The
Raj Indian Restaurant is on the left on that short section of South Pattaya Road
(Pattaya Tai) between the Beach Road/Walking Street turn and the intersection
with Pattaya Second Road.
For those who have been in Pattaya for some time, they will
remember a “Raj” restaurant on Pattaya Third Road. This new Raj has no
connection with the old one, but does share owners with the Taj Indian
Restaurant on Pattaya Third Road (opposite the X-zyte disco), so it was logical
for them to have a Taj and a Raj.
The new Raj, which opened four months ago, is around 20
meters from the South Pattaya Road - Second Road intersection and has a large
frontage, so you won’t miss it. Needless to say, don’t even contemplate parking
outside unless you are one of the world’s most incredibly lucky people, but
there is plenty of parking in the Wat Chaiyamongkol grounds for B. 10 and slip
out the side door leading straight onto Second Road.
The exterior and interior of the Raj is done with Indian
style arches, and there are various Indian artefacts placed strategically
around. You won’t mistake it for a restaurant with any other cuisine.
We were met by the restaurant manager Karan and shown to our
seats. On this occasion we were joined by two people of Indian heritage, to
judge the authenticity of the items. And one very authentic item is VJ Mallya’s
Kingfisher beer (B. 160), which is a great palate cleanser, and one which I do
enjoy. Recommended you start the same way on an Indian night.
While enjoying our Kingfishers we perused the menu which has
at least 120 items, beginning with soups and salads (and many Indian soups such
as Tomato Shorba, spicy with a dash of gin).
The next section is Shuruaat (appetizers) and there were many
which I knew I would enjoy, including the Aloo Chat (B. 110) and Onion Bhaji (B.
90).
The Raj has its own Indian clay oven (the tandoor) with 15
different items on offer, ranging from the Tandoori Phool marinated cauliflower
grilled with fresh aromatic herbs and spices (B. 190) through the well known
Chicken Tikka (B. 240) ending up with the Tandoori Jumbo Prawns (B. 360).
For those not quite up to speed with Indian cuisine, the Raj
offers two special kebab platters (vegetarian B. 590 or meats B. 790), plus
Shasliks.
There is a complete page of vegetarian items, then Chicken
delicacies (all around B. 250), Lamb (B. 310), Seafood (around B. 340), then
rices, breads and desserts.
We tried many dishes that night (in fact too many, but thank
you Karan) and can honestly say we were impressed with the food from the Raj’
kitchen (which has many Indian chefs and assistants). The cuisine is
predominantly Muglai (Northern India) with the richer, thick curries once
reserved for the tables of the noblemen. Not being a fan of fire, I stayed
within my personal spiciness limits, and there were plenty of choices for me. In
the appetizers I particularly enjoyed the Vegetable Samosas (B. 90) filled with
spiced potatoes and green peas. The crust was crispy and not at all greasy. We
also enjoyed the Fish Amritsari (B. 250), white fish which flaked easily and is
boned and marinated in the Raj kitchen. Deep fried with egg, yoghurt and other
herbal spices.
In the mains, my choice was the Butter Chicken (B. 270), a
very rich and sweet curry with plenty of chicken, and I was not disappointed. My
dining companions, being more traditional than I, lapped up the Yellow Lentil
Dal (b. 140) with the Pullao rice (long grain Basmati cooked in butter, spices
and saffron at B. 120), a Keema Mattar (B. 330) with an assortment of Naan
breads (plain and garlic, though there are around 15 breads on offer). We
finished with the crunchy anise and sugar, which is a wonderful end to any
Indian meal.
If you are a fan of Indian food, we can recommend the Raj for
authentic recipes, a wide range, properly cooked and not expensive.
Raj Indian Restaurant, 597/6-7 South Pattaya Road, telephone
038 421 890, email [email protected]. Plenty of parking in Wat Chaiyamongkol.
