Hua Hin Restaurant News

[hhfarang]

Things change here so rapidly in the restaurant world that I thought I would start a thread to update previous postings as well as alert foodies to new offerings. This will hopefully help people avoid disappointment when they go to a previously recommended restaurant that is no longer in business or has changed the menu because of a change of ownership.

Several restaurants that I have recommended in the past seem to have closed or changed ownership recently.

Seb Neur Kalisin (Issan food) near the train station seems to have closed up shop.
The Dutchman, across from and near the train station seems to be closed even though they still have an advertorial thread above.
Pung Pleui, also on the railroad soi a little south of the Dutchman has closed but reopened under a new name with apparently new ownership.
Khum Issan which I recently recommended as the best Issan restaurant in town is closed temporarily (maybe a month) for a kitchen remodel.

New restaurants I have noticed but have not tried are:

A new place called Noi's Pit Stop, a double wide shophouse bar/restaurant on soi 94 extension located between Souy Vista Social Club and Giff's Kitchen... looks interesting and seems to be getting decent business already.

Also on Soi 94 is a large open air Thai/European restaurant called Bon Nean (or something like that. It is west of Oy's restaurant about a kilometer on the same side. Seems to be open for lunch in the covered area and dinner in the big open area.

A little further out Soi 94 extension on a side soi to the left starting just before a boxy looking house with a flat roof (on the right) is a restaurant called Yellow House which I think serves Thai and European food including breakfast as I've seen patrons in there at all hours of the day.

Finally as I mentioned on another thread, an upscale bar/restaurant/nightclub has opened downtown across from the Hilton called The Coco Beach Club.

I intend to try all of these new places in due time and will report back, though any reports from others or other restaurant news would be welcome.

[Rone]

Pung Plui gone - gutted this was one of my fav places and usually busy, good alternative Euro food at a very reasonable price (and the Thai food was pretty good as well).

[Homer]

Gifs Kitchen is still open? Every time I pass it's closed.

Closures I am sure about (except for the spelling):
Best Beans
Da Geniso, near where 94 jogs right then left, west bound on the way to Oy.
Olivio, soi 94.

[blue05]

tried the food in coco beach club, top notch but not cheap. also a very nice venue

[JW]

Food in Coco is fantastic, eaten there 5 or 6 times now and love it... its not cheap.. go for a treat!

[Takiap]

Gifs Kitchen is still open? Every time I pass it's closed.

Closures I am sure about (except for the spelling):
Best Beans
Da Geniso, near where 94 jogs right then left, west bound on the way to Oy.
Olivio, soi 94.

I'm surprised to hear Best Beans has closed since everyone spoke so highly of the place. Is it a matter of people not hanging in there long enough to allow their businesses to flourish, or is it a matter of them opening a business and then realizing just how much it can restrict their lives?


Other places, I think, go down simply through a lack of common sense and/or commitment, and often due to a massive lack of advertising. Then again, many of those who open places here are just living the dream I guess, and good for them.....you only live once. At the end of the day, some people have the gift and some don't.

Anyway, hopefully this thread will help to prevent some of use from making unnecessary trips, and also point us in the right direction as far as new places are concerned. It's bound to be a spot on thread since it's under the scrutiny of our very own food/restaurant guru......HHF.

[centermid7]

Gifs is pretty much just doing breakfast only now and I don't think they even do that everyday. I believe they are trying to sell the place.

[hhfarang]

Pung Plui gone - gutted

Me too, I had just discovered it a few months before it closed and enjoyed a very good lunch there several times. Then tried to go back many times for lunch and it was always locked up. I had thought they just started serving dinner only until I saw the sign covered one day with a new name. The new name is hand written and so small I can't read it on a drive by, but I think it's two peoples first names jammed together, one farang and one Thai.

Closures I am sure about (except for the spelling):
Best Beans
Da Geniso, near where 94 jogs right then left, west bound on the way to Oy.
Olivio, soi 94.

I'm surprised too to hear about Best Beans. That seemed to be a good location in Takiab, plus the owner told me he was in for the long haul and got a ten year lease before he made a big investment upgrading the property and building that bar and beer garden out front. Da Geniso, didn't even last long enough for me to try it. Must have been less than 3 months (at least that I knew it was there).

I think the restaurant business is tough here, especially during the slow season, because of the myriad of choices/competition. Even the places I really like only get a visit every two or three weeks because there are so many to choose from and such an international variety of offerings; IMHO, probably the best advantage of living in Hua Hin over many other towns this size.

[oakdale160]

So many people think that having a bar or a coffee bar will just bea fun way to pass the day when they are retired. BUT, if you HAVE to go there every day its not fun. When the staff let you down its not fun, when the govt or police harass you its not fun.
Many hang in there for about a year, then take the loss and let it go.
I had a friend in Pattaya, retired, bought a bar in P, lost all his money and had to go back to the UK and beg to get his old job back again which he hated.

[JW]

Best beans was great but because of Pats high standards he could never find a chef/cook he could trust..hence he spent every hour there and that just gets too much. I also think the story about a very bad person of the same name may have had an effect.
Still the best Key lime pie I have ever had and those burgers were great.. shame Pat is a lovely guy and his kids are super cool to.

[blue05]

best pizza in town has to be bon appetit on soi 80, nothing comes close to it

[richard]

More and more I find new places spring up and they are suddenly the best thing since sliced bread. Then they fade or disappear. If it's not rental problems it's staff problems. If it's not staff problems it's rising cost problems. Few survive for a long time.

I know where to go for my favourite breakfast, favourite farang food, favourite Isaan food favourite vendor food and favourite Thai food and almost all have been established for a long time

[barrys]

Can someone please remind me where the (relatively) new German restaurant is on soi 80.
Planning to go there tonight if it's (still) open.

[Pagey]

Do you mean this one Barry ? 12.564755,99.956272

Mayas Bistro, one block South of Soi 80.

[JW]

Mayas is great, great soups etc