Under 300 Baht ... And Good! (updated for 2024)

[Jay Wobble]

The Bite third road operating inside Nandos Indian has daily specials all under 300 baht. I tried the slow cooked lamb on a bed of buttered mash with ratatouille and loved it. 

[Jay Wobble]

Another gem with most items under 300 baht is the best curry in Pattaya under Retox banner called Nandos. Attaching menu and they've delivered to me in Jomtien for 50 baht. 

[CuppaTea]

1 hour ago, Jay Wobble said:

Another gem with most items under 300 baht is the best curry in Pattaya under Retox banner called Nandos. Attaching menu and they've delivered to me in Jomtien for 50 baht. 

When you add the cost of simple plain boiled rice most of the menu comes out over 300 baht and most of the daily specials are also but a few are 299 baht.

To be fair on the Naandos topic they said they've slashed the price of boiled rice down from an absurd 100 baht to a merely excessive 80 baht

For some reason or other which they declined to mention when I asked 3 times, they haven't bothered to spend 5 minutes changing the price on any of their advertised or published menu prices.

This is what they said when repeatedly pressed about why they haven't altered the advertised menu prices..

"Nothing reluctant about it, same menu in every respect except a few rice prices have changed and we haven't updated our paper/online version yet. 

The changes are

108 now 80฿ - 109 80฿ - 110 is 100฿ - 111 is 100฿ - 112 is 100฿ and finally 118 is 120฿"

When guys order those items make sure your charged the lower prices, not the ones on the menu they haven't yet spent 5 minutes to change although strangely they have the time to tell us about the changes

This is the Naandos topic

 

[Evil Penevil]

 

 

I've had two meals at Spaghetti Bistro,  a newly opened small restaurant on Soi 15 behind The Avenue Shopping Plaza.

 

 

As its name indicates, pasta is its mainstay and it offers a surprisingly large choice for a small restaurant. All the standard pasta dishes on the menu can be done with spaghetti, penne or tagliatelle and there's an option to "design your own" plate of pasta  in terms of sauce and ingredients. It also serves other Western dishes (steak, pork chops, chicken, tuna, salmon, salads, appetizers, sandwiches and  desserts) and a few Thai dishes. 

 

It does have some interesting items on the menu that I am looking forward to trying the. "Oriental Merguez & Harissa" pasta as well as the "Camembert on Toast."  The menu clearly has some French and international touches to it.  It's mainly Italian, but not strictly so.

 

 

There are four tables and some bar counter seats under the roof, plus a couple of small tables outside. It has a ceiling-mounted flat-screen TV and free WiFi.

 

 

I tried the "Triple Cheesy (Parmesan, Emmental, blue cheese) with penne for 220 baht. It was a decent portion with excellent flavor. The chef got the mixture of cheeses just right.

 

 

The penne was cooked as it should be, al dente.  A problem with a lot of the pasta in Pattaya is that it is overcooked.

 

 

Another day I had the old standard from my school lunches, spaghetti and meatballs, for 185 baht. The Spaghetti Bistrot version added diced fresh tomato.  Again, a good portion with great flavor in the sauce and meatballs.

 

 

 

Spaghetti Bistrot offers a daily special, such as the "Surf N Turf"  announced in the pic below that I took from the restaurant's Facebook page. I've also seen Chicken Parmesan as a special for 240 baht.  It also offers bottled beers and spirits.

 

 

 

One interesting feature is that it offers both take-away and delivery.  It's also open from 9.00 a.m. to 3.00 a.m., which are ambitious hours.

 

 

 

The menu is extensive and rather sophisticated for a small restaurant.  I no idea who owns it, but I've only ever seen Thais working there.  The chef must have had a strong background in preparing European farang food. The only American items on the menu are the "Chicken Wings  New Orleans" and the Chicken Parm, which was first made by Italian immigrants to the U.S. 

 

 

 

I certainly hope Spaghetti Bistrot succeeds, but I worry about its location.  Soi 15 between 2nd Road and Soi Bukhao has very little foot traffic.  Perhaps there are enough farang who live or stay in the immediate area to attract a solid customer base; otherwise it may struggle. The prices are reasonable for the quality of the food, but many enclosed restaurants with air conditioning offer similar dishes in the same price range. I wish them the best and I'm  keeping 

 

Evil

[Guest]

On August 8, 2017 at 3:07 AM, Kreggerz said:

Hi EP,

That actually does look pretty good.

Was it really pure Maple Syrup? That's hard to believe. It's super expensive. 

Maybe the Canadians here will comment. 

Does the pancake breakfast include coffee? 

 

I have bought imported Canadian maple syrup in Thailand. It's very pricy.

that little container is worth more than the breakfast!

[Luv2Phuket]

A combined follow-up/reply re the Casa Pascal and Secrets pancakes post -- 

Because I have Gold status with Hilton (not that hard -- it comes with 2 credit cards that I have!), I get free breakfast when I stay at the Hilton.  Their breakfast buffet is pretty good, but can get a bit boring day after day.  The Western choices rarely if ever change (but the Asian options do seem to change daily).

That said, their pancakes and waffles are both pretty damn good!  A guy at the station makes them fresh on the griddle and waffle iron that are right there.

Don't think I would drop what they charge JUST to get pancakes (or waffles), but it's GREAT when it's free! 555

[just hanging]

On 8/8/2017 at 8:12 PM, Jay Wobble said:

The Bite third road operating inside Nandos Indian has daily specials all under 300 baht. I tried the slow cooked lamb on a bed of buttered mash with ratatouille and loved it. 

wow, are all the portions that small?  I would be starving

[just hanging]

white pines     penne cabanara was terrific, I think 159 baht, along with a salad and water, I think all under 300.  Love that place, might get teh same tonight

[vimto66]

Although im not a foodie as such i always take time to read your reports on various establishments evil,as well as the pics i like your detailed analysis and opinions!I dont tend to eat at the same places everyday,i just tend to eat somewhere when im peckish and its convenient,i dont necessarily have  places in mind,keep up the good work though!

[Kreggerz]

I'm pretty sure a salad is not included with the pasta dishes at White Pines. 

They do offer a good variety of a la carte salads though. 

Edited August 11, 2017 by Kreggerz

[Evil Penevil]

 

5 hours ago, vimto66 said:

Although im not a foodie as such i always take time to read your reports on various establishments evil,as well as the pics i like your detailed analysis and opinions!I dont tend to eat at the same places everyday,i just tend to eat somewhere when im peckish and its convenient,i dont necessarily have  places in mind,keep up the good work though!

 Many thanks for the kind words.  They are always appreciated.

5 hours ago, Kreggerz said:

I'm pretty sure a salad is not included with the pasta dishes at White Pines. 

They do offer a good variety of a la carte salads though. 

I believe JH was saying that you can get a pasta dish, a salad and a bottle of water all for under 300 baht.

11 hours ago, just hanging said:

white pines     penne cabanara was terrific, I think 159 baht, along with a salad and water, I think all under 300.  Love that place, might get teh same tonight

Yes, the pasta at White Pines is very good.  I had the penne with pesto not long ago:

The garlic bread was also excellent.  I don't really need garlic bread with a pasta dish, but it would go very well along with a salad or as a stand-alone "starter" before the main dish.

It's never a good idea to drink alcohol on an empty stomach.  It gets absorbed into the blood stream too quickly and shocks the liver and kidneys.  In my university years,  I heard that drinking a glass of heavy cream was the best way to settle the stomach before drinking, especially if the booze up was to include strong stuff like whisky or vodka.  The fat in the cream slows down the absorption of alcohol, making it less of a shock.

Heavy cream has more calories than some of us want these days,  but a plate of pasta can serve as a substitute.  Of course the doctors will tell you its better to have salmon or avocado, which are high in healthy fats. A friend thought the salmon steak was very good at My Way in the arcade next to Soi Diana at 2nd Road:

I had it at the Robin Hood Tavern in The Avenue Shopping Plaza on 2nd Road:

Also very good.

Evil

Edited August 11, 2017 by Evil Penevil

[Bitcoin]

Good thread, taking notes of when I need to binge. I have one question though, do they have foot long sausage rolls @ £1?

[stacksreg123]

There are so many posts about foreign food. I'd love to find out more about really good and cheap original thai food spots!

[Evil Penevil]

12 hours ago, stacksreg123 said:

There are so many posts about foreign food. I'd love to find out more about really good and cheap original thai food spots!

This thread deals specifically with farang food under 300 baht, so it isn't really the place to discuss Thai food.  However, there are many, many threads in this section about Thai food.  The easiest way to find them is just to scroll down the headers and click on any thread which names a Thai restaurant or Thai food.

Here are a few links to get you started:

http://www.pattaya-addicts.com/forum/topic/105144-thai-street-and-hole-in-wall-restaurants/

http://www.pattaya-addicts.com/forum/topic/277364-your-favourite-thai-dish-and-who-makes-it-the-best/

http://www.pattaya-addicts.com/forum/topic/247412-roast-duck-at-leng-kee-restaurant/

http://www.pattaya-addicts.com/forum/topic/306338-mae-sri-ruen-on-beach-road/

http://www.pattaya-addicts.com/forum/topic/239769-pakbungloyfah-on-2nd-road/

Evil

 

 

 

[stacksreg123]

This thread deals specifically with farang food under 300 baht, so it isn't really the place to discuss Thai food.  However, there are many, many threads in this section about Thai food.  The easiest way to find them is just to scroll down the headers and click on any thread which names a Thai restaurant or Thai food.
Here are a few links to get you started:
http://www.pattaya-addicts.com/forum/topic/105144-thai-street-and-hole-in-wall-restaurants/
http://www.pattaya-addicts.com/forum/topic/277364-your-favourite-thai-dish-and-who-makes-it-the-best/
http://www.pattaya-addicts.com/forum/topic/247412-roast-duck-at-leng-kee-restaurant/
http://www.pattaya-addicts.com/forum/topic/306338-mae-sri-ruen-on-beach-road/
http://www.pattaya-addicts.com/forum/topic/239769-pakbungloyfah-on-2nd-road/
Evil
 
 
 

I guess reading the First thread would have cleared that [emoji15]

Thanks for your kind response.

D

[davidge]

Probably already been mentioned, sorry haven't read through the thread, but the restaurant attached to the new supermarket in the basement of Royal Garden would take some beating for value. Open 24 hours as well.

Can't remember the exact bill, or the name, but well under 200 baht for:

Free water. 

 

[KittenKong]

41 minutes ago, davidge said:

Can't remember the exact bill, or the name,

Took Lae Dee

Often to be found in or near Foodland supermarkets, such as the one near the top of Klang.

http://www.foodland.co.th/products/took-lae-dee

[Evil Penevil]

On 8/13/2017 at 0:07 AM, davidge said:

Probably already been mentioned, sorry haven't read through the thread, but the restaurant attached to the new supermarket in the basement of Royal Garden would take some beating for value. Open 24 hours as well.

It hadn't been mentioned, but I'm glad you did.  It's been quite a few years since I've eaten at Took Lae Dae  and your post both stirred my memories and piqued my curiosity as to whether it would be the same.

Due to some unusual circumstances,  I had a very late supper at Took Lae Dee on Beach Road in the wee hours of Monday. Took Lae Dee restaurants are always connected to a Foodland Supermarket. Like the supermarkets, the restaurants are open 24/7. The Beach Road branch is located under Royal Garden Plaza.

 

 

They serve Thai and other Asian staples as well as standard Western dishes at low prices. Indeed, the name Took Lae Dee is usually translated as "Cheap and Good."  The "cheap" part is indisputable but "good" may be a bit optimistic. "Cheap and OK" would  be more accurate.

 

 

The Took Lae Dee on Beach Road was clean, well-lit, spacious, air-conditioned and set up with an open kitchen, all of which are very positives for me. At 1.00 a.m., it had about 10 diners. None of us had to worry about service, as I counted 12 staff members.

 

 

The menu is hard to read at this resolution, but it does give an idea of prices and the range of dishes on offer. As said, it's pretty standard stuff with no big surprises. The Western dishes mostly fall into the "comfort food" category.  I was intrigued by menu item #15: Pork Chop Hungarian Style.  I began to think of ways a pork chop could be designated as Hungarian style, such a cheap price, big portion but quality and taste don't matter.        However,  that would be unfair to 9,817,999 Hungarians, although totally just and accurate regarding one.  

 

 

I ordered the yakisoba (Japanese stir-fry noodles) with seafood.  I know  full well that 1.00 a.m. isn't the best time to have a meal in restaurant like Took Lae Dee and figured yakisoba would be among the safer dishes.  My first warning signal that something could be off was the speed with which my order arrived.  It came within a couple of minutes.  That meant it had to have been sitting already cooked and was reheated at best.

 

 

 

Unfortunately, my noodles were just above room temperature at best.  The taste was OK, not remarkable, but it should have been served HOT.

 

 

Yakisoba is a modern Japanese dish that dates from the 1930's. The sauce is made from a combination of soy, oyster and Worcestershire sauces, plus ketchup and a little sugar for balance.  The cook in this case had gone heavy on the ketchup and light on the other sauces. That's how yakisoba is often served on Okinawa as U.S. servicemen like it that way, but it wasn't what I was expecting from Took Lae Dee. The noodles were also too soft,  a sure sign that they had been standing too long and the residual heat had overcooked them.

 

 

The yakisoba with seafood cost 126 baht, which is cheap for an indoor sit-down restaurant, but the portion was small. I'm not a fanatic about portion size, but this was on the skimpiest side. I came with a complimentary glass of ice water and had a Coke Zero for 35 baht.  Total cost was 161 baht, including 7% VAT but with no service charge. The prices on the menu are net, i.e., inclusive of VAT.

 

 

Took Lae Dee is quite popular with both farang and Thais, so I won't refuse a another visit because of one lukewarm experience.  Next time I'll go during the afternoon or early evening and try a Western dish.  The cheapest farang dish on the menu is 64 baht for soup and the most expensive is 293 baht for the rib-eye steak.  However, most come in under 150 baht.

 

 

Took Lae Dee offers what has to be one of Pattaya's least expensive breakfast specials at 62 baht for two eggs (fried or scrambled); bacon, ham or sausage; toast; juice; and coffee or tea. BUT, considering what's available elsewhere for around 100 baht, the Took Lae Dee special doesn't look like much of a deal.  

 

 

Other breakfast choices are 119 baht and at that price, you're  much better off going to Retox.  Bottom line: there is none yet.  I'll see if Took Lae Dee can rise in my estimation after a second visit.  But no question, if you want a sit-down restaurant with some of Pattaya's cheapest prices, then TLD fills the bill.

 

Evil

Edited August 16, 2017 by Evil Penevil

[Evil Penevil]

I'm going to try to make this an update day as I have pics from about 10 restaurants I haven't posted yet.  I'll start with Le Pub on Soi Diamond between Walking Street and 2nd Road. Le Pub is the first bar on your right if you turn in to Soi Diamond from 2nd Road and conversely, the last on your left if approaching from WS.   It's an excellent bar for many reasons and the food is one of them. Food is served between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m.

I've had the bacon-and-egg roll several times.  It's excellent and great value for money at 100 baht.

The roll is cooked to order from quality ingredients.  It's one of the better bacon-and-egg rolls I've had in Pattaya. Unlike a lot of cooks, the one at Le Pub knows how a bacon-and-egg bap should taste.

 

 

Evil

[davidge]

I hope the second visit is better.

I just called in for an afternoon snack on one of the days I hadn't had breakfast. I'd only been saying to a friend the night before that I always used to enjoy sweetcorn soup in Pattaya but hadn't seen it on the menu anywhere I'd eaten that trip. I was very happy to see it on the menu there :-)

The service was very good. Helpful, friendly waitress. Food hot & fresh and perfectly acceptable.

I was also treated to a floor show. There was a delivery of very large bags of rice for the supermarket piled high on a trolley & 2 Thai blokes carried it down the steps. Just as they reached the bottom, one bag fell off and rice went everywhere. Just after this, an ostentatiously gay Australian sat at the table next to us. Obviously had to be the centre of attention wherever he went. He was showing the ropes to a couple of friends. He insisted the waitress explained every single Thai dish on the menu in great detail. She got her own back by serving him chicken when he'd asked for shrimps.

I meant to go there again to try more items on the menu but didn't get around to it. Have to remember next trip.  

 

(Edit: I was replying to your post before last but you must have posted again just before me. I didn't want to quote your long post when replying)

Edited August 16, 2017 by davidge

[Mishko]

2 hours ago, Evil Penevil said:

It hadn't been mentioned, but I'm glad you did.  It's been quite a few years since I've eaten at Took Lae Dae  and your post both stirred my memories and piqued my curiosity as to whether it would be the same.

Due to some unusual circumstances,  I had a very late supper at Took La Dae on Beach Road in the wee hours of Monday. Took Lae Dee restaurants are always connected to a Foodland Supermarket. Like the supermarkets, the restaurants are open 24/7. The Beach Road branch is located under Royal Garden Plaza.

 

 

Took Lae Dae on Beach Road for me is total rubbish. I did go about three weeks ago and ordered the rib eye steak. I asked it medium rare. It came overcooked to the point of chewy, and the portion was super small !!

Edited August 16, 2017 by Mishko

[Guest]

Kep up the good work Evil, great thread.

[KittenKong]

4 hours ago, Evil Penevil said:

Other breakfast choices are 119 baht

 

That Eggs Benedict pictured used to be 72B (including good coffee and OK juice) and at that price it was good value. I used to have it often.

[KittenKong]

4 hours ago, Evil Penevil said:

I've had the bacon-and-egg roll several times.  It's excellent and great value for money at 100 baht.

 

Seems way overpriced to me.

[wingcom1]

14 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

 

Seems way overpriced to me.

Please advise where I can get the same for a lot less?