FEATURED RESTAURANT
PATTY’ S FIESTA
Patty Krisnratana was the pioneer of Mexican
food in Bangkok. Her love affair with Mexican
food dates back to her student days in San
Francisco, California. It was while studying
English in Southampton and Bournemouth in
the UK that she was inspired to open her own
restaurant which she did when she came
home to Bangkok.
That was 17 years ago, few restaurants in
Bangkok enjoy such longevity. It’s sustained
success can be attributed to two factors; it’s
location on the corner of Silom Road and
Patpong and that she was the first to serve
Mexican cuisine in the CBD. Blessed with a
loyal staff, the restaurant has built up a strong
following of overseas customers who head
straight for the restaurant as soon as they are
back in town.
“Finding the right ingredients was easy,” says
Patty, “as there is a lot of similarity between
Mexican and Thai food. It was just the Jalapeno
peppers we had to import from Mexico. There
are various styles of Mexican food such as Tex-Mex
or Cali-Mex depending where on the boarder
you may be eating. I gave my own twist to
food style and created Thai-Mex which some
of my customers say is better quality than the
food they have eaten in some restaurants in
Mexico. We do also serve Thai dishes.”
“Having a team of Thai cooks in my kitchen,”
she says, “I am the guardian of the authenticity
Mexican taste, personally training my staff about
the precise details of how to cook every dish.”
The restaurant is spread over two floors with a
capacity for up to 80 customers. It’s decorated
in avocado green and chilli red with an extensive
collection of Mexican photographs and
memorabilia on the walls to set the right mood. This
is enhanced by the nightly musical performances of
Mr Joe, the Pilipino entertainer who has been playing
in the r estaurant for the last seven years. “He is very
popular,” she says, “as he understands the type of
music my customer like and they can relate to him
and his easy going style.
Cocktails are an essential part of the Mexican dining
experience. “The Margarita is our signature cocktail,”
she says. “I serve mine San Francisco style with the
rim of the glass coated with salt and sugar. It must
have a nice bold taste with the perfect balance of
tequila and lime juice. I pour between one and a half
to two shots of tequila per drink. Mine is a margarita
with attitude.”
that’s deep fried. When cooked it looks very
similar to a large spring roll. The secret to a
great Chimichanga is that it must be fresh and crisp.”
After a Mexican meal Patty recommends a
shot of quality tequila as a digestive.
“I serve a comfortable home style of Mexican
food,” Patty concludes, “drawing on the taste of
the mother tongue that I first discovered overseas.”
Anyone who visits the restaurant on it’s birthday,
9th September will be offered a complimentary
glass of Sangria to celebrate the occasion,
“Beef Fajita is my best selling dish,” she says. “I only
use top quality ingredients. Thai-French beef gives just
the right taste when rolled with the tortilla. A
cheaper beef would be too chewy, which is not the
taste experience I want to serve.”
This dish is served with refried bean, Mexican fried
rice and guacamole made with Australian avocado.
“The imported variety,” she says, “has a better taste
than those I could buy locally.”
“I like to serve plenty of cheese with my Mexican
dishes,” she says. “I buy large blocks of New Zealand
cheddar which is cut and grated fresh to order.”
“Our tortilla’s are home made,” she says. “When
I use them to make our Quesadillas, the tortilla is
folded around grated cheese and cooked until the
cheese melts. The taste is very similar to a thin tasty
toasted sandwich.”
“Another very popular dish is Chimichanga,” she
adds, “This is made with the tortilla rolled around
bite size pieces of chicken in spicy tomato chilli salsa
Patty’ s Fiesta
109-111 Patpong Soi 1
Bangrak Bangkok 10500
Tel 0-2632-7898
Opening Hours: Open daily 10am-1am
Credit cards: All major credit cards accepted
Price per person without drinks: THB 350
FBP partner since: 2015