Ah. Thai food. Pattaya, located on George Washington Memorial Hwy in Yorktown, is one of many local restaurants offering Thai Cuisine.

Pattaya Thai Cuisine

The first thing you notice when you walk in, is their modern and elegant atmosphere.  We came during lunchtime, around 11:30, and were sat down right away.  As soon as we sat down, the glasses in front of us were filled with water.  Looking at their menu, they had a “vegetarian” section with plenty of options.  They had Veggie Pad Thai, Tofu or Eggplant delight, Veggie Fried Rice, and more.  We decided to order Pad Se Eew with Tofu replacing the usual chicken, beef, or pork.  We also ordered Thai Tea as our drinks.  As is customary in most Thai restaurants, our lunch meal was preceded by a small salad.  This salad was very good.  The only thing missing was a spring roll.  Quite a few Thai restaurants serve the salad with a spring roll.  While waiting for our food to arrive, we sipped on the sweet Thai Tea.  It was perfect. There are some restaurants who put too much or too little of the cream/milk and sugar but this was not one of them.  When the food arrived, the portions were smaller when compared to other Thai restaurants but the taste was excellent!  It is, to this day, one of the best Pad Se Eew w/Tofu that I have ever tried.  Not at a bad price either at $7.95 (lunch price).

We decided to skip dessert since its lunch (vs. dinner) and I had to get back to work.  Paying went quickly and we were in and out within 40 minutes (probably would have been faster but I was taking my time enjoying every bite!)  The waitress was very friendly, silverware was clean, and food was excellent.  All-in-all, it was a great dining experience.

I would recommend Pattaya as one of, if not my favorite, Thai restaurants on the Peninsula.  Now, Southside is another matter but that will be on a later review.  ;)

I love Silver Diner.  Or, perhaps I should say, I loved Silver Diner.  They had the best veggie burger bites ever – granted they are made with what I think are the Morning Star sausage patties and barbecue sauce, they are still better than my homemade ones… Much better actually. 

When we went after work on Tuesday, August 5th, we were all really looking forward to our regular veggie burger bites.  Even the two non-vegetarians with us were wanting to get it – we always do because they are so good.  To our complete dismay, they told us that they no longer served it!  Our jaws dropped.  Now, they had a veggie black bean burger that replaced it – but they were out of that.* 

We ended up getting different things – veggie griddle and eggs benedict (without meat).  I was tempted to go eat somewhere else but stayed because we wanted to support MDA (Muscular Dystrophy Association).  They had a fundraiser that day.

Anyway, the food we got was pretty good but not comparable to the veggie burger bites.  I do have to say that Silver Diner (at least in Newport News) has great service.  The servers are very friendly and do what they can to make you happy.  When you order one milkshake and say you want to share, they’ll bring out two with whipped cream and a cherry on each!  It’s awesome!  Granted, if you don’t share, you still get your regular shake and a tin can on the side with the leftovers.  It’s like getting two for the price of one!

Despite my recent letdown, I would like to say that Silver Diner is a fine place to dine with many vegetarian options – chili, griddles, omlets, and other breakfast items.  They have great desserts and excellent staff!  Their prices are also reasonable.

*Note: After trying the spicy black bean burger on another visit, it was EXCELLENT!  One of the best veggie burgers I have tried anywhere (in recent memory).