The bar opens from 4 p.m. and
restaurant from 6 p.m.
When one mentions the restaurant Mata Hari, the name
Louis Noll must come up as well. Louis is the driving force behind one of
the most established restaurants in Pattaya. Louis, with Dutch-Indonesian
roots, has run restaurants all over the world before settling in Pattaya
with wife Jack, who is also the chef.
Mata Hari was initially on Second Road, but he outgrew the premises and
moved to Nirvana Place at the top of Thappraya Road.
Mata
Hari herself keeps an eye on the restaurant.
The venue reeks ‘class’ with its comfortable chairs, large tables, excellent
quality glasses and general napery, attentive staff in matching outfits, and
the omnipresent Louis Noll himself.
Louis will deny that his restaurant is a fine dining establishment, but it
has that well established aura whereby diners are not only made welcome, but
they feel welcome as well.
The premises are split in two, with the bar area open from 4 p.m. and the
conjoined dining area open from 6 p.m. and so we settled in with a
pre-dinner drink. Madame felt like a beer and waxed eloquent about how
finally she had found a restaurant that served beer at the right temperature
in a proper beer glass. Me? I found a nice cold glass of Australian
Sauvignon Blanc was all I needed.
When it became time to move into the restaurant side, the staff carried our
drinks to our table. It was easy to feel pampered with the service we were
receiving.
The menu is a heavy leather-bound item, which exudes the ‘class’ of the
restaurant itself and begins with a page of specials, including the Dutch
entrees raw herring, bitterballen and smoked eel. There are also special
main courses with a Dutch stewed beef and a European Ossobuco.
Into the general menu, which starts with soups (B. 210-300) including a
Dutch green pea and a Mediterranean fish soup with garlic croutons. These
are followed by four salads (B. 390-410) with the warm goat cheese salad
with honey vinaigrette and walnuts looking very interesting.
The next page offers four pasta dishes (B. 350-450) and then 10 entrees (B.
350-670) with a trio of smoked fish (salmon, eel and trout) only B. 390.
Two pages of main courses (B. 420-750) include a classical Steak Diane at
the lower end and rock lobster tails in vermouth cream sauce with snow peas
at the top end. Steaks from the grill are next, imported from Canada and
Australia (B. 620-990). For the mains, there are five choices of sauce and
five of potato, and diners are given the option of salad or vegetables on
the side.
As many diners will have a Thai partner with them, Mata Hari has two pages
of Thai dishes, with most around B. 250 as well.
Louis Noll has always stocked his cellar with wines commensurate with
“performance versus price” and has many choices ranging between B.
1000-2000, but there are also some premium wines for those with deeper
pockets. We found an interesting Yellow Tail rose sparkler for B. 1150.
In the food, Madame chose the Dutch pea soup as entrée, while I went for the
grilled oysters with bacon and Worcestershire sauce. Madame found the soup
very filling, while I just reveled in the large oysters, especially as an
entrée, sharpening up any jaded palate!
For our mains, Madame selected the Steak Diane, while I chose the breast of
chicken with fresh grape and champagne sauce. Madame found that after the
very filling soup, she was almost stopped by the Steak Diane even though it
was very tender, but ‘manfully’ made it through.
I was more than satisfied with my choice, being a very light dish and the
grapes and champagne sauce were just so succulent.
As always, dinner at Mata Hari was a very pleasant evening. There was no
faulting food or service. Mata Hari remains one of the top restaurants in
Pattaya and if you have not dined there, then you should. Very highly
recommended by the Dining Out team.
Mata Hari Restaurant and Wine Bar, 482/57 Thappraya Road (ground floor
Nirvana Place), telephone 038 259 799, fax 038 259 798, email
[email protected], www.mataharirestaurant.com. Open six days
(closed Mondays), Bar from 4 p.m. and restaurant from 6 p.m., secure
on-street parking. Book!
The grilled oysters with bacon
and Worcestershire sauce can sharpen any jaded palate.
