La Paillote French and Thai Restaurant

In the heart of Hua Hin sits the La Paillote French & Thai restaurant that is located directly across from the Sofitel Centara Grand Hotel and only a 2 minute walk to the Hilton. My two friends from Norway met me and my girlfriend at their small hotel, and joined us for an evening of French cuisine.

We got to the restaurant at 5PM and sat on the terrace, which is especially nice in the evening when romantic lighting is turned on and the atmosphere becomes very inviting. We began with a few starters and a beer from a choice of about 28 local and imported selections. From the choice of about 16 starters, we chose the Tomato Tarter with Asparagus Spears, the Norwegian Smoked Salmon, Shrimp Cakes with a Thai Sauce and the Blue Moon Salad with Spicy Chicken which went well with our Erdinger German beers. Additional choices include, Oven-baked French Snails with mushroom, garlic and butter and Oven-baked Scampis in a spicy French Garlic Sauce. There is also 5 choices of soup and if you like a good bisque, don't miss the French Bisque Fish Soup. Drink choices include about 20 of the most popular cocktails, along with aperitifs, spirits, liqueurs, soft drinks and hot beverages, such as, Cappuccino and Irish Coffee.

We viewed the menu to see what main courses are offered, it starts with about 7 pasta selections and our waitress mentioned the Oven-baked Lasagna a la Provencale gratinated is a popular choice. The menu also offers at least 12 wonderful dishes of fish. Some of the eye-grabbing dishes include the Mussels Poulette with Cream with white wine, garlic & parsley, the Saint Jacques Sea Scallops a la Provencale and a dish we chose to share, the Sole Filet Meuniere which is dredged in flour, fried in butter, and sprinkled with lemon or lime juice. Unfortunately, it got devoured before we even got to take a photo.

Next up was a choice of 15 meat dishes of which there were many that sounded very enticing. We first chose the Grilled Australian Lamb Racks "Cotes Roties" Provencale. Cotes Roties are the famed wines in the northern Rhone region while Provencal, or Provence cooking is usually perfumed with fragrances like thyme, oregano, sarriette, rosemary, and fennel, and cooked with garlic, onion, mushroom, tomato, and olive oil which also embellishes vegetables making the lamb both succulent and tender. Our next dish was the Duck Confit with a Calvados and Apple Sauce. This slow-cooked dish was very tasty and the Calvados or French Brandy adding a perfect compliment to the taste as the dish is served with perfectly baked apple slices. Our last main course was the Rock Lobster Dish that had mushrooms, tomatoes and a delicious gratinated creamy curry and some rice.

We selected a bottle of wine from the choice of about 32 free-world varietals with 4 also from France and 6 from Italy while prices range from a reasonable 800 to 2,400 baht. From this nice choice of no-nonsense wines, we selected the Chateau Martinon Bordeaux Superior A.O.C. It comes from the Entre Deux Mers region where the Chateau Martinon vineyards have been operated by the Trolliet family for many years. The restaurant also offers a French red, rose, and white house wine.

Dessert offers patrons a choice of about a dozen choices that include a Souffle Glace with French Cointreau and some dishes trhat we chose to share. First, was the Creme Brulee, perfectly light it lasted only moments. Next we chose the Floating Island with Homemade Caramel Sauce. This was a unique dish of blended egg whites and sugar floating in a caramel sauce while the next dessert we chose was the Hot Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream. The last of our choices was a Duo of Fruit Sorbet and it was refeshing and a nice way to complete our dining experience.

My personal comment is that prices are very reasonable (especially compared to Bangkok) with portions that rarely are offered at French eateries. I have tried other French diners in Hua Hin and none seem to be the level of quality as La Paillote French Restaurant.

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