Hans Banziger opened the Paradise Restaurant almost
three years ago, and in a business where you can make or break in 12
months, he has shown that he and his restaurant are really here to stay.
There are many reasons for this, but one has to be Hans’ attention to
detail - this really is a “Hans on” operation - every dish has Hans
imprinted on it, from concept to its realization on your plate.
The restaurant itself is very tastefully appointed,
with exotic tropical murals stretching up to the very high ceiling, good
quality tablecloths and cutlery and most attentive staff (though none more
attentive than Hans himself).
It is with that background that the Dining Out Team
came to try the new ‘special’ menu for November. November and December
is the Game Season so the food promotion features deer (venison) wild
boar, kangaroo, ostrich and crocodile. This month’s specials range in
price between B. 375-425 and include a venison stew, marinated in red
wine, vinegar and herbs for 10 days and kangaroo fillet bouncing in with a
creamy brandy and peppercorn sauce.
Before going into the specials in detail, mention
should be made of the regular menu. Since the Paradise Restaurant caters
for all nationalities, not just those which are English or German
speaking, Hans has included a picture menu at the side of each item -
photographs being multi-lingual! A great idea that many restaurants have
not yet managed to take on board. This menu had also changed somewhat
since our last visit six months ago.
Starters range from B. 35-145 ranging from garlic bread
to smoked Norwegian salmon with horseradish cream. These are followed by
salads (B. 65-120) and soups (B. 70-95) including Bermuda fish chowder and
Hungarian Goulash.
One area that Paradise Restaurant seems to have
captured is ostrich, and there are now five permanent ostrich specials (B.
375), with the gorgonzola being one of Miss Terry’s favourites. The
other birds, duck and chicken are up next, all around B 195 and I saw that
my special Lemongrass chicken is still there!
Steaks are next up (B. 225-495) with imported NZ fillet
at the top end and then fish dishes (B. 195-295) in some delightful sauces
and at the end a 26 item Thai menu with most around B. 100.
There is also a dedicated vegetarian menu (B. 35-145)
and a Kid’s menu, with children’s fare at B. 60-80.
To make it easy for the reviewers, Hans prepared
“mini tastings” so we could try every one of the special offerings. To
complement the food, we began with this month’s house promotion wines
which came from Chile, a Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon (both at B.
690 per bottle and both eminently drinkable).
Our first tasting included the deer fillet tournedos in
a mushroom sauce, the venison stew and a wild boar stew. Being game, these
meats have a stronger taste, but none of them were tough in any way. Hans
remarked that the tenderness reflects both the cut of meat and the method
of cooking.
Our second tasting covered the kangaroo fillet, an
ostrich fillet with a port wine sauce and a crocodile steak marinated in a
Cajun seasoning with sesame seeds and lime butter. The crocodile is a
cross between chicken and veal and Hans informed us that he experimented
with ten recipes before settling on this particular one for the crocodile.
The slightly spicy sauce with the lime butter piquancy certainly paid off
with this dish. The ostrich? As always - superb!
Hans Banziger puts much effort into his restaurant and
it has paid off. We enjoyed the evening there and we enjoyed the Game
Season specials. For Madame it was the deer fillet tournedos with the
forest mushroom sauce, and for me it was the ostrich that was my dish of
the evening.
If you have not tried Paradise Restaurant, then you
should. You will not be disappointed with the food on offer, the prices
are not over the top and there is something for all tastes. Very highly
recommended.
The Paradise Restaurant, 215/62-63 Pattaya City (opposite the Marriott
Resort and Spa), telephone 038 723 177, email [email protected]
