Breakfast, lunch and dinner offers at Poseidon

Ever since the management of the Poseidon restaurant has been taken over by Kim and Pascal Schnyder (Casa Pascal), this previously almost unknown restaurant in the Jomtien Complex has become very well known to those who enjoy dining out. Not just for the excellent fare, but also for the most reasonable prices.

Anyone for prawns? Proprietor Pascal Schnyder serves up a veritable feast at the Poseidon restaurant’s BBQ Dinner Buffet.

To say that Kim and Pascal are pro-active would be an understatement. They have continually come up with new menus, new promotions and new attractions, in a way that other restaurants have envied, and the latest two offers are so good that the Dining Out team immediately accepted Kim and Pascal’s invitation to the Friday and Saturday night BBQ Dinner Buffet.

Those who have been to Poseidon before will remember the circular bar area, and they have used this to full advantage for the buffet, with plates of cold appetizer items displayed all around the top. This includes rock lobsters, prawns, smoked salmon with condiments, crab meat salad, beef carpaccio, roasted beef, roast pork, tomato mozzarella salad, Thai chicken salad, coleslaw salad, German potato salad, cucumber salad, tomato salad, mixed lettuce and Greek salad. And that is just the appetizers!

In the outer section of the restaurant, Kim and Pascal have set up the hot kitchen with a soup warmer and bain-maries with fish filet in dill cream sauce, pork in oyster sauce, chicken with young ginger, egg fried rice, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes with onions and bacon, char kway teow, green beans, turnip in cream sauce, glazed carrots and mixed vegetables in oyster sauce.

Diners enjoy the wide variety of food choices on offer.

Quite honestly, there is more than enough for a Saturday night dinner already, but don’t forget there is a live cooking BBQ station as well, with sirloin steaks, pork steaks, sausages, chicken, pork spare ribs and prawns.

To finish off a great meal, there should be some great desserts. How about a pancake station, créme caramel, merry berry, créme brûlée, tira mi su and fresh fruits? I am sure you will have found something to your liking.

Quite honestly, we very much enjoyed the food on offer, and the well thought out range, and when I tell you the price, you won’t believe it. B. 444. But remember it is only on Friday and Saturday nights from 6 p.m. At that price, people will go twice!

I did say there was a second new offer, and indeed there is, and it is for Breakfast and Lunch running between 8 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. every day. The items on offer include freshly baked croissants, waffles with maple syrup, cinnamon Danish, and several other fresh bread styles.

The other items in this Brunch includes Delicacies of smoked fish, herring, ham, salami, bierwurst and mushroom lyoner.

The next group is called Vitamins and has coleslaw salad, potato salad, corn salad, tomato salad, cucumber salad and lettuces.

Knowing that some may have over-indulged the night before, Pascal and Kim offer two soup hang-over cures – a pumpkin soup and a Thai egg soup with pork balls.

Hot dishes and cooking stations are all part of this offer, with bacon, ham, sausages, pork escallops, eggs of your choice, farmers potatoes (potato, onion, sausages and egg), mushrooms in cream sauce, r๖schti potatoes, mixed vegetables in cream sauce, fried rice and fried rice noodles with chicken.

If that is not enough there is yoghurt, butter- honey – jam, a Thai fruit basket, chocolate dom, créme brûlée, coffee, tea, milk and juices.

The whole buffet costs – wait for it – B. 145, but if you just want a limited breakfast of bakery items, butter, jam and honey, two eggs and coffee that is just B. 110.

For a restaurant of the caliber of Poseidon to offer such choices at such a reasonable figure is just sensational value in all respects. Both offers get our highest recommendations possible. Do try. You will be impressed as we were.

Restaurant Poseidon, 413/3-5 M12, Thappraya Road, Jomtien Complex, telephone 038 303 300, or 081-983-4182 (Kim), fax 038 303 336, www. restaurant-pattaya.com, open 8 a.m. until 11 p.m. seven days.

On-street parking. It can get very busy in the complex and parking can be at a premium, but there is always parking available beside the bank directly opposite the Complex on Thappraya Road.

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Creamy Oyster Bisque
Oysters are a wonderful starter to any meal, and this creamy oyster bisque is particularly good (but there is no note regarding aphrodisiac qualities). This recipe came from Australia and featured the world famous Sydney Rock Oysters, but any style will do and the recipe as presented calls for bottled oysters which makes it even easier in Thailand, being plentiful and cheap at the markets. The recipe also mentions Guinness beer, but any of the heavy British brands will do which can be purchased in cans.

Ingredients                                Serves 4-6 Bottled Oysters (reserve the liquid)                    24 Fish stock (including water drained from bottled oysters) 1 cup Guinness                                                 1/2 cup Small white onion diced                                     1 Celery, diced                                             1 stalk Potato peeled and diced                             400gm Thyme                                                       1 tspn Low fat milk                                             1/2 cup Freshly ground pepper to taste Parsley for garnish

Cooking Method

Heat two tablespoons of the stock in a large saucepan and add the onion and celery. Cook over low heat until onion is transparent. Add the Guinness, remaining stock, potato and thyme and cook until potatoes are soft and most of the liquid is absorbed. Transfer to a blender with half of the oysters, milk and pepper and puree until smooth. Bring back to the boil and serve immediately with a few oysters placed on top of each dish. Garnish with fresh parsley.