Let us not forget we are in Thailand, and authentic Thai and Asian food is
everywhere. And cheap. Our friends arrive from overseas, ready to experience
the endless Asian treats – but just where should you take them? That’s
clean! The worst experience ever would be to take your visitors to a little
roadside eatery, and they end up in hospital the next day with dreadful
diarrhea.
I was actually asked the other day where someone could take a group of
visitors from the UK, who wanted to try some local fare. My answer was that
he should take them to the Food Wave at the top of the Royal Garden Plaza.
If you have not tried it, the Food Wave is on the new upper floor of the
Royal Garden Plaza. Along the Beach Road side there is an outside dining
area, with incredible, almost uninterrupted, views of Pattaya Bay.
The Food Wave live cooking stations section is entered via a ‘race’ where
you are given a Food Wave swipe card. Instead of stating how much you want
on the card, you have an automatic B. 1,000 credit that you can draw upon.
However, it should be noted that if you lose your ‘credit’ card you are up
for the full amount!
With the area being lit through floor to ceiling windows, it is very bright
and airy. Undoubtedly the architects were given the brief to make the place
look ‘trendy’ and it certainly is that, with wood, glass and polished metal
predominating. It is the scene to see and be seen in!
In the middle are several cooking stations, including Italian, Indian,
Russian, Thai, Noodles, Steak, Thai Joke, Papaya salad, coffee, desserts and
drinks. These stations are in the main all glassed in, and spotlessly clean.
A very important concept when trying ethnic cuisine for the first time.
With the varied stations, you get many, many choices, with all the Thai
favorites, plus a strong selection from the other cuisines. Most of the
serves are around B. 50-100, though some can go up as far as B. 150. For
example, steaks cover beef, pork and chicken and come with salad and French
(or Belgian) fries. Or go to the Italian station and you can have a Caesar
salad to accompany your calzone or pizzas made on the spot. For the lovers
of Russian food there is the traditional Borscht (beetroot soup) or Pelimeny
dumplings. I noticed that some of the ‘ethnic’ stations also had nationals
overseeing the preparation to ensure authenticity.
For desserts there are many choices, from Blueberry cheesecake, to Tiramisu
to Thai sweetened sticky rice with mango.
We have tried several dishes in the past few months, and the consensus was
that the food was fine, the price not exorbitant and the view spectacular!
The items also come on true china plates and the cutlery is of a good
standard. Definitely more ‘up-market’ than the side of the road food stalls
and the melamine crockery and (Uri Geller) bending spoons!
The service staff were most obliging, taking our meals out on to the terrace
and removing the dirty plates very quickly. The atmosphere is much more that
of a restaurant, where you get the opportunity to order from the chef!
When you leave there are four ‘check-outs’ where your card is swiped again
and totaled. One surprise is that there is a service charge added, so your
total is slightly more than your mental arithmetic worked it out to be!
However, since service charges elsewhere generally run out at around 10
percent, and the service was good, I did not begrudge the Food Wave the
small extra charge.
There can be no doubt that Pattaya is moving upwards, and the Food Wave
evolved from the old Food Court by moving upwards, literally and
metaphorically. It is a very central location in which you would not be
embarrassed to take any overseas visitor. A good place to remember in the
dining scene in this city. Well worth a (re)try.
The Food Wave, 4th floor Royal Garden Plaza, Beach Road, Pattaya. Secure
parking in the basement. Open seven days, 11 a.m. until the shopping center
closes.
Braised Five Spice Coconut Fish
The use of desiccated coconut is very
popular in Malaysia, and this recipe has its origins there. For authenticity
substitute Garam Masala instead of the Five Spice. A flavorsome way to
present fish fillets.
Cooking Method
Clean the fish fillets and dry and then flood with lemon juice and
stand for 15 minutes. Place desiccated coconut in a bowl with 5 tablespoons
of boiling water and leave for 15 minutes.
After standing for 15 minutes, in the food processor, place the coconut,
onion, garlic, coconut milk, turmeric, Five Spice, chilli paste and puree
the mixture, adding water to keep the mixture quite thin in consistency.
Now boil the mixture and put half of it in a baking dish, adding the fish
fillets and then pouting the rest of the mixture over the fillets.
Cover the baking dish and bake in the oven ar 220 degrees Celsius for 8-10
minutes. Serve immediately after sprinkling the spring onion over them as
garnish.
|
Ingredients
|
Serves 4-6 |
|
White fish fillets |
750 gm |
|
Lemon juice |
3 tbspns |
|
Desiccated coconut |
50 gm |
|
Onions, chopped |
2 |
|
Garlic, chopped |
2 cloves |
|
Coconut milk (canned) |
250 ml |
|
Chilli paste |
1 tspn |
|
Turmeric powder |
1 tspn |
|
Five Spice |
1 tspn |
|
Spring onion, chopped |
4 |
