Hard Rock’s new pizzeria

The Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya has been undergoing a make-over for the past few months, with even a jacuzzi between the Hard Rock Cafô and Beach Road. Lying in the jacuzzi while watching the world drive slowly past must be the ultimate in pampered luxury.

Hard Rock Hotel from the poolside.

However, we had gone to the Hard Rock to try their new pizzeria, which is now situated on the terrace outside Starz Diner. Previously there had been a small pizza oven inside the diner. The new one is a stand-alone feature and has a larger oven, and now has its own dedicated menu, as well as the venue. You can sit and overlook the pool(s), and the aluminium chairs are surprisingly comfortable. There are also some sit-up bar stools if you wish to sit around the pizza oven and watch it cooked. Note must be made of the tricky combined salt shaker and pepper grinder. Both ends work very well.

There are two menus - one for the food and the other for drinks. House wines are available by the glass for B. 250, red and white, while cocktails are B. 240. Beers and soft drinks are also served at the usual hotel/resort prices, and being a hotel remember the prices are + +. All the usual coffees are offered, including an “Italian” coffee based on Amaretto.

Aragula Salad.

The food menu has starters and salads (B. 230-290) and then Panini sandwiches between B. 270-290 including the Classico with salami, pepperoni, wild rocket and melted mozzarella cheese, and then the pizzas range from B. 310 for the Margherita to B. 370 for the seafood. (In the desserts they also offer a Nutella pizza - B 230 - for the hazelnut freaks and the almost compulsory Tiramisu!) Pasta dishes are B. 330.

We began with an aragula salad, which had plenty of cured ham and thinly sliced parmesan cheese over the green aragula. A very pleasant starter. From there we went into the pizzas ordering both a seafood and a meat pizza, and a hot pasta dish. The pizzas were served on black slate discs, complete with a pizza slice to make it easier to share around.

Pizza a la Hard Rock.

Both pizzas had the thin and crispy base, which I do like, rather than the thick (and greasy) varieties. Plenty of items on both, so they were very filling. The individual seafood items were also not overpowered by the tomato paste, and you could taste exactly what you were eating. With five of us dining, we also ordered the crab linguini pasta which has crispy garlic to just give that little extra flavor. Despite the restaurant manager trying to get us to sample a dessert, we were just too full. Pizzas with generous toppings are very filling.

Star studded pizzeria.

The Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya Pizzeria is serving up a good Italian-style menu, limited to the popular favorites, but the items are well chosen. We sampled two of the pizzas and they were both good with correct pizza bases. However, for me, the dish of the afternoon was actually the pasta (spaghetti) which was served with a very ‘moreish’ sauce with just the hint of garlic. This was also very popular with the Thai members in the Dining Out panel.

You do not have to be a resident in the hotel, but can come and enjoy the ambience and the food at any time. You can also purchase a package covering a swim and spa treatment as well as the food, which is worth your while exploring, to make it an afternoon or evening of indulgence.

Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya, 429 Moo 9, Beach Road, Pattaya, telephone 038 428 755. Secure parking within the hotel grounds. The Pizzeria is open from 12 noon until 10.30 p.m.

Fried oysters with bell peppers

A very easy and inexpensive dish. Purchase the raw oysters by the bag in the local markets. You can use sherry if you do not have dark soy sauce in the kitchen cupboards. This makes a great appetizer.

Ingredients               Serves 4 Red bell peppers         2 Green bell peppers      2 Shelled oysters          700 gm Cooking oil                3 tbspns Onion, chopped         1 large Garlic finely chopped 1 clove Light soy sauce        3 tbspns Dark soy sauce        3 tbspns Corn flour                 2 tspns Salt pinch Chives, finely chopped as garnish 1 tbspn

Cooking Method

Remove seeds from bell peppers and cut into thin strips. Drain the oysters.

Heat the oil in the wok and stir-fry onion until transparent then add the garlic and bell peppers and stir for one minute.

Now add the oysters and stir-fry on a low heat for two minutes. Add the soy sauce and five tbspns boiling water.

Pre-mix the corn flour with water and slowly add to the wok stirring as the sauce thickens. Continue stirring and cook for another three minutes, then serve immediately and sprinkle the chives on top as garnish.