Of course, it all depends what you mean. Is it price for instance? “Best” can often be synonymous with “biggest” in the eyes of Facebook’s vigilant fried sausage counters, whilst the inclusion or exclusion of black pudding or fried potatoes can be a make-or-break decision according to regular bloggers. Free refills of coffee or tea are an imperative for some, whilst internet wars can break out if you don’t know that soda bread distinguishes the Irish from the English version.
Journeying along the water-infested roads during interminable Pattaya Songkran, intrepid Pattaya Mail reporters turned into the car park of the Nova Park Hotel on Soi AR. That’s next door to the much missed Jameson’s Irish pub which, happy to report, should be reopening later this year. But situated between the two is Portofino Breakfast Buffet (PBB) which offers amazing international choices from 6.30 am to 11.30 am daily for just 199 baht. The location was formerly a first-class Italian restaurant with reopening plans also on the horizon.
The selection of fresh salad includes at PBB is comprehensive and includes steamed broccoli and all other favorites regularly replaced to avoid any suspicion of staleness. The hotplate section, whose choices vary day by day, included tomato cream soup, bacon, cauliflower cream cheese, penne, sauteed potatoes, stewed pork, and a tasty chicken dish. Mention should be made too of the fresh fruit cups, miscellaneous yoghurts, fruit juices and even sweet desserts. You could mistake all this for the morning layout of a five star hotel.
Each table has a flier “How do you want your eggs?” with styles from sunny side up, over easy and poached to soft and hard boiled and scrambled. Not to mention the omelet choice at the egg station with a variety of garnishes including ham, cheese, spinach, onions and tomatoes. A specialty of the house is Shakshuka, originally a north African dish, meaning poached egg in tomato sauce topped with melted cheese. Not to be missed. Vegetarians and vegans will find choices to their liking in the spread of dishes available at the buffet breakfast.
Portofino Breakfast Buffet has been open only for a couple of months pending expansion and diversification in coming months. Offering such quality and choice for 199 baht is frankly remarkable even for a promotion. PBB is a star candidate indeed for the accolade of best international breakfast in Pattaya.
