Bar B Q Plaza at Central Festival Mall

[Evil Penevil]

A few days ago, I had lunch at Bar B Q Plaza on the 5th floor of Central Festival Mall. I'd passed by it many times, but had never ventured inside.  That's largely because the young lady with whom I dine out most often is fairly set in her ways.  She has her favorite restaurants and is unwilling to visit new ones, but she agreed to give Bar B Q Plaza a try.

 

 

 

Make no mistake- Bar B Q Plaza serves Japanese-influenced Thai food.  Despite the name, it has nothing to do with U.S.-style barbecue.  The food is cooked at the diners' tables on a combination grill and hotpot.  The meat and some vegetables are grilled on the dome-shaped part, while the seafood and some vegetables are boiled in the lower section. I don't know if there is a correct term in Thai or Japanese for this particular type of table-top preparation.  It's not like the one-track grilling or hotpot cooking or you find in other restaurants.

 

 

In action, it looks like this:

 

 

 

The Grill "dome" is greased with the rendered fat from bacon and pork, then the thin slices of beef and pork are placed on it.  They cook through in just a few seconds. 

 

 

 

The seafood and most vegetables are dropped in the boiling water (not broth). 

 

 

 

A generous portion of dipping sauce that can be "customized" with chiles, garlic and lime juice is given to each diner. 

 

 

The first sample bowl (of many):

 

 

We also had some appetizers: crab cakes, spring rolls and fried mushrooms.

 

 

 

I liked Bar B Q Plaza.  It was interesting to taste the grilled beef, pork, bacon and chicken as well as the hotpot-cooked seafood and vegetables, then drink the broth.  The appetizers were also tasty.  It was good value for money.  For three people, it cost 1,200 baht, including drinks.

 

When we arrived at 1.30 p.m., the restaurant was full and we had to wait a couple of minutes for table.  The crowd thin out considerably as we ate and there were only a few customers by the time we were finished.

 

 

Evil

[okdirl]

These types of places are all over Thailand. Hotpot is another chain personally I prefer the real Thai style open air places called mookata where your given a pot full of burning charcoal and BBQ all your own choices.

 

 

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[Ru4Real]

Nice report Evil thanks , always thought it was Korean rather than Japanese?

 

Anyway, tried it in Bkk back in 2005 (not sure if same chain?) but the waitress failed to tell us about the fat and in no time we had food burnt and sticking to the dome. She was not a happy camper as she replaced the first dome and showed us what the fat was for.

[Bek]

Like it as well - very common in Thailand (the more authentic style anyway) and a favourite of many thai girls!

 

There are a few good ones on Pattaya Tai as well. More authentic, but still good... And a lot cheaper ;-)

 

 

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[Gobby]

These types of places are all over Thailand. Hotpot is another chain personally I prefer the real Thai style open air places called mookata where your given a pot full of burning charcoal and BBQ all your own choices.

 

 

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Yea the moo kata is great and super cheap. I liked the ninja one a lot more than the others so far as it does have decent seafood selection...

 

The only down side to the moo kata is that it's always fucking HOT ASS! Lol

[Gobby]

Good review . I have alway walked right by the place never giving it a second thought . I always done hot pot when I feel like eating sukiyaki... Might hits this place up just to try out . Do they have roast duck ?

[Guiness]

well evil , i got a good laugh out of your comments (as follows)   

 

The crowd thin out considerably as we ate and there were only a few customers by the time we were finished.

 

​i visualize  a  group of cannibals munching through their victims !        

[Evil Penevil]

 

​i visualize  a  group of cannibals munching through their victims !        

 

That's pretty close to the truth at some of the "all you can eat" places as well as  bar parties with free food.  As I wrote elsewhere, don't leave you arm extended too long or someone will begin to gnaw on it.

 

Evil

[Guiness]

+1 !!    

[mr21]

nice report - thanks Evil