Ragu Rustic Italiano, Promenada

[BritManToo]

1 minute ago, moontang said:

a farmer friend gets a little over 2 THB per Kg of italian cooking tomatoes in California...I doubt they can do that here.  Olives?  much less in US.  

I come from the UK, nothing is cheap in the UK.

If I had a US passport, I'd be living in America.

[Trujillo]

cost-of-living/compare_countries

 

Indices Difference
Consumer Prices in United Kingdom are 3.82% lower than in United States
Consumer Prices Including Rent in United Kingdom are 9.41% lower than in United States
Rent Prices in United Kingdom are 20.47% lower than in United States
Restaurant Prices in United Kingdom are 8.00% higher than in United States
Groceries Prices in United Kingdom are 21.43% lower than in United States
Local Purchasing Power in United Kingdom is 12.36% lower than in United States

Edited July 28, 2018 by Trujillo

[moontang]

1 minute ago, BritManToo said:

I come from the UK, nothing is cheap in the UK.

If I had a US passport, I'd be living in America.

the variety, freshness, quality, and supplies of food are impressive.  I still have nightmares about the sideburn wearing, Fred Flintstone feminazis, trying to ruin my workday.  Last time I was home they were clearing out pitted, jumbo olives stuffed with blue cheese..50 cents per jar...from Cali...would run close to 8 USD here.

[junglechef]

On 7/28/2018 at 2:57 PM, BritManToo said:

You think restaurants don't use frozen cheese? and probably frozen pizza base? and frozen everything else?

(or any other pizza place in Thailand) Hint; it takes 2hrs to make a pizza base from fresh ingredients.

Cheese's high fat content makes it suitable for freezing 

[junglechef]

On 7/28/2018 at 3:37 PM, Trujillo said:

BritManToo wrote, "I can make a nice pizza at home for under 50bht, once a restaurant exceeds my 100% extra rule, I consider it 'overpriced'."

...and:

"Last pizza (325bht) I had at Duke's had around 5bht of chicken on top (if that).

Couldn't have cost more than 30bht for ingredients, which was why it was my last pizza there."

 

First, there is no pizza at The Duke's that costs 325 baht: The Duke's Menu

 

Second, do you really think you can get a pizza anywhere at a restaurant for 100 baht? 

Where did you get this arbitrary 100% "rule"?

 

Or are you saying that you never eat at restaurants, and only at food stalls or supermarket food courts?

 

What is this fixation with the price of a meal in a restaurant being solely based on the cost of the individual ingredients?

 

"Profitable restaurants usually keep food costs within 28 to 35 percent of gross income. This applies to the cost of food and waste, employee meals and theft. When you cost food, you analyze how much it costs to make each item on your menu. When you determine overall food cost percentages, you have to include waste.

You can add all your expenses and subtract your inventory to determine total food costs, but pricing foods is a bit trickier. Once you’ve analyzed all the ingredient costs that go into a dish, you can divide the total by 0.35 to get the minimum cost that you need to charge. For example, a filet mignon might cost $6.00. The ingredients for the salad, baked potato and vegetable might total an additional $3.00 for a total cost of $9.00.

When you divide $9.00 by 0.35, you get a minimum cost of $25.71. You might charge $25.99 for a filet mignon entrée or more if similar restaurants get higher prices for a comparable meal."

https://www.gourmetmarketing.net/costing-pricing-food-regular-menus-catering-services-special-events/

 

But I like the line from the WSJ the best: "To be fair, focusing on the cost of a restaurant meal's raw ingredients is like calculating the value of a Picasso based on the cost of the paint."

 

Those food costs calculations do not apply here as other 65-72% is factoring in labor, rent etc in Western costs. Should be lower then 28% here, actually they aren't correct for USA either, even with lower labor costs of a country that pays servers less due to tipping. For example the food costs at my pizzeria were closer to 10% in New Hampshire, and though this was over 30 yrs ago and some things expenses have risen faster then inflation such as insurance, it still is indicative of the present. 

[junglechef]

On 7/28/2018 at 5:39 PM, moontang said:

a farmer friend gets a little over 2 THB per Kg of italian cooking tomatoes in California...I doubt they can do that here.  Olives?  much less in US.  

Is this retail? 

[junglechef]

On 7/28/2018 at 8:05 AM, VIBE said:

Sorry, but thats a stupid way to value something.  Example, my wife sells natural latex mattresses on line, and they go for thousands of baht.  Does that mean there is that much latex in them?  No, not even close.  The latex is from trees here in Thailand, so you can imagine what it costs.  However, the multi million dollar factory that buys that latex, builds the factory, buys the equipment, hires and trains the staff, pays all overheads and then markets their product, has to cover their costs and make a profit.  You have no idea about business at all, and I am sure Dukes will not miss your patronage.  

 

Also, how embarrassing for you that you just told the world you actually spent your time and mental energy trying to figure out what the ingredients of their pizza costs.  Most people that go out to eat at such establishment want to enjoy their food and have good conversations with friends and family.  Kinda sad really.  

Embarrassing to do a little math to figure out something that interests oneself that has to due with something that they often purchase? 

But not for a once in a lifetime purchase such as "natural latex mattress", that I for one don't even really know what that is and doubt i have or ever will buy one, that a better use of one's time?

Just ask anyone if they like pizza and what it's made with ?

[moontang]

4 hours ago, junglechef said:

Is this retail? 

you go to the farm in Hollister, they aim the chute at your container, you pay him, and drive away.  Most use double open bed semi-trailers..at 23 tons per trip.  approximately 46,000 THB worth.

[simoh1490]

On 7/28/2018 at 5:42 PM, BritManToo said:

I come from the UK, nothing is cheap in the UK.

If I had a US passport, I'd be living in America.

I've been in the UK for the past three weeks, trust me when I say that food prices here are very cheap compared to the US and also many things seem cheaper or the same as in Thailand currently - my weekly (food only) shop here appears less than it would be in Thailand but of course I'm buying different types of foodstuffs than I would back in Thailand...as a rule of thumb I'm spending about five Pounds per day on kitchen prepared food, under 220 baht.

[suzannegoh]

On 7/25/2018 at 3:36 AM, EL159 said:

So when immigration leaves Promenada the ghost town it is now will stay the same?  Apart from Rimping theres hardly any customers at any shops ever in Promenada! It saddens me to say that by the way, would love it to succeed, but even Uniqlo who are very astute in their retailing practises upped and left !

From the beginning that mall has seemed to do poor business except for some of the restaurants.  Unlike most malls that people go to for shopping and maybe they'll have a meal while there, people seem to go to the Promenada to eat and maybe they will shop while there.

[junglechef]

On 7/30/2018 at 10:10 AM, moontang said:

you go to the farm in Hollister, they aim the chute at your container, you pay him, and drive away.  Most use double open bed semi-trailers..at 23 tons per trip.  approximately 46,000 THB worth.

That's one big pizza pie!

[moontang]

57 minutes ago, junglechef said:

That's one big pizza pie!

he let me fill my car up with bell peppers for two six packs of beer.  Those run 7 THB per Kg.  Most don't realize reds are just mature greens..he actually touts the ones in the middle of the color change and calls them "chocolates.". Peppers are hand picked, tomatoes by machine.  

Edited August 1, 2018 by moontang

[BritManToo]

On 7/30/2018 at 12:35 PM, simoh1490 said:

I've been in the UK for the past three weeks, trust me when I say that food prices here are very cheap compared to the US and also many things seem cheaper or the same as in Thailand currently - my weekly (food only) shop here appears less than it would be in Thailand but of course I'm buying different types of foodstuffs than I would back in Thailand...as a rule of thumb I'm spending about five Pounds per day on kitchen prepared food, under 220 baht.

Well I was living in the UK until 2 months ago, and it was more expensive for almost everything.

I guess if I only shopped in Rimping I might have a different idea on prices.

Edited August 1, 2018 by BritManToo

[simoh1490]

6 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Well I was living in the UK until 2 months ago, and it was more expensive for almost everything.

I guess if I only shopped in Rimping I might have a different idea on prices.

I guess if I only shopped in Rimping I would think the same thing, but as said previously, we've lived in Thailand for 16 years and we shop predominantly at local markets outside of Chiang Mai.

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, simoh1490 said:

I guess if I only shopped in Rimping I would think the same thing, but as said previously, we've lived in Thailand for 16 years and we shop predominantly at local markets outside of Chiang Mai.

So tell us what you found more expensive in Thailand?

 

Local Market prices outside Chiang Mai

Bell Peppers 8 for 20bht, Dragonfruit 4 for 20bht, Large Pineapples 10bht, potatoes 20bht/Kg.

[moontang]

9 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

So tell us what you found more expensive in Thailand?

 

Local Market prices outside Chiang Mai

Bell Peppers 8 for 20bht, Dragonfruit 4 for 20bht, Large Pineapples 10bht, potatoes 20bht/Kg.

they had 5 Kg of Dragon for 50 in all last week.  Paid 20 yesterday for 75 limes.  Stuff those bells with pork and rice noodle...can do in steamer..

[simoh1490]

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

So tell us what you found more expensive in Thailand?

 

Local Market prices outside Chiang Mai

Bell Peppers 8 for 20bht, Dragonfruit 4 for 20bht, Large Pineapples 10bht, potatoes 20bht/Kg.

Like for like comparisons are not easy, Dragonfruit, for example, represents imported boutique fruit into the UK hence expensive if not even attainable in most non-major city locations, cheap as chips in Thailand but peng mak in the UK! If you want to go down that road I will cite the 210 baht for a 250 gram block of mainland cheese in Thailand versus the 250 baht (five pounds) for the 750 grams of West Country Mature Cheddar I just bought from M&S.

 

Let's try basic staples, ground pork, chicken breasts, milk per litre, that sort of thing - off the top of my head, two litres of milk in Thailand costs 92 baht whereas a gallon of milk here costs one Pound or 44 baht.

 

Sorry I forgot to add: Pineapples are cheap right now, we all know that so don't cherry pick!!! You did NOT buy 8 bell peppers for 20 baht, not bell peppers as we would know them, we shop in the same markets, remember!

 

Finally, here's what numbeo has to say on the subject of price differentials between the two locations, note that the difference in food prices is only circa 10%, BUT look what those products are, hardly staples, most of them.

https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=Thailand&country2=United+Kingdom&city1=Chiang+Mai&city2=Lancaster

 

 

Edited August 1, 2018 by simoh1490

[BritManToo]

9 hours ago, simoh1490 said:

You did NOT buy 8 bell peppers for 20 baht, not bell peppers as we would know them, we shop in the same markets, remember!

Can't show you the peppers as I cut them up and freeze them for Pizza toppings.

In my bag of 4 peppers I get one large red or yellow, and 3 smaller green (I usually buy 2 bags as I like a red and a yellow).

The stall has been selling them for at least the last 4 years at that price (10bht/bag),

You most certainly don't shop there, Thai/Burmese and me only, and I like it that way.

 

 

Edited August 2, 2018 by BritManToo

[Shoeless Joe]

Meanwhile...back to Ragu at Promenada and the poor service. I've been back during the last few days and sad to say,  not much has changed. Walked in around noon, immediately presented with menu and then left alone for 10 minutes while the waiting staff studiously avoided any eye contact. Eventually they could ignore me no more and took my order for tomato soup with garlic bread and some bottled water. The soup arrived and was tepid at best and remarkably tasteless too and the garlic bread was stale. Not wishing to prolong the "lunchtime experience", I ate quickly and left. There was one other customer at the time, maybe 4 waiting staff and 2 cooks. All in all I'd give it 3/10 and 2 of those marks are because it was spotlessly clean.

 

Regards,

 

Joe