There are Irish pubs and Irish pubs. In fact, there are Irish pubs almost everywhere in the world nowadays. From New York to New Zealand, from Copenhagen to Cape Town, you will never be far from an Irish pub. Irish pubs, alongside Indian restaurants or Chinese restaurants, have become a genre in their own right. You visit knowing pretty well in advance what you will find. Some are franchise operations using a well-known brand name; others are privately operated or family businesses.

Angus O’Tool’s Irish pub and guesthouse in Karon is an independent, privately run Irish pub offering all the usual beverages, including those from the Emerald Isle, and a large selection of excellent pub grub. The pub occupies a corner site in Soi Islandia, off Patak Road in the heart of Karon’s tourist area. The bar is open on two sides, with restaurant and a long bar seating inside, bench seating under cover on a type of verandah and a large outdoor area for al fresco dining.

A quick glance at the beverage menu revealed no less than seven brands of cider on offer, including a delicious dry cider called Natch (190 baht for 500ml) from Gaymers of Shepton Mallett in Somerset, UK. Kilkenny, Guinness, Heineken and John Smith are all available on draught and supplement the range of 10 bottled beers and lagers.

We settled down in comfortable wooden chairs complete with arm rests to study the menu. Manager Maurice “Mo” Deveney was on hand to point out some of the specialities of the house. Deveney is also head chef, and after hearing his job experience in the catering industry, we appreciated his guidance. Deveney hails from Birmingham in the English Midlands and is an ardent supporter of Birmingham City football club. After serving as an apprentice chef in a hotel in Solihull, he moved up the culinary ladder, including a spell in an exclusive gentlemen’s club in the West End of London. He recalls with undisguised pride the occasion at the club when he cooked lunch for the late HRH the Queen Mother. He also ran the kitchens at Harlow Moat House for several years and updated the menu at the Green Man in Old Marlow during a stint there.

Homemade chicken liver pâté (120 baht) was nice and crumbly with a thick layer of clarified butter on the top. It was served with proper toast and not the thin crispy slices usually found with pâté. A very filling and satisfying start to the meal. Appropriately, this was accompanied by the dry cider from Natch in Somerset.

Choosing a main course from Deveney’s list of specials was a difficult task. The chicken breast with chicken liver and brie-topped mashed potatoes was a possibility, as was the fillet Diane or the carpetbagger steak. Finally we selected the lamb shank (450 baht), and it turned out to be a very successful choice. Deveney explained that he always uses the hind leg shank as opposed to one from a foreleg. They are tastier, he says, because of the extra fat in the meat. He was dead right about the taste — it was scrumptious, and the garlic-flavoured mashed potatoes were equally good when mixed with a rich gravy sauce.

We were tempted to try the bread and butter pudding (120 baht) served with custard or ice cream, but the generous helpings of the first two courses meant we had little space left. Angus O’Tool’s also has a comprehensive wine list, but the Natch dry cider remained the chosen beverage for this pub grub meal. Altogether a very satisfying meal and one that did not damage the wallet too much.

Ambience always plays an important role when assessing one’s view of a restaurant, and Angus O’Tool’s scored high marks for the pleasant surroundings and atmosphere. Perhaps the low-level (thankfully) music played a part as Jim Morrison’s singing on “Riders on the Storm” was followed by Ben E King’s long rendition of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”.

Angus O’Tool’s is the ideal place for a group of friends to use as a staging point before setting out to experience the excesses of Patong. The idea of a Brummie running an Irish pub with a Scottish principal shareholder was somewhat difficult to accept – but with hindsight, one has to say they do it very well.

Angus O’Tool’s
516/20 Patak Rd.
Soi Islandia, Karon
0-7639-8262
www.otools-phuket.com
From the Karon roundabout:

• Turn away from the ocean onto Patak Road and turn left at the second soi

From Chalong:

• After passing Wat Suwankimikhet on Patak Road, turn right at the first soi

... then:

• Look for the sign for the Islandia Hotel


• The pub is on the corner opposite the Islandia Hotel