BBQ’s have a long established custom in both the UK and Australia (“Throw another prawn on the Barbie” for example) for family barbeques (commonly known as BBQ’s). Thais also like family dining, but generally not BBQ meats but incredible dishes laced with the Pla Ra a “condiment” not to farang tastes at all!
Noting that there was a space in the marketplace for a genuine BBQ place, well known restaurateur/master chef Ewan McGlashan has set up an amazing venue in Soi 9 Thepprasit. It is easy to find, as Soi 9 is the street housing Pattaya Kart Speedway. Turn into the soi and BBQ Prime is about 100 meters in on the right hand side just before the Go-Kart track on the left. Plenty of parking too.
Many restaurants bill themselves as family venues, but BBQ Prime probably outdoes them all with a huge grassy playground, swings and other kid friendly items. Kids prices on the menu as well.
For the adults the dining space is outdoors, but covered, and wood floored and has strange pyramidal lights dotted around, which change color at night, making it very romantic. It can cater for almost 200, so space is not a premium. There are bar stations and a live cooking BBQ set-up along one wall with an enormous chalkboard behind it.
The menu has 14 Thai items (B. 95-150) so Thai partners are catered for as well.
The chalkboard menu will show you that sausages, for example, are available as Olma, Bratwurst, English banger and Cumberland.
Salads include Caesar, Coleslaw and Greek which you choose to go with your main BBQ items. There’s more salads with rocket parmesan, roast pumpkin and pasta. The meats are also different from the more plebian BBQ, with 12 hour cooked lamb, spicy Moroccan and Rosemary garlic. Chicken comes as lemon thyme, chilli lemongrass and honey soya.
We ordered three different BBQ dishes – a lamb, a chicken and a beef burger. Along with the main course you can order a salad such as Caesar and Greek, and a side which again shows Ewan’s background in up-market cuisine.
My burger was huge, and impossible to hold in two hands. I had to split it up and use the cutlery supplied. The Caesar salad I ordered was also excellent, and much better than I expected from a BBQ grill restaurant.
Junior tasters had gone for the BBQ chicken and the other BBQ lamb. Sides included French fries and potato wedges. Two thumbs up for those too, as well as their BBQ’d meats. Desserts were offered, but none of us had room.
It was a very relaxing experience, and we kicked back and enjoyed another drink before going off home. We also noted the humorous sayings on the backs of the staff T-shirts. You will also get a smile. And the “bitch” was perfectly nice.
All three of us remarked on the size of the portions, so large that we skipped our home evening meal that night.
At this stage, with the restaurant newly opened, it is something of a work in progress, with a huge movie screen being manufactured so that diners can spend a fun evening with food, drinks and even a movie. I have always said that food should be fun, and Ewan McGlashan with his BBQ Prime is doing just that.
BBQ Prime Soi 9 is a very welcome addition to the dining scene in Pattaya. It is a real “family” venue, and the fare shows something of Ewan’s broad spectrum of dishes. Not your ordinary steamed vegies and pork chop. I took the Junior Tasters who said “Best ever!” This venue is definitely well worth your custom. Good place to sit back and kick on.
BBQ Prime, Soi 9, Thepprasit Road, good parking, telephone (Ewan) 092 471 0604, open seven days 12 noon through to 9.30/10 p.m.
