A couple of weeks ago, a reader wrote in complaining that the Dining Out Team only goes to the expensive places, and not the more middle of the road venues. With new five star properties all anxious for us to review their up-market restaurants, how could we refuse? However, here is one restaurant to satisfy the low budget diner.
We found this restaurant when we took some visitors to the new Mimosa development on Sukhumvit Road, opposite the Ambassador City Jomtien. Go just past the Mimosa and turn left into the parking area. Enter Mimosa through the side entrance and turn right along the walkway and the (Mimosa) German Oktoberfest restaurant is about 20 meters along on your right. It has been in operation for nine months, and was very busy on the night we went to review it.
Manager Kai (who is German) and his Thai wife have gone to great pains to create an authentic German atmosphere with a rustic Bavarian décor, heavy wooden chairs and tables set in alcoves as well as being free-standing. The blue and white Bavarian check is seen on the tablecloths as well.
There are two sections, one indoors and air-conditioned, and the other outside on the deck. We chose the air-con!
Before we perused the menu we sat back with a couple of German beers, of which I like the Warsteiner pilsener (B. 120 for 300 ml). And two is not enough! There are also all the usual local beers (B. 85-95).
The menu is part pictorial and is in English and Thai and duplicated in Russian (many Russians use the Ambassador City Jomtien as their holiday location). When you have ‘foreign’ clientele, incorporating photographs in the menu is the way to overcome communication problems!
The menu begins with appetizers (B. 90-200) with salmon at the top end. They are followed by soups ((B. 120) and the vegetable soup with sausages looked very interesting.
Salads are up next (B. 90-220 with salmon at a premium once more).
There is a page of German sausage dishes (B. 220-350) with these items coming from a German butcher to ensure they are authentic (Nuernberger, Bratwurst, Krakau and Weiss wurst).
The following page is mainly European items such as Weiner schnitzel (enormous and only B. 250), beef goulash (B. 270), pork knuckle with mashed potatoes and sauerkraut (B. 399), chicken steak with french-fries (B. 230) and on the next page some pastas (B. 150-170) and many others including lamb shank (B. 400) and Pacific Dory fillets (B. 220).
There two pages of Thai food specials, generally B. 120-150.
I tried the German sausage, with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes and shared a pork knuckle with Kai. An enormous pork knuckle, I must say and it was brought to the table with a special knife to cut through the roasted pork skin.
Madame, who is Thai, judged the Thai food on offer to be very authentic, and I felt the same about the German cuisine items. We have been back twice, the food was so good. We enjoyed the food and noted that the prices were not exorbitant in any way. It is an ideal venue to take overseas guests. Recommended wholeheartedly by the Dining Out Team.
Now, the following is important – an entry fee into Mimosa has been imposed, but here is how you get around it. On arrival at the car park, ring the restaurant and they will come and meet you and provide free passage into the Mimosa complex. If you forget to do this, the entry fee is currently B. 150 per head. The phone call is worth it!
While in Mimosa, don’t miss the spectacular lady-boy dance show around the fountain in the center of the complex. Show times are 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m., 7 p.m., and 9 p.m. at weekends; during the week the 1 p.m. show is not scheduled.
The Mimosa complex is quite amazing, very eclectic and leave yourself an hour to wander after your German meal!
(Mimosa) Oktoberfest German Restaurant, telephone 038 110 312 or 082 207 0400, email [email protected], open seven days 10 a.m. until 11 p.m., secure car parking beside the complex.
