600, fax 038 364 602, email brunos@loxinfo. co.th, www.brunos-pattaya. com. Open seven days, lunch noon until 2.30 p.m. and dinner 6 p.m. till late. Secure parking outside.

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Macaroni Salad Recipe

This is an easy dish to make and you can add extra items such as ham salmon and even cheese if you want.

Ingredients                 serves 4 Macaroni pasta                      2 cups Salt Hard boiled egg, chopped                1 Roasted chopped red bell pepper     1 Fresh chopped parsley          1 tbspn Chopped spring onion              ¼ cup Lemon juice                           ½ tspn Mayonnaise                            ½ cup Several pinches of paprika Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cooking Method
Cook macaroni, as directed on its package, in at least two liters of salted water (1 teaspoon of salt per liter of water). When cooked through, but still slightly firm (al dente) remove from heat, drain and rinse with cool water until room temperature.
Roast a fresh bell pepper by blackening it over an open flame on a gas range, cool and scrape off blackened skin and discard stem and seeds and then chop.
Put chopped onions into a small bowl and sprinkle with the lemon juice. This will serve to take the edge off the onions.
Combine cooked macaroni, onions, and all other ingredients in a large serving bowl. Mix well and adjust seasonings to taste.