Patrick shows off his mussels:

by Miss Terry Diner

If longevity is the sign of a good restaurant, then Patrick’s Belgian Restaurant in the shopping arcade opposite Mike department store on Second Road must be considered to be a ‘great’ restaurant, having been in Pattaya for 19 years, with 16 of those in its current location.
Friday is a special evening at Patrick’s restaurant, as this is his “mussels” night. These should not be mistaken for Patrick’s “muscles”, as Patrick is an ex-boxing champion from Gent, in the Flemish region of Belgium, in more than one weight category, and the many photographs on the walls attest to that.
The restaurant is in two distinct sections. An external, open area with 22 seats, and very suitable for smokers, and the inside, air-conditioned area seating over 40 people, with much of it seating the people in alcoves. The waitresses are smartly turned out, and overseeing everything is Patrick himself. He may not be in the square ring himself these days, but he is still light on his feet, and floating around misses nothing to keep his guests happy.
The menu is totally photographic. This is just so important with the international clientele in Pattaya. There are English and Belgian subtitles, but the photographs say it all. Drinks are at the front of the menu with local beers B. 65-75, and house wine B. 125 per glass. The other side of the page has the famous Belgian beers which go from an innocuous 3.5 percent, through the Chimays (7, 8 and 9 percent) to the mind-blowing Kasteel Triple at 11 percent. “Drink it like a wine,” said Patrick.
The daily specials follow, with the Friday being the ‘Moules-frites’ (the mussels with Belgian fries at B. 350). Other notable days are the first Saturday of the month being spare ribs (B. 385) and the second Saturday being a Bouillabaisse Mediteranee (B. 500).
There are snacks, salads, appetizers (including ‘bitterballen’), soups, Belgian specials (including a Flemish rabbit stew B. 350), pork, chicken (all under B. 300), local and imported steaks and even a chateaubriand for two with NZ steak at B. 900, fish choices, ice cream and desserts and fondues.
Patrick gave us a ‘tasting’ menu, so we could appreciate the range, and we began with the Friday night special mussels, which were wonderful, and the full-sized portion was huge. Great value at B. 350.
Our next dish was the Scampi’s du chef (number 16 in the appetizers and B. 145) which comes in a hollowed out tomato with the prawns having been flamed with cognac and presented in a rich sauce, about which Patrick proudly said, “This I make myself.” This was simply sensational and I could have eaten it all night. Do try it!
The main dish for me was the 250 gm imported Argentine tenderloin, with vegetables and fries (B. 695) and you will not get a more tender cut of beef anywhere. Forget the Japanese Wagyu - try Patrick’s Argentinean. By the way, Patrick insisted I drink the Karmeliet Tripel Belgian beer with the beef. This won the world award in 2008 and is a very nice drop, but dangerous at eight percent alcohol!
The finale (and I still don’t know how we packed it all in), was Patrick’s Belgian waffle with ice cream (B. 100) accompanied by a full-bodied Irish coffee. We had to sit for a while before we could move. It had been a wonderful culinary experience.
In some ways, I was slightly embarrassed after our sensational evening meal, as there was nothing much I could offer Patrick in return for his hospitality on the Friday night. The additional publicity from this article could not really help fill his restaurant. It was already full and he was in fact turning them away! This is one venue where I firmly recommend you book. Great food at very reasonable prices, and undoubtedly is the secret of success in the restaurant business. We’ll be back, Patrick. Very highly recommended.
Patrick’s Belgian Restaurant, 216/51-52 Second Road in the shopping arcade directly opposite Mike’s Shopping Mall, Central Pattaya, telephone 038 720 300, open seven days 12 noon until 11 p.m. Website www.patricksresto pattaya.com, email patricksresto @gmail.com. On-street parking or in Mike’s Shopping Mall.

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Orange glazed pork

Sounds like something you would order in a high class fine dining restaurant, but is actually something any competent home cook can prepare. Preparation time is only 10 minutes and it takes 30 minutes to cook.

Ingredients                       Serves 4 to 6 Pork tenderloins, cut in 2 cm slices       2 Flour                                          2 tbspns Salt                                              ½ tspn Black pepper             dash, or to taste Olive oil                                   2-3 tbspns Orange juice                                   1 cup Dried basil leaf                              ½ tspn Brown sugar                                2tbspns Red wine vinegar                         2 tbspns Garlic, minced                              1 clove Chili powder                                  ½ tspn Green onions, thinly sliced               6 to 8

Cooking Method
Heat oven to 350° F.
Slice pork tenderloins into 2 cm rounds and gently, using the heel of your hand, slightly flatten each slice.
Combine flour, salt and pepper and coat pork pieces with the mixture.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the pork slices for about two minutes on each side, or until browned. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over the pork (if your skillet is not ovenproof, put the pork in a baking dish first). Transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, until pork is glazed and mixture is reduced and slightly thickened.