Dumbing Down The Food

[JimTripper]

I have noticed places and vendors messing with the food recently. They are not putting spicy in it and are asking about it more when I order. Even when I ask for it spicy, they are not doing it.

 

is this a new thing? Never noticed it before. I keep getting bland dishes with no punch at all. Maybe it’s from foreigners complaining “it’s hot” etc ????????‍♂️

Edited June 3, 2023 by JimTripper

[save the frogs]

tough economy. they're trying to cut corners. 

keep spices in your pocket with you at all times.

 

[scubascuba3]

I've not noticed any change but they have always been reluctant to make dishes hot because farangs complain, usually chilli etc on the table anyway

[Lacessit]

I wouldn't say it was dumbing down, more an intelligent response to complaints the food is too spicy.

I have yet to see a Thai restaurant that does not have powdered chili at the table. I prefer adjusting the heat in the food there.

Quite a few Thais add sugar to soften the chili impact at the table anyway, although that's not healthy.

 

 

[ezzra]

Some food vendors catering for foreigners are being cautious in adding too much spices to avoid the food being to hot/spicy for the western palate I think.

[Captain Monday]

A tourist lady dragged me to "Asiatique" once. I ate what was the most expensive and simultaneously

blandest Thai food I have ever here. It has been explained by some that we foreigners just want big portions with extra meat and don't complain about price. There is some real good food in Southern California but same for some Thai restaurants in US. "Can I get extra chicken? " They don't have to try too hard so they don't bother.

[marin]

You are going to restaurants that cater to farung. So change where you go. Hit up a "Khao Gaeng" shop for some curry. Or get out of the tourist area and order a street side Krapow Mu. You will find what you are looking for, if that is the real Thai taste. 

 

 

 

 

[Regyai]

learn to say "mai phet - mai aroy"

[Celsius]

They are doing you a huge favor. You will eventually develop a massive acid reflux because of it, but hey..... you are one of the mates in Thailand doing things locally. 

[Jingthing]

It is not new and it is not only about Thai food.

It's even more of an issue with Indian food in Thailand.

As I'm a spicy and chili head I have a lot of experience with this and bottom line there are no easy or universal solutions.

Sometimes I ask for extra spicy and sometimes I say nothing.

Some will automatically go bland because you're a f-rang and some won't.

Some respond to requests, some won't.

I've had Indian restaurants serve me bland city after I asked for spicy and I ask them did you not hear me?!?

And they say yes we heard you but we didn't believe you.

Maybe next time we'll listen (there won't be a next time).

A big problem with asking for spicy on some dishes is that almost always they will make ALL the dishes spicy even dishes that aren't supposed to be spicy that you don't want spicy.

I've had cases where I don't ask for spicy and the food comes super spicy by default and I wonder what it would be like if I had asked!

Obviously if you're a regular at a restaurant you have a chance to "train" them over time for what you really want.

Oh well.

Edited June 4, 2023 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

Some anecdotes.

 

If you can communicate this in Thai or English if they understand, it tends to help:

 

I will not send back the food no matter how spicy!

 

That's what they're really worried about. Complaining f-rangs insisting they redo the dishes and costing them money!

 

One time this happened. I asked for phet phet at a shophouse restaurant probably for a krap pow.

 

They served me a plate that was piled high with bird <deleted> chilies as a prank.

 

Nobody wants that Thai or f-rang.

 

So they were all staring and laughing at me.

 

I said nothing, picked through the food enjoying some of the chilies. I was sweating bullets, but I just paid and of course never went back.

 

Thinking about that considering the huge amount of bird <deleted> chilies they used they must have lost money on that sale. Serves them right.

 

 

Edited June 4, 2023 by Jingthing

[Lemsta69]

I don't eat Thai food at all so I guess I'm stupid!

[JimTripper]

10 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

It is not new and it is not only about Thai food.

It's even more of an issue with Indian food in Thailand.

As I'm a spicy and chili head I have a lot of experience with this and bottom line there are no easy or universal solutions.

Sometimes I ask for extra spicy and sometimes I say nothing.

Some will automatically go bland because you're a f-rang and some won't.

Some respond to requests, some won't.

I've had Indian restaurants serve me bland city after I asked for spicy and I ask them did you not hear me?!?

And they say yes we heard you but we didn't believe you.

Maybe next time we'll listen (there won't be a next time).

A big problem with asking for spicy on some dishes is that almost always they will make ALL the dishes spicy even dishes that aren't supposed to be spicy that you don't want spicy.

I've had cases where I don't ask for spicy and the food comes super spicy by default and I wonder what it would be like if I had asked!

Obviously if you're a regular at a restaurant you have a chance to "train" them over time for what you really want.

Oh well.

I’m getting a lot of problems when they “ask me”. I’m going to just wander off and figure they will make it as it’s supposed to be, or oh well, try another place next time.

 

Liked it better up north where they don’t kiss <deleted> so much and just make it like it’s supposed to be without asking.

[Fat is a type of crazy]

As a tourist I have to remember to get my girlfriend to say medium thai style. No MSG too. Some dishes no sugar. In Khao Lak last week we told them but they interpreted that differently and my Tom Yum was like a sweet tomato soup. Tourist prices too so not happy. 

Often green and red curries are sweet and boring. Given up on them a bit. The test of a restaurant can be for Massaman. Is it dark brown and thick and tasty or is it a light brown watery insipid generic curry. 

[steven100]

3 hours ago, marin said:

You are going to restaurants that cater to farung. So change where you go. Hit up a "Khao Gaeng" shop for some curry. Or get out of the tourist area and order a street side Krapow Mu. You will find what you are looking for, if that is the real Thai taste. 

 

 

 

 

The problem with most of that food is it's cold    !   it's been sitting there for 3 hours ....     as such it's yuk   !!     

I much prefer something cooked so it's served up hot.

[JimTripper]

1 hour ago, steven100 said:

The problem with most of that food is it's cold    !   it's been sitting there for 3 hours ....     as such it's yuk   !!     

I much prefer something cooked so it's served up hot.

Not if you get it at the local Thai market. It’s fresh there because it’s setup for Thais each night. Also, they can’t mess with the ingredients because it’s already cooked. ????

 

That’s where I went wrong. I used to buy almost always at the market, but switched to getting it cooked when I moved to a touristy area from places that served a lot of foreigners, because it was easier and the thing to do. Fortunately there are some fresh markets in my neighborhood I can’t wait to check out.

Edited June 4, 2023 by JimTripper

[JensenZ]

13 hours ago, JimTripper said:

I have noticed places and vendors messing with the food recently. They are not putting spicy in it and are asking about it more when I order. Even when I ask for it spicy, they are not doing it.

 

is this a new thing? Never noticed it before. I keep getting bland dishes with no punch at all. Maybe it’s from foreigners complaining “it’s hot” etc ????????‍♂️

Do you consider "bland" a dish that is not spicy? Take it from am person who cannot handle very spicy - what you call non-spicy might be far to hot for me. You get desentized to chili if you're always eating hot spicy dishes and you continually crave more.

 

It makes perfect sense for restaurants in tourist areas to "dumb it" it down for chili sensitive tourists.

[marin]

3 hours ago, Regyai said:

learn to say "mai phet - mai aroy"

Then you will get bland gunk. Without the chilis at all there is no Thai taste. Phet Noi would be better. Not Hot, Not delicious is not what you are looking for. 

[Don Chance]

Thai food is fun for a little while, not the rest of my life. I cook my own food now where ever i go.  You can be sure the quality is much better when you buy your own produce.  Check out a 'folding electric cooking pot" on Lazada.

[Bill97]

4 hours ago, Jingthing said:

of bird <deleted> chilies

What is that?

 

The usual is mouse poop chilie, prick kii nuu.

[Jingthing]

9 minutes ago, Bill97 said:

What is that?

 

The usual is mouse poop chilie, prick kii nuu.

Yeah that sorry

[Jingthing]

7 minutes ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

lol    I got the somtam with 8 chilis once....ONCE...i suffered thru it as well..as i can usually get it down..the problem comes to getting out out...blew out my O ring!  thankful for the bum gun!

 

Yep ive seen tourist areas and thais cut the spice for farangs.....i suggest adding the chili on the table or go to local market that has the premade food.......if you really wanna torture yourself

 

also thais seem to express shock when i say i can eat spicy as thais think they are exclusive to it

Yeah as a matter of principle I've never sent back a dish for being too spicy and yes it happens occasionally.

[Jingthing]

OK I had one incident which totally was my fault with my macho chili head hubris.

 

This was at a trendy Korean place in the US all ethnic Koreans other than my table.

 

They had spice level choices.

 

So for my dish which had a broth I chose the hottest without batting an eye. Called something like Suicide.

 

Well golly be what a scene!

 

The chef came out twice to warn me against it telling me nobody had ever actually ordered it before. I persisted. I was made to sign a legal disclaimer.

 

So at this point everyone in the restaurant is already staring.

 

So the dish comes out and it's super wicked hot as expected but I liked the overall flavor and no problem to eat it. I'm sure they really gave me the Suicide as it really was that hot.

 

The staring Koreans were less impressed than thinking me crazy.

 

But I didn't have the last laugh. Stomach pain issues won't say more.

 

 

Edited June 4, 2023 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

4 minutes ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

your stomach didnt have issues it had subscriptions!!

 

the disclaimer! I used to cook at a bar with wings and we made our own sauces --one was all habanero peppers--kosher salt and vinegar...blend and boil.......911 wings.....had to sign off on them

 

a dude got carry out every week  25 wings with that sauce and a extra sauce on side--i always wanted to see him eat them in house but i get why maybe he always ordered carry out!

 

I also touched my eye without thinking while prepping sauce and went to pee without washing my hands before....................never again.....was decades ago...but still fells like yesterday

 

I learned a life lesson that day.....(shudders)

For acamic interest the problem was actually pain not the runs. I know. TMI.

Wouldn't order again. 

[bignok]

3 hours ago, JimTripper said:

Not if you get it at the local Thai market. It’s fresh there because it’s setup for Thais each night. Also, they can’t mess with the ingredients because it’s already cooked. ????

 

That’s where I went wrong. I used to buy almost always at the market, but switched to getting it cooked when I moved to a touristy area from places that served a lot of foreigners, because it was easier and the thing to do. Fortunately there are some fresh markets in my neighborhood I can’t wait to check out.

Where do you live? Spicy in Isaan. Sometimes too much for my Thai gf. I ask for mai sai prik now. Mai phet is still spicy.

 

Rather taste garlic or pepper. Chilli doesnt taste good.

[Regyai]

7 hours ago, marin said:

Then you will get bland gunk. Without the chilis at all there is no Thai taste. Phet Noi would be better. Not Hot, Not delicious is not what you are looking for. 

Much to learn grasshopper

"mai phet - mai aroy" is a well known Thai idiom meaning if its not phet its not aroy. Not only will you get the correct full measure of spice/hotness but also the kudos of knowing the phrase

[sikishrory]

It's not a new thing.

It's really weird. Like they think they are the only country in the world that eats chilli.

So many times I have ordered Thai food spicy only to get prik chi faa instead of the small chillies. Or get no chilli at all. Or get an entirely different dish.

Or another one is to put little or no chilli and then when you ask they give you a shaker of chilli powder which changes the dish entirely.

It's really weird.

Another one is the pork blood (nam dtok) in noodles.

Ordering noodles from a thai guy with a cart once in Pattaya me and wife both trying to get 2 bowls of nam dtok noodles. He refused to do it for me saying farang mai chob.

[rwill]

On 6/4/2023 at 7:21 AM, marin said:

You are going to restaurants that cater to farung. So change where you go. Hit up a "Khao Gaeng" shop for some curry. Or get out of the tourist area and order a street side Krapow Mu. You will find what you are looking for, if that is the real Thai taste. 

The wife and I don't eat at places that have precooked food.  You know they never throw the old stuff away and just keep bringing the same stuff out and adding more to it when needed.

[KhunLA]

8 minutes ago, rwill said:

The wife and I don't eat at places that have precooked food.  You know they never throw the old stuff away and just keep bringing the same stuff out and adding more to it when needed.

I rarely, if ever do buffets, precooked food.   Last hotel stay, I opted for the brekkie buffet, too cheap & easy not to.  Of course, most of the hot & cold was at room temp, even though in heated or iced serving trays.  Digging down deep didn't help much.

 

One item tasted quite good, so waited to be refilled.   Damn if it didn't come out of the kitchen less hot than what was already left over ... W T F

[Gsxrnz]

13 minutes ago, rwill said:

The wife and I don't eat at places that have precooked food.  You know they never throw the old stuff away and just keep bringing the same stuff out and adding more to it when needed.

The never-ending-stew is a taste to behold. Once spent 10 days deer stalking and we added new meat and veges to the same unfinished pot every day. Rangui Stew.

 

Ended up a combination of venison, goat, chamois, rabbit and I think we also got a tahr. The taste was exquisite, but the pot had to be thrown away.

Edited June 5, 2023 by Gsxrnz