by Jay Patterson
The Moon River Pub is an oasis of sophisticated and relaxed fun and
entertainment for those who are tired of, or don’t wish to go, bar crawling.
A friend, knowing I liked good music, made me an offer I couldn’t refuse
last week. Tired of my complaining about the lack of no hassle, reasonably
priced places in the city, she said “I know where we can go! The music’s
wonderful, the food’s delicious and not expensive, and the atmosphere’s
definitely no hassle.”
The Soulhouse Band plays
nightly in the Thai Garden Moon River Pub.
“Yeah, sure,” I said. But this lady is not to be refused,
so we went. Aside from having to eat my words, I ate a lot of good food.
The Moon River Pub is decorated in American ‘country style’, with warm wood
colours, real wagon wheels and other features which one could find in an
American pub in one of the ‘cattle states’ in the US. My friend, a regular
customer, introduced me to the manager, Marion Vogt, who indeed confirmed
the fact that the pub’s inception was born out of that idea. Marion , who
speaks about 400 languages, went to school in Montana, one of the most
“Western” states in the US. As my family has a cattle ranch in South Dakota,
it was like going home. Marion, who comes from Germany, said that while
studying in Montana she loved the atmosphere of the pubs as they had the
same ‘gemutlichkeit’ (homey warmth) as those in her native Germany.
The Moon River serves
Thai-Isarn, American Barbecue and Mexican delights.
This is the idea of the Moon River Pub. Comfort, warmth,
good service and food without pretentiousness. If one drops by during the
week, the clientele is mostly locals. The guests are upper middle class
Thais who want entertainment, good Thai and Isarn food, and don’t feel they
have to show off their cellular phones.
The Moon River serves Thai-Isarn, American Barbecue and Mexican delights.
Not having eaten any Tex-Mex food in a long time, we began with crisp Nachos
smothered with Cheddar cheese. These corn crisps are served with salsa,
pepper cream, Isarn Phia and Thai Chilli dips. My greediness, uh, enthusiasm
was a bit embarrassing as I wolfed them down. Sitting on the wide natural
wood porch outside, we pondered our next attack on the kitchen.
Marion recommended we try the pork medallions with sweet and sour sauce. So
we did, and these luscious appetisers succeeded in disappearing all too
quickly. Next on the list was Moo Kam Waan (Roast Pork topped with Garlic
and Chilli sauce). Tender slices of pork were paved with large half cloves
of garlic and drenched with chilli sauce. After these goodies we knew we
would be safe from Vampire attacks the whole night. The Moon River does not
“tone down’” the spiciness of their food to suit lily-livered Western
palates. But any brave person will find after a few bites that spiciness is
not painful, but a zap of pleasure.
If you really are afraid, there are dozens of tamer dishes on the menu. For
example; the American Barbecue which we had as our main course. I had the
Chicken Barbecue. Tender pieces of marinated chicken, onion, pineapple and
tomato are grilled on a skewer over a charcoal. Served with an army of
sauces surrounding your plate, this is not to be missed.
During this time, my companion was busy with her Larb Moo (Isarn grilled
pork salad with chillies and peanuts in a hot sweet lime sauce). I thought
it was quite rude of her to keep slapping my hands away from her plate as I
would have left half for her. She was just as selfish with her Kai Tom Kha
(tender pieces of chicken with lime and galangal ginger in savoury coconut
cream). After I had pinched only 3 spoonfuls she threatened me with her
fork.
Every dish we had was delicious and the portions were very large.
Suprisingly, for food of this quality, and the ambience in which it is
served, the prices are low. The most expensive item, filet steak is only 160
baht. The other dishes were half that price or less.
Feeling quite replete, we went into the warm yet spacious atmosphere of the
pub itself. The guest ratio was about 60% Thai and 40% foreign. People were
dressed smart, casual to very casual. The serving staff wore blue jeans and
gingham shirts. Conversation was at a normal level and there were none of
the ‘yelling drunks’ that are often found in Thai pubs.
The music was excellent. The singers could actually sing and the band
emphasised quality of sound over volume. They played everything from funk,
blues, country and western, to pop and even soul. They had all the styles
down and didn’t try to copy the originals, but experimented.
This pub has a lot of regular customers. Marion managed to be three places
at once, supervising the staff, greeting the regulars and helping newcomers
feel at home. After about an hour of listening to music, I had to try the
Chicken Taco Salad. I was surprised at the size of the portion, and it was
delicious. I would highly recommended the Moon River for people who want
good food and good music in a casual but non-sleazy atmosphere. It is a
perfect place for families with teenagers, as the food and music both bridge
the generation gap.
