Why Almost Every Town in America has a Thai Restaurant

[Jingthing]

5 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

Yes.  Grew up in Los Angeles County.  Presently I would not go to Hollywood(Thai Town is adjacent to Hollywood).  The Thai markets and restaurants in Thai Town are very good and authentic but once you roam throughout Los Angeles County and throughout California you do not know what you will get once you in step into a Thai Restaurant. Stepped into a questionable Thai restaurant in Porterville, CA(this town 60 miles north of Bakersfield).  The employees sounded like they were speaking Tagalog? 

I lived in big cities in the US. There if you cared it wasn't hard at all to find the very good real flavor places. Also there are Thai concentrations other than LA even on the east coast. But the west coast is best for fresh Asian produce. There is also an overlap in ingredients with the much larger Vietnamese population.

[bang saen guy]

1 hour ago, Albert Zweistein said:

I know, I had the same experience in Shanghai.

When I was working in Shanghai, I ate mostly at Hooter's

[Tarteso]

2 hours ago, fulhamster said:

Have you ever tried a Big Mac in Thailand  ??

would put you off burgers for life  ????????

Sadly last time I stepped on a Burger Shop was in 1990. ????

However In Thailand, I make my own burger with Australian beef.✌️

[Tarteso]

55 minutes ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

People like Coca-Cola?

people In Thailand?… If possible with double sugar ????

[Albert Zweistein]

59 minutes ago, bang saen guy said:

When I was working in Shanghai, I ate mostly at Hooter's

But not for the delicious food I think ?

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, bang saen guy said:

When I was working in Shanghai, I ate mostly at Hooter's

Seems like a waste!

 

Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations S03E08 - Shanghai - video Dailymotion

[bang saen guy]

36 minutes ago, Albert Zweistein said:

But not for the delicious food I think ?

Not for the food

[bunnydrops]

14 hours ago, sirineou said:

Ethnic food in various countries is modified to appeal to the pallet of the people that are part of the market it tries  to reach.

I am sure it is the same on the planet you are on . 

  I have not been to every town so I don't know, but most I have been have one, 

Everyone likes Thai food , Though my wife is such fabulous Thai cook I am often disappointed by the fair at Thai restaurants in the US, and when in Thailand , in Khon Kaen where we are , where the restaurants cater to the local pallet and  use too much sugar, an a lot of stinky ...... 

Don't forget the two tablespoons of MSG

[Fore Man]

I lived in Thailand for 16 years and on one of my frequent business trips back to the US, my son, who had visited us in Chiang Mai many times and who loves Thai cuisine, took me to a popular Thai restaurant in Baton Rouge.  He raved over their ‘authentic’ dishes and wanted me to enjoy them too.  But after being served my so-called Gaeng Massaman Gai, I called over the young Asian-looking waitress, who appeared not to be of Thai extraction (and spoke no Thai either, but that’s typical of most second generation Thais living in America) and asked her in Thai what was the nationality of the chef.  She gave me a sheepish look and explained her family came from Taiwan and she could not understand any Thai.  But in English, I repeated my question and she said the cook was from Vietnam.  In fact, no employee there was of Thai extraction.  My son was crestfallen, having absolutely fallen in love with the place…thinking he’d found his own little piece of Siam located smack in the Cajun country of Louisiana.  I explained that this was a commonplace occurrence in ‘Thai’ restaurants, because Americans seem to equate tasty, exotic oriental food with Thailand and are more apt to patronize a ‘Thai’ themed eatery when they want to go out and enjoy something really different. Most will never know what real Thai cuisine looks or tastes like and only a rare minuscule will ever set foot in Thailand….especially right now!

[thaipara]

On 12/25/2021 at 7:59 AM, Jingthing said:

Well most small cities anyway.

Of course with no definition of "small" the statement is irrefutable. In my small city there no Thai restaurant but we do have two Chinese eateries and one Japanese. The nearest larger city also has no place to buy somtam. I doubt that they know what they are missing. 

[SiSePuede419]

18 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Agree, almost everything in China was inedible.

I loved Chinese food in the UK, but it didn't exist in China.

I tried some more "authentic" Chinese food in San Francisco a couple of weeks ago.  It was a noodle bowl with pork and pickled vegetables.  But it was a combination of parts, and there was some spongy part, which I wondered was pig brain?!?

 

Maybe a little too authentic, like those 3 for a dollar tacos in Tijuana back in the 90s that could have been dog meat, 555.

 

But still delicious.  Don't know what you're on about. ????

[SiSePuede419]

5 hours ago, Fore Man said:

called over the young Asian-looking waitress, who appeared not to be of Thai extraction (and spoke no Thai either, but that’s typical of most second generation Thais living in America) and asked her in Thai...

Ohhh.  I learned that's a no no in America.  First like you said, they're probably not even Thai.

 

Second, if they're American Thai they probably think because you can speak Thai, you're a despicable sex tourist.

 

If you want to practice your Thai, don't do it at American Thai restaurants. ????

 

Edited December 26, 2021 by SiSePuede419

[SiSePuede419]

12 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Authentic Japanese?

Yes.

Korean bibimbap?

Yes.

Falafel?

Yes.

Greek gyros?

Yes 

Foams?

No but haven't looked.

None of those international items are as good in Thailand as they are in America.

 

Think about it.

 

If you are a top chef, would you rather move to America or Thailand.  Ain't gonna make "big money" in Thailand.

 

And the fact that you never tried modern cuisine tells me you don't know as much about food as you think you do.  It's been around for 20-30 years. 

 

You can even get it in Bangkok. 

 

Which is where the "sophisticated" Farangs supposedly live. ????

 

But once again, it's not going to be as good as modern cuisine restaurants in America. 

 

Yes,I think I know about food than you. 

 

I was a chef in Manhattan.  And I've been to dozens of top restaurants in America, as well as hundreds of "Diners, Dives", simple bbq joints in the South,as well as hipster Mexican restaurants with corn fungus, blue corn tortillas, etc.

 

Dude ????

 

 

Edited December 26, 2021 by SiSePuede419

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, SiSePuede419 said:

None of those international items are as good in Thailand as they are in America.

 

Think about it.

 

If you are a top chef, would you rather move to America or Thailand.  Ain't gonna make "big money" in Thailand.

 

And the fact that you never tried modern cuisine tells me you don't know as much about food as you think you do.  It's been around for 20-30 years. 

 

You can even get it in Bangkok. 

 

Which is where the "sophisticated" Farangs supposedly live. ????

 

But once again, it's not going to be as good as modern cuisine restaurants in America. 

 

Yes,I think I know about food than you. 

 

I was a chef in Manhattan.  And I've been to dozens of top restaurants in America, as well as hundreds of "Diners, Dives", simple bbq joints in the South,as well as hipster Mexican restaurants with corn fungus, blue corn tortillas, etc.

 

Dude ????

 

 

Wow, how arrogant. 

You asked something else before and I answered.

For example you didn't ask if I've had the best falafel in the world in Thailand, just if I've had falafel here. 

You didn't ask if I've had the best Japanese food in the world in Thailand, just authentic Japanese food that isn't sushi.

You didn't like the answer and assertion that your list was hard to find when in my experience that isn't true. Went against your false assumptions.

Now you bait and switch and get into top chefs and make more assumptions about  my persoal exposure to good food in Thailand, the U.S., and many countries in the world. Hilariously bragging about blue corn stuff without asking if I have eaten well in Santa Fe New Mexico.  Talking about BBQ without asking if I have lived in the deep south. Talking about a very basic Korean dish without asking if I have lived near a major American Koreatown. 

Well, chefs as a profession are notoriously arrogant. Manhattan arrogance takes the cake. So everyone is stupid about food but you. Nobody that isn't a top chef has any taste or exposure to wonderful international  food. Sure thing, amigo. 
What a silly game.

Edited December 26, 2021 by Jingthing

[gargamon]

55 minutes ago, SiSePuede419 said:

like those 3 for a dollar tacos in Tijuana back in the 90s that could have been dog meat,

That was barbequed iguanas you were eating

[sirineou]

11 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Wow, how arrogant. 

You asked something else before and I answered.

You didn't like the answer. Went against your false assumptions.

Now you bait and switch and get into top chefs and make more assumptions about  my persoal exposure to good food in Thailand, the U.S., and many countries in the world.

Well, chefs as a profession are notoriously arrogant. Turns out many of them that think they are turning out great food really aren't.
What a silly game.

He said "And the fact that you never tried modern cuisine tells me you don't know as much about food as you think you do.  It's been around for 20-30 years.  "

That's like saying Try the soup Soup-du-jour , I had it last week and it was excellent ????

 

[Jingthing]

5 hours ago, thaipara said:

Of course with no definition of "small" the statement is irrefutable. In my small city there no Thai restaurant but we do have two Chinese eateries and one Japanese. The nearest larger city also has no place to buy somtam. I doubt that they know what they are missing. 

Just out of curiosity, what's the population of your small city?

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, SiSePuede419 said:

I tried some more "authentic" Chinese food in San Francisco a couple of weeks ago.  It was a noodle bowl with pork and pickled vegetables.  But it was a combination of parts, and there was some spongy part, which I wondered was pig brain?!?

 

Maybe a little too authentic, like those 3 for a dollar tacos in Tijuana back in the 90s that could have been dog meat, 555.

 

But still delicious.  Don't know what you're on about. ????

Chinese food is incredibly varied by region but it's fair to say that texture is very important in it. They eat everything. So some of their foods are more than a bit much for typical western palates. Westernized Chinese food often features goopy sweet sauces. I learned about "real" Chinese food in California going to places with Chinese customers and pointing to plates of food that weren't even listed on the menus they gave non-Chinese. Sometimes I would order a dish and was told they wouldn't serve it as I wouldn't like it. I usually pushed them anyway. Sometimes they were right (usually involving offal) and other times it was about wonderful strong flavors that I liked very, very much. You kind of have to waste some money to find the great stuff. Recently at a local authentic Chinese restaurant in Pattaya, I ordered a duck dish that didn't explain what it really was in Chinese, English, or Thai. It was all duck beaks. Unfortunately, I don't like duck beaks. 

[Jingthing]

38 minutes ago, sirineou said:

He said "And the fact that you never tried modern cuisine tells me you don't know as much about food as you think you do.  It's been around for 20-30 years.  "

That's like saying Try the soup Soup-du-jour , I had it last week and it was excellent ????

 

I've tried it. In Montreal. I haven't sought it out in Thailand which is what I said so I can't even comment on it's ease of availability here. I don't claim to be an expert on every food type (many but not every) and I doubt very many "top chefs" even in Manhattan are either. 

Edited December 26, 2021 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

6 hours ago, thaipara said:

Of course with no definition of "small" the statement is irrefutable. In my small city there no Thai restaurant but we do have two Chinese eateries and one Japanese. The nearest larger city also has no place to buy somtam. I doubt that they know what they are missing. 

Going into this deeper, here is a definition for you:

 

Quote

Class 2 cities are those with a population between 175,000 and 299,999 inhabitants, which includes Montgomery, Huntsville, and Mobile. 

I decided to randomly look at Alabama which is fairly or unfairly seen as more of a backwards state. Their big cities aren't very big at all.

 

ALL on this list over 100,00 population have multiple Thai restaurants according to google. I didn't check cities with 6,000 people as I don't regard them as cities.

 

The 10 Largest Cities In Alabama - WorldAtlas

 

Are some or even any of the Thai restaurants in Alabama very good and authentic? That I don't know but I wouldn't rule it out. 

 

 

 

Edited December 26, 2021 by Jingthing

[Dcheech]

2 hours ago, SiSePuede419 said:

Ohhh.  I learned that's a no no in America.  First like you said, they're probably not even Thai.

 

Second, if they're American Thai they probably think because you can speak Thai, you're a despicable sex tourist.

 

If you want to practice your Thai, don't do it at American Thai restaurants.

You found all that out on the job as a Manhattan chef, did you? ????  The one place I was able to use/practice Thai was at Thai restaurants after coming back from working in Thailand.

Try again.

[Dcheech]

12 hours ago, mikebike said:

Somehow you forgot about the hundreds of thousands of  G.I.s here during the war... think that may have had something to do with California in the 80s...

Excellent guess, but a guess nonetheless. Meanwhile, why did it take Vietnamese Pho so long to become popular in the US, as they had more than hundreds of thousands of ex GI's as  ready consumers? Food for thought.

Try again.

[SAFETY FIRST]

On 12/25/2021 at 6:26 PM, Highend Expat said:

Why Almost Every Town in America has a Thai Restaurant

Useless video

Good viewing for the gullible. 

 

 

It's because their food is delicious. 

????

[earlinclaifornia]

I think that is not at all the case in the entire South. I would say that almost all Asian restaurants have Mexicans as cooks.

Edited December 27, 2021 by earlinclaifornia

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, earlinclaifornia said:

I think that is not at all the case in the entire South. I would say that almost all Asian restaurants have Mexicans as cooks.

Latinos are working in restaurants of all kinds all over the country. Personally, I think people of different identities can be trained to make authentic tasting food IF supervised by someone that knows what the food is supposed to taste like, yes, usually a native.

 

Case in point I just had a carne asada super burrito today in Pattaya and while it wasn't the best in the world, it would pass as pretty, pretty, pretty good in the U.S.  (Mexicans don't do that kind of burrito.) I would bet the house the person cooking that burrito was neither American or Mexican but there was an American behind the training. Maybe not even Thai, could be Khmer, who knows? 

 

Of course the restaurant has to care about that to bother. If the customers don't care, why should the owners?

But again exceptions of high quality and authentic flavor do exist in the U.S. for most any type food you can mention, as there is a market for it.

Edited December 27, 2021 by Jingthing

[Highend Expat]

On 12/25/2021 at 8:34 PM, zzaa09 said:

Not authentic, as they're using local products of inferior quality [not local Asian quality] and many real items in Asian cuisines cannot be found nor imported. 

 

Like yourself, too many are fooled. 

Shouldn't surprise.

I must disagree... The quality of the key ingredients in the US are FAR  superior to what is found in Thailand. Think proteins and fresh vegetables.

 

What differs most are the spices which tend to be fresh in Thailand but dried and imported in the US.

 

Also, the taste is modified to suit US palate preferences.

[Highend Expat]

On 12/27/2021 at 6:57 AM, SAFETY FIRST said:

Useless video

Good viewing for the gullible. 

 

 

It's because their food is delicious. 

????

Governments across the world use various means to increase their soft power since donkey years.

 

Germans remade their image through autos.

 

Japanese through anime and sushi.

 

Koreans through kpop.

 

China trying through mass propaganda.

 

All of these were govt backed programs.

 

The Thai example is not unique.

[Jingthing]

3 hours ago, Highend Expat said:

Governments across the world use various means to increase their soft power since donkey years.

 

Germans remade their image through autos.

 

Japanese through anime and sushi.

 

Koreans through kpop.

 

China trying through mass propaganda.

 

All of these were govt backed programs.

 

The Thai example is not unique.

I agree. But the food angle is more distinctive. Its about soft power.

[The Hammer2021]

On 12/25/2021 at 7:05 PM, Jingthing said:

Chinese in California fleeing persecution and deportation.

Here we go  lol

[Jingthing]

3 hours ago, Highend Expat said:

I must disagree... The quality of the key ingredients in the US are FAR  superior to what is found in Thailand. Think proteins and fresh vegetables.

 

What differs most are the spices which tend to be fresh in Thailand but dried and imported in the US.

 

Also, the taste is modified to suit US palate preferences.

The flavors are the same in some places that cater to Thais and sophisticated non Thais.

 

There is fresh produce for almost everything at least on the west coast.

 

My favorite ever examples of Thai dishes in the US which were better for me than what I've ever had in Thailand.

 

All in California.

 

Green curry with pork stuffed squid

 

Spicy beef salad

 

Spicy pork shoulder salad

 

Homemade coconut custard

 

Pad Thai (made by me)