Tasty vegetables

Editor:

Vegetarian food? One normally thinks of a bland, mushy, tasteless but necessary side dish to main course meat dishes. Not necessarily so. A long time vegetarian friend, a Continental Airlines pilot living in Guam, and his family visited last week. He’s always had a problem finding a vegetarian restaurant offering a variety of dishes here in Pattaya. I’d spotted a small but sanitary looking restaurant on Pattaya Tai at the Northwest corner of Three Road; the Five Star J. Restaurant. I took him there for a trial meal.

We were seated by Nikorn, the host (and I think owner) of the place. I was correct about the neatness and sanitation but the ambiance was a surprise. A fountain bubbled quietly amongst living green leafy plants, and pleasant but not overdone interesting objects decorate the walls.

The menu, supplemented by a daily special board on each table suggested a wonderful variety of food delights. I was a bit skeptical of faux duck and chicken dishes made from tofu, but descriptions of the vegetable curries and crisp basil and garlic combined with exotic sounding fried mushrooms got my attention. My friend, his wife, daughter and I were delighted and pleasantly surprised at the variety of fare.

A serendipitous discovery was the offering of the choice of brown rice (Kawh si dang) as well as steamed white rice (Kawh suay). Many people the world over avoid brown rice. I think for reasons of antiquity when, in hot weather, the whole kernel would rapidly go rancid from the oils in the husk. Also there’s the social stigma of brown rice being standard fare in prisons. Today, white rice still stores more conveniently but, as far as I’m concerned, brown rice is tastier and has a more pleasing texture than white rice.

We ordered iced ginger tea and two main course dishes, a fried mushroom with basil and the spicy curried eggplant (if my memory serves me correctly) along with an order of steamed spring rolls. The tea came first and each glass was adorned with a carved sculpture of a pineapple intricately hand made from ginger. Delicious and refreshing. The spring rolls arrived next and supplied a tasty appetizer while we waited for our main courses.

The rest of the meal arrived in an appropriate amount of time necessary for individually prepared dishes. My friend and I were blown away by the wonderful herb and spice flavors complementing the taste of the main components. Desserts were offered but because this was a midday meal we both passed. Several subsequent visits proved other dishes to be equally tasty and well prepared. The dessert dishes proved to be up to par with the rest of the presentations.

I am not a strict vegetarian as is my Guam friend. But I think anyone who enjoys food would like this place, even the most fervent carnivore. If anyone is looking for a delightful change of pace, food wise, Five Star J. Restaurant offers pleasant atmosphere, good service, tasty food and reasonable prices. What more could one ask?

Melvyn Steel

Advocating “no-smoking” sections

Editor;

I had a rather bizarre experience the other night at a local restaurant. After the positive press the place got in the Pattaya Mail, I tried it out. The first two times were fine; the food was good, but the nice atmosphere and the friendly host did more to influence me to come back. The third and last time I was there, I had to suffer through my meal in a dense cloud of cigarette smoke from an adjacent table. I noticed that in this rather large restaurant space, it would be easy to create a nonsmoking section with some minimal rearranging and without impairing the overall aesthetics of the space.

The host wasn’t busy as I was leaving, so I took the opportunity to make my suggestion to him. He didn’t make much of an effort to listen and cut me off before I was finished. He apparently picked up on the words “non-smoking”, and went off on a tirade about how smoking should never be forbidden, how he hates things forbidden, how in France and Europe everything is forbidden and how you can go to jail for nothing, and that he came to Pattaya because nothing is forbidden, etc. I couldn’t get a word in edgewise once he got started, so I left. The irony is that this man who hates things “forbidden”, is at times “forbidding” people from breathing clean air and enjoying a decent meal. I don’t know if success is going to his head or if he was just having a bad day, but I’m certainly not going back there again!

I, too, enjoy the freedom of Thailand and would never suggest a ban on smoking. But every smart restaurateur knows he can increase his business by having a nonsmoking section, providing it is feasible within the space available.

J. P.

Seeking answers

Dear Sir:

Attention: Foreign Mafia Suppression Centre and those who know about the Joe Gaal murder.

As we enter the millennium there is still an unsolved murder of Canadian photojournalist Joe Gaal while a guest at Ocean View Hotel in Pattaya, April 30, 1989.

Our family would more than appreciate it if some serious action is taken on this case to resolve it. Please consider the evidence and understand the deep hurt that we have been burdened with over the years, knowing that there are persons who can help solve this case.

The discovery photos I have provided you with, have many identifiable persons who can provide answers. ...Hired hit men severely injured my son then made it look like a pool drowning. They however failed to wash off the dried blood and although the autopsy physician covered up the injuries the photographs clearly show lacerations, cuts, bruises, skull fracture, and arms and hands in a position that is not typical of drowning. There was an exchange of money and a life insurance policy that was collected upon, which our family did not discover until 1994.

If you have any information please e-mail me at: [email protected] or Telephone me collect at 250 765-9960 or fax me at 250 765-9960, or write me at Arlene Gaal, 1035 Neptune Road, Kelowna, B.C., Canada. V1X 3E4 We offer a substantial reward if your evidence helps solve the case.

Thank-you.

On a lighter note, I wish to offer my good wishes to His Majesty King Bhumibol on his 72 birthday and good wishes to the staff of the Pattaya Mail for a fine job of reporting. To everyone in Pattaya, a very Merry Christmas and good health in the New Year.

Sincerely,
Arlene Gaal (mother of Joe Gaal)

Correction

Dear Editor,

I have noticed an error in my ‘Family Money’ article of 17th December, which may generate some critical correspondence. The final paragraph should of course read: “both Buddhists and Muslims have to wait another five hundred years or more to reach the end of their respective millennia”. I apologise for any confusion this may have caused.

Sincerely,
Leslie Wright

20 Questions

Dear Editor,

I have just returned to England after a two week stay in Pattaya, just one visit out of thirty over the last ten years. I have some questions that I would be keen to have somebody answer from that great place! The questions all begin with why:

(1) Why is there a two tier system for charging farangs and Thais?

(2) Why is it that the only arguments I seem to of ever had there is with baht taxi drivers who appear to abuse the farangs and do no good to the good people of Pattaya?

(3) Why do Thais say ‘up to you’ when they don’t mean it?

(4) Why do the girl go-go bars have so many ‘Toms’ working in them?

(5) Why are there so many obvious straight boys working in the Boy go-go bars, on the beach and at Royal Garden pretending to be gay?

(6) Why are paedophiles allowed to operate so openly at Royal Garden and on the beach?

(7) Why do bars say they check workers for disease yet do not take blood tests?

(8) Why does Pattaya seem to attract so many losers from the west?

(9) Why do Thai parents push their children to make money from the farang?

(10) Why is it such a difficult task for staff in shops and other business outlets to understand the most elementary of requests from farangs?

(11) Why is it so hard to find a genuine and sincere Thai who does not require money in return for anything?

(12) Why is getting anything done or getting anywhere there such a chore for the Thai?

(13) Why does the Thai smile and seem to be so nice all the time?

(14) Why do the Thais watch children’s programmes so much?

(15) Why don’t the Thais like walking or going in the sun so much?

(16) Why is it even the Thais do not know why its a public holiday?

(17) Why is there so many Ka-thuhy’s in Pattaya and what makes them think a real man would be interested in them?

(18) Why is it when there is two Thais together with a farang they continuously speak in Thai without explaining what they are saying even though they can speak fluent English?

(19) Why is it the Thais don’t show any regard when a farang is ill?

(20) Why do the Thais come out with so many hard luck stories requesting monetary help from the farang?

These are just a few of the questions I have and hope someone can advise me as I love Thailand so much.

In anticipation,
Ian Mac-Foggert

London

Who will stay there?

Dear Sir,

Have I missed something? A court case, a conviction, payment of compensation?

I have just returned to Pattaya and find the Royal Jomtien Hotel with a new coat of paint and almost ready for business s usual.

Who do they think will stay there? Not Thais or foreigners who know its history. I just hope someone informs the bus loads of Asian tourists that they have their greedy eyes on, about the tragic events that occurred two and a half years ago and the outcome-nothing.

“The resort towns of Pattaya and Jomtien were forever changed on Friday, July 11th, 1997” (P. Mail). Indeed.

Yours faithfully,
John Cox

Copyright 1999 Pattaya Mail Publishing Co.Ltd.
370/7-8 Pattaya Second Road, Pattaya City, Chonburi 20260, Thailand 
Tel.66-38 411 240-1, 413 240-1, Fax:66-38 427 596; e-mail: [email protected]