jfchandler

BREAD MIXES - Are there any good bread mixes (for bread machines), commercial or otherwise, available over here, if so where, and how reasonably priced. I think I saw some at Verasu (on Wittayu beside All Seasons) a while back but didn't pay that much attention at the time. Just talking standard breads here, not rye etc. Or does everyone using bread machines here doing home brew?

Villa Markets in Bangkok, and I believe Tops as well, carry a brand of packaged breadmaker mixes. I've seen two varieties, white and wheat. They're not consistently in stock, but arrive and are available from time to time, varying by store location. I make my own from scratch for my breadmaker, so I haven't tried them. But if I recall, they are priced a bit under 200 baht per package... On display with the other baking products.

Hey Ted... I would have settled for the home-grown variety on that time...

But I'm wracking my brain... I don't think there is a Fuji or Oishi or the like within walking distance of either Nana or Asoke BTS....

Am I forgetting somewhere???

I'm hoping there might be some small Japanese outlet just on the other side of Asoke...beyond Soi Cowboy in those sois... But I don't really hang out there...so can't speak to what little places might be in that neighborhood.... or on the other side of Suk Road, in the low 20s....

I've always maintained one of the advantages of living in Lower Sukhumvit is that you can find almost any (and every) kind of restaurant and food somewhere pretty much within walking distance. But the other night, a Thai friend stumped me, and left me rarely without an answer...

We were going out for dinner, and she wanted Japanese noodles, so I started thinking, where's there a simple Japanese sushi, noodles and/or curry shop in the vicinity. And I came up blank. Sure, there are any number of high-end Japanese restaurants in the local upper scale hotels such as the Marriott and Landmark. But what about simple, everyday eating and fare???

Yes, you can go into town around Siam at the shopping malls there... Or outward toward Emporium and Soi 24 for the Japanese fare there... But what about simple places within walking distance of either Nana or Asoke BTS????

(Thanks much!!!!)

When I strolled past CC's last week on the way home, I recall the crowd was pretty well mixed between male and female farang, maybe 60-40 split... and not particularly in the older (50+) demographic... I don't recall seeing any Thai women customers at all, bar girl or otherwise... But I may have missed a few in the crowd...

Thank you James.... I've always thought you had occasional interludes of "comment" sense...

I'm not part of any "brigade" as mentioned above... But I am a non-smoker, as was my lady companion that night at Crossbar. So for us, the smokey environ was rather unpleasant... and the place wasn't even that busy... If it had been busy with smokers, I don't even wanna think about it.

The bottom line for me is: that one establishment at present, for whatever reason, is making no effective/meaningful accommodation for non-smokers. So for as long as that continues to be the case, my feet, my baht and my business will go elsewhere.

I walked by CCs the other night on the way home... maybe middle of the evening.. The kiosk was packed with farang...now ensconced behind a low metal chain and poles fence to separate them from traffic on that small part of the side soi...

I'm not a big fan of nights out drinking with gaggles many other farang.. But from the looks of the evening... CC's isn't hurting too much by the reported price increase. For tourists from out of town, give or take $2 for a beer might seem like a pretty great bargain....

But the notion of sitting outside clustered around a small wood hut serving beer on a nothing mini side soi in BKK (although Sabai Sabai massage and nice eateries are nearby) doesn't do much to light my fire, IMHO -- whether the price is 60 or 70 baht per bottle/can/cup/ or whatever...

If you really want to be CHEAP, go to the local 7... buy yourself some packs of Leo or Singh for 35-45 baht per bottle (I think), and take them home for your own outdoors party... Now that's being really cheap.

James, you're your always whimsical self...

I'd love to give Crossbar's lasagna a try, if it was any good... But, without any hard feelings, I'm afraid I won't be going back to Crossbar as long as they maintain the same smoking environment.

I don't begrudge smokers the right to have some place to smoke and eat. But I do begrudge an establishment that only caters to smokers and does literally nothing to provide a smoke free environment for those who prefer it. And, in this case, the law is on my side, not the pub's.

As to other establishments, every restaurant and pub lives and dies every day by the things they do either well or poorly. And I judge everyone by the same standard, what did you do on the visit in question.

Interestingly, though I'll save the details for another post, I wanted to go to Bully's the other day for breakfast (for the first time), and popped by about 10:30 am, only to discover they don't open for breakfast or anything else until 11 am...

So, we ended up going down the street toward my home and stopped at the Landmark Hotel terrace for breakfast... Saving all the details for another post, I'll only vouch here, as someone who had a great Thanksgiving dinner there a year ago, the breakfast experience the other day was very bad both in terms of service and some aspects of the food provided.

So, based on that limited experience, I'd find myself beginning to concur with others on TV who lately have reported something having gone downhill with the food service and quality at the Landmark, which previously had been widely considered very good.

I mention this because of what I said above about places living and dying every day... And, likewise, what I said about judging by the day at hand. A year ago, I thought their Thanksgiving was great. This week, I thought their breakfast sucked... Enough said... MTC...

PS - 15 minutes for a simple hamburger when there's no other business for the kitchen seems a bit long. And likewise, it took them that same time to produce a simple plate of pad thai... gotta wonder, what they were doing back there... Maybe the chef had gone out for a quickie???

I'll chime in here... re the Crossbar...since much of this thread has focused on it.. And indeed, there has been much positive comment about it..in various TV threads... So the other night...after a late lady derailed our plans to dine at Chokchai steak house (10 pm closing and not taking anyone new at 9:45 pm), we walked across the street to Crossbar for dinner about 10 pm on a Tuesday night. And it was my first time to visit/eat/drink there, and I thought sure it would be a good alternative, having read what I had read.

Unfortunately, that turned out NOT to be the case in a variety of ways....

As we walked in, the first impression I had was thing had to be the brightest lit pub in BKK I've ever see... about the same as the lighting in Siam Paragon or any mall... very bright inside.. That's a bit different than most pubs around these parts... But..I wasn't looking for dark and dingy...so no problem there.

Inside, there were maybe at that hour 3 or 4 occupied tables of small groups, mostly drinking and smoking cigarettes... (Did someone repeal the BKK law about no smoking in enclosed air con establishments without telling me). Now..neither I nor my lady that night are smokers, and we're both a bit bothered by it.. So we tried to find a table somewhere out of the fumes... But no luck about that..

So at that point, we asked... is there an upstairs floor or any separate place for non smokers... And the answer was, of course, NO... So finally, we fled our table to the corner of the bar near the air con unit trying to escape the haze... Not very good, but not quite as bad as sitting at any of the tables. So, we're not off to the greatest start here.

Then, I order the bacon and cheeseburger for dinner at 220 baht and the lady orders pad thai at 100 baht... And as I mentioned, no one around the bar much was eating, just drinking and smoking at that hour. So the kitchen couldn't have been too busy... But nonetheless, our orders must have taken a good 15 minutes to arrive from the kitchen... a bit mystifying under the circumstances... So still not off to the greatest start...

Once the food arrives, the pad thai is OK, my lady is enjoying it, and then a few minutes later my burger arrives, and I discover it's a hamburger topped with some kind of bacon patty... not the bacon strips that Americans (and I think most others) would expect on a bacon cheese burger... But OK... Still, the burger was OK... nothing great... a small store type bun... regular burger patty size, but nice fresh lettuce and onion on the side, and some tasty cole slaw.

At that point, the manager (owner) pops by... and as we're sitting eating at the bar, I ask him... Gee, this is a nice place, but is there any place to go to escape the smoke. And he looks mystified, and points upward to the ceiling, saying he had just installed a couple of air exhaust vents/units above the bar to help about the smoking issue. Well, I hope he didn't pay too much. Because whatever he installed, was next to worthless in doing anything to clear the air. But he was very pleasant and congenial in our conversation.

So, maybe this comes down to one of these smoker vs. non-smoker things... Anyone who prefers to avoid smoking definitely won't find any suitable environs at the Crossbar. On the other hand, smokers should love it. And the burger, while OK, certainly was nothing exceptional in the range of burger offerings available in BKK...

So, I'd give Crossbar maybe 5 on a scale of 10... and less if you add in the pub's blatant flaunting of the BKK smoking law.

When I added GPRS as a True customer, I simply took my Nokia phone to one of their customer service shops (in my case Siam Paragon), and they happily set all the correct settings. No charge, and it took about 10 minutes.

Don't deal with the customer service girls... no offense. Look for/ask for the tech guys/girls, so they can fix the issue straight away.

As for the upcoming Super Bowl, it (we'd presume) will be shown on True UBC for those with Gold and Platinum packages... with the usual breaktime Thai language commentary.

For those without, I watched it last year at Bourbon Street (same Thai feed from UBC) and the experience was OK... just OK... One large screen in the newer dining room, and a lot of smaller TVs elsewhere. Price was just your choice, greater or less, of food and drink. They opened specially early that day for the game.

Was in Bully's Pub today for breakfast, and they're advertising opening at 5:30 am that day this year for the Super Bowl with a fixed price ticket for food and drinks. Asked the staff, what was the price of the ticket going to be, and the girl said her boss hadn't informed the staff yet -- even though they're advertising the ticket/event on their bulletin board inside... Hmmm......

I remember from last year, others saying they had a good/better experience with other places that instead carried the Malaysian (or other country) satellite TV feed, which came with English language commentary. But not sure what places have the non-True UBC feeds available this year.

This is why I was asking if anyone knew a specific bank where they don't use 'new-style' PIN readers to contact the 'bank network' to get the authorisation. The ones (the same ones that are still being used in most shops - although some, I can think of B2S in particular - are using the new ones) where they just stick the card in and it contacts the bank, authorises and prints the receipt. There seems to be alot of confusion here about PINs. Even in shops that have the new-style readers, more than once I've had to stop someone trying to type in gibberish because it would have blocked my PIN. I think with Thai issued bank cards with no PIN chip, there is some kind of 'vendors

This raises an interesting side issue... Some of us..many perhaps...have "rewards" checking accounts from U.S. banks where we get pretty high interest rates on our balances in exchange for meeting certain criteria...One of those typically is using the debit card associated with the account to make anywhere from 10-13 PIN based debit card transactions per month, usually for any amount.

In the U.S., that's easy, since virtually all gas stations, grocery stores and many other shops allow debit card based PIN transactions. Thailand, however, seems to be a different world about this.

At most stores and shops, you certainly can use credit cards (Thai or international), and Thai bank debit cards. But I've found few here that allow debit card PIN transactions using U.S. bank cards. The reference above seems to be suggesting that perhaps B2S stores allow that???

More broadly, does anyone have any clarity about local places that accept PIN transactions using non-Thai bank debit cards???

Re Mamacitas, as I've previously reviewed here, Bee makes some of the BEST freshly prepared margaritas I've ever had...in any country... And quite reasonably priced for a litre pitcher.

One pitcher, shared with a lady, left me woozy walking home... and I'm a big guy... Freshly squeezed limes.... no pre-prepared sugary margarita mixes here... YUMMY!!!

so... this means they're going to close the entire city????

Not even PAD could do that!!!

In the real world... ya... right.... special committee...

Villa Markets in BKK sometimes stock the red and white box Orgran brand of self-raising flour.... but its availability is hit-and-miss.

I've been there .... and done that... and so there are a few things to say...

Regarding the different cell phone service providers, first, they have different kinds of coverage areas... AIS is generally considered to have better coverage out in the far reaches, whereas True and DTAC are very good in BKK. True is not so good in far-flung places, speaking from personal experience.

As to rates and the time for minutes expiring, at least for DTAC, the regular SIM card you might buy at the local 7/11 comes with some preset service plan (probably their main current offering), which has set deals as to the cost per minute and length of time the minutes are valid. The higher amount value card you purchase, the longer the validity of the minutes.

However, what the casual tourist might not know is that they can take that same SIM card to the local DTAC customer service center and see a printed list of different service plans that are available...each with different terms as to cost per minute, duration of time, and even discounts for calls to certain areas in Thailand, such as upcountry. You just tell them which plan best suits your needs, and they program it into their system, and voila.. new plan.

When I was a tourist, and only coming every 3 or 6 months, I was constantly having my minutes (and thus number) expire between visits. Because usually I was getting 3 months validity from my top-up card renewals. Eventually, I figured out the above, and discovered DTAC had one plan that automatically had validity for one year from your last top-up. After that, as a tourist, I never lost my number or minutes again.

The large DTAC center at Siam Paragon has good English speaking staff, and they're pretty helpful in sorting these things out...if you go in knowing to ask for the English printed list of their current service plans...and go from there... I'd assume, AIS operates similarly...

I have True mobile service also, and they constantly are offering different kinds of mobile plans with different rates and promotions, and usually have pretty good details about those on their True Mobile web site.

Sorry to remind you...but football is a contact sport, and people do get injured from time to time... Just ask the Patriots and their layed up quarterback. As a native Californian, and longtime 49ers and Raiders fan, I don't think anyone can fairly argue that the Raiders thru their history have been any substantially more egregious about these things than any number of other teams. If you want to go back hunting in history for big/disputed hits, pretty much everyone has them sometime.

For much of their history, the Raiders fielded some excellent football teams and rosters of great/famous/respected players, including a past tendency to take on the "bad boys" that other teams discarded and make them good, contributing, respected and feared members of the silver and black. Sadly, those days are pretty much long gone now. These days, the Raiders just throw money at mediocre players who consistently fail to perform at all.

Having put that on the record, now, the main point of my post was to say what a hoot it was listening to the commercial break commentary between the two network announcers that (while not broadcast in the U.S.) seems to show up in our audio...because we don't get the commercials here. Hearing color commentator Rich Gannon (who used to QB for the Raiders) throroughly trash his former team on the QT was pretty amusing, not to mention the announcers getting into a profanity laden argument with their control room about something or another, which also came thru in our audio... It meant staying up from 4 am to 7 am in the morning, but it was a blast to hear. For the broadcast, they're keeping a very even, balanced tone. But during the breaks, they're trashing the Raiders up one side and down the other.

And, as a longtime fan, all I can say is, the trashing is deserved. The Raiders are (and have been for some years) a miserable team. Unfortunately, I remember back to the days of Daryl Lamonica, Kenny Stabler and Jim Plunket, et. al. So never get that out of my blood. But..you should hear the radio webcast of the Raiders fan show produced independently in the Bay Area. Listen to that, and you'll hear some REALLY LOUD gnashing and crying these days... It's been a very long dry spell...

Thanks for posting a copy of their menu... It's looks interesting...especially with your good comments....

Interesting... they don't list most of their prices on their menu...?

I haven't tried it myself yet... But the Terrace restaurant at the Landmark Hotel on Suk Road near Soi 6 is reputed to have a very good (authentic), but a bit expensive, pastrami sandwich. There have been other posts and threads on the same subject. You can see many comments re it here in the threads on TV.

A couple of American places in Washington Square (Suk Soi 22) may have it.

I was at the Silver Dollar Bar the other day, and it's on their menu for sure. They open for breakfast at 9 am daily....but don't have their own web site.

Nearby there also are the Texas Lone Star Bar and Bourbon Street Restaurant.

Even though it's already the Monday after Thanksgiving, I'm still having turkey cravings....and found them answered today from a very unexpected place...

Originally, I went to order some Mexican food from Sunrise Tacos today via ChefsXP. But while looking at their online menu, I found Sunrise has added, at least for delivery, a quartet of turkey menu items that seem like they will stay thru the holidays.

HOLIDAY SPECIALS

[ g7h1 ] Sizzling Turkey Feast 478.00

[ g7h2 ] Turkey Burrito with Salsa and Cilantro 213.00

[ g7h3 ] (Trio of) Turkey Tacos 213.00

[ g7h4 ] Turkey Quesadillas 213.00

Intrigued, I tried the Sizzling Turkey Feast, which was quite good despite the high-ish price. They advertise it in the menu description as a half pound of sliced Butterball turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy, sausage-apple-cranberry stuffing, roasted bell peppers and onions, a slice of cranberry sauce, and a complimentary slice of pumpkin pie included.

The turkey was excellent, a good portion as advertised, very tender and moist, and good slices provided. The portions of potatoes and vegetables likewise were good and tasty. My only quibble was the size of the stuffing portion, which was tasty but not much more than a spoonfull -- maybe half the portion of the mashed potatoes. All in all, it made for a very nice post-Thanksgiving meal.

Now I'm hungry to try a couple of the other turkey menu offerings....

Anyone else spotting post-Thanksgiving turkey offerings around town???

There have been many explosives attacks on the PAD demonstrators at their various location since all this yellow-red fighting started, and often occurring with Thai police nearby or inside supposedly police-controlled perimeters. But for all of the different attacks, I don't think I've heard yet of even one suspect being named or arrested in connection with any of them.

That kind of situation pretty much suggests one of only two alternatives: 1) the police (or parts of them) are somehow complicit in the attacks, or 2) the police are as weak at solving these crimes as they reportedly are at (not) solving all the others. Which of the two options would you choose???

I suppose, of course, it's also possible both 1 and 2 could be equally true.... You'd hope/think that somewhere, somehow, they'd actually catch someone really responsible for perpetuating the violence.

All these attacks on PAD protesters these last few days are a normal reaction of frustration.

...If the police was doing what they are paid for there wouldn't be a need for the pro-governments to throw grenades.

So, your idea of a "normal reaction of frustration" is to go lobbing hand grenades into crowds of civilian demonstrators??? Maybe you should consider signing up for anger management therapy....

Looks like EVA has now rerouted and rescheduled a bunch of its Europe flight going thru U-Tapao.... Their latest schedule is now showing numerous flights going thru there all the way out until next Tuesday...

http://www.evaair.com/html/b2c/english/eva...gkokFlights.htm

(Jai Dee @ 2008-11-29 14:45:56) *

UDD to rally in Sanam Luang on Sunday

Mr Veera said the Sunday's rally will discuss the court’s urgency to finalise the People Power party (PPP) dissolution case on Tuesday, which discouraged the police to disperse the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) demonstrators at Government House, Don Mueang airport and Suvarnabhumi airport.

That's a particularly interesting comment. The government already sacked the national police chief and replaced him with a new guy in the past days. I had assumed that would have cleared whatever internal resistance was occurring. Plus, the same pro-government TV host guys earlier had promised only to rally publicly if the police didn't clear the airports this weekend.

So does the above comment not suggest that there's still official resistance to the police moving in based on the likelihood of the PPP dissolution verdict??? And that the red shirts now don't expect police action this weekend, at least. If that's the case, that'd mean the airport standoffs would likely be continuing at least thru Tuesday...

That'd make the ghost PM look even more ridiculous than at present, if that were even possible. It's also bringing the whole spectacle even closer to a certain upcoming birthday.

UDD to rally in Sanam Luang on Sunday

Mr Veera said the Sunday's rally will discuss the court’s urgency to finalise the People Power party (PPP) dissolution case on Tuesday, which discouraged the police to disperse the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) demonstrators at Government House, Don Mueang airport and Suvarnabhumi airport.

That's a particularly interesting comment. The government already sacked the national police chief and replaced him with a new guy in the past days. I had assumed that would have cleared whatever internal resistance was occurring. Plus, the same pro-government TV host guys earlier had promised only to rally publicly if the police didn't clear the airports this weekend.

So does the above comment not suggest that there's still official resistance to the police moving in based on the likelihood of the PPP dissolution verdict??? And that the red shirts now don't expect police action this weekend, at least. If that's the case, that'd mean the airport standoffs would likely be continuing at least thru Tuesday...

That'd make the ghost PM look even more ridiculous than at present, if that were even possible. It's also bringing the whole spectacle even closer to a certain upcoming birthday.