jfchandler

Come on Todd!!! It's your soi..your home... Don't make me hike over to your turf...

I'm looking for a first person review of the club.... Stand and deliver!!!

It's interesting that their web site video shows the place entirely, absolutely, empty.... And, I hadn't heard a thing about this place prior to this TV thread.... Wonder how they're doing at night time???

But the bar/band space looks inviting... depending on what kind of bands/style music they're hosting...and if the supposed belly dancers are Thai instead of something else...

Right around the corner on the right hand side of the street coming off the main road...first block... Don't look for a Mexican restaurant... Look for the row of tables on the outside of the Indian restaurant that's there... Then you'll see T & S...

I always like it when.... someone hires a technology consulting firm to do a report on how they can improve their business....and surprise surprise.... the consulting firm recommends... spend more on technology!!!!

It's an amazing coincidence...how often this happens. What a world in which we live... Do you think they've ever prepared a report for a client that recommended...spend LESS on technology and more on other things???

Ok, I haven't been in Thailand since this little economic crisis hit, so I'll bite. If these "taxi drivers" won't take a fare, what is their scam? Do you mean they have taxis but just refuse to go on the meter, insisting on egregious fares with naive customers?

Yes, that sums it up about right... I have some small to medium size hotels on my soi, and a regular cadre of taxi drivers (know them all on sight) who will not take regular fares, and only want to go to the airport or out of town tour.

Even if they have no passenger scheduled, they'll refuse regular local fares and just sit at their taxi near the hotel waiting... From time to time, I've heard them quoting fares from lower Sukhumvit to Suvarnabhumi of 800 baht one way - which is between 3 and 4 times the normal meter fare.

If they can find a customer willing to pay that, the profit involved makes up for a whole lot of in-town smaller fares....

This is your first time ever coming to BKK, and you're already going to be living in Mae Hong Son???

1. OT, the miso at Izumi was OK, not as weak as it looks in my photo... As I recall, the actual miso had all settled to the bottom by that point, so from the top, it looks only like clear broth... But it was a bit better than than... I forgot to stir...before taking the photo.

PS - I also took a photo of the critter on the wall, just in case, as a reminder to myself. But I decided not to post it here.... However, if anyone wants to see it, just let me know...

2. I'm up for On Nut BBQ... just say the word...

3. OMR, there are a multitude of choices, even in BKK, depending on your eating preferences...

For example, I could eat only vegetarian for days by choosing Indian, and going with any variety of their dals or vegetable curries and dishes... In fact, there are some vegetarian only Indian places around Sukhumvit... and many many regular Indian places that have pretty good vegetarian choices on their menu.

Or, if you have a taste for Middle Eastern, as I do, pop into Beirut (in the basement of the Ploenchit Center or in Silom in the Silom 64 Bldg) for one of their falafel (ground spiced garbanzo beans fried into balls) plates or sandwiches, or hummus (made from garbanzo beans and tahini paste) and pita bread dips, or any number of other vegetarian choices. The same kinds of foods, a bit cheaper but with less atmosphere, also can be had at the Lebanon House shop on Suk Road, just up from Soi 11.

How about some of the pizza shops that are offering "vegetariano" style pizzas, typically with an assortment of grilled vegetables on top of the regular tomato sauce and cheese. While it's certainly not gourmet, even Narai Pizzeria has a pretty good spinach and cheese pizza that I've had a couple of times.

Then, of course, there are all the Thai vegetarian options, vegetables with rice, a favorite of mine is pumpkin curry with rice (fak thong), and more and more.

If you need more specifics, or details, or want a different kind of cuisine from those mentioned above, just ask...

Since Rosarita canned frijoles have disappeared from the shelves at Villa for some months now (used to be had for as low as 53 baht per can in all the different flavors/varities), and the only other brand to be found runs about 125 baht per can, I've decided to use my electric rice cooker to make my own frijoles and (separately) red chili beans.

Went shopping at Villa Suk Soi 11 today, and purchased a large bag of dry pinto beans (labeled PEAK Pinto Dried Beans - Product of the USA, with an expiration date a year out) for 138 baht. Likewise, got a smaller bag, maybe half the size, of dry red kidney beans for 49 baht.

Any cooking tips beyond those mentioned above, particularly relating to using rice cookers for this, much appreciated.... --jc.

You pay the bill, BKK....and I'll be chowing there at the Marriott in a jiffy!!!

Separately - Hey Dotcom, what about the buffet places out by On Nut BTS... That's your part of town. Any recommendation there, based on personal experience???

I know this thread is about the best meal, but these days I am eating vegetarian so I am wondering if anyone can add places with vegetarian meals in CBD that are of good value.

I have my favorites, but they are not necessarily of good value.

Thanks,

To help out a bit, OMR, please define your version of "vegetarian"? Just no meat??? Or other things excluded as well??? What about fish/seafood??? Eggs??? Thanks....

"Likewise for the morning crowd, this MM breakfast offering rates as a pretty good value as well...."

I made the mistake of having the 99THB breakfast at MM's. The "soda bread" was a single piece of white toast. The sausages were foul-tasting, and no bigger than the tips of my fingers. Perhaps I was eating the tips of someone's fingers - the sausages were horrible. The bacon was nearly raw. The meal was served on a plate covered with grease. Absolute cr@p.

Any one else tried the 99 baht breakfast at Molly Malone's with good or bad result??? (I'm never up that early, so can't vouch personally).

But, I can vouch for their 349 baht Sunday afternoon/evening carvery, which offers up a nice meal of "all you can eat" sliced roast beef, pork, ham and lamb, accompanied by some varieties of roasted/au gratin potatoes and vegetables (usually broccoli and cauliflower), a few other things, and a drink.

A few TV folks have complained in prior posts about their roasted meats being dry... But I've eaten the MM Sunday meal probably a half dozen times in the past year, and never found any problem about that. I always go home pleasantly stuffed!!!

Actually, I'm a bit surprised to see the complaints above about both the MM breakfast and their rib eye steak meal. Of course, for everyone, YMMV (your mileage may vary). In general, MM's has a pretty good reputation as pubs go for the food they serve. But as someone mentioned above, beef in Thailand tends to be a "tough" proposition.

Here's some more info about the lunch specials at Izumi in the Century Movie Complex at Victory Monument (cited in the very first post in this thread).

I went yesterday for lunch with the GF, she had the 49 baht "they cook one dish of meat" special, I had the 109 baht "you cook your own with two dishes of meat" special. Both were OK. Decent values for the price.

Did, however, catch view of one roach on our table and then a bit later, a roach on the wall near the table next to us. Can't say if it was the same little critter or a different one. There was a Thai couple sitting at the adjoining table, and the woman was sitting with her head not two feet from the wall and the critter.. Must have sat there for 10 minutes with no notice by her or the waitress who was serving them before the woman finally noticed, and then the waitress snagged the critter off the wall. The couple went on with their lunch unphased by the encounter. Maybe it was a bad day...or...just time to call the exterminator again....

Crepes and Co. and Cabbages and Condoms, both lower Sukhumvit, have lovely settings.

Ventiane Kitchen in Soi 36 is an Isaan-themed and fooded place -- nice for Thai/Isaan dance and music, and a rustic Thai kind of ambiance... But not really the kind being discussed in this thread. Their web site is showing no reference to a name change, although there was a former (now closed) restaurant nearby with the other name mentioned above.

The place mentioned above in Soi 11 is Rosabieng (not ROT), which has nice air con indoor dining and an outdoor patio adjoining a pond. The best seat there is a circular wooden gazebo with table just at the edge of the pond. But lately at night, it seems perpetually occupied. Good Thai food and a vast menu. But just medium on the ambiance scale, unless you get the gazebo.

The reference above to Premier account with HSBC is a good international account, but requires you have money with the bank of about $100,000 U.S. in order to qualify. If you don't have and keep that, HSBC is not a good option for Thailand.

And, at BKK Bank, a work permit is not required for all things and all accounts. You should be able to open a simple savings account without a work permit there. And as with all things banking in Thailand, what they tell you at one branch won't necessarily be the same as what another branch of the same bank tells you. So if you get a NO, go down the street and ask again. It always goes like that.

Kasikorn also is generally considered pretty easy regardless of work permits.

Yes... their pizza sizes are S (6 in.), M (8 in.) and L (12 in.)

Those, particularly the S and M, seem a bit undersized compared to what I'm used to...

However, in the case of an all you can eat pizza buffet, does the individual pizza size really matter???

As the evenings go on, they often have some older farang geezers and younger Thai ladies dancing to the music of the Filipino band there... So...count yourself IN!

Sabaijai, agree about the beans...I've eaten a ton of frijoles in my life, made in all varieties and consistencies... But I've never had anything that quite tasted like his...

On Sunday, I had the pork filling on the Sunday special taquitos (which really are mini soft shell corn tacos). Part of the four piece set that comes with rice, beans and a beer.

I stopped by Sunday night as well with Dotcom for dinner.... and Jorge the owner is a very congenial host.

I found things both to like and not like about my first visit, which only scratched the surface of their menu, so these are just very initial impressions.

For me, I thought the standard side dish beans very very tasty and not quite like anything I've eaten before. Had a very nice spice to them. When questioned, Jorge indicated bacon is the added ingredient that gives some extra texture to the beans. Though he also indicated they have a vegetarian (no meat) version available as well.

As for the salsas, stating first that I like my salsas and women spicy , I found the two pureed salsas on offer to be pretty bland and tasteless, one prepared with red tomatoes and the other with green tomatoes. Not because of the consistency, which sort of resembles baby food, but because of the lack of zip. The middle standard chopped salsa was much better.

When asked, Jorge revealed (unfortunately almost at the end of our meal) that he actually has spicier versions of the red and green salsas available as an alternative. We tried them and for me, they hit the spot... good and spicy, regardless of the texture. Dotcom took a taste, and they had him sweating...hehehehehe.... But Jorge indicated many of his customers prefer the blander variety, so he serves those as the default. I'll opt for the hotter variety.

As for the standard "Mexican" rice, it left kind of a bad taste in my mouth, not much in the way of flavor, a bit on the dry side, almost something I'd skip eating in its current form.

Some things others might not know:

1. Despite the shop's nominal handful of outdoor tables, they actually do have an agreement with the largely empty adjoining restaurant so that T&S customers can sit indoors in the adjoining restaurant if they choose... which probably will become more appealing as summer approaches.

2. Jorge is experimenting with a chili margarita... I tried a sample the other night, complete with a pair of red chilis stuck like devil's horns on opposite sides of the glass. The decoration didn't do much for me, but the margarita was quite good and interesting, with just a hint of chili spice blended into the standard margarita. Definitely worth a try.

3. Dotcom and I just mentioned we were Thai Visa members, and the waiter included the restaurant's promised 15% discount without any problem. That's a nice offer on the part of the owner.

Now it's back for another visit or two to sample the other food offerings on the menu....

More info here on Narai Pizzeria's 149 baht Tuesday pizza buffet, 4-9 p.m.....

I haven't tried their Tuesday buffet yet, but I rather like Narai Pizzeria pizza as a budget pizza option.

In my experience, they actually put decent cheese on their pizzas, unlike Pizza Co. and others, which seem to lean more toward thick bread and tomato sauce. Narai's crust tends to be medium in thickness and soft, almost with a croissant type texture, and usually moist and decent flavor...not just dry and crusty.

On their web site, which is mostly in Thai, they show about 25 different locations. One of the easiest to get to/find for me in the one on the second floor of the Century Movie Complex, which is connected to the Victory Monument BTS station. Hop off the Skytrain and you're there.

PS - the Narai web site says their buffet is valid Tuesdays between the hours of 4 and 9 pm only.

The Thai Gold Card is now nationwide.

Barry

Sorry, by the Gold Card mention, do you mean the 30 baht medical care card...

I had a Thai lady friend working in Pattaya... no... not a BG... who had to go back home to the north last June for treatment for breast cancer because the hospitals in Pattaya wouldn't cover her.

Has something about geographic coverage for the 30 baht scheme changed since then???

Majestic Suites, the little sister hotel of Majestic Grande, is located on Suk Road just around the corner from Nana Plaza heading toward Soi 6. Very nice rooms, good staff, lower price that the Grande, included one plate breakfast and pool privileges at the Grande. A better alternative for someone who might otherwise be wanting to stay at the Nana Hotel nearby. They also have their own web site for booking, but can easily be booked thru various of the BKK Hotel booking web sites.

Actually, the large bar above/upstairs from Foodland on Soi 5 has one very nice pool table in the far back, and a few lesser ones, along with a great open windows view of the street below. And a few reasonably attractive ladies who'll be more than happy to wipe up the table with you...for a price. Or do something else, depending on your inclinations.

Likewise for the morning crowd, this MM breakfast offering rates as a pretty good value as well....

I happened to be walking past MM's today... and the rib eye almost pulled me in for lunch.

But I had other pressing matters to attend at the time, so I toddled onward.

Interesting to see...their specials used to be advertised as one each per different day of the week. But now on MM's web site, I see they are offering all of them each day for the same fixed price from noon to 2 pm. The food there is good, and so yes, I'd consider this package a pretty good value for BKK.

JFC, do you work? All I read is posts about you visiting restaurants - now the zoo. BTW, the little restaurant in the middle of it is not bad - within full view of the big monitor lizards that roam the lake.

Gee James.... I don't recall you entertaining the TV crowd with spell-binding literary tales of your days at work... So, why should you expect I would be doing any different with my periodic posts....

Besides, all work and no play makes James and John dull boys...

Plus, there are lots of even more fun things that I never write about...at least not on Thai Visa... Censors, you know...

PS - If you check my profile bio, you'll see in fact that I am a professional writer of some stature. But that's the boring stuff....