Parts of the updated Pizzeria
restaurant have views towards the cabanas.
The Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya has built up an excellent
reputation for its food over the past few years. Both for the hotel itself
and for the Hard Rock Cafe on Beach Road. We were invited to come and review
the revamped Pizzeria in the main hotel, a cool spot overlooking the Hard
Rock’s free form pool.
For
newbies who are unsure of the location, the Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya is on
Second Road (Sai Song), about 100 meters along on your left from the Central
Pattaya Road/Second Road intersection. The car park is within the grounds
and is secure.
Hard Rock Hotels pride themselves on their staff being hip and helpful, and
the Pattaya property is no different. Look even vaguely lost and you will be
escorted to your destination, with a smile. The Pizzeria is past the
elevators and out into the area heading towards the pool. The staff will
make sure you don’t miss it.
The central feature of the Pizzeria is naturally the pizza oven, an ‘almost’
traditional one, but gas-fired! This is situated on the deck outside the
Starz Diner, and is in the center of a sit-up bar, where diners around the
outside can watch their food being prepared. The rest of the updated
Pizzeria restaurant has views over the pool, or towards the cabanas. Despite
the ‘out-doorsy’ ambience, the tables are covered with white linen and the
napery and glassware excellent.
The menu shows that the Pizzeria is more than a pizza
shop, but in fact is offering a good range of Italian dishes, plus others
prepared in Italian style. It is not a large menu with four antipasti (B.
295-650), one soup (B. 410), three pastas (B. 530-880), 10 pizzas (B.
410-645), four mains (seafood and meat) (B. 410-1150) and five desserts (B.
210-385). The menu then continues into cocktails, aperitifs, liqueurs,
grappa, cognac, coffees, beers and mineral waters.
Now one thing I have noted over the years and countless dinner plates is
that Italian chefs tend to be passionate about their creations, and after
meeting the Hard Rock’s Pizzeria chef, it must be something to do with the
food! The chef Surapat Pongkratoog is Thai, but is as passionate about his
food as any Italian.
I have to say he was very excited to have us dining at
the Pizzeria, and waxed eloquent about his cappuccino of porcini mushroom,
complete with its black truffle paste. We could not refuse! Honestly, this
was a very superior soup, enjoyed immensely by Madame and myself.
His next batch of enthusiasm was over the Spaghetti Pizzeria, the spaghetti
being the base for tiger prawns wrapped in smoked bacon. In Thai fashion,
the prawn heads were served as well (but the prawn had been decapitated
first)! Madame, who is Thai, ate mine. Great taste to this dish.
Rather than just another pizza, Surapat suggested we try his calzone, which
was served on a black slate plate and had ricotta, prosciutto ham, pecorino
cheese and spinach as the filling. A huge calzone, and also very filling.
Our main (and we shared) was the pan-seared snow fish fillet, on potato
slices, pine nuts and a slightly spicy Sicilian sauce. This was another dish
worth waiting for!
Finally we indulged in a Panna Cotta desert and a grappa,
totally full!
As the Hard Rock says, “The new Pizzeria serves up a selection of finely
flavored and simply stylish continental dishes. This a-la-carte menu is
designed for those that are a touch more discerning, so grab a table
overlooking the pool.” We are in complete agreement. It is for the
discerning diner, the food is of a very high standard (cooked with passion),
but like with all things, you will pay for the best. We were particularly
impressed with the porcini mushroom soup, which had retained the mushroom
flavor, without killing it with spices or herbs. The snow fish fillet,
flaked on just touching it and literally melted in the mouth!
The Pizzeria is open from 12 noon until 10.00 p.m.
Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya, 429 Moo 9, Beach Road, Pattaya, telephone 038 428
755, email
[email protected]. Secure parking within the hotel
grounds.
