Pattaya Full English Breakfast Review
Pattaya Full English Breakfast
They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I don't doubt there is truth in the statement but admit to not really being a breakfast person. I am even less so when the mornings are hot as they are invariably here in Pattaya, Thailand. That said, I live and travel on a budget and so look for value for money. Sometimes breakfast will be the only meal I have in a day. I don't stick solely to 'English' food and am as likely to eat Thai or Filipino food but for the purpose of this Hub I am sticking to 'English Type'.
There were two reasons for my putting this report together. The first was to see just was on offer here from a cheap living point of view and secondly to experiment with my own eating habits and see if I was any fitter at the end of the day.
The Breakfast Gauge
How to gauge a breakfast? For me this is an easy one. Without doubt the best value Full English is the 'Special' on offer at Adam's Cafe on the Askew Road in Hammersmith, London. This little cafe should be a place of pilgrimage for visitors to London and indeed it is to some.
So here I am looking for quality, quantity, taste, presentation and value for money. I will photograph each breakfast and mark each out of 25 with 25 being the top mark. My aim is not to spend more than 100 Baht a meal. (I will consider 110 Baht if the meal looks worthwhile). I have purposefully eaten two 'Full English' breakfasts priced at 140 Baht and one at 180 Baht. These offered nothing more in taste or quantity than those I have reviewed below.
The exchange rate on the Thai Baht was calculated for the day I ate the meal.
As of January 2011 this article is under review. Some establishments have closed, others have changed their menus or their prices. The 100 Baht per breakfast remains my criteria as to the establshment selected. I plan to remove those breakfasts which have crossed over the 100 Baht mark.
Crazy Dave's
Crazy Dave's is an institution in Pattaya. Situated on Soi Chaiyapoon just off Soi Bukhao it is so well known that virtually any motorcycle taxi would take you straight there.
I have eaten there a time or two when I needed cheering up. 'Only Fools and Horses' runs on big screen TV here almost 24 hours a day.
It is an open fronted 'fan' establishment and the whole place smells of cat piss but the staff are friendly.
The Crazy Dave Breakfast
This breakfast cost 75 Baht. (£1.47) ($2.12)
The breakfast consisted of two slices of toast with butter and marmalade. This accompanied 1 slice of fried bread, 2 fried eggs, 2 slices of bacon, 1 sausage, half a tomato and some baked beans. To wash it down was a large mug of tea (or choice of coffee).
Quality 3
Quantity 3
Taste 4
Presentation 4
Value for money 5
Total 19/25
Seaside
Seaside is also situated on Soi Chaiyapoon just a few doors up from Crazy Dave's.
The restaurant is proudly 'English' but is popular with a wide range of nationalities and other than the breakfast has a full menu.
Seating for eating is offered either outside, in a covered fan area or in air conditioning.
The Seaside Breakfast
This breakfast cost 80 Baht. (£1.58) ($2.26)
The breakfast consisted of two slices of toast with butter and marmalade. This accompanied 1 glass of orange juice, 2 fried eggs, 2 slices of bacon, 1 sausage, a whole tomato and some fried potatoes. To wash it down was a large mug of tea (or choice of coffee).
Quality 2
Quantity 3
Taste 3
Presentation 4
Value for money 5
Total 17/25
A nice touch was the scented wet towel handed to me at the end of the meal.
18 Coins
The 18 Coins restaurant is situated on the ground floor of a guesthouse on Soi Bukhao. At the top of Soi Diana turn right and it is about fifty yards on your right.
It is an open plan, fan establishment. It is immaculately clean and has pleasant, helpful very friendly staff.
The 18 Coins Breakfast
This breakfast cost 100 Baht. (£1.97) ($2.82)
The breakfast consisted of one slice of buttered toast which was on the main plate with the other items. There was no marmalade. The meal was made up of 2 fried eggs, 1 slice of bacon, 1 sausage and some baked beans. To wash it down was a large mug of tea. (Coffee was a choice and beans could be replaced by tomato)
Quality 4
Quantity 2
Taste 4
Presentation 4
Value for money 3
Total 17/25
For some odd reason my camera failed and so I had to breakfast here on two days. I did not mind because it was very tasty the first time.
Valentine's Guesthouse
From Soi Diana cross over Soi Bukhao and onto Soi Lenkee (Soi 25) . Walk up Soi Lenkee on the left hand side of the road as if headed to 3rd road. About halfway up you will come to the Valentine's Guesthouse. A neat and tidy establishment with friendly and efficient staff.
Valentine's Guesthouse Breakfast
Here I chose the Full English or Large Breakfast
This breakfast cost 99 Baht. (£2.11) ($3.28) - visit 5th January 2011
The breakfast consisted of one slice of toast with butter and jam. The meal was made up of 2 fried eggs accompanied by a tomato, two slices of bacon, fried potatoes, two sausages and beans. To wash it down was a large mug of tea. (Coffee or orange juice as alternatives)
Quality 4
Quantity 4
Taste 5
Presentation 4
Value for money 5
Total 22/25
Thai Isaan Guesthouse
The Thai Isaan Guesthouse is located on Soi Bukhao. Leave Second Road and up Soi Diana. Turn right at the top and head along in the direction of South Pattaya Road. Two thirds of the way along (7 minutes walk) is The Thai Isaan Guesthouse. It is a small plain looking establishment located between a laundry and the QD Apartments.
The Thai Isaan Guesthouse is an open fronted fan restaurant. It is a clean, neat and tidy place with seating for perhaps thirty people both inside and outside. It serves both Thai and English food. It has a comprehensive menu which has numerous photos. The prices are extremel reasonable. If you like Thai food or are experimenting with it for the first time then this is a good place to eat. Thai people eat here which is always a good sign.
Thai Isaan Gueshouse Breakfast
The breakfast is advertised at 99 Baht. For this there are two fried eggs, two sausages, two slices of decent bacon and a choice of beans or tomatoes. There is also a choice of tea or coffee. (I went for the beans and the tea). There was also two slices of toast with butter and jam. I was very happy with this meal. It was tasty and well cooked. I liked the fact that I had a butter knife. A small point I know but an attention to detail that so many other places miss. I also had a choice of milk or creamer for my tea. There was free filtered water on the table. Again it may not seem a big deal but at any of the other places I have reviewed would only have bottled water and charge accordingly. Nice staff, a little overworked and the service a touch slow but it was well worth waiting.
This breakfast cost 99 Baht. (£2.00) ($3.19) - As at 25th January 2011
Quality 4
Quantity 5
Taste 5
Presentation 5
Value for money 5
Total 24/25
The Billabong Hotel
The Billabong Hotel is located on LK Metro. LK Metro can be enterered either from Soi Bukhao or Soi Diana. The Billabong is easily found. It is the point of the 'elbow' of this right angled shaped road.
The Billabong Hotel Breakfast
This breakfast is only available on Thursday and Sunday. Nonetheless it is substantial and worth seeking out. A big plus is that the location is quite quiet on a morning. The open sided eating area catches the breeze from two sides making it a pleasant place to sit and eat. The breakfast is available all day and described as the 'Big Aussie Breakfast'. Terminology apart this is a full English.
The breakast offers a choice of Tea or Coffee and Beans or Tomatoes. I went for the Tea and the Tomatoes.
The meal consisted of a 'hash brown', a slice of buttered toast, two eggs, a large and tasty sausage, a rasher of bacon (sadly this was smoked and I don't like smoked bacon) two and tomatoes. There was a glass of orange juice alongside the tea. There was an additional plate of fresh watermelon and pineapple to finish off. All in all a very good deal.
This breakfast cost 100 Baht. (£2.05) ($3.29) - as at 23rd January 2011
The price increase is fairly recent having shot up from 99 Baht to 100 Baht. A sign of the times.
Quality 5
Quantity 4
Taste 4
Presentation 5
Value for money 5
Total 23/25
Rabbi's Elephant Bar and Guesthouse
Sixty yards along Soi Bukhao is Rabbi's Elephant Bar and Guesthouse. I had only been here once before to an evening party.
An open fronted fan establishment. Very clean place with friendly helpful staff. I liked the fact that they had copies of the Bangkok post here for reading. There was one Australian paper too.
Rabbi's Elephant Bar and Guesthouse Breakfast
This breakfast is advertised as a 'Big Aussie Breakfast' and has increased in price since my last visit from 100 Baht to 110 Baht and has lost the glass of orange juice as an included item. There are several breakfasts on offer and the 'Big Aussie' is made up of a lot of choices. The customer makes a choice of items to make up the meal, Tea or Coffee, Beef or Pork sausages, Beans or Spaghetti and so on.
My order consisted of 2 fried eggs, 2 rashers of crispy bacon, 2 large tasty sausages, beans, french fries, toast with butter and both strawberry jam and marmalade. This was accompanied by a mug of tea.
This breakfast cost 110 Baht. (£2.34) ($3.62) - this on 7th January 2011
Quality 5
Quantity 4
Taste 4
Presentation 4
Value for money 5
Total 22/25
Conclusion
So which was best? Well my current favourite is Valentine's. Very tasty and, I thought tremendous value for money. I could get through the day on nothing else....but
All the breakfasts had something going for them. There wasn't one which I would not go back and eat again.
I could go on but I have described seven here, one for each day of the week. If I have overlooked one, got to be under 100 Baht remember, let me know in comments below and I will visit.
