It is almost 12 months since we reviewed
L’Ami Pierrot, a restaurant which at that time had just opened. Now a year
later, we were looking forward to seeing just how it had progressed.
The restaurant is on Pattaya Third Road, on the left heading towards Central
Road and about 200 meters from the North Road intersection and opposite
Ursula’s Antiques. Plenty of on-street parking too.
We were warmly welcomed by Didier, and then sat ourselves back in the
comfortable alcoves behind the red checked tablecloths to peruse the very
colorful menu. At some stages, if I closed my eyes I was back in Europe, in
some small town in France, listening to the lilting Gallic tones everywhere.
But I was not. We were in Pattaya, on Third Road, in L’Ami Pierrot, the
guest of the (very) French chef Didier Pierrot from New Caledonia. And
amazingly, Didier told me that 80 percent of his customers were English! But
not that night.
The menu is not large, but comprehensive enough. It is in French (just in
case you forget this is a French bistro) but has English subtitles and
begins with 14 cold and hot entrees ranging from B. 80 (Grandmother’s salad)
through to a duck liver a l’Armagnac at B. 450, but the majority of items
are between B. 100-150.
These were followed by four pasta (spaghetti) items at B. 150-170 and then a
page of meat items beginning at B. 180 for BBQ pork ribs and going up to B.
620 for a chateaubriand for two!
Fish items were under B. 320, followed by a set menu item at B. 299 with a
terrine and salad buffet, roast beef or plate of the day and then into
desserts. These are followed by some Thai favorites generally under B. 150.
There is also a specials menu which is also worth perusing. These are items
which Didier offers, provided he can get the ingredients at the market that
day, so don’t be disappointed if it is not available on your visit. Since
the days of the famous French chef Escoffier, the ingredients are
everything. (Escoffier, for the culinary student, was the originator of the
a la carte menu and the inventor of the famous Peach Melba in honor of the
famous Australian Dame Nellie Melba.)
The wine list is not extensive, and Didier even suggested that the house
wine by the carafe was the way to go. We ordered a red, which was only B.
350 for 500 ml. It was perfectly adequate, though I felt it improved greatly
by allowing it to come up to room temperature and breathe in that time.
We tried a variety of dishes. Of particular note was the soup offered in the
weekly specials menu (B. 95). This was a vegetable soup with spice,
delightfully smooth with just a hint of what could have been Malaysian
curry, but Didier wasn’t telling!
French chefs are noted for their sauces, and Didier is no exception. I am
guilty of using the wonderfully crusty French bread supplied to mop up the
last drops of the Marchand de Vin sauce with my rib eye steak (B. 320).
Lovely! I also liked the mashed potato that came with it, incorporating
chopped bacon and onion, which certainly lifted the humble British spud to a
French gourmet level!
L’Ami Pierrot is, as you would expect from the name, a very French
restaurant. Didier is an enthusiastic host, even if his English language
skills do not equal his skills as a chef, something that Didier acknowledges
quite freely! However, he is fluent in Thai if the English communication
breaks down completely, but it is really no problem. The restaurant is not
expensive and the dishes are very pleasant. Look to L’Ami Pierrot as a
‘value for money’ restaurant, rather than haute cuisine. In the words of
Escoffier, quoted on the front of the menu, “Faire simple, mais bon” (simple
fare, but good). Well worth a try.
L’Ami Pierrot, 3/110-111 M6, Third Road (opposite Ursula’s Antiques), North
Pattaya, telephone 038 370 704 or 089 091 9469, on street parking. Open for
dinner from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. but closed on Mondays.
