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Cafe des Amis


ChiFlyer

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blu, the owner, is a good pal of mine, i have to say that so its clear I am bias..  but I agree with you totally.  the ambiance, the staff and the food make this THE place to go for a special time.  too many late nights there, pre covid, where we have drunk into the wee hours from their well stocked bar after a great meal

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17 hours ago, tommy dee said:

blu, the owner, is a good pal of mine, i have to say that so its clear I am bias..  but I agree with you totally.  the ambiance, the staff and the food make this THE place to go for a special time.  too many late nights there, pre covid, where we have drunk into the wee hours from their well stocked bar after a great meal

I have been a several times a year customer at CDA for 5+ years. I would not call Blu a close friend, but I enjoy bs'ing around with him. I do wish they would put their Beef Stroganoff back on the menu. It was the best version of that dish that I have ever had. Would love to have an approximation of the recipe. My version is pretty decent, but their's is two levels up. 

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Was my go to place for a great steak when I used to frequent Patts. Excellent food.

Went to that Bruno’s place once which used to get mentioned a lot on forums, food was decent enough but it was a bit too stuffy for me. This joint is better.

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1 hour ago, Sangsom said:

Was my go to place for a great steak when I used to frequent Patts. Excellent food.

Went to that Bruno’s place once which used to get mentioned a lot on forums, food was decent enough but it was a bit too stuffy for me. This joint is better.

Bruno's no longer exists.

The location was sold and is now a Chinese place. I used to like Bruno's on occasion as they had an excellent Rack of Lamb offering and several other very good items on the menu. They seemed not to be doing as well in their final years.

I have heard that the Chinese place is targeting primarily to Chinese people. Nothing wrong with that, but I have never been.

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Agree, Blue is a great host and a nice guy I've been a few times, one evening myself and two others polished off 3 dozen oysters in one sitting, however, I had also ordered a Mushroom soup which was delivered luke warm much to my chagrin. soon remedied though.

Blue calls himself a "Gin sommelier" - he really knows his Gins and how to serve them. Good quality food, excellent service and a well presented menu makes it a very nice place to spend an evening.

On my next trip I'm taking along one of my 3 remaining bottles of Dom Perignon 1996, which myself and one other will enjoy along with 2 dozen oysters.

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Edited by Butch
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7 hours ago, ChiFlyer said:

I have recently heard about a new (to me anyway) restaurant in a condo complex near CDA.

https://www.facebook.com/cafeblupattaya/

Given the name and location, does anyone know if there is a connection with CDA?

Just curious.

cafe blu is same owner,  its new and not in any way the same.  excellent food by great cooks but its not intended to be fine dining, more a relaxed atmosphere.

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On 6/14/2022 at 11:32 PM, tommy dee said:

blu, the owner, is a good pal of mine, i have to say that so its clear I am bias..  but I agree with you totally.  the ambiance, the staff and the food make this THE place to go for a special time.  too many late nights there, pre covid, where we have drunk into the wee hours from their well stocked bar after a great meal

I too considered Cafe des Amis as a restaurant of choice for a "special" night out although for me little to chose between it and Bruno's until the latter closed.

Their somewhat strange promotion of "Gin" as a reason for visiting did nothing for me as I absolutely detest "Mothers Ruin". 

On subsequent reflection, Bruno's had the edge as we never had a bad meal. I just remembered the "Traditional" Christmas Dinner we all had in Cafe de Amis which was a complete disaster.

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Excellent review!  I have eaten at CDA several times through the years and always had great food there, but it was a bit too far out of the way for me to become more than an occasional customer.   I didn't find it expensive for the quality of the food, but I don't drink wine, so that didn't add to the cost.

In any case, keep on posting restaurant reviews, @ChiFlyer!  I'm certain everyone would appreciate it.

Evil

Edited by Evil Penevil
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7 hours ago, Jambo said:

I too considered Cafe des Amis as a restaurant of choice for a "special" night out although for me little to chose between it and Bruno's until the latter closed.

Their somewhat strange promotion of "Gin" as a reason for visiting did nothing for me as I absolutely detest "Mothers Ruin". 

On subsequent reflection, Bruno's had the edge as we never had a bad meal. I just remembered the "Traditional" Christmas Dinner we all had in Cafe de Amis which was a complete disaster.

Hey, "Gin" was the first flavored Vodka. 🙂

I am also not a Gin drinker. I seldom drink hard liquor other than an occasional shooter of tequila. My favorite poison within that category is Monte Alban Mezcal Yes that it is the one with the worm in the bottle. I was introduced to it by a friend from work that I met in my 30s.

https://www.google.com/search?q=monte+alban+mezcal&source=hp&ei=AWKrYoi3MNKNseMP04qwsAE&iflsig=AJiK0e8AAAAAYqtwEVuQ-Mm5d9YU2h4d9ikfYy5fcP2C&oq=monte+alban+&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAEYAjIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQ6CwgAEIAEELEDEIMBOg4ILhCxAxCDARDHARCjAjoICAAQsQMQgwE6CAguEIAEENQCOgsILhCxAxCDARDUAjoICC4QgAQQsQM6CwguEIAEELEDENQCOgUIABCxAzoLCC4QsQMQxwEQrwE6CAgAEIAEELEDOg4IABCABBCxAxCDARDJAzoOCC4QgAQQsQMQgwEQ1AI6CwguEIAEELEDEIMBOgsILhCABBDHARCvAToFCC4QgARQAFj3ImDmR2gAcAB4AIABdIgB5QeSAQQxMC4ymAEAoAEB&sclient=gws-wiz

I have not seen it anywhere in the Bang Lamung area. If someone spots it, please give me a yell. I have been struggling by with Cuervo Gold.

Also, if ordering a cocktail at a better restaurant (where slamming shooters might not be appropriate), I usually order a very dry Rob Roy (Scotch Manhattan) made with 12 year old single malt Scotch. The GF likes an occasional Margarita. 

Also and probably most importantly, if I am going out and expect to probably be consuming more than a couple of glasses of wine, the GF and I call a cab, much cheaper than a DUI. And a considerable reduction in a possible guilt going forward factor.

 

 

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1 hour ago, Evil Penevil said:

Excellent review!  I have eaten at CDA several times through the years and always had great food there, but it was a bit too far out of the way for me to become more than an occasional customer.   I didn't find it expensive for the quality of the food, but I don't drink wine, so that didn't add to the cost.

In any case, keep on posting restaurant reviews, @ChiFlyer!  I'm certain everyone would appreciate it.

Evil

Thanks EP.

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7 hours ago, Jambo said:

I too considered Cafe des Amis as a restaurant of choice for a "special" night out although for me little to chose between it and Bruno's until the latter closed.

Their somewhat strange promotion of "Gin" as a reason for visiting did nothing for me as I absolutely detest "Mothers Ruin". 

On subsequent reflection, Bruno's had the edge as we never had a bad meal. I just remembered the "Traditional" Christmas Dinner we all had in Cafe de Amis which was a complete disaster.

I do not attend Xmas or American Thanksgiving dinners anywhere in the greater Pattaya area. I have tried several times, but was always disappointed. I find these Western Holiday offerings to be over-priced and because the restaurant is working for a bigger crowd not that great. It's kind of like New Year's Eve being considered as amatuer night IMO.

I do have many fond memories of these holidays from growing up, but much prefer to have a few friends over to celebrate and I have built up the cooking skills to entertain a smallish gathering.

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20 minutes ago, ChiFlyer said:

I do not attend Xmas or American Thanksgiving dinners anywhere in the greater Pattaya area.

You might want to give either ChiknCoop or TiggleBitties a try for Thanksgiving and/or Christmas dinners.  Very reasonably priced for a good dinner.  Coop (Mike) is a U.S.  Air Force vet who does a great July 4 barbecue as well.

Evil

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On the subject of Xmas (Not thanksgiving) dinners in Pattaya, over the years I've heard nothing but bad reports.

Of course, generally someone will put a bad report up quite enthusiastically as opposed to a good one, but somewhere that serves a good Traditional Christmas Dinner seems to be a bit elusive in Pattaya.

Then again, I find that here in the UK at least, people's expectations of their Xmas dinner are somewhat higher than a usual Sunday roast, often due to the fact that it is more expensive, and perhaps that Turkey is only really cooked once a year so the most frequent complaint is that it is "dry" which sometimes is a result of cooking a Frozen one rather than fresh.

Anyway, minus points for me, perhaps Is it too early to be talking about Christmas...

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7 hours ago, ChiFlyer said:

Hey, "Gin" was the first flavored Vodka. 🙂

I am also not a Gin drinker. I seldom drink hard liquor other than an occasional shooter of tequila. My favorite poison within that category is Monte Alban Mezcal Yes that it is the one with the worm in the bottle. I was introduced to it by a friend from work that I met in my 30s.

https://www.google.com/search?q=monte+alban+mezcal&source=hp&ei=AWKrYoi3MNKNseMP04qwsAE&iflsig=AJiK0e8AAAAAYqtwEVuQ-Mm5d9YU2h4d9ikfYy5fcP2C&oq=monte+alban+&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAEYAjIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQ6CwgAEIAEELEDEIMBOg4ILhCxAxCDARDHARCjAjoICAAQsQMQgwE6CAguEIAEENQCOgsILhCxAxCDARDUAjoICC4QgAQQsQM6CwguEIAEELEDENQCOgUIABCxAzoLCC4QsQMQxwEQrwE6CAgAEIAEELEDOg4IABCABBCxAxCDARDJAzoOCC4QgAQQsQMQgwEQ1AI6CwguEIAEELEDEIMBOgsILhCABBDHARCvAToFCC4QgARQAFj3ImDmR2gAcAB4AIABdIgB5QeSAQQxMC4ymAEAoAEB&sclient=gws-wiz

I have not seen it anywhere in the Bang Lamung area. If someone spots it, please give me a yell. I have been struggling by with Cuervo Gold.

Also, if ordering a cocktail at a better restaurant (where slamming shooters might not be appropriate), I usually order a very dry Rob Roy (Scotch Manhattan) made with 12 year old single malt Scotch. The GF likes an occasional Margarita. 

Also and probably most importantly, if I am going out and expect to probably be consuming more than a couple of glasses of wine, the GF and I call a cab, much cheaper than a DUI. And a considerable reduction in a possible guilt going forward factor.

Saw on another forum @misteregg posted he's restocked his supply of Patron at Le Pub. Perhaps you'll find that an ok substitute for Mezcal.

Photo credit: Misteregg
C25195DD-02D4-4979-9017-2A5654CCD486.thumb.jpeg.cc5458e258117d1109244595df029a70.jpeg

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Somebody please put me out of my misery.

I have spent two days trying to remember the name of the owner of Bruno's which is driving me mad and upsetting my sleep.

I do remember he once virtually wrote off a brand new Mercedes in the flooding on Second Road.

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2 hours ago, Jambo said:

Somebody please put me out of my misery.

I have spent two days trying to remember the name of the owner of Bruno's which is driving me mad and upsetting my sleep.

I do remember he once virtually wrote off a brand new Mercedes in the flooding on Second Road.

Fredi and the place was greatly over rated IMO

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21 hours ago, Yesitisdakid said:

Fredi and the place was greatly over rated IMO

I disagree some. When the place was first opened (198x ?), it was the only restaurant of this caliber in the area. It did digress in it's later years. As they continued to add tables and serve tour groups, the kitchen and seating were stressed, leading to a downturn in quality IMO.

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On 6/17/2022 at 3:37 PM, Jambo said:

I have spent two days trying to remember the name of the owner of Bruno's which is driving me mad and upsetting my sleep.

Bruno's was founded in 1996 by Bruno Forrer and Alois (aka Louis) Fassbind, both of whom had been managers for many years at the Royal Cliff Hotel.  They hired the executive chef at the Royal Cliff, Fredi Schaub, to run the kitchen and later made him a partner.  He took over as owner in 2003 when both Forrer and Fassbind had passed away.

3 hours ago, ChiFlyer said:

I disagree some. When the place was first opened (198x ?), it was the only restaurant of this caliber in the area. It did digress in it's later years. As they continued to add tables and serve tour groups, the kitchen and seating were stressed, leading to a downturn in quality IMO.

Yup, adapting to the Russian and Asian tour groups caused Bruno's to slip from its previous standard.  Fine dining involves more than just the food on the plate; service and ambience figure in heavily as well.  Bruno's became crowded and noisy and the menu was simplified to appeal to the tour groups.

The food was generally decent right up to the end, but it hadn't been a real fine dining restaurant for several years before closing.  

On 6/16/2022 at 4:41 PM, Butch said:

On the subject of Xmas (Not thanksgiving) dinners in Pattaya, over the years I've heard nothing but bad reports.

Of course, generally someone will put a bad report up quite enthusiastically as opposed to a good one, but somewhere that serves a good Traditional Christmas Dinner seems to be a bit elusive in Pattaya.

Most Pattaya restaurants aren't outfitted or staffed for successful buffets or fixed-plate dinners on a large scale. At least pre-Covid, there was a huge demand for Christmas dinners, but few restaurants could rise to meet that demand. The kitchens were too small and lacked the equipment to make the amount of food needed for a Christmas buffet and then keep it warm and fresh for hours.   And if the restaurant  went with a fixed-plate variation, the challenge of preparing and serving three or four times the number of covers it normally did in a day was often overwhelming.

The exception to the above would be some of the restaurants in the big international hotels such as the Hilton or Hard Rock (in my opinion, the best Xmas carvery buffet in town).  Such hotels can manage buffets and fixed-plate dinners, but they ain't cheap.

That said, there are smaller operations which do a decent Christmas dinner, but they keep the number of reservations they accept at a level they can manage.

Evil

Edited by Evil Penevil
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55 minutes ago, Evil Penevil said:

The food was generally decent right up to the end, but it hadn't been a real fine dining restaurant for several years before closing.

I never found it to be a fine dining experience but then again we all have our own opinions many guys love the place.

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2 hours ago, Evil Penevil said:

 

Bruno's was founded in 1996 by Bruno Forrer and Alois (aka Louis) Fassbind, both of whom had been managers for many years at the Royal Cliff Hotel.  They hired the executive chef at the Royal Cliff, Fredi Schaub, to run the kitchen and later made him a partner.  He took over as owner in 2003 when both Forrer and Fassbind had passed away.

Yup, adapting to the Russian and Asian tour groups caused Bruno's to slip from its previous standard.  Fine dining involves more than just the food on the plate; service and ambience figure in heavily as well.  Bruno's became crowded and noisy and the menu was simplified to appeal to the tour groups.

The food was generally decent right up to the end, but it hadn't been a real fine dining restaurant for several years before closing.  

Most Pattaya restaurants aren't outfitted or staffed for successful buffets or fixed-plate dinners on a large scale. At least pre-Covid, there was a huge demand for Christmas dinners, but few restaurants could rise to meet that demand. The kitchens were too small and lacked the equipment to make the amount of food needed for a Christmas buffet and then keep it warm and fresh for hours.   And if the restaurant  went with a fixed-plate variation, the challenge of preparing and serving three or four times the number of covers it normally did in a day was often overwhelming.

The exception to the above would be some of the restaurants in the big international hotels such as the Hilton or Hard Rock (in my opinion, the best Xmas carvery buffet in town).  Such hotels can manage buffets and fixed-plate dinners, but they ain't cheap.

That said, there are smaller operations which do a decent Christmas dinner, but they keep the number of reservations they accept at a level they can manage.

Evil

as I understand it from F, .. Fassbind WAS THE hotelier in Pattaya, hading up the ONLY high end htoel a that time.  he funded Bruno, as you rightly said Bruno died.  but F was already wrkig there and it was in Pataya city, I think around soi 1. area  F moved it and bought and built the Brunos we knew.

 

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