Probably the fastest growing brand in Thailand is The
Coffee Club, after opening its sixth outlet, this time on Naklua Road
(opposite Soi 18). From some rather simple beginnings in 1989 in the West
End of Brisbane, The Coffee Club now has more than 270 outlets in Australia,
New Zealand, New Caledonia and China as well as Thailand, with the first one
in Phuket in 2009, followed shortly after by Pattaya in the Royal Garden
Plaza.
The ambience is all black, brown and chrome, and the
staff are very welcoming in their Coffee Club black outfits. The kitchen is
on view and was spotless, as was the restaurant itself, which has three
sections - an al fresco overlooking Naklua Road, an air-conditioned inner
area and then another section upstairs. In all, there is seating for 142
diners.
This latest branch of The Coffee Club in Naklua is very
easy to find. After coming from the Dolphin roundabout head towards Naklua
and The Coffee Club is on your right hand side, almost exactly opposite the
mouth of Soi 18 on your left. We went on a Wednesday night and there was
plenty of kerb-side parking.
The menu is the same for this branch as for the Royal
Garden Plaza outlet. Neither overly expensive or extensive, but
comprehensive enough to have something for everyone. The six pages begin
with different coffees (as you would expect in a place called The Coffee
Club), with nine on offer plus liqueur coffees. Of course there are also
juices and soft drinks.
There is a separate menu for wines, spirits (B. 190) and
beers (B. 90), with all wines under B. 1,000. We drank the house white, an
Australian Treeline Chardonnay, good drinking at B. 190 for a good-sized
glass.
The second page has breakfasts (the restaurant opens at
6.30 a.m.) ranging from simple toast and jam (B. 50), through three large
omelets (three eggs) at B. 155, and on through many choices until the Big
Breakfast with everything at B. 280.
Next up are starters, sides and salads, with Caesar,
Garden, Greek and Asian chicken (B. 140-160), plus a range of extras you can
add in to personalize your own salads, such as smoked salmon, grilled
chicken, prawns and a lemon-pepper calamari.
Next on offer are the gourmet sandwiches and open grilled
sandwiches. These are presented on a thick Turkish bread (made from a wheat
flour) and range between B. 160-210.
Light meals include fish and chips (B. 195), BLT and
chips (B. 195) and then there is a Kid’s Club menu (B. 100-195) and has the
perennial children’s favorites such as chicken nuggets, fish and chips and a
grilled sausage sandwich and chips on the Turkish bread, which comes as a
very large portion.
There is a page of Thai food, generally B. 120 and 11
different items to choose from.
The final page has grills (B. 245-415) and pasta (B.
165-210). The meats are served with your choice of sauces including
Hollandaise, mushroom or peppercorn and with vegetables or salad all
included.
We went with two children aged seven and six. The
dedicated Kid’s Club menu certainly made selection easier, and being
pictorial, they (and we) knew what was coming. The food was well presented
and came hot to the table.
The junior tasters definitely gave the Coffee Club the
thumbs up, with nothing being left on the plates, despite the servings being
large. The adults were equally impressed with good-sized portions of
correctly cooked food. The chicken, bacon and cheese supreme is made with a
chicken breast folded around bacon and mozzarella cheese and served on a
creamed potato mash and spinach, a dish which would not be out of place in
any hotel restaurant. As the GM for Thailand, Michael Chick, said, “We
present ourselves as being an alternative to hotels, with the same quality,
but cheaper.” At B. 245 for this dish, he is totally correct.
All of us enjoyed the evening, and the children were
still talking about the next day. Definitely recommended.
The Coffee Club (Naklua), Pattaya Naklua Road opposite
Soi 18, open 6.30 a.m. until 11 p.m. seven days. Plenty of on-street
parking. Telephone 038 371 162.
