I received an email the other day asking if I knew where Au Bon Coin had
gone. After 11 (almost 12) years in Pattaya, it was unthinkable that this
funky French restaurant and its funky French owner Jose Cohen could just
have disappeared. Happily I was able to reassure the reader that Au Bon Coin
was very much alive and well, and now in the Pratamnak Hill area.
However, it even took the Dining Out team a couple of sorties to find it! Au
Bon Coin is now on an un-named soi between Pratamnak sois 5 and 6, and here
is how to get there! Via Soi 5, drive down and when you pass Ocean Orchid
Resort on your right, do not veer right but take the first soi on the left
and Au Bon Coin is about 50 meters along on the left. If you come by
Pratamnak Soi 6, drive down until the road begins to level out and turn
right into the un-named soi just before the big yellow condominium. Au Bon
Coin is 75 meters along on your right!
The new venue is within a house behind a leafy garden, and the garden
settings will be used in high season. Inside, it is air-conditioned with
much natural wood used and tiled floors. There is also a special room for
sausages, cheese and wines, and in the offing in the near future a dedicated
smoking area. It has a French country ambience with some Thai bric-a-brac
thrown in. And of course it has Jose, that wonderfully emphatic Frenchman
with the intriguing name, who should shoot his hairdresser!
The tables are covered with a heavy damask with a colorful Thai cotton
runner. The glassware is of good quality, and cutlery serviceable.
The menu is much the same as before (and pricing), but there are a couple of
additions, I was assured by Jose. Wines are also as before, mainly French,
but (perhaps reluctantly?) Jose also has a few Australian and Chilean wines.
Wines by the glass are only B. 140.
We began with a green salad with tomato (B. 90) for Madame and the stuffed
mussels for me. I have to admit that every time I have eaten at Au Bon Coin
I end up with the stuffed mussels, and also admit that every time I have
enjoyed them. We also had our daughter with us and Jose suggested some
French fries, which duly arrived and were duly devoured by the smallest
member of the family. When I asked Jose about the origins of the humble chip
- Belgian or French - he replied “Zese are French fries, monsieur,” as if
there were no others!
For mains, Madame had chosen the duck leg in red wine sauce (B. 290), whilst
I went for the interesting sounding cabbage stuffed with shrimp (B. 270)
which was a special dish from central France, Jose assured me.
The duck was superb, and was given top marks by Madame. Very French and very
good. My cabbage dish came as three cabbage parcels, wrapped around the
chopped shrimp, with three servings of mashed potato on a shrimp with
saffron sauce base. A wonderful culinary experience and if you are like me,
and have never tried it before, I can fully recommend this dish.
“Desserts?” said Jose, but I was full, though Madame and Little Madame
managed an ice cream between them.
In summary, Au Bon Coin is back in a new venue. It is even better than
before, even though that is difficult to imagine. The food is an excellent
example of French fare and the pricing is very reasonable. The venue is
good, and of course there is the omnipresent Jose!
Au Bon Coin has the three attributes needed for success - Food, Pricing and
Jose! Do go, you will enjoy it, but it is imperative that you book. Each
time we have been, it has been filled to capacity. Highly recommended.
Au Bon Coin, 352/104, Soi Paitana, Pratamnak Hill, South Pattaya, telephone
038 364 542, email [email protected], website www.auboncoinpattaya. com.
Open 6 p.m. until late but closed Tuesday and Wednesday. On-street parking,
but with security present.
Chicken Drumsticks in Orange/Soy sauce
This recipe is based on an old Indonesian dish known as
“Ajam berkuah jerik manis dan soya”. A true stir-fry, it does however take
some time in the cooking stage, as you have to make sure the chicken
drumsticks are cooked through.
Cooking Method:
Rub the chicken drumsticks lightly with salt. Heat the oil in the
wok and add the onion and fry until transparent. Add chicken and stir-fry
for eight minutes. Now add garlic and chilli pastes and add the orange and
lemon juice, chicken dipping sauce and five tablespoons boiling water.
Stir and add the palm sugar then bring to the boil and simmer for three
minutes.
Mix the corn flour with two tablespoons of cold water then add to the liquid
in the wok, stirring thoroughly as it thickens. Make sure you move all the
drumsticks through the thickening sauce and simmer for another two minutes.
Arrange the drumsticks on a warm serving dish and pour the sauce over them
and serve immediately.
Ingredients
Serves 4
Chicken drumsticks
12
Vegetable oil
3 tbspns
Onion, chopped
1 large
Garlic, chopped fine
1 clove
Chilli paste
1 tspn
Orange juice (no pulp) 5 tbspns
Lemon juice
2 tbspns
Chicken dipping sauce 4 tbspns
Palm sugar
1 tbspn
Corn flour
2 tspns
Salt as required
Water as required
