Hello everyone!

These photos were taken with my phone in Pattaya, and today’s post is going to be about food.
I spent the entire day at work and by the evening I realized that I had barely eaten anything at all. So maybe that is exactly why all my thoughts suddenly started revolving around food the moment I sat down to write this post. 🙂

Today I want to talk about a small Chinese restaurant located inside Terminal 21 Pattaya.

To be honest, for many years I avoided Chinese food almost completely. Most of my friends always complained about it and said that many Chinese dishes were too unusual, too spicy, or simply “not for everyone.” Because of that, I never really had much desire to experiment.

But this place immediately caught my attention for one simple reason — they were serving something that looked almost identical to Russian dumplings.

And that instantly made me curious.

Right near the entrance you can watch the cooks preparing the food by hand while also looking through the menu. I always enjoy places where the kitchen is partially open because it gives the restaurant a more honest and lively atmosphere. You can actually see steam rising from the baskets, hear the kitchen noise, and watch how quickly the staff work during busy hours.

One big advantage is that most of the dishes here are steamed rather than fried. That means the food feels much lighter and less greasy compared to typical fast food. After spending so much time traveling through Asia, I started noticing how differently your body reacts to lighter meals. Sometimes you leave a restaurant feeling tired and overloaded, but this was completely the opposite experience.

Inside the restaurant there were several large round tables in the center of the hall. I noticed something interesting while we were eating there. Whenever groups of Chinese visitors entered the restaurant, they almost always chose those big round tables in the middle. Meanwhile, Europeans usually preferred sitting separately near the edges at smaller square tables.

Maybe it is just a coincidence, but it felt like a small cultural difference happening right in front of me.

We ordered several different types of dumplings — well, I keep calling them dumplings because honestly I have no idea what their real names were. 🙂

The most expensive ones contained crab meat, and surprisingly they turned out to be the least tasty for me. I expected something special, but the flavor felt too unusual and somehow didn’t match my expectations at all.

Meanwhile, my wife ordered noodles with meat and nearly panicked when the portion arrived at the table. The serving size was absolutely gigantic. Honestly, all three of us probably could have eaten from that single bowl alone.

But the real surprise was the classic pork dumplings with onion and herbs.

Those were incredible.

The taste was so close to traditional Russian dumplings that for a moment it almost felt like being back home somewhere during winter, eating homemade food in a warm kitchen. Maybe that sounds dramatic, but food has a strange ability to instantly connect memories and emotions.

I was genuinely happy to discover something so familiar so far away from home.

Another thing worth mentioning is the steamed bread they served alongside the soup. The flavor itself was very neutral and soft, but somehow it paired perfectly with the broth. It absorbed the soup beautifully and balanced the stronger flavors of the dishes.

After visiting this restaurant there was no feeling of heaviness at all. The food turned out to be surprisingly easy to digest, despite the fact that I probably ate far more dumplings than I originally planned. 🙂

By the end of dinner I already mentally placed a check mark on this place and decided that I would definitely come back here from time to time.

And honestly, this little experience reminded me of something important.

Never fully trust people when they tell you that some food is “terrible” or “not worth trying.” Tastes are completely different for every person. What one person dislikes might become another person’s favorite dish.

Sometimes you discover the best things completely by accident.

So keep experimenting — especially with food.

Thank you for your likes, your comments, and your time. It never goes unnoticed.

I write my texts myself, correct mistakes and translate via ChatGPT (which is not a violation on Hive)! All photos were taken by me personally - I am a beginner photographer, so I ask professionals not to judge strictly.

Thank you for sharing these moments with me! Until new stories and new holidays! ✌️.

Camera 📷: Sony Alpha 7 IV full-frame

Lens 🔭: Sony FE 70-200mm F: 2.8 GM OSS II

Lens 🔭: Sony FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS

Lens 🔭: Sony FE 24–70mm f/2.8 GM II

Processed 🛠: Lightroom