Disappointing Night at The River Market

[lordblackader]

I've never understood the appeal of River Market - the only people who seem to recommend it are older expats who can't stomach normal Thai food.

 

There's nothing wrong with the quality of the food - nice meat/ seafood etc but it's dumbed down Thai food for foreigners who can't handle spice. It lacks the spices and richness you usually get in Thai food and you pay 2-3x more than you'd pay elsewhere. 

[cyberfarang]

On 6/10/2018 at 7:12 AM, suzannegoh said:

I’m sorry but that excuse is not valid and blaming the size of the crowd and the style of the music is ridiculous.  You made an announcement before the singing began, we were closer to the stage than half of the people in the restaurant, and that was inaudible too.  If a sound system is working so poorly that the MC can’t be heard, then of course the system is not ready for use in a show.  And then to then complain that you got a poor yield when the hat was passed for donations – that takes a lot of cheek.
 

It`s arrogance and losing face. Sorry; it`s not me, it`s all the others.

 

Why would anyone want to be associated with people like that? It`s about time there was some serious competition in Chiang Mai and give these people a run for their money.

[NancyL]

3 hours ago, cyberfarang said:

It`s arrogance and losing face. Sorry; it`s not me, it`s all the others.

 

Why would anyone want to be associated with people like that? It`s about time there was some serious competition in Chiang Mai and give these people a run for their money.

My goodness.  Didn't I say that David was very upset that the sound system wasn't working the way his supplier and the technician said it was?  Didn't I apologize that as the sponsor of the event, our club didn't check it out properly.  I did mention other contributing factors like the size of the crowd, the late RSVPs, but ultimately we all know it was the crummy sound system.  

[Bill97]

Ultimately It was crummy management that failed to check out the sound system.


Sent from my iPod touch using Thaivisa Connect

[simoh1490]

Sacrificial lambs have been slaughtered, Nancy, David, CMRC, the gods of envy must surely be appeased by now!

 

Perhaps a better way out might have been to throw hands in the air and say sorry, we screwed up, it won't happen again, move on.

 

[scottiejohn]

On ‎6‎/‎10‎/‎2018 at 12:37 PM, idman said:

those who bitch and moan about paying too much most likely are the Archa beer for lunch bunch you see in places like Un Irish, Geeko, Maddog

You are not comparing like with like! 

The bars you mention are bars/restaurants that cater for both long term expats on a very regular basis, and tourists eating and drinking all the levels of food and drink available.  They do not all drink Archa (is it still available?).

 

Riverside, Dukes, Good View, Specialist Country Style Restaurants (Italian, French) Hotel meals etc are all different catchment areas for totally different clientele/functions. Expats and Thais will take their resident friends and occasionally their visiting expat friends to them, but not on a daily basis as with the bars mentioned above.. 

 

I do not think that resident expats will frequent these places as often as the bars mentioned above.  I do not see why expats would want to pay the exaggerated prices asked by these establishments just to see a "view" they walk past every day/night and when they can get much better Thai food made freshly by their family at home.  

Edited June 11, 2018 by scottiejohn

[Katia]

22 hours ago, suzannegoh said:

I called them “famed” but they are not the Rolling Stones nor even Carabao, they  are a collegiate group from Yale that contains a different group senior year students each year.   They are famous mainly because they are the female incarnation of a long running male group at Yale called the Wiffenpoofs who has had a few famous alumini and has occasionally been the subject of conspiracy theories, but it’s hard to say how well known they are outside of New Haven.   So I wouldn’t expect them to have a huge budget for sound systems while traveling, if any budget for that at all.    

But they're apparently well-known enough that expats flocked to see them.  That's what I meant.  Unless the night life is that boring in CM, or every expat in CM is from New Haven, I wouldn't think that usually a college girl singing group would be much on anyone's radar... so obviously there's something about them that people are turning out in that kind of numbers to watch them perform.

 

And yes, in future they might need to think about their performance venues if they want to be heard.  Trust me, I've been there-- the choir I used to belong to in the U.S. does a popular Christmas event every year in a city.  I sang at it once and never again, as it was a long drive to sing in a big room of a museum packed with people who were talking so loudly I could barely hear myself or the person next to me-- I'm sure the "audience" heard nothing.  Pointless, in my book, but I suppose the director felt it was getting the choir's name out there.  It depends on the choir's motive for a performance, I guess.

[impulse]

8 hours ago, lordblackader said:

I've never understood the appeal of River Market - the only people who seem to recommend it are older expats who can't stomach normal Thai food.

 

There's nothing wrong with the quality of the food - nice meat/ seafood etc but it's dumbed down Thai food for foreigners who can't handle spice. It lacks the spices and richness you usually get in Thai food and you pay 2-3x more than you'd pay elsewhere. 

 

I've never understood the appeal of River Market

 

it's dumbed down Thai food for foreigners who can't handle spice.

 

Asked.  And answered. 

 

Some of us don't care for spicy food.  Others (like me) simply can't tolerate it on bona fide medical grounds.  I can't count the number of times I've gone home hungry when someone hauled me to a place where the food came in very spicy, extra spicy and stupid spicy- and that after I tell them I can't take spicy food.  It's like the people who can't stand to see someone go out and not drink after they've been informed their guest doesn't because they're an alkie.  Downright rude.

 

[simoh1490]

15 hours ago, lordblackader said:

I've never understood the appeal of River Market - the only people who seem to recommend it are older expats who can't stomach normal Thai food.

 

There's nothing wrong with the quality of the food - nice meat/ seafood etc but it's dumbed down Thai food for foreigners who can't handle spice. It lacks the spices and richness you usually get in Thai food and you pay 2-3x more than you'd pay elsewhere. 

If you can't afford to eat there, just say so, we'll understand.

[Trujillo]

but ultimately we all know it was the crummy sound system. 

 

I thought the sound system was new and had been tested before the event successfully. Again, what was the problem with the system? By now you must have troubleshooted the issue and know what happened...What happened? 

[Loaded]

Did anyone place a bottle of green fanta and a fried egg next to the statute of a black Rama 5 in the spirit house? If not, it's hardly a surprise things didn't go to plan.

[Puwa]

I've heard that the River Market is on the site if an old graveyard, and this unfortunate location is the source of its woe.

[moontang]

3 hours ago, Puwa said:

I've heard that the River Market is on the site if an old graveyard, and this unfortunate location is the source of its woe.

They were just describing the expats, who regularly gather there.

[Ulysses G.]

On 6/10/2018 at 10:01 PM, lordblackader said:

I've never understood the appeal of River Market - the only people who seem to recommend it are older expats who can't stomach normal Thai food.

 

There's nothing wrong with the quality of the food - nice meat/ seafood etc but it's dumbed down Thai food for foreigners who can't handle spice. It lacks the spices and richness you usually get in Thai food and you pay 2-3x more than you'd pay elsewhere. 

If I remember correctly, the recipes are mostly from Royal cuisine, so not dumbed down at all, just different from more common fare.

[Jeffkp]

On 6/9/2018 at 3:34 PM, Ulysses G. said:

His chain has some of the best foreign restaurants in Thailand, so he probably does not have to "threaten" people often. ?

Really? REALLY????

[moontang]

3 hours ago, Jeffkp said:

Really? REALLY????

Read the reviews on Hard Rock...many complaints about pricing...same defensive, arrogant, robotic  replies from management.  I wouldn't go in there to throw up.

[scottiejohn]

On ‎6‎/‎12‎/‎2018 at 4:54 PM, Puwa said:

River Market is on the site if an old graveyard

Going by the state and age of the clientele I see attending the place and the comments made here on this site I would suggest it is very much an ongoing graveyard but a dying restaurant.

[scottiejohn]

1 hour ago, moontang said:

Read the reviews on Hard Rock...many complaints about pricing...same defensive, arrogant, robotic  replies from management.  I wouldn't go in there to throw up.

Unless you NEED a hearing aid and can turn it off there is no point in going to that overpriced, overrated F*cking noisy  dump.

[ExpatInCM]

The building has very poor acoustics to begin with. They should have refunded your 1500 baht.

[simoh1490]

I eat in the River Market about once a month, I'd eat there more often but I live out a ways. I like the food, it's interesting, tasty without being too spicy, served in a  pleasant setting and I know the standards of hygiene are quite high. I don't think it's expensive, a meal for two comprising several dishes is rarely over THB 850 or so, each to their own.

[scottiejohn]

1 hour ago, simoh1490 said:

I like the food, it's interesting

How can food be 'interesting'?  Surely you are there to eat the food and as you say enjoy the 'view', not discussing the latest politics or pension/exchange rates.  I just did not know that food had that much interest in our human thoughts.

 

[simoh1490]

25 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

How can food be 'interesting'?  Surely you are there to eat the food and as you say enjoy the 'view', not discussing the latest politics or pension/exchange rates.  I just did not know that food had that much interest in our human thoughts.

 

Of course food can be interesting, how can it not be! When you sit down to eat a dish you've perhaps not eaten before do you not savour the food and wonder what they've put into the dish to make it taste that way, how was it prepared to make you enjoy it so much. I don't know how it is for others but when I go out to eat it's not merely a case of shovelling carbohydrates, protein and fat into my gullet, it's about enjoying the experience, the different taste and flavours and about savouring the experience. If it wasn't those things I doubt I would ever go out to eat.

[jamieoutlook]

1 hour ago, scottiejohn said:

How can food be 'interesting'?  Surely you are there to eat the food and as you say enjoy the 'view', not discussing the latest politics or pension/exchange rates.  I just did not know that food had that much interest in our human thoughts.

 

How can food not be "interesting"? more to the point.

[Trujillo]

Still no reply on why the sound system failed. 

[Dante99]

It did not fail, some human failed to turn the dials and swithches properly and/or failed to plug in cables properly.  

[cyberfarang]

7 hours ago, simoh1490 said:

Of course food can be interesting, how can it not be! When you sit down to eat a dish you've perhaps not eaten before do you not savour the food and wonder what they've put into the dish to make it taste that way, how was it prepared to make you enjoy it so much. I don't know how it is for others but when I go out to eat it's not merely a case of shovelling carbohydrates, protein and fat into my gullet, it's about enjoying the experience, the different taste and flavours and about savouring the experience. If it wasn't those things I doubt I would ever go out to eat.

A lot of these places are very commercial and touristy. Restaurants in the town are geared up for tourists, those that may eat there once, pay their bills and then go, something like a conveyor belt system, a mechanical service. They don`t really care about regular customers or expats and why it`s all rather fast and furious, the personal touch isn`t there and don`t expect there ever will be.

 

This is why those types of restaurants don`t appeal to me, would rather eat in a more humble and friendly environment, which I do.

[simoh1490]

4 hours ago, cyberfarang said:

A lot of these places are very commercial and touristy. Restaurants in the town are geared up for tourists, those that may eat there once, pay their bills and then go, something like a conveyor belt system, a mechanical service. They don`t really care about regular customers or expats and why it`s all rather fast and furious, the personal touch isn`t there and don`t expect there ever will be.

 

This is why those types of restaurants don`t appeal to me, would rather eat in a more humble and friendly environment, which I do.

I don't mind that, I don't think I want to be cared about when I go to a restaurant, leave me alone I'm here to eat kinda thing - I just want to know the food will be as good as I expect it to be. I like repeatability on a restaurant, often I go to a Thai restaurant that I like and the cook has changed and the dish I liked so much is now not pleasant, that doesn't happen at David's restaurants and if it should I know he'll replace it.We used to go to a well known salad restaurant near Homepro where the food was very good, we were regulars and were well known. One day we went there because we'd both been daydreaming about grilled sea bass and we were starving, when the food arrived it was appalling. When we complained they looked at us with this blank stare and did nothing so we never went back - I don't like that and I avoid such places.

[chingmai331]

Well Simoh, here's a case where i fully agree with you: what you don't like, avoid in the future.  Certainly true if management is annoying but more difficult to assess when the patrons are asses.  

[ChakaKhan]

On 6/8/2018 at 11:32 PM, EL159 said:

Apparently the owner of "this chain" has a habit of threatening people who dont say great things about his places! Be careful!

Can confirm, as I interviewed with him about a job, met his current chef who informed me he is tight with the BiB

[sfokevin]

11 hours ago, Dante99 said:

It did not fail, some human failed to turn the dials and swithches properly and/or failed to plug in cables properly.  

And it should be pointed out that that human was not a Thai... But a foreigner... #TheUsualSuspects..

 #TAT...  

Edited June 17, 2018 by sfokevin