Happy end-of-2022, reader. I’m posting every day between Xmas and New Year’s for those folks who’re A–bored on holiday and looking for distraction or B–snowed-in somewhere in the Western Hemisphere and need something to read. Below is a post from early in the year, when lockdown restrictions eased a bit and this pudgy punter got away to Ptown (Pattaya for you non-locals) on a weekend. Whilst enjoying the small morsels of fun that were returning to that beach town, I took advantage of the easy access to grub on The 6, and so decided to compare the food there to my usual stomping grounds of the Pong. Let’s get to it…
How’s it hangin’ dudes, Bangkok Seven here. I’ve just returned from yet another short holiday in Pattaya, since ole Ptown is fun again after a couple of dismal years. Some sois are feeling the love more than others at the moment, but overall things are looking up. All of my recent visits have hovered around The 6, literally. I’ve been trying out different hotels on Sois 4 and 5, and aside from dipping into Walking Street and LK Metro once or twice, taken on the role of a bee to the honey on that famous stretch of sin between the beach and the Corner Bar.
One fascinating facet of mongering on Soi 6 is the easy access to food. In addition to the restaurant at the Queen Victoria and Mama’s Italian Café near the beach road, there are now more to choices for the discerning punter. Last year’s opening of Slice has brought the prospect of a hot pizza snack between barhopping. But what I found most interesting were the burger menus at The Pussy Club and Sandman, the former of which is a beer bar with a delivery menu from MC Burger, the latter a hotel and grill with a beer bar out front.
While food access on The 6 can’t yet compete with the plethora of eateries in Patpong, dining amid sexy girls was reminiscent of the times I’ve had my dinner whilst slouching in a gogo onPong. So in celebration of both locales, and of red-light grub in general, here’s a culinary comparison of both RLD’s arranged by food type:
Pizza
As stated, Soi 6 has for the last year enjoyed having Slice serve up whole pizzas for pickup or delivery, as well as a constant rotation of 4 or more various pies sold per-slice for a quick on-premises snack. My fave is the pad krapow. Mama’s also makes a mean pie, by the by.
Switching to Patpong, for a long while Domino’s was my go-to simply because they were so close—Soi 1 and Silom Road—and would deliver my pie on foot to whichever gogo I was planted in (usually The Strip). For something a bit less-commercial, though, it’s either Paddy Field or Madrid. Both will walk your pizza to your chosen pole-side seat. I’ve said for years that a by-the-slice joint would clean up onPong, but apparently no one can get permission from the Patpong family to open one. (*2022 Update: Madrid has permanently closed, yet another famous spot to fall victim to the stupid, greedy, brain-dead business practices of the Patpong landlords. Coming soon, though, is a new pizza kiosk outside Delaney’s.)
Burgers
I’ve already mentioned MC Burger and Sandman, where I had the Cowboy Burger (220b and includes a side) and Aussie Burger (bacon, fried egg, beets at 250b with fries included) respectively. Other Soi 6 offerings can be found in one spot: The Queen Victoria. They’ve got four burgers on their menu to choose from so there’s bound to be something for just about everyone. The only downside is, there are no hot girls to ogle.
Patpong’s burger options can be found in The Paddy Field, Shenanigan’s, and Tuk Lae Dee. Of these locations, the Special Burger (bacon, cheddar, garlic mushrooms) at Shenanigan’s tops the list.
(*Update: A 3-minute walk away is Roadhouse, where the burgers are head-and-shoulders above anything on offer onPong. Also, there are rumors of burger trucks in our future at the Night Market. Fingers forever crossed.)
Everything else
Mama’s on Soi 6 has a full Thai and Italian menu. The Queen Vic has a full Thai and English menu, plus a Sunday carvery. Also, there are a handful of Thai kitchens along the soi to satisfy the typical bar girl’s diet. And they all deliver to the girls in the bars, so why not your hungry ass?
And here’s where Patpong exceeds The 6. Sunday carveries at Paddy and Shenanigan’s, Derby King for all Thai dishes, Took Lae Dee the all-night diner, French Kiss bistro, and soon-to-be Drunk Man Burritos, pizza (as mentioned before), and sandwiches thanks to the folks at Delaney’s. Derby King will deliver anywhere, and a holdover result of the scamdemic is, G’s German on Soi 4 offers its full menu for delivery in XXX Lounge. So for now, at least, you’ve got better prospects in the Pong. But it’s good to see new options popping up on Soi 6, and things are bound get better from here.
On a side note, I didn’t have all my meals in a beer bar. On my last day, I went for a beef and half-rack ribs combo at Smokin’ Joes BBQ on Soi Lengkee. Since I’m still on the keto diet, my sides were onion rings and a green salad. Spoiler alert: I never touched the salad.
In the time since first posting this blog, my old laptop crashed and I lost a bunch of relevant photos, and tried to compensate with what you see here.
Swing back by tomorrow for another repost, and check out my Substack for other food-related blogs.
