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After 5 in Phuket
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An evening at Pepper's Restaurant and Bar is an enjoyable experience for the whole family. Mr. Paul Moorhouse is the founder of the Pepper's chain, which has four outlets in the UK, one in Singapore and a newly established venue located in Cherngtalay near Laguna Phuket. He moved to Phuket some years ago and noticed a gaping hole in the entertainment market for an authentic British pub. |
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Three partners joined Paul in his venture and opened Pepper's on 7 June 2002 as "a place to meet and eat and drink with our wives and kids. "The partners know that an evening out to a place like Pepper's means that each family member requires a different type of action and so the layout of the restaurant and bar has been designed to accommodate all. "We have made two distinct areas, a bar in one half of the building and a restaurant in the other. That way if you come for a meal, you can dine in the restaurant away from the smoky bar, but if you drop in for a drink, you can be served at the bar and not feel as though you are standing around, drinking in a restaurant. " "We have also made a unique Kid's Room upstairs so that the children can keep themselves entertained while their parents relax, undistracted. "The kids room contains two very large televisions connected not only to a DVD player stocked with all the latest hit kiddy films, but there is also a Sony Playstation II to occupy even the most energetic children. Perhaps the only problem will be in persuading them to go home at the end of the night.
The partners are great enthusiasts of sport and music and are avid collectors of related memorabilia. Adorning all the walls in Pepper's are many valuable and some exceedingly rare items such an original Beatles jacket worn by George Harrison, a 1978 Rolling Stones Tour jacket and a signed and personally illustrated Moby concert poster. This writer was most impressed by the electric guitar, which guards an archway in the bar area; it was custom made for ZZ Top. Football fans should be interested in the various framed photos of classic moments in the history of the game as well as many signed portraits of beloved stars. Paul said that, "visitors could easily spend a couple of hours just perusing the memorabilia around the place. " Of paramount importance to the ambience of a pub is music and Paul proudly boasts that the partnership's music collection is "the biggest on the island by a country mile. "The library includes music from the dawn of rock'n'roll to the present and many of these selections are original recordings, digitally remastered onto DVD, so punters can view an old Grateful Dead concert or Queen video clips as they stroll down musical memory lane. Paul encourages customers to make requests, confident that he can probably accommodate even the more obscure choices of artist or song.
As further evidence of a passion for sport, the partners have invested in a giant projection screen, to watch all the favourite sporting events. Visitors can watch football, tennis, golf, boxing, Formula One and, Paul adds, "pretty much any event they are interested in. Normally we play our music rather than listen to the commentary but for big events like the World Cup, music comes second. " If the great music, interesting memorabilia and friendly banter around the bar are not enough to entertain, Pepper's also features a real American 8-ball pool table, as an extra touch to strengthen authenticity. The menu at Pepper's is basic, but full of savoury delights. His Lordship's Bar Snacks menu includes tempting finger-food like spicy chicken wings, battered prawns, nachos and salsa. Sgt. Pepper's Pub Grub selection includes all those signature dishes that accompany a pint so very well, such as, Pablo's grilled rib eye steak served with fries, salad and fresh baked bread, a Slim Boy Fat burger, Abbey Road Bangers and Mash and Dino's fresh made pizza. The kids will probably be delighted with the dessert treats; lemon meringue pie, apple pie or brownies with ice-cream, or gelato.
The bar serves Heineken and Kilkenny draft beers as well as a number of bottled, imported and local brews. All the spirits are represented and are combined to make Pepper's top twenty 'rocktails'. Each drink is named after a song or musical episode and in selecting rocktails one may end up spending an evening with 'Suzy Creamcheese' and be 'Black in the USSR', before a having a 'Rasta Mans Wake Up Call'. Pepper's has already become a popular venue for expatriates to meet up and socialize after work. In the complex of shops, businesses and restaurants at the entrance of Laguna Phuket, Pepper's shares a unique relationship with the surrounding restaurants. Paul pointed out that "quite a few families come here for a drink before dinner. They may choose to eat at one of the other restaurants and return after their meals to relax and have some fun. The kids can go upstairs and watch DVD's and everybody is happy. " Pepper's Restaurant and Bar |
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Tropical Living: Oct 2002, Volume 2 Issue 5 |
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