There are those readers who imagine that it must be a
wonderful life to be a restaurant reviewer. After all, dining in all those
five star hotels and up-market restaurants every week. Being fawned upon by
attentive service staff. What a life! However, there is more to ‘dining out’
than just the fine dining section of Pattaya’s restaurants. Pattaya has an
enormous number of other restaurants, and there are also some great bargains
to be found, and this week we found an exceptional one.
We discovered a small and very unassuming Thai restaurant
on Siam Country Club Road producing good food, with steak and salad for B.
39-59 depending upon whether you want chicken, pork or beef. Considering you
can pay upwards of B. 1,000 in the fine dining places, B. 59 is hardly
expensive! Sure, the fine dining restaurants are serving you the most tender
imported steaks, and you are seated in luxury… but, B. 59 for a steak salad
and fries represents a saving of over B. 900. Not to be sneezed at!
It is easily found, being on the corner of Soi 18 Siam
Country Club, and almost opposite Soi 13 and a 7-Eleven (though there are
numerous 7-Elevens on Siam Country Club Road!). Parked right on the corner
there is a tuk-tuk, not for pick up or delivery, but is part of the kitchen
of this rather amazing place. There is also another cook-house along the
side wall. There is one lonely sign outside announcing B. 39 for a chicken
steak, but you can’t miss it.
It is mainly open air, with seven concrete tables and
concrete benches, so be prepared to bring your own cushion if you want to
make a night of it. The staff are attentive, and although English is not
their native tongue, they do try hard, but to have a native Thai speaker as
your dining partner certainly helps.
Wine is not a drink you would look for in an
establishment such as this, but the local Leo beer is available, but in
large bottles, not small. This will set you back B. 55. As you can see, you
are not going to be spending much at all. Perhaps I should really have
contacted our lady Prime Minister to confirm that it is cheap to live down
here in Pattaya.
The menu is a simple laminated affair and the offerings
include the afore-mentioned steaks, then a pork chop 200 gm for B. 89, a rib
eye 200 gm B. 129, and a T-bone 350 gm for B. 250. Noodle soup is B. 10,
Kanom Jeen buffet, all you can eat B. 49, Jim Jum B. 79. Cocktails are B.
59, while fruit punch is B. 30 per glass.
The staff appear to be from one family, and obviously a
happy family too. Nothing was too much trouble and the service was quick and
smooth. They also had no objection to your ducking across the street to the
7-Eleven and bringing back anything you wanted which they did not have (such
as a San Miguel Light, for example).
Two of us had the pork steak, which were not small, and
came with salad and french-fries. They were tender and came with mushroom
sauce, and a wicker basket was put on the table with chilli sauce, ketchup,
mayonnaise and white pepper. No complaints at all and at B. 49 for the pork
fillet represented incredibly good value for money.
Madame had asked for a simple salad, which came on a
large plate and at B. 39 was again difficult to beat value-wise. The
vegetables were fresh and crisp and the salad had been made on the spot, not
pre-prepared and limp and lifeless.
Would we go back again? You bet we will (and have been
already) with Madame saying, “I’ll never have to cook again!” This
restaurant has to provide one of the best value for money dining out there
is in Pattaya.
39 baht Steak restaurant, corner Soi 18 Siam Country Club
Road (opposite soi 13 on the other side of the road), plenty of on-street
parking and about three cars inside, open seven days, 5 p.m. until 11 p.m.