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Tim Bristow Iron-Bar Freddy Tropical Joe

August 12, 2021 by David Herd

Tim Bristow Iron-Bar Freddy Tropical Joe

Tim Bristow Iron-Bar Freddy Tropical Joe

Tim Bristow Iron-Bar Freddy Tropical Joe may seem like an unusual name for a photo blog. I’ll reveal the origon in the next few paragraphs. The shot above was taken at my home in Newport around 1986, Tim of course also lived in Newport.

I first met Tim in 1971 after I had a run in with one of his friends. I was invited to a party in Avalon by my good friend Peter Lewis, the lady throwing the party had a rather unusual name, Hope Fairweather. 🙂 I had never seen so many glamorous women in one room in my whole life. One in Particular caught my eye & naturally I made a move on her.  After chatting to her for a while Peter whispered in my ear that I was attracting attention from Dick Plumber who was her current boyfriend.

Dianne Parkinson

Tim Bristow

As you can clearly see Di was a knockout. That’s probably a poor choice of words because that’s what nearly happened to me.

I arranged a date with Di for the following week in the city & I headed out the door, I was halfway across the lawn when Di caught up with me & gave me a kiss goodnight. Suddenly there was a mighty roar & Dick was charging across the lawn & screaming something that sounded like “I’m going to kill you”!

Just as I pushed Di out of the way Dick threw a vicious roundhouse punch which put me on the ground ,then  jumped on top of me & then we were madly wrestling around. Now the front lawn was terraced & I managed to push him down to the next level. He got back to his feet & started up the stairs to finish the job. When he got within reach I hit him with the best right cross I had ever thrown which put his teeth through his lip & caused blood to squirt all over the front of his shirt.

Well that finished the ruckus & I thought I would get “out of Dodge” in a hurry. 

However my concience was bothering me so I helped him to his feet & dragged him inside to the kitchen. The crowd that was still there were all his friends, mine had long departed. They angrilly started to ask questions about what had happened. Before I could say anything Dick spoke up & told them he had stumbled down the stairs & I had helped him inside. What a relief it was & I headed for the door, but as I got there who should appear but Di Parkingson. I then decided that I won the fight & deserved the prize. I bundled her into my MGB & headed for Bilgola Beach where we bonked on the front seat of the car.

All’s well that ends well until I found out the next morning from Peter lewis that Tim Bristow was looking for me because I had flattened his best mate. 

A week passed & I was tired of looking over my shoulder so I contacted Tim & arranged to meet. It was a harrowing experience sitting across the table from him when telling my side of the story. He stared at me for a minute or two before saying he believed my side of the story, however he said I should be careful because he will be keeping tabs on me. 🙂 

Strangely enough in the following few years we became quite friendly. I would regularly visit his home & play tennis with Sue Ellis his partner.

A terrific court

Tim Bristow Iron-Bar Freddy Tropical Joe

Sue is still playing competative tennis & coaching at the age of  60+. For more info abut Sue just follow THIS LINK.

Sue & I in 2014

Tim Bristow Iron-Bar Freddy Tropical Joe

This was New Years Day 2014.

Sue manages to keep the house, find the details on THIS LINK.

Sue Ellis & Diane Parkinson

Tim Bristow Iron-Bar Freddy Tropical Joe

Both these lovely ladies were very close to Tim.

I introduced him to the wall

Tim Bristow

Tim loved relating stories about himself especially when he played the part of the hero which was the case in most of his tales. My favourite one of all time revolves around the time the underworld bosses put a contract on his head for some reason or other which I can’t recall.

We were sitting in his kitchen and as usual Tim had a cleaning cloth close by in case I (or anybody) happened to accidentally leave a smudge or mark on any visible surface, he was paranoid about cleanliness, as well as many other things.

Tim recalled how he tried many times to have the contract lifted but each time his request was refused. He then said “it was a Friday night and I knew they were waiting for me here in this very room”. He paused for effect and continued, “I crashed through the kitchen door and the first slug caught me here”. He shoved his very large head close to mine and pointed to a scar on his forehead, and then said “so I grabbed the guy with the gun and introduced him to the wall”.

He continued on with the story, “I grabbed the second guy and held his head on the kitchen bench and cracked it like a nut”. Now Tim had one of those hinged flaps in the kitchen which you lifted to walk behind the counter, this is what he used to immobilise the second guy.

Finally he said, “I turned around to grab the third guy but he had bolted”.

The upshot of this resulted in the gangsters lifting the contract, it seems they figured if three guys could not take out the “Big Fellow” he deserved another chance.

 

Visited in Berima jail

Tim Bristow

I visited Tim on several occasions when he was doing time in Berrima Jail, the one time that really sticks in my mind was Boxing Day 1986 or 1987, I’m not sure which.

I signed into the jail as a visitor and Tim asked in his deep gravelly booming voice “listen Dave I have a friend who does not get any visitors would you mind signing him out of his cell?” Obviously I was not going to refuse this simple request so I did. I have forgotten the guy’s name so let’s just call him John.

So the three of us were sitting on one side of a table with his friend between us enjoying our BBQ lunch. Tim leaned his huge head forward and asked “do you know what John is “in for?”

Three things to note here are, 1. Years ago Tim suffered a minor stroke and one side of his face had fallen slightly and had no feeling, (more about that later) 2. He didn’t just speak, “he roared.” 3. He had quite a warped sense of humor.

So repeating his question “do you know what John is “in for?” I answered “no Tim, I don’t have any idea.” So in his best booming voice he said “AXE MURDERER, HE KILLED TWO PEOPLE WITH AN AXE”, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha !

So picture this, here I’m sitting next to a guy with a steak knife in his hand after being informed he was a double axe murderer. I sort of lost my appetite for the rest of my lunch. I kept thinking on my drive home from Berrima how the authorities probably now had my name associated, not only with the notorious Tim Bristow but a double axe murderer as well.

Bristow on 60 minutes

In the early 1990s, Tim Bristow was named as a central figure in the Royal Commission into the building industry run by Roger Gyles QC.

Allegations were made that Bristow had been retained to deal with troublesome union members, and had gone on to various city building sites to explain in no uncertain terms that those who failed to toe the line could find themselves suffering unfortunate workplace mishaps.

It was a national scandal, but when a 60 Minutes television crew confronted him about the allegations, Tim Bristow looked disconcertingly unabashed. When questioned about incidents of workers falling from high-rise building sites, he just stared steely-eyed into the camera lens and growled menacingly, “You can’t help bad luck.”

Tim & my friend Ross Kennedy

TimBristow

In 1996 my good mate Ross Kennedy and I took a road trip in my Porsche to Falls Creek for some skiing, stopping on the way at the Hunter Valley & Sydney. I knew about Rossco’s fascination with gangsters and the underworld so naturally I took him to meet Big Tim Bristow at his home in Newport.

We were there an hour or two listening to some of Tim’s stories most of which I had heard before many times. As usual Tim’s phone never stopped ringing, and there was one call Ross & I will never forget. Roger Rogerson was in many ways more notorious than Tim, he was known for being a ruthless crooked cop who shot first and asked questions later, the most famous case being where he shot and killed Warren Lanfranchi in a back alley in Chippendale.

From Wikipedia;

In 1981, Sally-Anne Huckstepp met and began a relationship with Warren Lanfranchi who was a heroin dealer and standover man who worked with Neddy Smith. In June 1981, Lanfranchi allegedly robbed a Sydney heroin dealer and later fired shots at a young policeman. In Neddy: the Life and Crimes of Arthur Stanley Smith, Smith claims that Lanfranchi asked him to negotiate a payment with then-Detective-Sergeant Roger Rogerson in order to escape being charged with the shooting. Smith claims that Rogerson had instructed him to drive Lanfranchi to a meeting with him and to disarm him in the car. Rogerson took eighteen police officers with him to the meeting. He claims that he was attempting to arrest Lanfranchi on suspicion of five bank robberies. At the meeting in Dangar Place, Chippendale, Rogerson shot and killed Lanfranchi. During the inquest into Lanfranchi’s death, Rogerson claimed self-defence. He was supported at the inquest by Smith and other police officers who were called as witnesses. The inquest found that on the balance of probabilities, Rogerson had been trying to arrest Lanfranchi, but refused to find he had acted in self-defence. The matter went to the Supreme Court and was the subject of investigations by the New South Wales Ombudsman and Internal Affairs. No action was brought against Rogerson and he was exonerated and commended for bravery.

Back to Tim’s phone call, as it turned out he was speaking to Roger Rogerson about a union problem at a work site in Parramatta, naturally we could only hear Tim’s side of the conversation. After much discussion Tim finally said “don’t worry Roger everything has been fixed, I sent around Iron Bar Freddy and Tropical Joe to do the job.”

Now Rossco and I are pretty quick on the uptake, we knew exactly what Iron Bar Freddy was good at, but to this day we are still intrigued about Tropical Joes speciality, we had a lot of fun the rest of the trip speculating on what it could be. We thought it was one of the funniest things we had ever heard, we even changed the display on our mobile phones, if Ross rang me his name would show Iron Bar Freddy and mine of course would show Tropical Joe.

Roger Rogerson

Tim Bristow

Rogerson is a former detective sergeant of the New South Wales Police Force, and a convicted murderer.  During Rogerson’s career, he was one of the most decorated officers in the police force, having received at least thirteen awards for bravery, outstanding policemanship and devotion to duty including the Peter Mitchell Trophy, the highest annual police award. During his time in office he was implicated in—but never convicted of—two killings, bribery, assault and drug dealing.

Convicted murderers Roger Rogerson (left), and Glen McNamara (right),

Tim Bristow Iron-Bar Freddy Tropical Joe

One of two detectives behind the cold-blooded execution of Sydney drug dealer Jamie Gao helped dispose of the body because he feared for his own life, a court has heard. Details on THIS LINK.

Rogerson passed away in hospital on January 19 2024. Follow this link.

Here is one of my favourite stories

Bristowknocks8

Over vigarous play seems like an understatement. 🙂 

Life & times of Tim Bristow

Tim Bristow

A very good read.

A fabulous portrait of “The Big Fellow”.

Tim Bristow

When I visited it was propped against the wall, not to sure if Susie ever hung it or not. 🙂

A comment from an Australian Rugby international.

Tim Bristow Iron-Bar Freddy Tropical Joe

Michael Patrick Thomas Lynagh, AM is an Australian former rugby union footballer who played mainly as a fly-half. Lynagh represented Australia from 1984 to 1995, playing at both inside centre and fly half. Lynagh was capped 72 times for Australia, and was captain from 1993 to 1995.

He commented that the Highlanders were a pretty filthy team at one stage, Tim Bristow and Ken Yanz were two of the most violent players I have ever seen. And of course in those days, they touch judges had no power (other than to adjudicate the touchline and goal attempts), so it was open slather.

Tim in action

Tim Bristow Iron-Bar Freddy Tropical Joe

Clever cartoon describing the big fellow on the field.

Tim saves two lives

Tim Bristow Iron-Bar Freddy Tropical Joe

Big Tim was a man of many talents, Surfer, gangster, fighter & hero. 🙂

Greg Tingle is the founder and director of Media Man

greg

For an excellent article on the Big Fellow please follow THIS LINK. 

Tim’s son Stephen

Tim Bristow

This was taken at my home in 1992. Stephen is on the right & Greg Johson in the middle.

Here is a more recent shot of Stephen

Tim Bristow

Following in his father’s footsteps, for many years Steve was one of the best known bouncers in Surfers Paradise. 

February 13 2003, Big Tim Bristow passes away.

Tim Bristow

The end of an era, the Big Fellow was one of a kind.

Thanks for visiting my Tim Bristow photo blog, I’m very happy to have known this legend.

Australian adventures

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Art of desert Pattaya

August 2, 2020 by David Herd

Art of desert Pattaya

Art of desert

Art of desert Pattaya is a far more interesting subject to me than the Art of War for instance, written by Sun Tzu in the 5th century. For some excellent images of the Art of Desert here is a LINK on Pinterest.

The photo above was taken at the Pullman Hotel at Wongamat Beach.

Belgian waffles at Patrick’s Steakhouse

Art of desert

Many people in these troubled times of Covid-19 will feel they are living in their own winter of discontent, well to brighten up their day just check out some of my favourite deserts in beautiful downtown Pattaya. 🙂

Great pancake at Leckerle

Art of desert

Researchers have found pancakes in the stomach of Otzi the Iceman, human remains dating back 5,300 years. In ancient Greece and Rome, pancakes were made from wheat flour, olive oil, honey, and curdled milk.

Magnificent Crème brûlée

Art of desert

France, England, and Spain all claim to be the country where crème brûlée had its origin. The first printed recipe for a dessert called crème brûlée is from the 1691.

A special from The Bistro at Soi Yamato 13/1.

Art of desert Tripadvisor rate this small restaurant very highly at #6 of 1,085 Restaurants in Pattaya

 

Mixture from the Mantra

Art of desert

Sadly the Mantra closed it’s doors in 2018, their Sunday buffet was the best I have ever seen anywhere in the world. Here is over a decade of dining on THIS LINK.

Mango & sticky rice

Art of desert

The iconic Thai desert needs no introduction, it’s simply wonderful.

Hollys Coffee

Art of desert

Without a doubt this is the best pancake I have ever eaten. 🙂 This company was established in 1998 and opened Korea’s first espresso shop that year. Its shops offer espresso, coffee, tea, specialty coffee- and tea-based hot and cold drinks, a variety of pastries and other snacks and coffee supplies.

Banana pancake

Art of desert Pattaya Absolutely delicious & only B40, or $2 AUD.

The finished product

Art of desert Pattaya Surely must be the best value in Pattaya, or perhaps even the northern hemisphere.

Thanks for visiting my Art of desert Pattaya photo blog, I will certainly add more delights as I discover them.

Check out my Pattaya webcam here.

Get a very good discount on Pattaya hotels by using THIS LINK.

More great posts here;

Counter only started August 2nd 2020.

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Longhorn Steakhouse Pattaya

July 8, 2020 by David Herd

Longhorn Steakhouse Pattaya

Longhorn Steakhouse Pattaya

Longhorn Steakhouse Pattaya is located in the arcade off 2nd road opposite Mike shopping mall. In the same arcade you will find Patrick’s & the Beefeater.

A table or a booth sir?

Longhorn Steakhouse Pattaya

Plenty of space between the tables. 🙂

Walking Street

Longhorn Steakhouse Pattaya

This is dated 1960, however it should show 1980, the reason is I actually took the photo on my first visit to Pattaya.

The original photo

Longhorn Steakhouse

That’s my friend Rob Symonds walking towards the camera. We have visited Manila & Hong Kong on the way to Thailand. Follow THIS LINK for more 1980 photos.

July promotion was exceptional value.

Longhorn Steakhouse PattayaB595 or $19 USD.

Lobster Bisque to begin

Longhorn Steakhouse Pattaya

It tasted as good as it looks. 🙂

Australian Ribeye

Steakhouse Pattaya

At Longhorn Steakhouse Pattaya this Australian Ribeye was extremely tender & tasty.

Guess who was celebrating his birthday?

Longhorn Steakhouse PattayaGuilty as charged. 🙂

 

Creme Brulee is a favourite of mine.

Longhorn Steakhouse Pattaya

It was a toss up between this & the Tiramisu. Creme Brulee is a dessert consisting of a rich custard base topped with a texturally contrasting layer of hardened caramelized sugar. It is normally served slightly chilled; the heat from the caramelizing process tends to warm the top of the custard, while leaving the center cool. The custard base is traditionally flavored with vanilla in French cuisine or with cinnamon and lemon in Catalan cuisine, but can have other flavorings. It is sometimes garnished with fruit.

Toast Skagen, one of my all time favorites.

Longhorn Steakhouse

The Beefeater also offers Skagen. Toast Skagen is an appetizer and Swedish food. Consisting of two slices of toast, mayonnaise and many prawns. Sometimes crabs are used instead of shrimp. The name of the dish originated from Skagen in Denmark, but the dish is not very well-known and most popular in Sweden, which was created by the restaurant and chef from Stockholm Tore Wretman. He introduced the Toast Skagen … Wikipedia

Australian Shiraz

Longhorn Steakhouse Pattaya Tonight I chose to take my own wine as it was a special occasion, the corkage fee is B300, or $9 USD.

Tiramisu

Longhorn Steakhouse Pattaya Very rich, I prefer the Creme Brulee.

Longhorn Steakhouse Pattaya

Longhorn Steakhouse Pattaya

Thanks for visiting my Longhorn Steakhouse Pattaya photo blog, I highly recommend this excellent restaurant. Don’t forget In the same arcade you will find two other very good restaurants Patrick’s & the Beefeater.

Check out these great food photo blogs.

Check out my Pattaya webcam here.

Counter only started July 8 2020.

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Everybody loves Thailand

June 30, 2020 by David Herd

Everybody loves Thailand

Remarkable Temple Chiang Mai Thailand

Everybody loves Thailand, the food, the people, the temples, the beach resorts, the tropical islands, it’s all here for you to enjoy. Lets not forget Bangkok, as they say in the song, one night in Bangkok and the world’s your oyster. 🙂

We are going to start in the north at Chiang Mai & then head south all the way to Phuket, Krabi & Koh Samui. For each location I will give you links to my fabulous photo blogs. 🙂

A beautiful Chiang Mai Temple.

Good restaurants in Chaing Mai.

River Kwai Bridge Kanchanaburi

Everybody loves Thailand

River Kwai Bridge Kanchanaburi was of special interest to me due to my late uncle Allan Herd, who spent 2 years as a POW on the Burma Railway. In fact I urge you to read his amazing story, you can find it by following this link which will take you to “One Soldiers Incredible Story”.

River Kwai photo blog.

Ayutthaya Historical Park Thailand

Ayutthaya Historical Park Thailand Just an hour north of Bangkok, there are lots of low price day tours you can take.

Ayutthaya Historical Park

Bangkok is known as “The Big Mango.”

Asoke Nana along Sukhumvit Road Bangkok

What a fabulous city, home to over 10 million people. There are so many things to see you need to spend at least a week here. Here is a LINK for a very nice hotel in a great location, for a good discount just use THIS LINK.

However if you want a low cost hotel where all the action is please use THIS LINK. Rooms start at $25 USD per night.

Sirocco Sky Bar State Tower Bangkok

Bangkok Grand Palace 

Bangkok’s number 1 attraction Reclining Buddha Wat Pho.

Soi Cowboy Bangkok playground

Pattaya 2 hours south of Bangkok

Pattaya Asian Travel VacationBeach side city with hundreds of good restaurants & clubs.

Beach Road Pattaya

Pattaya attractions

World famous Walking Street

Sanctuary of Truth.

Here is a LINK to get an excellent room rate at a very good hotel.

Koh Chang

White Sands Beach Koh Chang

Close to the Cambodian border this is the 2nd largest island in Thailand. A perfect place to enjoy crystal clear water & sandy beaches. Or just relax in the pool with an ice cold beer. 🙂

The Kacha hotel above is on the beach and close to lots of restaurants, use THIS LINK for a great room rate.

White sands beach Koh Chang.

Fabulous Koh Chang.

Phuket

Phuket memory flashback

Phuket, a mountainous island in the Andaman Sea, with some of Thailand’s most popular beaches, mainly situated along the clear waters of the western shore. Patong is the main resort town, it has many nightclubs, bars and discos.

Use THIS LINK for great hotel discounts & pay later.

Let your hair down in Phuket.

Krabi in southern Thailand.

Krabi beach resort Southern Thailand Krabi, on southern Thailand’s west coast, has many craggy, sheer limestone cliffs, dense mangrove forests, and more than a hundred offshore islands. Some of its most popular beach destinations include the Phi Phi Islands.

Follow THIS LINK for more Krabi photos.

Beautiful Koh Samui

Chaweng Beach Koh Samui Island

One of my favourite places in Thailand, lots of daily flights from Bangkok.

Restaurants on the north coast.

Taxi ride around Koh Samui

20 years of Koh Samui memories.

For a good discount on you hotel room just use THIS LINK.

Farewell folks

DHSept2013-1

Thanks for visiting my Everybody loves Thailand photo blog. If you need any more tips just email to [email protected]

 Soi Cowboy                                 

Soi Cowboy (5)

 Nana Plaza  

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Patpong
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Everybody loves Thailand & don’t forget it. 🙂 🙂 🙂
https://fivestarvagabond.com/best-pattaya-beach-thailand-webcam/

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Beefeater Steak House Pattaya

March 21, 2020 by David Herd

Beefeater Steak House Pattaya

Beefeater Steak House Pattaya

Beefeater Steak House Pattaya is ranked by TripAdvisor number 40 of 1340 restaurants in Pattaya. Every Sunday they have a Mexican “all you can eat” buffet. Another excellent feature here is they offer 3 sizes of the steak of your choice.

My friend Larry Krausz

Beefeater Steak House Pattaya Larry loved his food & really enjoyed visiting the Beefeater, sadly he suffered a major stroke & passed away in 2017.

Toast Skagen

Beefeater Steak House Pattaya Here is the dish I always have at the Beefeater, the owner/chey is Scandinavian so I guess that’s why Skagen is on the menu.

Toast Skagen – Shrimps in dill mayonnaise served on toast

Ham & salad baguette

Beefeater Steak House PattayaThe Beefeater Steak House Pattaya offers so much more than just steak, the baguette is excellent as is the Lobster bisque.

Talking about the Lobster Bisque

Beefeater Steak House PattayaVery rich as you can imagine. 

Prices seem to be creeping up

Beefeater Steak House PattayaIt’s now 2021 in the middle of the Covid crisis & most venues seem to be lowering prices or offering specials, however not here I’m afraid.

For anyone with a sweet tooth. 🙂

Beefeater Steak House Pattaya A classic banana split to finish off an excellent meal.

Apple Pie

Beefeater Steak House Pattaya Homemade apple crumble pie with custard and vanilla ice cream, absolutely delicious.

Beefeater Steak House Pattaya

Beefeater Steak House Pattaya A well stocked bar for you to choose from.

Beefeater Steak House Pattaya

Beefeater Steak House Pattaya Located in an arcade on the corner of 2nd Road & Soi Diana. Opposite another well known Pattaya Steak house, Patricks Belgium Restaurant.

Location

Beefeater Steak House PattayaIf you are coming from Beach Road just walk through Mike shopping mall and cross over 2nd road, the arcade will be right in front of you.

Hours:
Mon – Fri 17:00-24:00
Sat – Sun Lunch 12:00-16:00, 17:00 -24:00
(Kitchen always closed at 23:00) call for reservations (between the hours of 16:00-23:00) at 038-720-926

Thanks for visiting my Beefeater Steak House Pattaya photo blog.

Click bottom right hand corner for full screen.

 Zagreb Croatia                      Rio de Janeiro                  Brisbane River 

Zagreb Croatia bars restaurants        a7ff7566-9628-434d-a2b1-8c6e8b9a9021       IMG_0100

       

     Koh Samui                                   Korea                                  London

32780a6c-baf6-428a-bd71-68b1bed30b4c         Changdeokgung Palace (2)        IMG_7042

         Bangkok                                   Osaka                                     Pattaya

Soi Cowboy (25)          Osaka 1st night (17)       Walking St Pattaya is wild & sexy 

                                     

             Chiang Mai                      Pattaya                      Chao Phraya river

Chiang Mai with Tone9a1fec74-4461-46cd-8663-97f5893c8f6e (1)191de3bb-38fc-45cd-bce7-ef24081c554b

Bangkok Hotels                    Pattaya Hotels
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That’s all folks

1g Duck

Check out these great food photo blogs.

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Xoho Chinese Cafe Pattaya

March 14, 2020 by David Herd

Xoho Chinese Cafe Pattaya

Xoho Chinese Cafe Pattaya

Xoho Chinese Cafe Pattaya located in Terminal 21 North Pattaya. There are nearly 100 food outlets in this fabulous shopping mall & Xoho is one of my favourites. The high quality food is reasonably priced.

Prawn dumpling soup

Xoho Chinese Cafe PattayaThis dish is a must have, I order it every time I visit this nice restaurant. I’m usually here at lunch time & it’s normally very quiet. Cost of the soup is B130 or $4.00 USD.

Modern pleasant decor

Xoho Chinese Cafe PattayaThere is both indoor & outdoor seating here.

Dumplings to die for…

Xoho Chinese Cafe PattayaI find it hard to explore the rest of the menu & find myself continually ordering the same favourite dishes.

My brother Warren also likes the Prawn Dumpling Soup.

Xoho Chinese Cafe PattayaAlways repeating the same dishes must run in the family. Over coming weeks I’ll endeavor to widen my selection. 🙂

BBQ Pork Buns

Xoho Chinese Cafe PattayaCertainly as good as I have eaten anywhere in Pattaya, B59 or $1.80 USD.

Xoho Chinese Cafe Pattaya Dim Sum Combo

Xoho Chinese Cafe PattayaA small sample for B79, or $2.40 USD.

Xoho Chinese Cafe Pattaya

Xoho Chinese Cafe PattayaLocated on the 2nd floor right next door to Arnos Steak & Burgers.

There is quite a number of excellent restaurants on the 2nd floor, IO Italian Osteria is another one of my favourites.

XOHO Chinese Cafe, the Hong Kong style Chinese restaurant opened at the beginning of 2020. The shop is on the 7th floor of the MBK Center. In-store menus, in addition to Dim Sum, There are also menus grilled ducks, red pork, crispy pork, porridge, noodles and various fried rice.

Thanks for visiting my Xoho Chinese Cafe Pattaya photo blog.

Temporarily closed due to Covid-19. November 2020.

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Zagreb Croatia                      Rio de Janeiro                  Brisbane River 

Zagreb Croatia bars restaurants        a7ff7566-9628-434d-a2b1-8c6e8b9a9021       IMG_0100

       

     Koh Samui                                   Korea                                  London

32780a6c-baf6-428a-bd71-68b1bed30b4c         Changdeokgung Palace (2)        IMG_7042

         Bangkok                                   Osaka                                     Pattaya

Soi Cowboy (25)          Osaka 1st night (17)       Walking St Pattaya is wild & sexy 

                                     

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First six months 2020

January 27, 2020 by David Herd

First six months 2020

First six months 2020                 First six months 2020

First six months 2020 happily living in Thailand with a view to die for. For most of December & January we have had severe pollution in Pattaya (and elsewhere), the government seem to lack the skill & the will to solve this unhealthy problem. Most of it seems to come because farmers burn off their sugar cane crops, surely they would be easy to find & 6 months in jail may make them think twice next year.

The first was January 10 & finally we got clean air on January 26, however within a couple of days the pollution was back. The 2nd photo is June 12th, what a fabulous clear day it was.

Beach Quarter

First six months 2020

Mid January the old Mantra site (part of the Amari Hotel) is almost completed, can’t wait for it to open. 🙂

Two new chairs

First six months 2020

I’m guessing I spend 8 to 10 hours a day in both these chairs.

Pothole & one of the Squabblers

First six months 2020

 Pothole, aka John Martin has 2 sons aged 9 & 11, this is Tyrone who has just busted open his piggy bank to find just over B110,000 or $5,300 AUD, both sons are very good savers. 

Fabulous chicken teriyaki skewers.

First six months 2020

 The food park at Central Marina is one of my favourite eating spots. Normally I have a wonton soup & 2 chicken skewers for a B100, or $4.80 AUD, this day I had 4 skewers for B60, or $2.90 AUD.

Genki Soi 4 North Pattaya

First six months 2020

 A very authentic Japanese restaurant with good quality reasonably priced food.

View from my balcony

First six months 2020

 Without a doubt I am lucky enough to see some of the best sunsets in the world from my condo, for more please follow THIS LINK.

New drains on Beach Road

First six months 2020

 For many months they have been digging up Beach Rd to improve the drainage system, only time will tell if it’s worth the effort. 🙂

Painting Markland Condo

First six months 2020

These guys seem to have no fear. 🙂

Spiderman is here wearing thongs. 🙂

First six months 2020

 I would certainly have a heart attack if I tried this. 🙂

Toast Skagen

First six months 2020

My favourite entree at the Beefeater restaurant.

Clean up Pattaya Beach

First six months 2020

The beach will be clean, the water not so much. 🙂

Holiday Inn at happy hour

First six months 2020

Drinks & dinner at Holiday Inn with Mark Yagalla, buy a bottle get one free. 🙂

Healthy lunch at home

First six months 2020

 It’s hard to find good avocados in Thailand, most of the time I use them for smoothies. The avocado bistro in Bangkok is an exception.

Soi 2 North Pattaya

First six months 2020

 Lots of construction & renovations happening in Soi 2, I’m directly above this hotel on the 20th floor in Markland Condo.

Rain at last

First six months 2020

 It’s March 15 & this is the 1st significant rain we have seen this year.

2nd Road North Pattaya

First six months 2020

Only 9 am & this tall LadyBoy is dressed to kill. 🙂

The result of the Coronavirus

Pattaya storm water solution

March 2020 and Chinese tourists are not allowed to swarm into Pattaya, many business owners are suffering but residents like myself are loving the peace & quiet.

February 2020

First six months 2020

What a fabulous smile, this is little Charli with her mum Laura, my gorgeous niece.

Two of our local lads at the Holiday Inn

First six months 2020

 Greg Clee & David Rose enjoying a drink at the Holiday Inn.

My million dollar view

First six months 2020

 From my balcony on March 26 2020.

First six months 2020

First six months 2020

Now anybody who has been to Pattaya & some parts of Bangkok knows the uneven footpaths are rather treacherous. Yesterday morning while walking I was briefly distracted which resulted in “a leap of death.” With 109 kg crashing to the ground strangely enough, (don’t laugh) it was my two big toes that came out the worst. Both toenails were damaged rather badly, but I assure you my friends I was shaken not stirred, I’m guessing no morning walks for a few days.

Takeaway only

First six months 2020

 Starbucks & the few restaurants that are open can only serve takeaway due to Covid-9 restrictions. No big deal, I’m happy to sip coffee by the beach. 🙂

Pattaya beach has never looked so beautiful.

First six months 2020

However the thing I miss most are the restaurants. 

More drinks at the Holiday Inn

First six months 2020

John Martin & David Robertson, aka Pothole & Chocolates. Chocs lives in Surfers Paradise & spends quite a bit of time in Pattaya, he rents one of Pothole’s studios in Markland, & pays far too much rent. 🙂

Beautiful clouds

First six months 2020

April 20th & a beautiful morning.

Combating the virus

First six months 2020

Who is that masked man?

Hamish has a barbecue 

First six months 2020

That’s Jonathon Sheaffe & his girlfriend Anne with Hamish Elton.

Sausages & chicken

First six months 2020

 So much food & such little time. 🙂

Proud father with baby Jasmine

First six months 2020

One month old & gorgeous.

Creme brulee

First six months 2020

 Perfect end to lunch at the Longhorn Steakhouse.

Amazing cloud

First six months 2020

May 5th at sunset.

Robin Hood Tavern

First six months 2020

Sunday roast is very good value at around $16 AUD.

First six months 2020

First six months 2020

Another of the many business closures due to Covid-19, this was a massage parlour in Soi 1 opposite my condo.

Pattaya Bay looking fabulous

First six months 2020

 I never grow tired of the view from my balcony.

Ancient timber ferries

First six months 2020

Lots of character but I( would not like to be onboard in a storm. 🙂

Beach re-opens June 1st.

First six months 2020

 After many weeks you can now go to the beach.

First six months 2020, at last a foot massage

First six months 2020

I can now enjoy a massage after the salons have been closed because of Covid-19.

Lunch at Miyazaki

First six months 2020

Teriyaki chicken was delicious. 

Best pancake I have ever tasted.

First six months 2020

Holly’s cafe at Terminal 21.

Magnificent clouds June 1st 2020

Fascinating clouds Pattaya Beach

 The view from my balcony.

Safe at last

First six months 2020

Building lifeguard towers on Pattaya Beach. 🙂

And here it is.

First six months 2020

I really wonder if it will ever get used. 🙂

Soi 2 hotel construction

First six months 2020

 View from my balcony June 29th.

Holiday Inn opens again June 25

First six months 2020

 So happy to be able to relax here after 2 months of shutdown due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Delicious food

First six months 2020

 Fettuccine with smoke salmon & asparagus, washed down with 2 glasses of Wolf Blass shiraz.

Thanks for visiting my First six months 2020 photo blog, life in Thailand has been very good even with the virus restrictions.

For what it’s worth in my humble opinion the danger from Covid-19 has been greatly exaggerated. 

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For a great room rate at the A-One hotel opposite the beach just book through THIS LINK.               

 
 
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That’s all folks

1g Duck

Counter only started June 16 2020.

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Xmas Feast Harlan Goldstein

December 26, 2019 by David Herd

Xmas Feast Harlan Goldstein

Xmas Feast Harlan Goldstein

Xmas Feast, Harlan Goldstein really knows how to look after his customers. We had the best table in the restaurant located in the VIP area, thanks to my great friend Hamish Elton who is a regular customer there. That’s Hamish above with his lovely lady May, he is drinking Mexican Heatwaves & May is enjoying mango juice.

We arrived very early

Xmas Feast Harlan Goldstein 4pm Xmas day, no wonder the place was empty. 🙂

I’ll start with an ice cold Peroni

Xmas Feast Harlan GoldsteinBefore we arrived at the restaurant Hamish & I had knocked off a bottle of Verve Clicquot French Champagne.

A perfect start to Xmas dinner

Xmas Feast Harlan GoldsteinSucculent oysters from France. 

Large, tasty & salty, Tsarskaya oysters from Cancale

Xmas Feast, Harlan Goldstein

The Tsarkaya Oysters have been the food of royalty since the dawn of time, including for Roman emperors, French Kings and even Russian Tsars. This fully fleshed oyster is exclusively ripened and produced in the bay of Mont Saint Michel. 

Recently I bought 4 dozen mixed French & Irish oysters to Pattaya from El Mercado in Bangkok. Hamish expertly shucked them on my balcony & we washed them down with a cold white wine from New Zealand.

Next course smoked salmon

Xmas Feast Harlan Goldstein Quite delicious, sitting on a small potato pancake with sour cream & caviar.

Cinnamon spiced sweet potato soup

Xmas Feast Harlan Goldstein I’m a soup lover & this one did not disappoint, it was fabulous. In case you were wondering they are Maple croutons. 🙂

Charcoal grilled rib eye of beef.

Xmas Feast Harlan GoldsteinSo tender & cooked to perfection., served with red wine onion sauce.

Xmas turkey with sausage

Xmas Feast, Harlan Goldstein There were 3 choices for main course, Hamish went for the turkey.

Desert to finish

Xmas Feast, Harlan Goldstein I’m a sucker for desert, I have to maintain my 112 kilo of weight. 🙂

Xmas Feast Harlan Goldstein

Xmas Feast Harlan Goldstein The busy chef joined us for a quick break & a cold beer then back to work. 🙂

The heavy artillery.

Xmas Feast Harlan GoldsteinCan you believe they named this tequila “Religion”? It was very smooth indeed.

The menu

Xmas Feast, Harlan Goldstein One thing is for certain, when you dine at Harlan’s you never leave hungry. 🙂 

Thanks for visiting my Xmas Feast, Harlan Goldstein photo blog, & thanks to Harlan for making it a Merry Xmas. 🙂

https://youtu.be/XyxifyO1hr0 Here is Harlan showing you how to cook the perfect steak. 

Click bottom right hand corner for full screen.

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That’s all folks

1g Duck

  • Breakfast Bake n’ Brew

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 1 photo.

Central Festival food hall Pattaya

December 18, 2019 by David Herd

Central Festival food hall

Central Festival food hall

Central Festival food hall Pattaya has recently expanded with the entire basement offering an incredible range of delicious food. The section above is near the Beach Road entrance.

Thai seafood

Central Festival food hall Squid corner has many seafood options beside squid. 🙂

If you like your food on a stick

Central Festival food hall Then this is the place for you. 🙂

A nice looking bar for a beer or two.

Central Festival food hallThere are so many great beers on offer in Pattaya.

The hanging ducks of Babylon

Central Festival food hall Or should I say the hanging ducks of Central Festival food hall Pattaya?

A bottle of wine perhaps?

Central Festival food hallOne of the very few things I dislike about Thailand is the horrendous tax on wine. For a price comparison check out THIS LINK.

Good prices here…

Central Festival food hallSix for B100, or $4.80 AUD, great value.

Fabulous seafood range

Central Festival food hall You name it, they have it. 

Mouth watering oysters from France

Central Festival food hall Enjoying fresh oysters is one of the great passions in my life, for confirmation just follow THIS LINK.

Now I wait for these to come on special

Central Festival food hall On special the price drops to B120 for 3. Today March 8th 2020 I ordered 9 for B360 & they gave me 2 extra for free. 🙂

Sydney Rock & Coffin Bay oysters from Australia.

Central Festival food hallThe thought of these makes me homesick. 

Shucker at work

Central Festival food hall My friend Hamish Elton was quicker than this guy, take a look HERE.

You gotta love oysters

Central Festival food hallA great way to start a meal, however my friend Mark Yagalla paid B640 fir 6 oysters & at a counter nearby I only paid B420, so the tip is to make sure you shop around. 🙂

Central Festival food hall

Central Festival food hall The perfect lunch, fresh prawns & salmon sashimi.

To finish off a perfect lunch

Central Festival food hall A truly iconic Thai classic, mango & sticky rice.

Grill Bar adjacent to or part of Tops supermarket.

Central Festival food hall

Central Festival food hall Excellent coffee, + the custard tarts were very good also. 🙂

Low cost sandwiches

Central Festival food hall At B45 & B60 they are terrific value.

Aussie lamb chops

Central Festival food hall My friend Mark Yagala said these were the best chops he has ever eaten in Thailand, only B620 or $20 USD.

Back another day for oysters, prawns & sashimi

Central Festival food hallThese are the same my friend paid B620 on another counter, my cost was B420.

Absolutely delicious

Central Festival food hall Fine de Claire from France.

A repeat of what I had a few days ago.

Central Festival food hallWhen you are on a good thing stick to it. 🙂

Mr Donuts

Central Festival food hallStarbucks change B115 for a latte, here at Mr Donuts I paid B93 for what you see.

Baked Ham & vegetables

Central Festival food hall Absolutely delirious & only B200 or $10 AUD.

Thanks for visiting my Central Festival food hall photo blog, I intend to have lunch here at least once a week in the future.

Click bottom right hand corner for full screen.

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 That’s all folks

1g Duck

 

 

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Fresh seafood Naklua market

December 7, 2019 by David Herd

Fresh seafood Naklua market

Fresh seafood Naklua market

Fresh seafood Naklua market, it’s been 4 years since I published my blog on this lively venue, so I thought it was time to re-visit & see what changes have taken place.

The variety is amazing.

Fresh seafood Naklua market So is the crowd, better to visit mid week if you can.

Price is per kilo

Fresh seafood Naklua marketI’m guessing you would get around 3 for a kilo.

Many varieties of fish

Fresh seafood Naklua marketIncluding live fish that they will clean for you on the spot.

Fresh seafood Naklua market

Fresh seafood Naklua marketLots of fresh vegetables also on sale.

Scallops look very good.

Fresh seafood Naklua marketThere are so many choices, how do you make a decision on what to have for lunch? 🙂

First I’m going to try an oyster.

Fresh seafood Naklua marketThese are B50 each or $1.60 USD, there are also some for B40, or $1.30 USD. I can buy imported oysters from France at El Mercado in Bangkok for the same price.

Quite large as you can see

Fresh seafood Naklua marketI was pleasantly surprised, very tasty even without lemon, lime or sauce.

OK, now for some fresh prawns

Fresh seafood Naklua marketB270 or $9 USD a kilo, what a bargain.

Now here is the clincher…

Fresh seafood Naklua market This guy will cook your prawns or other seafood for B30 a kilo, how easy is that?

He will even supply a chair. 🙂

Fresh seafood Naklua marketSo you can eat the freshly cooked seafood right here. We had our prawns boiled rather than barbecued, so we decided to eat them at home after they cooled down.

Here is the result

Fresh seafood Naklua marketDelicious on a fresh bread roll from Central Marina.

Fresh seafood Naklua market

Fresh seafood Naklua marketThey will cook fish for you as well.

So many varieties of shellfish

Fresh seafood Naklua marketI’m not sure what some of these are.

I guessing this is an unusual type of prawn or shrimp.

Fresh seafood Naklua market They are quite a strange looking creature selling at B1500 a kilo, or a whopping $72 AUD.

More crab 

Fresh seafood Naklua market As they say in the classics, too much crab is never enough. 🙂

Mussels

Fresh seafood Naklua market Not one of my favourites for some reason. 

This is a super prawn. 🙂

Fresh seafood Naklua marketGreat shot, this & the next one were taken by Mike McNamee from the group Pattaya 24/7. Fairly expensive at B1300 a kilo, or $62 AUD.

Only B280 a kilo

Fresh seafood Naklua market That’s more in my price range. 🙂

That’s all for now folks.

Fresh seafood Naklua marketI hope you enjoyed my Fresh seafood Naklua market photo blog.

Follow THIS LINK for my 2015 fish market blog.

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1g Duck

Holiday Inn

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Fabulous views, excellent restaurants & a very good room rate if you book through THIS LINK.

Check out these great food photo blogs.

Counter only started June 16 2020.

 

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