Thursday 10 May 2007

Restaurant review

Name: Little Pattaya
What: Thai restaurant
Where: On Beach road towards Christo Rei just past the new roadwork’s
Phone: 7332398, Chatree is the manager and a very nice bloke.

A wonderful little restaurant with possibly the best ocean views in Dili, from the Christ statue in the East to Alor in the West. Four of us had lunch but I would imagine the sunset view would be absolutely stunning with the sun setting behind Alor.
The beers were icy cold and the food was cooked and not re-heated. The service was efficient and unobtrusive. There is a small canoe on supports that sits parallel with the ocean where one can sit on bar-stools and look at the view.
The WC is clean, bright and well appointed.
For appetizers we had Spring rolls, Papaya salad, Seafood salad and fried chicken wings. Everything was very good but the papaya salad could have been a bit more spicy. The wait between ordering our drinks and the first course arriving was just half a beer.
Our main courses consisted of Padh Thai, green chicken curry, a three sauce fish curry and chicken with cashew nuts all accompanied by steamed rice. We also had 3 large Bintangs and a Tiger. The portions were all quite large. For a total cost of $51.50 plus tip I would say this was one of the better priced and nicer beach-front restaurants in town.
The only minus point, and a minor one at that, was the Hawksbill turtle shell hanging on one of the walls. After explaining to the owner that he faced a possible $50,000 fine for just possessing it he agreed to take it down.
I will definitely be going back to this place a lot, especially for sun-downers and a few snacks.

Marks out of 10: 8

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Half a beer!? Well mate you couldn't have been your normal self. Either that or lunch was served within about 7 seconds of you making the order!
Tob

Anonymous said...

Appreciate your Project Aware action!

Anonymous said...

Dear Sodmeister:

Good to see time measured in beer consumption rather than a wrist watch or sun dial!

One of the biggest enjoyments, (and surprises) of my time in ET were all the great restaurants: Little Padang, with Nasi Lemak and Beef Randang to die for! The Beach Café with its outstanding Burmese Dry Shrimp Salad, followed by a Mango Shake. The small Indian restaurant in the container next to the Dili Club with Garlic Nan, Chicken Tica with extremely spicy home-made chili sauce on the side, (2004 when the Dili Club was on the Beach Road). The Castaway with its spicy Tandori Chicken Burgers. The Paximus with the “Paximus Maximus” rib-eye steak that would melt in your mouth! Nasi Goring and Salt and Pepper Pork at the Dili 2000. And not to be forgotten; the epicurean meals provided by Chez Freeflow on the dive safaris. The list goes on and on. Who would have thought ET would turn out to be a gastronomical paradise. It certainly was for me!

I look forward to a chefs tour of all the new eateries in ET when I show back up one of these days, with UW camera gear in hand, ready to dive, eat, drink, and sleep…, not necessarily in that order.

Please keep up the new restaurant reviews. They are appreciated!!!

The Malibu Kid

fat old sod said...

It was a LARGE Bintang tob.
The turtle was dead.
Malibu, watch out, people will start thinking you are a big softie, you actually sound like you miss the place.

Anonymous said...

Malibu Kid had better bring me along too or I'm gonna be really bummed...
Need a trip back to see the place again... Oh - yea - I'll buy that first meal!!!!

FOS and company done spoiled me when it comes to diving and those wonderful tween dive meals...
Scott The Fire Guy

Anonymous said...

Please, please keep reviewing Dili's eating places so that we know where to go. Out of interest what do you think is the top restaurant?
-Cheers, frequent visitor.