The front entrance of PIC Kitchen
on Soi 5 between Beach and SecondTonight, Pui and I were off with Stan and Mem, Bob and Ta (and baby Gina) to PIC Kitchen, one of Pattaya's fanciest, prettiest, and oldest (founded 1984) Thai restaurants, located on Soi 5 between Beach and Second roads.
After cocktails at Stan's house, we first went to the Jazz Pit, a separate building in the restaurant compound built out of a gorgeous old teakwood Thai house. The decor was great, the music was great. A vodka tonic will set you back 200 baht... but a large bottle of Tiger beer is a more reasonable 175 baht.
The lounge at The Jazz
Pit is really quite nice.From there, it was over to the Samak Pavilion, where we had dinner. There are 2 dining houses: One where you sit in chairs, and one where you sit on the floor. Choose according to the skill of your chiropractor, of course.
We ordered about 12 dishes in total, including beef in oyster sauce, crab balls, chicken satay, English Raja chicken curry, pork in coconut milk and peppers, spicy shrimp soup, garlic spare ribs, vegetable stir fry, a fish dish that I cannot remember the name of, a salmon vegetable dish, bar-be-que squid, and a couple of other things that I cannot remember.
The food: Spectacular... just like
all other Thai restaurants.The total bill for six people was 8,400 baht including service charge (which is rumored not to be shared with the staff), which included about 3,400 baht for wine and cocktails, and 5,000 baht for food. The question is, of course, was the food worth 800 baht per person? No, I don't think so. It was obviously the best Thai food I've ever eaten, but — aside from a couple of the specialty dishes — the food (most dishes were in the 200 to 250-baht range) was not much more spectacular than what I can find for 80 to 100 baht in other restaurants.
Was the decor and ambiance worth doubling the price? No, I don't think so. It was nice, but at those prices you expect perfection... the staff wasn't all that amazing, and they didn't wear traditional Thai uniforms, and while the dining houses and grounds were gorgeous, I've seen almost-as-pretty places that didn't charge close to those prices.
So would I recommend the place? Sure... just as long as you know what the price is going to be, and that what is defined as the best Thai food in Pattaya is — to my palate at least — not too much different from restaurants that cost half as much. But, it is a nice place to spend an evening with friends or as a couple, and the Thai girls love it. (Just don't let them see the bill at the end of the night.)
As an alternative, I would recommend Reua Mai Restaurant out on Sukhimvit Road, about half a kilometer south of the Tepprasit Road intersection, on your left as you drive south. It is more traditional Thai food (i.e. without the Indian/Chinese/Malay influences) that will cost you one-fourth the price, and it is outdoor dining in a rustic, Thai setting, with the dining platform floating on a pretty fish pond. (And there, you can let the Thai girls see the bill... they'll still love it.)
7 comments:
Wow, looks like a neat place to dine!! Delightful ambiance just too bad you had to dig so deep when the bill came. But then again… eighty bucks-a-couple would be a bargain for a Saturday evening meal back home in NYC… right?
Have enjoyed your blog for a couple of months now and find myself living vicariously through your excursions and Daily Reports (albeit without having to personally suffer the knife-cutting humidity and local insect population). Appreciate the higher quality pics from the new camera and the time and effort you put into creating your masterpiece… and besides, I’ve learned soooooo much… didn’t know that crabs even HAD balls much less be served on a plate in Pattaya - HA!
Keep up the good work, Jil!
Turk in Omaha…
Actually... not too many bugs out right now.
Glad you enjoy the new pics. They are nicer to look at, I must admit.
It's really a gorgeous place to eat, but i have to admit, it was the most boring thaifood i have ever tasted :-(
Gorgeous location and venue, so dissapointed in the food!
I'd say my sentiments are exactly as Jil. I've gone there about a dozen times, and the specialties are outstanding. There's this crab-curry-ball wrapped in tinfoil that is really delicious. Though given the prices, not someplace I'd recommend for a weekly night out.
My most recent two times there (Dec.2007), the service has been exceptionally bad, to the point of rudeness. If the food/ambiance didn't keep me coming back, I'd skip it entirely.
I agree. This restaurant is overrated. The food is not much different from the "motosike" vendors.
What I found annoying was they make you wait for tables at a cocktail bar too long. I thought the restaurant was full but when we we were seated, there was nobody around. And yes, the staff was not much friendly.
Been there about 2 months ago and will not return. Much too expensive, but most of all, poor service, and disappointing food. I hope the owners see the comments to this blog and wake up ! Now I must say that I have difficulty to find really good thai places in Pattaya, which I could use for my VIP business dinners with visitors from outside Thailand. I just discovered this blog and I think ti will be of great help; I will sure contribute.
Hi, Pierre again. Could not find Jil's e-mail address, so here is what I had to say: I dined yesterday for business at Rimpa Lapin in Na Jomtien, another impressive thai restaurant overlooking the sea that reminded me of Cabbage & Condom. Very nice, very good food. I'd complain only about the music (too loud and not classy enough; why on earth can't they use cool, classical thai music ? It does exist !) and the poor lighting at the table (as often in Thailand): even a couple of candle lights would add up so much "life"... But I do recommend it. Jil please give it a try (and give your e-mail too !)http://www.rimpa-lapin.com/
Pierre
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