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There once was a time if you wanted to enjoy some exotic Southeast Asian
cuisine in
Seoul your choices were sadly quite limited. These days though, there is much more to choose from and if you
are in the mood for some of Thailand's exotic and sumptuous culinary
delights, there is only one place to go: Pattaya.
With four restaurants in Seoul, Pattaya offers a delectable selection of
Thai food at modest prices. This one, which opened three years ago in
Itaewon, is located at the end of a narrow street running behind the
Hamilton Hotel. Service here isn't over the top and the restaurant staff
speaks English clearly and is very helpful in offering suggestions for what
dishes to try.
 The restaurant's simple decor of soft yellow and green pastel accented by
an assortment of Jim Thompson silk prints and other Thai bric-a-brac makes
for a very cozy and relaxing setting. Those who have already enjoyed Thai
food or are here for the first time will appreciate the extensive menu,
which boasts a savory trove of some of Thailand's finest cuisine.
In the mood for a spicy salad, I started off with some
Yam Neua (9,000
won) or spicy beef salad. Although the thin slices of beef looked all-too
familiar like bulgogi, the zesty, spicy Thai dressing accented with thin
strips of green onions is what really makes this salad a treat to enjoy.
Although not as spicy as some of the Yam Neua that I have had in Thailand,
it's the perfect complement to any Thai meal.
If you want to try soup, Pattaya's choice of soups _ including
Tom Yam
Goong (shrimp) and
Tom Kaw Kai (chicken) _ are very good. I went with a
regular sized bowl of Tom Kaw Kai (12,000 won) and was not disappointed.
Although the soup was a little too heavy on the coconut cream and too light
on the lemongrass for my liking (you can ask the chefs to make any dish
spicier to meet your tastes), the medley of small chunks of chicken and
mushrooms swimming in the soup's creamy coconut stock was nicely done up.
 For the main course, I wanted to try one of the house specialties.
Pattaya is famous for its Kai Pad Met Na Muang (stir-fried chicken with
cashews) and Poo Pad Pong Kari (stir-fried crab with yellow curry). I chose
the chicken, (the least expensive of the two at 19,000 won; the crab is a
little on the pricey side at 29,000 won) for a huge plate of chicken,
cashews, mushrooms and onions. The taste was very good and again, it could
have been spicier for my liking. Nonetheless, the dish has nice spicy flavor
and the small tender chunks of chicken and baby mushrooms mixed with cashews
was quite tasty.
I also decided to try some Pad Thai _ stir-fried noodles with chicken or
beef _ which is a very popular dish and also done up quite nicely. You can
make it as spicy as you like by adding more ground red pepper and chili
sauce from the condiment tray that is brought with this dish. On the other
hand, if you want a noodle dish that is a little spicier, you might want to
try Pa Ki Mawoo (stir-fried spicy rice noodle with chicken or beef). It is
similar to Pad Thai, only spicier. Both dishes are only 12,000 won.
Despite Pattaya's extensive menu of noodle, curry, vegetable and
stir-fried dishes, sadly the restaurant does not offer jasmine rice or
sticky coconut rice to go along with them. If you really want to serve
authentic Thai cuisine don't scrimp when it comes to what rice to serve.
Sorry folks, Thai food just tastes better with jasmine rice.
For dessert, I selected the bananas and tapioca in warm coconut milk with
a glass of Chai Yen (Thai iced-tea). Both were a perfect complement to the
meal.
If you find it hard to decide what to order from the menu (and it can get
a little expensive), you might want to try one of the six set menus which
run from 44,000 won for two people to 180,000 won for six people. All these
set menus offer a variety of dishes and also include dessert and coffee.
Pattaya also has an excellent lunch menu (served from 11:30-2:00) with a
noodle course, rice course, or curry course priced from 16,000 won to 18,000
won.
Along with the usual drink list of Korean beers, as well as imports
including bottled Thai Singha Beer priced at 5,000 won. The restaurant has
also a pretty good wine list with bottles starting at 24,000 won.
Open from 11:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., it would be a good idea to make
reservations if you plan on coming here on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon,
as well as for lunch or dinner. For more information or to make reservations
call (02) 793-4888 or visit their Web site www.ipattaya.co.kr.
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