The new Siam@Siam at the top end of Second Road is definitely the current “In” place (you would be amazed at the hoteliers I met in there), and their Big Fish restaurant on the 6th floor has the best value buffet in town called the weekend Fire Seafood and BBQ on a Friday and Saturday night.
The hotel had been open for one month when we sat down with GM Dmitry Chernyshev (ex Pullman) to discuss this amazing property. And it is amazing, from the large blue Hanuman statues at the front, right through to the larger than life art nouveau tableaux and statues. It is, quite frankly, totally over the top avant-garde, and quite frankly, I loved it! And that was before we even sat down to eat in the Big Fish.
The Big Fish has several sections, with the sit-up bar as you come in, through to the beginning of the buffet and the raised dais and dance area for the Saturday night live music, surrounded by tables for up to a dozen at a time. This gives access to the terrace section for the smokers.
Going past the buffet you then see the open kitchen where all the BBQ items are grilled and can continue on into a larger seating area towards the back. All the way through you have the OTT art deco on the walls, ceilings and free standing. It defies description. After you go, you will see why.
Back to dining – on your table is a holder with your table number tokens which you present to the BBQ chefs with your chosen items, and after cooking the BBQ meats and prawns come back to you.
As always I recommend walking around the buffet so that you know which items are there before you make your choices, so as to avoid finding a favorite too late.
The offerings begin with a small Japanese section with wasabi, crab sticks, squid, jellyfish with soy bean sauce and Japanese sesame seaweed.
Moving along there is a display of seafood and shellfish with fresh oyster, tiger prawn, river prawn, blue crab, white shrimp, NZ green-shell mussels, sea escargot and Norwegian salmon.
On to the BBQ section and the selection includes Wagyu beef, lamb chops, pork steak, chicken skewers followed by assorted breads and two types of soup (Western and Thai). From there it is into hot dishes with dauphinoise potato, stir-fried vegetables, sea bass, Wagyu beef in mushroom sauce, chicken in green curry, beef with black pepper sauce, fish with celery, fried rice and steamed rice.
In a cold section there are various cold cuts and a separate section with desserts and fruits.
I began with wasabi and crab sticks and a glass of the Australian white wine, which turned into free flow. With free flow price being only B. 244 more than the BBQ, and the wine I was drinking being B. 300 a glass, you don’t have to be a mathematician to spot a bargain!
Madame went straight for a lamb chop BBQ, which was so good, she went up for a second chop at the chops.
In the meantime I was into the fresh seafood with succulent oysters and juicy scallops. That indulgence was just while waiting for my Wagyu beef BBQ items!
On our Saturday there was an excellent duo entertaining the guests, giving the Big Fish the ambience of a very up-market nightclub.
Siam@Siam is undoubtedly offering an excellent range of buffet items and the price is laughably low at B. 555 net/person for barbecue only (at that price definitely ha-ha-ha!) and B 799 net/person inclusive of unlimited free flow wine.
Remembering that the hotel has only been open for one month, these prices are obviously introductory, so I suggest that you don’t leave it too long before making a weekend visit.
The Big Fish restaurant is open 24/7, but the Weekend Fire Seafood and BBQ is on Friday and Saturday nights 6 p.m. until 10 p.m.
Siam@Siam, 390 M9, Second Road North Pattaya, on the left hand side with a large blue Hanuman at the front, telephone 038 930 600, www.siamatpattaya.com. Secure parking within the hotel building.
