OOB

Link to classifieds ad, now that it's been approved:-

http://classifieds.t...hip-109666.html

Please see ad in the classifieds section:-

http://classifieds.t...hip-109666.html

Leaving the country and selling my 10 year membership at huge discount to the current club prices of 260,000 (10 yrs) / 70,000 (1 year).

8 years + 3 months left on it.

PM me for details.

Consensus it is then.

No doubt at all that Dukes wins by consensus. Ironically, I made my money and retired here in my mid-30s by taking on public consensus!

It's been fun fellas, even if I have had a bit of a keyboard ass-kicking tonight.

Keep posting the recommendations, as I'll try them all even if I reserve the right to disagree. Best of luck to Dukes (though they don't seem to need it), they are undoubtedly a CM institution even if they don't cater to all tastes.

OOB

lol

Don't they do green smileys?

Come out to Highlands pal, I'll sign you in as a guest and talk you through it over 18 holes. I'll bring my passport if it makes you feel better....

Consensus it is then.

No doubt at all that Dukes wins by consensus. Ironically, I made my money and retired here in my mid-30s by taking on public consensus!

It's been fun fellas, even if I have had a bit of a keyboard ass-kicking tonight.

Keep posting the recommendations, as I'll try them all even if I reserve the right to disagree. Best of luck to Dukes (though they don't seem to need it), they are undoubtedly a CM institution even if they don't cater to all tastes.

OOB

So, the conclusion is that Dukes is a very good, value for money, well established restaurant, that can't please all of the people all of the time.

point of order --- I think you mean "the consensus is"

Consensus is indeed a much better term...

Like I said ....

You are missing the point. the tenor of your posts suggest that nobody else has an opinion that can possibly be valid. (over-rated --- the people who like it are easily pleased all the time.) I don't see anybody suggesting that you aren't entitled to your opinion .. I do however, see you suggesting that if people hold an opinion contrary to yours, that they are wrong.

I mean really .... for all I know you are some guy with a personal axe to grind against the place (this is an anonymous -- relatively --- forum). Does that bother me? No. Do I think people will avoid the place because there is a dissenting opinion? No. The CNX crowd actually tends to be hard to please when it comes to food and almost everyone here likes The Dukes.

But that JD simply mirrors my argument...

How can one side of this argument conclude that:-

'Dukes is a very good, value for money, well established restaurant' based on the posts in this thread?

I have absolutely no more an axe to grind than perhaps you are a shareholder. Irrespective of how you choose to interpret the tenor of my posts, I do not at all believe that any opinion other than mine is invalid, in fact I welcome well thought out arguments. Unfortunately the conclusion drawn above does not fit in that category.

So, the conclusion is that Dukes is a very good, value for money, well established restaurant, that can't please all of the people all of the time.

Or...it's not very good, it's poor value for money, it's over-rated and pleases the easily pleased all the time. Depending on opinion...

Yeppers ... you aint the bad guy here .......

You're right... Let's go back to the beginning...

I've been to Dukes three times. It has been perfect every time. The Ribs are to die for, but the Lasagne is really the reason to go there. Nothing better this side of Italy.

As to the service, outstanding. I completely echo everything that the OP said and would recommend anybody new to Chiang Mai to go there at every opportunity.

Hopefully I'll be in the gang now...

So, the conclusion is that Dukes is a very good, value for money, well established restaurant, that can't please all of the people all of the time.

Or...it's not very good, it's poor value for money, it's over-rated and pleases the easily pleased all the time. Depending on opinion...

How did we get from comparing the Duke's to all Western restaurants in Thailand to your two favorites?

I do not understand how anyone could compare the Duke's unfavorably to other Western restaurants in Thailand.

I'm unsure of your motives but if you re-read your original statement above I think you'll find that my comparison with two other western restaurants in Thailand sits well within your defined boundaries of 'other western restaurants in Thailand'.

actually --- with this statement (that implies that people with a different opinion than you have must then justify their opinion .. you are the bad guy

You're right. Let's ignore rational, considered argument and just accept questionable, incredible blanket statements.

No no - you misread. I'm implying that everyone should justify their opinion, not merely those with a different opinion to me.

I rarely eat in ... so the clientele doesn't affect me.

As for 5 other restaurants ---- phhhht

Great American Rib in Pattaya (but they do sometimes put too much salt in the food)

Coyote (in Silom not in Patong)

PanPan in Pattaya (not BKK) (no other 4 cheese pizza has touched theirs in 8 years of living here)

Bruno's (a little more expensive than the others I am listing)

and strangely --- the old Sea Hag in Patong (strange because of the mixed menu --- and that I haven't eaten there after the tsunami

I lived in HH for 7 months .. never ate a good meal at a western place ....

Lived in Kamala for a year ..... rarely ate western in Phuket

Lived in BKK for 6 years and we ate all over .... and in Chiang Mai for a year ....

Fair play. I know Pan Pan well, and have to say that the service I experienced there (over ten years ago) was way better than I've ever had at Ds.

Bruno's is certainly not in the same bracket though, price or food... GARibs I've not tried...funny location on Thepprasit Road.

I appreciate you taking the time to respond JD. Believe it or not, I'm not the bad guy here...

Do you want to travel thailand taking non-biased surveys of every restaurant for the next 10 years so that we can make conclusive statements or is it that you like to argue every point to give you something to do?

I agreed with you mate. What's your point?

Thank you for you thoughts. Bangkocitylimits that was real informative and I agree on simple and real but spontaneous might be difficult since I would enjoy some of my family to attend from all over the world. Maxmann 71, not funny enough. OOB, the paper is not important but the occasion is to us and our families and we love an to all get together for special and happy days. If your all nice I'll invite you too!!

Thanks cool mate - it's a very important day in one's life.

Far too important to sit there watching a hundred complete strangers getting pissed at your expense...

Nah, I'd easily rate it as one of the best mid-range priced restaurants in Thailand.

The problem I have with that statement JD is that you do not provide any context at all.

Please list out another five equivalent 'mid-range priced restaurants' from around the Kingdom in order to quantify your claim...

This thread has made it clear that peoples tastes vary wildly so just take peoples comments as "whats best for them"

You're right. Let's ignore rational, considered argument and just accept questionable, incredible blanket statements.

Hang on...that's exactly how I wasted three evenings of my family's lives in that place....

Nah, I'd easily rate it as one of the best mid-range priced restaurants in Thailand.

The problem I have with that statement JD is that you do not provide any context at all.

Please list out another five equivalent 'mid-range priced restaurants' from around the Kingdom in order to quantify your claim...

Lasagne = shocking

I have only been the Dukes (river) once as I don't live in CM. I had the American style lasagna. It was the best lasagna I've had in Thailand (which doesn't take much doing). Maybe it's an American thing.

Most people on the CM forum know that I am a big Duke's fan. However, I am not crazy about their lasagna in any way. Pratties has my favorite lasagna. I much prefer the hot Pastrami sandwich, the Philadelphia cheese-steak or their pizza. Different folks like different things, but - over all - I do not understand how anyone could compare the Duke's unfavorably to other Western restaurants in Thailand.

I don't claim to have eaten in many western restaurants in Thailand, however I can categorically claim that Dukes does not get anywhere near Dicey O'Reilleys in Pattaya or the restaurant at Black Mountain Golf Course in Hua Hin.

I appreciate I'm in the minority here, but we should be careful raising it from 'great in CM' to 'great in Thailand'.

I did notice the missionaries. So what? Nobody tried to convert me, apparently they are fat bastards and like a good feed like the rest of us ...

It's an interesting subject. I played golf with a guy who was against gambling and was offended that the caddies in our group were having the odd ten baht on nearest the pin/longest drive of their players. It did not effect me, but it bothered him no end.

The missionaries never tried to convert me either, but that does not mean I agree with what they are doing or wish to dine with them. Each to their own.

As it goes, if I were the Duke's boss, I'd do everything to encourage them. They eat well and there are lots of them.

I go fairly often and as yet have not heard a bunch of missionaries talk

You must be hard of hearing JayJay

As a matter of fact I am.

But even with my hearing aids in I tend to pay attention to the people I am with rather than every one else. I have been rightly called rude but I am not that rude.. Perhaps if you pay attention to the people you are with and the food you are eating instead of eavesdropping on other tables you might find the food is a little better.

Many thanks for the advice. How one goes from 'hearing' to 'eavesdropping' is beyond me, but I shall endeavor to do better in future.

If everything is as good as the lasagna, I would eat there every week if I lived there.

Of course, tastes vary, and I suppose it is possible a person could have bad luck/off nights three times. I also wouldn't return to most restaurants even hating it the first time.

Makes you think doesn't it?

Not as if Chiang Mai is short on alternatives.

Sure and that's a valid point. However when all and sundry are telling you something is fantastic, it is human nature to try and discover what it is they are raving about. You are quite entitled after one look to walk away and consider everyone else to be tasteless tossers, however we assumed we simply got a bad day (and did so again a second time).

I'm not starting 'Dukes is crap' threads, I'm merely giving my opinion (we eat out about 5 times a week) on a 'Dukes is great' thread. Sorry if that offends.

Lasagne = shocking

I have only been the Dukes (river) once as I don't live in CM. I had the American style lasagna. It was the best lasagna I've had in Thailand (which doesn't take much doing). Maybe it's an American thing.

I don't think so JT. Pedr is British and he rated it highly.

This is what confuses me about the place and why we gave it three chances. It has so, so many great reviews that it seems weird how bad our experience of the place has been.

However...three is enough. Too many other restaurants out there to continue spending good after bad.

I go fairly often and as yet have not heard a bunch of missionaries talk

You must be hard of hearing JayJay

use Ture landline or mobile press 006 before the country code than ur UK mumber u want to call.

cost about 4 B for land line call and about 6 to mobile no# (actually can use with any countries)

cheap and the signal pretty good.

And how much your dear ones will pay if they are in the UK and wants to use their "009"?

It might be better for them to use that free UK number service that I just recommended, no?

www.call2.com - I pay less than one baht a minute to call the UK (from a cellphone). I'm sure it will be similar in the opposite direction.

I asked a question OBB,nothing at all about gambling or even playing him!

Fair play...I took your post wrong!

The qute that springs to mind is

"One man's meat is another mans poison"!

dining out is one of the joys of living in this city. What you should remember when you go out is that we are at the end of some long supply lines here in Chiang Mai and that farang restaurants face many cultural difficulties in trying to get staff to do things just like we would have them back home. If you dine out with that in mind you'll eat well most of the time!

As I said above, in my opinion Dukes does a great job and is an important element in the dining out scene. We've never eaten badly there.

No more cultural difficulties than the rest of Thailand though Pedr. Try Dicey O'Reilleys in Pattaya. Simply awesome. Food, drink, ambiance and service. Not cheap, I grant you, but I'm looking for good, not cheap (which Dukes isn't anyway).

If I'm to lower expectations in order to be satisfied, I'd rather eat at home.