Moderately Priced Thanksgiving Dinner

[dddave]

Those Americans in the On Nut-Udom Suk area who are looking for a decent Thanksgiving dinner at a moderate price should consider "101 Restaurant" on Suk. 101/1, opposite soi 4.

It's a small, owner run shophouse size restaurant with a very nice outdoor garden dining area in the rear.

They are advertising a Thanksgiving dinner on Nov. 23, all day.  Menu includes fresh roasted turkey,  Virginia ham, cranberry sauce, dressing, mashed potato, candied potato, seasonal vegetables, gravy, choice of apple or pumpkin pie with cream or ice cream.   B490  This is a set dinner, not a buffet.

 

I had a roast lamb dinner there today, on the menu every Sunday.  Very nice medium roast lamb with yorkshire pudding, gravy, both roast and mashed potato and mixed vegetables...very tasty and a good sized portion.  B375.

 

For the Thanksgiving dinner, they suggest booking in advance.

Edited November 20, 2017 by Scott
Phone number edited out

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

 There a bunch of turkey buying at the supermarkets info in the above thread, including a lot pertaining to Bangkok, despite in being a CR forum topic.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Meanwhile, these are not as "moderate" as your example above, but the first is a buffet.

 

Monday is the last day to pre-reserve a discounted "Early Bird" 800b net price for the Thanksgiving dinner buffet at the Huntsman Pub in the Landmark Hotel. See below:

 

 

Meanwhile, the Dean & DeLuca branches at EmQuartier and Chong Nonsi, at least, and possibly others are offering a Holiday special menu thru the end of December that includes set plate turkey dinners for 595b plus 10% service charge (and minus 5% if you pay with a VISA card), and even larger discounts if you pay with a Thai CitiBank or UOB card).

 

I had one the other day at the EmQuartier branch, and the turkey itself was moist and good (the manager said the turkeys were U.S. imports), but the rest of the plate was very small portions for the price, and when we were there Saturday night about 7 pm, they ended up being sold out of 4 of their 6 menu-listed side dishes and their pumpkin pie desert (which would have been an extra cost item). Although oddly the restaurant was nearly empty at the time we were there...

 

So I can't exactly recommend it, but if someone just wants some restaurant cooked turkey and perhaps has other family members like a Thai wife who aren't too interested in turkey or steeply priced turkey buffets where that's the only menu choice available, then D&D is at least a least a passable option in the center of town where all of their regular menu entrees also are available.

 

 

BTW, the two small dabs in the top left corner of the photo are their riceberry-based stuffing and two small pieces of their jalapeno cornbread. A small cup of cranberry sauce and an equally small cup of gravy are the two lower items.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 19, 2017 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Meanwhile, I see the sister restaurant to Sunrise Tacos, Margarita Storm at the corner of Suk Soi 13, is repeating their set plate Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve/Day turkey dinners this year for 695b plus VAT.  And that includes your choice of a slice of pie for desert.

 

They're also offering take-home dinner set packages with all the items pre-cooked at varying other prices.

 

Edited November 20, 2017 by Scott
Link Edited out

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

OK.....

 

So if anyone wants more information on the Margarita Storm offerings, it can be found on the website for Sunrise Tacos where they have a whole page devoted to their Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day set plate menus with all the details, as well as info on several deliver-to-home dinner sets that they are offering...

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Just got back from my local Foodland in BKK (Suk Soi 5):

 

The manager there informed me that this year, their Took Lae Dee cafe will be offering set plate Thanksgiving turkey dinners for ONE day on Thanksgiving day, and then two more days on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Price 329 baht. I believe you can either eat in or they'll pack for take out.

 

Not only are Foodland's turkey dinners modestly priced, they're also modestly portioned as well, as you might expect for the price.

 

In past years, they had a lot of promotional material up about their Thanksgiving turkey dinners, and if memory serves, offered them for a longer duration of days. But this year, apparently, none of that.

 

 

Edited November 21, 2017 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Hard Rock Cafe in Siam Square was another place that in past years sometimes had turkey dinners for Thanksgiving. Just called and checked with them and the answer was NO, nothing this year. And the manager I was talking with specifically mentioned the ban on U.S. turkey imports as the reason.

 

[dddave]

19 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Not only are Foodland's turkey dinners modestly priced, they're also modestly portioned as well, as you might expect for the price

I dined at Foodland's Thanksgiving dinners several times over the years and always found them wanting and can say with certainty that I never departed with an overstuffed stomach.  Most of the traditional items were on the plate if you looked closely but the turkey was scant and stuffing  like moistened sawdust.

Think "Swanson's Turkey TV Dinner" if you have a long memory.

Edited November 22, 2017 by dddave

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I think I've tried Foodland's TG dinners a couple times over the years, from the Suk 16 and Suk 5 branches at different times. I wouldn't say they were good, but perhaps not as bad IMO as you suggest, but then again, I went in with modest expectations considering the place and country. As I recall, they tend to do their stuffing in loaf form, and then cut a very thin slice as their serving.

 

But to put it in another perspective, would I say that the TG offering at Dean and DeLuca was twice as good as Foodland's offering for nearly twice the price? No, I wouldn't. The D&D turkey, though, was good, and there was a reasonable portion of a couple white meat slices on top with some dark meat scraps underneath. BTW, in terms of dressing, I tried and wasn't a fan of D&D's riceberry-based "stuffing."

 

 

Edited November 22, 2017 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Spaniel]

Wife and I are going to Sunrise Tacos at Fashion Island tomorrow for Thanksgiving.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Well, I picked up my 329b Thanksgiving dinner from Foodland this afternoon, and it was/is... hmmm......

 

First off, it turns out what they're actually offering is a turkey AND ham dinner. And, at least at the Soi 5 outlet, their Took Lae Dee cafe only accepts cash, no cards. And, for some reason, once I walked in and ordered, it took them a good half hour or more to produce the food...why... I'm not at all sure.

 

Today, they had a small poster up advertising the meal:

 

Once I got it home and unpacked it, here's what it looked like:

 

Gravy and clam chowder soup in bags to the left. Bread and potato at 10. Ham I think at 9. Turkey, small dark meat chunks at 6-8. Carrots and turnips at 3-5. Corn cob and a stuffing slice at 1-3. Blueberry pie slice hiding in the fridge. (Ohh... I can't find any cranberry anywhere....)

 

All in all, the meats seem to be the most disappointing. I don't know what kind of "ham" the white, charred stuff is supposed to be. And the turkey for whatever reason looks mostly dark also....and not an actual "slice" anywhere to be found. More like scraps...

 

Ohh well... live and learn.... 

Edited November 23, 2017 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[GuiseppeD]

37 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Well, I picked up my 329b Thanksgiving dinner from Foodland this afternoon, and it was/is... hmmm......

I shouldn't laugh but ...

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

5 minutes ago, GuiseppeD said:

I shouldn't laugh but ...

Needless to say, I wasn't expecting gourmet. But it was a fair distance short of that, a far fair distance short...

 

But that's OK, as I'll be gorging soon on the real thing in the States, making today's misadventure a faint and mildly unpleasant memory....

 

And actually, I just ate the clam chowder, and it wasn't bad, actually had a lot of real clams and potato pieces -- at least I "think" it did...

 

 

Edited November 23, 2017 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[GuiseppeD]

Just now, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Needless to say, I wasn't expecting gourmet. But it was a fair distance short of that, a far fair distance short...

 

But that's OK, as I'll be gorging soon on the real thing in the States, making today's misadventure a faint and mildly unpleasant memory....

 

Look on the bright side, the sweetcorn looked appetising and nutritious.  About the only thing on the plate that did, but hey ho. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 minute ago, GuiseppeD said:

Look on the bright side, the sweetcorn looked appetising and nutritious.  About the only thing on the plate that did, but hey ho. 

 

There's always the canned blueberry pie for desert...

 

BTW, just to be fair, I've had Foodland's Thanksgiving dinners a few times in the past (when they were straight turkey, not the current mixed turkey and mystery meat version), and those weren't so bad. Today's version, for whatever reason, seems to be a step downward.

 

Edited November 23, 2017 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[VocalNeal]

The Bangkok Thursday hash are meeting up at the Sportsman Pub on soi 13. 199B to those in the know!

[bkk6060]

Went to Bourbon Street for Thanksgiving.

The place was packed but a very good buffet about 1000 b a person.

I would go again next year.

[dddave]

17 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Went to Bourbon Street for Thanksgiving.

The place was packed but a very good buffet about 1000 b a person.

I would go again next year.

Over the years, Bourbon St. has consistently delivered a very good Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner at a reasonable price.  I can't remember ever reading a poor review.

I guess that's why the place was packed, and probably will be at Christmas as well.  

[bkk6060]

19 minutes ago, dddave said:

Over the years, Bourbon St. has consistently delivered a very good Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner at a reasonable price.  I can't remember ever reading a poor review.

I guess that's why the place was packed, and probably will be at Christmas as well.  

Yes, I got the tip from an older thread on here.  Many options not just the traditional Thanksgiving fare. Beef and lamb and many sides.  Had a chocolate fudge ice cream sundae for dessert (after the pumpkin pie)

I was thinking The Marriott but it was over 3,000 b per person.

Maybe I will go the Bourbon St for Xmas also.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Let me just add, on a more somber note, after having eaten two of Foodland's Thanksgiving dinner sets at home over the past two days, I'm pretty sure I've had my first ever exposure to Thai turkey. Tough, almost like rubber, unless they totally/VASTLY overcooked anything from the U.S. But from the way the turkey slices/chunks were presented, I'm betting it was Thai turkey this year... NEVER AGAIN!!!!

Edited November 25, 2017 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 hour ago, bkk6060 said:

Yes, I got the tip from an older thread on here.  Many options not just the traditional Thanksgiving fare. Beef and lamb and many sides.  Had a chocolate fudge ice cream sundae for dessert (after the pumpkin pie)

I was thinking The Marriott but it was over 3,000 b per person.

Maybe I will go the Bourbon St for Xmas also.

I had considered that, and if it was just for me, I wouldn't have had any problem. Bourbon Street's food is generally OK. But at 1K for me plus another 1K for the Thai wife, who doesn't eat that much and really isn't wild for turkey, just didn't seem to make sense.

 

In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, when I asked her, she'd say, yes, she wanted turkey. And repeated that a couple times to me, but I wasn't believing it. Then on the day of Thanksgiving, when I pressed her again, last-chance on the subject, not surprisingly, she changed her tune and said BEEF STEAK instead.  I pretty much knew that was coming, which is why I held off on having the two of us go out for restaurant turkey dinners/buffets.

 

And yes, I do know and realize that Bourbon Street has more on their Thanksgiving/Christmas buffet menus than just turkey. But my wife is a pretty finicky eater especially when it comes to western stuff. Some things she really likes and will eat like STEAK, but a lot of others, she simply won't touch. Ahh...the things we put up with.... 

 

 

Edited November 25, 2017 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Spaniel]

On 11/22/2017 at 3:44 PM, Spaniel said:

Wife and I are going to Sunrise Tacos at Fashion Island tomorrow for Thanksgiving.

Well wife and I did go to Sunrise Tacos for Thanksgiving.    It was our first time trying Sunrise and we thought they served pretty good Mexican food although I'm sure some of the Mexican food purist could find fault.     What I didn't like was on the bill they added a 10 % service charge and the VAT.     I would have left a tip anyway, I just don't like when they automatically include it.     And the VAT in most places is already included in the menu price not added later to the bill.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

3 hours ago, Spaniel said:

 I would have left a tip anyway, I just don't like when they automatically include it.     And the VAT in most places is already included in the menu price not added later to the bill.

 

Most of the regular restaurants I encounter around BKK seem to do the 10% plus 7% extra routine. A relatively smaller few include the VAT in the menu price, and even fewer don't automatically add the 10%.

[Spaniel]

19 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Most of the regular restaurants I encounter around BKK seem to do the 10% plus 7% extra routine. A relatively smaller few include the VAT in the menu price, and even fewer don't automatically add the 10%.

I guess I should get out more!