South Asian restaurants in Pattaya - your favourites and why?

[Jay108]

There must be close to a hundred, a huge increase compared to ten years ago. Example categories..

1. Best quality

2. Best value

3. Cheapest

3. South Indian

4. North Indian

5. Other (Bangladeshi, Pakistani etc)

6. Indian dishes at non-Indian places

7. Pure Vegetarian

8. Halal

9. Indian served where Thai dancers/freelancers etc congregate

10. Buffet (divided into early versus late)

BTW, I am such a foodie of Indian I rarely try eating my favourite cuisine out. I cook at home. I would rather not. But I am almost always disappointed compared to similar in Bangkok. Let's not even talk about compared to Malaysia, Singapore and India itself.

The biggest challenge I have is the (apparent) impossibility of getting dry Rajasthani cuisine and especially simple masoor dal (split red lentils) cooked with ginger and garlic. Every Indian restaurant in Pattaya I have visited has extremely unimaginative dal on offer. Almost every shop sells the same rich and/or oily split bean style of cooking: dal tarka, dal makhini and dal fry. Even the south Indian restaurants are run by Punjabis. Kitchen sacrelige! As Louder with Crowder would say 'Prove me wrong'.

Edited January 10, 2023 by Jay108

[Halfaboy]

Could be an interesting thread (at least for me)....

[merman]

Once you see the prices you'll want to head straight back to a thai place

[Jay108]

Yes, obviously eating the most popular cuisine for locals makes sense from the point of price. But in my 34 years coming here I have never favoured Thai food over other Asian cuisines (other consumable aspects of Thailand, yes...)

In Cambodia what I do to get a lower price is go to places run by Nepalis or Bangladeshis rather than by Indians. And although I am vegetarian to non-veg places serving veg.  But even these strategies help just a little.

It's not the price of ingredients, it's the limited market. Unfortunately there are a zillion places just scraping by instead of a dozen that keep their kitchens busy and therefore with fresh offerings.

EVEREST set lunch was OK yesterday, agreeable to change the components for a surcharge. Anyone tried GREAT PUNJAB buffet? When they operated in Bangkok it was a great deal.

[Thomaz73]

I think with your strict requirements, Pattaya is difficult. But please keep updating on places you test. I'm easily pleased and currently have Zaika, Curry Home, and Tandori Nights on my rotation. While it couldn't compete with what I had in Chennai, I'm satisfied. 

Btw, curious as to some of your favourites in Bangkok. 

[Jay108]

27 minutes ago, Thomaz73 said:

I think with your strict requirements, Pattaya is difficult. But please keep updating on places you test. I'm easily pleased and currently have Zaika, Curry Home, and Tandori Nights on my rotation. While it couldn't compete with what I had in Chennai, I'm satisfied. 

Btw, curious as to some of your favourites in Bangkok. 

You are correct, I am hard to please, even in Malaysia and India.

One of Bangkok's Gurudwaras will be my next stop. If I want Punjabi food, I want the large-scale simple stuff you eat while sitting on the floor. How does langar in Pattaya compare? I enjoy Bani and behave respectfully.

I generally eat in small hole in the walls in Pratunam (Pahurat? I always confuse these two). Had one of the best missi rotis (unleavened bread made with wheat mixed with lentil flour) ever at DOSA KING off Sukhumvit though. They made it perfect as to my verbal specification: "If you burn it I won't complain." But the prices in that place remind me of getting a soda in a go go bar. Tried same at a RAJDAMRI, a Pattaya restaurant at the string of such places near intersection of Pattaya Second Road at Central Pattaya Road - unrecognizable as missi roti. Looked like crispy version of butter naan with toppings. Regional difference? I am skeptical. Rajdamri has pleasant staff. It is well-lit, clean etc. But I go out for Indian for the *food*, I don't care about the environment. Noticed a 99 baht stall outside of Mike's on Beach road. Looked very high carb plus watery dal.

BTW, do Indian bars in Pattaya serve half-decent snacks and how are the women who assemble there?

Edited January 11, 2023 by Jay108

[Thomaz73]

3 minutes ago, Jay108 said:

do Indian bars in Pattaya serve half-decent snacks and how are the women who assemble there?

I haven't been to any of these. But I know there's a lot of people having a good time in them (thinking of the ones in and around Walking Street.) However, you mentioned soda in a gogo. Brace yourself if you go to one of these places

[Jay108]

Keen to read reviews of what Pattaya news service on this forum announced as SEA's biggest Indian restaurant - MUMBAISE in STAR DICE PUB. No answer at their two listed phone numbers.

[duke main]

I'm not knowledgeable about Indian cuisine but I very much liked this one. I had the 500 baht set menu here. 

https://www.royalcliff.com/shop/maharani/

I also liked this one.

https://goo.gl/maps/d5rNGgmvjieoiUV88

This one was disappointing.

https://goo.gl/maps/71LNp7DRa7nsnLUx6

[olic]

I love Indian food but I don't have the knowledge of it like you do OP. I've never tried it in Pattaya or Bangkok but am following this thread with interest.

BTW my fav cuisine is still Thai with Indian coming in Second.

[Jay108]

See most recent Google Maps critique of GREAT PUNJAB

[PeterStewart66]

The only really good non-veg Indian i have found in Pattaya is Indian By Nature on the way to Jomtein.

Similarly to the Bangladesh style us Brits are used to.

Everest, is not surprisingly, Nepalese, and the last time I went the gravy was swimming in clarified butter, ghee.

 

 

Edited January 26, 2023 by PeterStewart66
Spelling

[PeterStewart66]

Rajdarbar, Pattaya Klang opposite August Suites.

Tonight's dinner. Veg thali. Choice of 3 veg main courses.

I had aloo gobi (potato/califlower), aloo muter (potato/peas) and muter mushroom (mushroom/peas)

209 baht includes rice, 2 bread of your choice and a poppadom.

I had an extra chapati.

I eat here a lot.

[Kreggerz]

I've recently had good food at Indian Rasoi.

Nothing fancy, but good authentic flavors and good prices.

Recently had chicken tangri kebab (tandoori chicken legs), chana masala, and naan. 

INDIAN RASOI RESTAURANT, Pattaya City - Restaurant menu and reviews (restaurantguru.com)

 

[Thomaz73]

1 hour ago, Kreggerz said:

recently had good food at Indian Rasoi

Agreed. It's a good place! But if you study the OP I doubt it would do the job. 

[Kreggerz]

23 hours ago, Thomaz73 said:

Agreed. It's a good place! But if you study the OP I doubt it would do the job. 

Yeah I see your point.

His best bet might be to contact Indian by Nature and ask them to cook something specific to his taste.