23 replies to this topic

[Expattaya]

Does anyone know of a good Chinese restaurant in Pattaya ? I know about the place in the Royal Cliff Hotel, which I find too formal and fussy for casual dining. I also find that big indoor/outdoor Chinese place next to Royal Garden to have not-so-great food. I also understand that the Rice Mill in the basement of the Royal Garden, which had excellent food but few customers, has closed.

I was going to try that vegetarian Chinese place that Gaybutton recommended a little while back, near the corner of Third Road and Pattaya Tai, but it seems to be gone now. Perhaps re-located ?

I'm looking for good Chinese food any style in a decent ambiance, hopefully with air con, but with the emphasis on GOOD FOOD.

[Gaybutton]

I was going to try that vegetarian Chinese place that Gaybutton once recommended near the corner of Third Road and Pattaya Tai, but it seems to be gone now. Perhaps re-located ?

That vegetarian restaurant is right there on the northwest corner of Third Road and Pattaya Tai. Look for the yellow sign that says "Vegetarian Food." But it's not Chinese food.

In my opinion, the best Chinese food in Pattaya, perhaps anywhere, is the Marco Polo restaurant in the Montien Hotel (just north of Central Road [Pattaya Klang]). It is absolutely excellent. It's a bit expensive, but not overly so. Here is what they have to say on their web site ( http://www.montien.com/pattaya ):
_____

The Marco Polo Chinese Restaurant

The Marco Polo Chinese Restaurant is famous for its authentic Shanghainese and Szechuan cuisines prepared to perfection by master Chinese chefs. Enjoy a dim sum lunch daily from
11.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. and dinner from 6.00 p.m. to 10.00 p.m. daily. Private dining rooms are available for private parties.

* Located at the Lobby level
* Open Daily: Lunch(Dim Sum) 11.00 a.m. - 2.00 p.m.
* Dinner 6.00 p.m. - 10.00 p.m.

[spot the dog]

,,, I also understand that the Rice Mill in the basement of the Royal Garden, which had excellent food but few customers, has closed.

The Rice Mill is still open or at least it was a few weeks ago and is still listed on their website. It has gone to ''run of the mill' as it caters to the tour groups rather than the individual.

The Dusit has an excellent Chinese restaurant but in my opinion is over-priced, though the view is great and the decor is modern and expensively done.

I love Chinese food and it is difficult to find in Bangkok let alone Pattaya. Chinese food in Thailand seems to be cooked to appeal to the Thai taste just as it is cooked to the American taste is the USA etc.

[Trongpai]

I love Chinese food and it is difficult to find in Bangkok let alone Pattaya. Chinese food in Thailand seems to be cooked to appeal to the Thai taste just as it is cooked to the American taste is the USA etc.

Same-Same with Vietnamese. In USA you can get authentic Viet food made my Vietnamese expats, Some of the items are substuted but they still hit the mark. In Thailand Viet food is made my Thai Nationals and they make it "Thai taste"

I bought a can of Pregresso Tomato Basil soup yesterday. I was eating it and asked the BF did you put sugar in this? It had a little spice to it too. I looked for the can, this is not the Pregresso soup I know, and I see in fine print, for export to Thailand.

[Snowy]

Sorry, if you want decent chinese food go to China, Taiwan or Hong Kong. People who moan and complain that they can't get decent food of a particular nationality in Thailand or that the foreign food does not taste as they think it should are missing the plot completely. There are sufficient examples of good Thai cuisine to suit the most selective palate and don't bring up the old excuse that it is too spicy - most good Thai restaurants will cook the food to taste if asked. Why not eat Thai whilst in Thailand?

I once saw a thread on one of the gay boards where guys were bemoaning the fact that they couldn't get a decent Big Mac or KFC just like back home! Crazy

[UncleSam]

Why not eat Thai whilst in Thailand?

Do guys who have lived here over 10 years ever get to eat something else too?

Hehehe......

[PeterUK]

Why not eat Thai whilst in Thailand?

What a daft statement. I eat a wide range of cuisines when in London. Why shouldn't I do the same in Thailand? Go and eat a sensible pill immediately.

[Gaybutton]

guys were bemoaning the fact that they couldn't get a decent Big Mac or KFC just like back home!

A decent Big Mac of KFC? I didn't know there was such a thing.

I don't see anything wrong with eating foods other than Thai when in Thailand. First, I don't even like most Thai foods, spicy or not. I enjoy some Thai foods, but I also like French, Italian, British, a good steak, Chinese, and plenty more. There are excellent restaurants for all of these in Thailand. I don't understand what's wrong with having what I want if it's available rather than someone else telling me what I should or should not eat.

[Tuckerton]

I sampled Marco Polo last night and in my opinion, it was not at all as wonderful as GB opined. In fact I found it to be a poor excuse for Chinese Cuisine whether it is labled Cantonese, Shanghainese, or Szechuan. The sauces were at best mediocre and slimy with cornstarch. In particular, the Peking duck was cold and the "sauce" was not the traditional manditory Plum Sauce but rather some sickening sweet glue that resembled Lyles Golden Syrup. The service was slow and I had to ask for rice! (I was told that Marco Polo doesn't serve rice unless you ask for it; now that's really a kicker!)

In epicurean circles, there are only two Classic Cuisines (Cuisine with a capital C): French and Chinese. The difference between Classic and classic cooking is the training and discipline required in order to become a certified Master Chef within these disciplines. Thus, "Peking Duck is always prepared according to a strict formula. Adding show-stopping garnishes such as strawberries and inedibles such as stalks of rosemary that can be found in some restaurants these days actually distract from the anticipated edibility of Classic Cuisine. (BTW, Marco Polo did NOT use such glitzy presentations and in fact were visually appealing and announced "eat me", rather than "I'm too pretty to eat")

Of course authenticity is in the eye of the beholder, and new creations are very much a part of gastronomic evolution. However I found the food at Marco Polo a poor excuse for Chinese no matter where it may be prepared,. I add that some of the best renditions of regional Chinese meals I have sampled have been consistently enjoyed in Singapore, Hong Kong, London, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Chicago.

Cooking Classic Chinese or Classic French to appease the palates of the local habitants be it here in Thailand, America, Italy, Germany, or Iceland is folly!

[Gaybutton]

I sampled Marco Polo last night and in my opinion, it was not at all as wonderful as GB opined.

To each his own. Obviously you know much more about Chinese food than I do, but without benefit of your experience I certainly love the place and so has anyone I have ever taken to eat there. You're right, though. Good is in the eye of the beholder. In my eye, the place is superb. Besides, if there is anything better in Pattaya I have yet to find it.

Can you suggest a better Chinese restaurant in Pattaya (or anywhere else in Thailand)? If yes, please post the name and where it is. I'd sure like to try it.

As for the Marco Polo, I think it's great and you think it's lousy. So, I guess people are going to have to try it and judge for themselves.

[Tuckerton]

To each his own. Obviously you know much more about Chinese food than I do, but without benefit of your experience I certainly love the place and so has anyone I have ever taken to eat there. You're right, though. Good is in the eye of the beholder. In my eye, the place is superb. Besides, if there is anything better in Pattaya I have yet to find it. Can you suggest a better Chinese restaurant in Pattaya (or anywhere else in Thailand)? If yes, please post the name and where it is. I'd sure like to try it.

No I cannot, and I've tried several here in Pattaya and in Bangkok and none were worth a second visit.

However, on the west coast of North America in Vancouver, Canada, and in Seattle, Washington, and San Francisco, California there are some REALLY GREAT Cantonese emporiums where delicious genuine Chinese cuisine is emphasized rather than posh chairs, starched cloth napkins and tepid food covered by silver cloches.

Also, and I am assuming you are English, do try the two side streets off of Leicester Square in London where you will find genuine Chinese cuisine (small c) served family style. Yum Yum.

As for the Marco Polo, I think it's great and you think it's lousy. So, I guess people are going to have to try it and judge for themselves.

I did NOT say it was lousy.
I only described what I experienced; "lousy" is the word you used to summerize my review.
I shall enjoy what other customers have to say.

[DollyLamma]

I also understand that the Rice Mill in the basement of the Royal Garden, which had excellent food but few customers, has closed.

I'm not sure where you heard that, but the Rice Mill is open for business in the same space between the Royal Garden mall and the Marriott Hotel. I think it may be a little more pricey than Marco Polo, but I enjoy the food.

For me, one of the greatest places in the world to enjoy Chinese food outside of Hong Kong are the hawker and food centers in Singapore, which are indoor/outdoor places ( forget the decor and amenites ) but just good "yum yum" chinese food.

[Gaybutton]

Also, and I am assuming you are English

Unfortunately, I'm American. Ok, let me try it this way . . . if you were forced at gunpoint to go back to a Chinese restaurant you've already tried in Thailand, which one would it be?

I've been in Hong Kong, but I really didn't like the restaurants I tried. I don't know whether I picked the wrong restaurants or if it's typical of Hong Kong style cooking, but most of the food I tried was literally floating in oil. I didn't care for that at all.

I've also been in Singapore and thought the Chinese food there was excellent.

In the USA, the best, in my opinion, is in San Francisco.

[Lucas]

quote G.B.:I enjoy some Thai foods, but I also like French, Italian, British, a good steak, Chinese, and plenty more


Don't tell us. We can seeeee !!

[Gaybutton]

Don't tell us. We can seeeee !!

Heyyyy, I get it, Lucas-Prada. That's a good one, even better than everything else you have written and contributed. "We can seeeee !!" Simply add the letter "e" to "we" and you'll have the size of your brain.

[Lucas]

quote: "We can seeeee !!" Simply add the letter "e" to "we" and you'll have the size of your brain

talking about weeeeeeeeeeee!!

Obesity is the condition in which the natural energy reserve, stored in the fatty tissue of humans, is increased to a point where it is associated with many health problems and increased mortality.
Even a form of delirium Tremens can occur if eating and drinking to heavy. Patients with Obesity problems sometimes see hydra's flying on posting boards. Most people with Obesity problems have small brains because they do destroy their live by eating so much and exercise so little. They do not respect their body what has been given by the All Mighty God.

Amen !

[spot the dog]

Sorry, if you want decent chinese food go to China, Taiwan or Hong Kong. People who moan and complain that they can't get decent food of a particular nationality in Thailand or that the foreign food does not taste as they think it should are missing the plot completely. There are sufficient examples of good Thai cuisine to suit the most selective palate and don't bring up the old excuse that it is too spicy - most good Thai restaurants will cook the food to taste if asked. Why not eat Thai whilst in Thailand?

Do u have breakfast in Thailand, becuase I would love to know what a typical Thai breakfast is?

Which Thai wine do you reccomend?

Do u enjoy the Thai tea?

What do u eat every day in the UK, curry, big macs, cornflakes etc or are they made from recipes created overseas.? What in the hell is a typical British meal anyway.

Snowy, you can do better than that. think about it - much of the Thai food is derived from Chinese cooking anyway.

[Tuckerton]

“Unfortunately, I'm American. Ok, let me try it this way . . . if you were forced at gunpoint to go back to a Chinese restaurant you've already tried in Thailand, which one would it be?”

I would cook my own. I happen to have had one-on-one training by a master Chinese (Cantonese) chef and cookbook author, Ms. Eileen Yin Fei Lo. Google will expand her credentials if you are interested.

“I've been in Hong Kong, but I really didn't like the restaurants I tried. I don't know whether I picked the wrong restaurants or if it's typical of Hong Kong style cooking, but most of the food I tried was literally floating in oil. I didn't care for that at all.”

Did you try any of the noodle houses which were Jam-packed with native Chinese customers? That's a sure clue that the food is superb!

I've also been in Singapore and thought the Chinese food there was excellent. In the USA, the best, in my opinion, is in San Francisco.

Did it bother you that many of the Chinese restaurants in SF's China Town offer a special lunch buffet which features RARE standing ribs of beef, sliced to order? Talk about catering to the local non-Chinese natives! But I agree with you that in spite of the roasted beef, most SF Chinatown Restaurant menus feature top-notch home-style Cantonese dishes.

[Snowy]

Do u have breakfast in Thailand......

What do u eat every day in the UK, curry, big macs, cornflakes etc or are they made from recipes created overseas.? What in the hell is a typical British meal anyway.

What I eat matters not. Suffice to say that I eat a variety of food (but exclude Big Macs and other typical American junk foods - I have too much respect for my health). I do eat English breakfast whilst in Thailand - and find most of it does not come up to the standard I get when back home - but I do not complain about that fact.

The point is that I do not moan, bitch and complain just because a particular type of foreign (to Thailand) food does not taste as good as or even the same as the original.

Now I could understand if the complaints were about Thai food which was not up to standard - that would have some relevance. But apart from high-end and extremely expensive hotels and restaurants I don't think that anyone should expect to get Classic Cuisine or gourmet food from other outlets in Thailand - they probably cannot afford to import the required quality ingredients and certainly do not have the experienced chefs to cook it.

The bottom line is eat what suits you from whatever part of the world it originates but don't complain and expect it to be as good as it would be in the country of origin.

[Gaybutton]

quote: "We can seeeee !!" Simply add the letter "e" to "we" and you'll have the size of your brain

talking about weeeeeeeeeeee!!

Obesity is the condition in which the natural energy reserve, stored in the fatty tissue of humans, is increased to a point where it is associated with many health problems and increased mortality.
Even a form of delirium Tremens can occur if eating and drinking to heavy. Patients with Obesity problems sometimes see hydra's flying on posting boards. Most people with Obesity problems have small brains because they do destroy their live by eating so much and exercise so little. They do not respect their body what has been given by the All Mighty God.

Amen !

And with that post, brimming over with intelligence, I rest my case.

[wpcoe]

Do u enjoy the Thai tea?

Believe me, I thought more than twice about entering this slagfest, but I have a serious question about "Thai tea." What do you call the orange-coloured tea that is known around the world as "Thai tea." 99% of the time it is served with sweetened condensed milk, whether in Thailand or elsewhere. I like the tea flavor itself, but not the sickeningly sweet versions usually served.

Even at the local market across the street they serve it in plastic bags with straws, but it's impossible to get them to serve it unsweetened.

I have tried various and sundry types of teas sold in grocery stores, but haven't found the right one, so what should I be asking for?

[Lucas]

That orange tea is called Tja Nom Jen. ( Ice tea with milk)
Its so sweet because they use sweetened milk
Its not good for your health and many Thais are addicted to this drink.

[wpcoe]

That orange tea is called Tja Nom Jen. ( Ice tea with milk)
Its so sweet because they use sweetened milk
Its not good for your health and many Thais are addicted to this drink.

Thanks for that info, Lucas. Any idea what it is called withOUT the sweetened milk? I had it served once a long long time ago and liked it, and have been searching for it since. Surely it is sold in Tesco or Foodland in the tea/coffee aisle, but I can't seem to find it. What's it called?

[Tuckerton]

Use unsweetened evaporated milk rather than sweetened condensed milk; there is a world of difference !