Ko Khun: by Miss Terry Diner

The Dining Out team had been told of a Thai restaurant in Soi 6 North Pattaya Road, which had good food and was not expensive. With some American friends in tow, we decided to try the Ko Khun experience.
A rough translation of the restaurant name would be the ‘Fat Contented Cow’ and when you read the menu, you find that it is part of a beef cattle growing concern called Pon Yang Kham. This is in Isaan, and goes a long way towards explaining the cuisine and the different meat cuts available. In fact, don’t ask for chicken!
To get to the restaurant, drive up North Pattaya Road from the Dolphin Roundabout and turn left into North Pattaya Soi 6, which is just past the Fairtex complex. Ko Khun has no English language signage, but is on your right 10 meters down the soi. Lots of tropical greenery, a pseudo Khmer style head at the entrance and some colored lanterns. You cannot miss or mistake it.
The venue itself has a simple concrete floor and plain wooden tables and chairs, with lanterns, tropical plants and small lotus ponds interspersed between the tables. At the end of each table is the drinks dispenser, with the mandatory young lady doing the dispensing. It is very Thai in its execution. It is also a restaurant where you can dine under the stars, which is something you miss in a standard restaurant, but if it rains (which it does a lot at present), an electrically controlled roof rolls overhead and keeps everyone dry.
The menu is a multi-page one (and bilingual) which begins with a few paragraphs on the Pon Yang Kham cattle station with its special cross-bred cattle with well known European types, such as the Charolais, and the types/cuts of meat that are on offer. These include sirloin, chuck, topside, T-bone, brisket, flank, rump, knuckle and more, with 13 in total. The meat is also guaranteed hormone and chemical free.
With two of our party being originally from Isaan, som tam was ordered immediately (many types on offer B. 35-80) and “jim joom” (again many types B. 125-145) which comes to the table in an earthenware pot sitting on the charcoal fuelled ‘dow tarn’ Thai cooker. Both were presented to us very quickly.
While listening to the delighted sounds of appreciation from the Isaan ladies, I browsed the wine list which has a small list of choices with most bottles B. 980, but the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo can be recommended, even though the staff serve it in an ice bucket. Fortunately, with our warm evenings, the wine in the glass soon attains red wine drinking temperature. Local beers are B. 60-80 and soft drinks at standard restaurant prices.
Many of the sections refer to Thai cuisine, which may not be known by visitors, but do have an English language translation. These include yang-tod (grills at B. 55-70), hot plate BBQ (B. 100-240), luak-tom (steamed or boiled B. 50-100), marinated items (B. 100-240), sliced items (B. 100-120 - large size), rice and fish (B. 130-180). As you can see, at those prices, you do not have much to lose!
Between us we had sampled the som tam and jim joom, both items hot and spicy, and certainly to the Isaan taste. Coming down in spiciness, the larb was fine for farang palates, and the fried rice was excellent, and not oily at all. With four adults and two children, the bill for the food was around B. 650. Most reasonable.
We did enjoy the dining out evening at Ko Khun, though we did not alert the staff to the fact that we would be writing a review. This will come as a surprise. As our friends had advised us, the food was certainly good and definitely not expensive. It is an ideal venue to take children, and an opportunity to try a different style of Thai cuisine. As the menu states, Ko Khun is “Heaven for the meat lover”. Do try. It is well worthwhile.
Ko Khun, 10 meters down Soi 6 North Pattaya Road (next to Fairtex Sports Club and Hotel), telephone 038 420 571, on-street parking, open seven days 4 p.m. until midnight.

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Curried Chicken Squares

This is very similar to curry puffs, but instead of puff pastry you use slices of bread, like the English toasties. This is a fun recipe for children.

Ingredients              serves 4-6 Soft white bread                  18 slices Minced cooked chicken           ¾ cup Roasted shelled peanuts         ¼ cup Minced green onion                 ¼ cup 5-spice powder                     1/8 tspn Curry powder                          1 tspn Sugar                                   ¼ tspn Dash pepper Soy sauce                              1 tspn Chopped parsley                  2 tbspns Egg yolk, slightly beaten                 1 Oil for frying

Cooking Method
Remove crusts from bread; cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap to keep soft. Make crumbs from crusts by putting a few at a time into a blender.
Combine three tablespoons bread crumbs with chicken, peanuts, green onion, 5-spice powder, curry powder, sugar, pepper, soy sauce, and parsley; mix well.
Roll bread slices very thin with a rolling pin. Cut each square in half, place a teaspoon of chicken mixture on each piece. Brush edges of bread with egg yolk; fold in half to form a square. Pinch to seal, trimming if necessary.
In a deep fryer, heat oil. Fry three or four chicken squares at a time, turning once until desired brown color is reached (about two minutes). Remove from oil and drain on absorbent paper. Repeat until all squares are cooked. May be served with mustard sauce. Makes about 36.

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