21 minutes ago, BatteringRam said:

Literally no discussion about the actual food at all. 

 

First of all it was 11 courses, who can remember 11 dishes? I barely remember what I ate yesterday.

 

At Red Box I think there was some scallop in a foamy white sauce. A Thai rice croquette which was not bad, and the tiniest lamb chop you've ever seen.

 

When I had the Thai rice croquette I remember thinking "This is not bad, if this were a real meal instead of a tiny crumb of a bite it would be really tasty".

 

I really, really don't like these pretentious creations, and tinsy tiny weeny teeny portions.

 

At least Baan Landai you get actual dishes that are satisfying. Even if it takes 3 months to get a table.

 

 

1 hour ago, Prubangboy said:

I just had lump crabmeat Khao Soi Noodles at North restaurant. 700 baht. Better even than the heavily Youtubed Mai Sai Khao Soy in Chiang Mai. 5 * service and setting.

 

I eat at Sri Trat Seafood (now in the Michelin Guide) every week. A whole huge sea bass (or whatever it really is) steamed in lemon juice and soy sauce is 600 baht.

 

Coming from New York, it's as if they are giving the food away.  Super-creative Thai food is the cheapest luxury dining in the world.

 

And probably only available in less than 50 fusion-ish restaurants Thailand-wide, let alone the rest of the world.

 

Last time I posted about this, I said I had had 200 baht Pad Thai at Ging Grai in Nimman. People called me a moron -Bob Smith, to name but one. No wait, he called me a certified moron. 

 

What's the nicest Thai food you've had?

 

What's a special occasion Thai meal in a restaurant look like to you? What do you order?  Where?

 

I'm particularly interested in what a splurge meal out in the sticks is like.

 

TBH a Bib Gourmand isn't really anything special. It's more to state that you can expect a certain quality. In other words not just the lowest quality of street food. But really nothing different than you will get from my local seafood market. Remember that you are in Bangkok, so seafood may be priced at a premium. Add in a bit of marketing and you are just paying more for the same thing.

That is why I was really interested in something that maybe I haven't tried that you might recommend, since you may have visited a few or even many of the establishments that you mentioned.

 

 

6 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

 

First of all it was 11 courses, who can remember 11 dishes? I barely remember what I ate yesterday.

 

At Red Box I think there was some scallop in a foamy white sauce. A Thai rice croquette which was not bad, and the tiniest lamb chop you've ever seen.

 

When I had the Thai rice croquette I remember thinking "This is not bad, if this were a real meal instead of a tiny crumb of a bite it would be really tasty".

 

I really, really don't like these pretentious creations, and tinsy tiny weeny teeny portions.

 

At least Baan Landai you get actual dishes that are satisfying. Even if it takes 3 months to get a table.

 

 

 

I wasn't referring to you. It's not your thread. In fact, your contributions have been interesting and on-topic.

2 minutes ago, BatteringRam said:

 

I wasn't referring to you. It's not your thread. In fact, your contributions have been interesting and on-topic.

 

That's very gracious of  you and displays your excellent taste.

Thai food, not very expensive.  The venue will dictate higher prices.   That said, very few I've dined in, have much of an ambiance, fine dining experience, compared to higher end in USA. 

 

Been to a few nice place, lovely quiet setting that would never make Michelin guide, and suspect a better dining experience than many that do make the guide.   Which is just marketing (Michelin) IMHO, and poorly done at that.

1 hour ago, Cameroni said:

 

At the really fancy restaurants you don't get to order. You have to eat what they plonk on your table. All 11 courses.

 

Chef's Table Chiang mai was 11000 baht. 

 

Red Box Chiang May was 12000 baht.

 

They have set menus, so you don't really order. In Red Box you could make some limited menu adjustments.

The thread is about nice food, not the price some people are willing to pay. Nice food doesn't have to cost a small fortune.

So was the food nice at Red Box or Chef's Table?

A description would be helpful.

1 hour ago, Prubangboy said:

I just had lump crabmeat Khao Soi Noodles at North restaurant. 700 baht. Better even than the heavily Youtubed Mai Sai Khao Soy in Chiang Mai. 5 * service and setting.

 

 

I didn't know it was possible for Khao Soi to even be 700 baht. With crabmeat??? Are you sure they weren't pranking you? 

 

I actually just had Khao Soi earlier today for lunch. 50 baht.

 

5 ⭐️ location, no complaints. 👍

 

47 minutes ago, irritated said:

Where does one certify that they are a moron? A few obvious places come to mind. 

As Bob, or yourself.

 

Proper grub, made by my own hands, real 3 times cooked chips, own fish batter, my own mushy peas, cost, who cares, my Friday Special.

 

 

 

I like to eat crab, but frustratingly I'm actually allergic to crab meat - makes my face skin go bright red.... (damn you ignorant immune system...)

11 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

The thread is about nice food, not the price some people are willing to pay. Nice food doesn't have to cost a small fortune.

So was the food nice at Red Box or Chef's Table?

A description would be helpful.

 

Don't mansplain threads to me and what they're about. You may want to re-read the thread, the OP specifically asked:

 

Quote

Where do you go, what do you order, what do you spend?

 

As the bible says, ask and ye shall be given, he asked so I answered.

 

11 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

So was the food nice at Red Box or Chef's Table?

 

Of course it was "nice" it cost over 10000 baht each!

 

But I don't like the atmosphere at these places, these tiny portions. It's bit like at the airport, you feel THEY are the most people and you're just a pleb who came to pay the 10000 baht bill.

 

Chef's table at least had a beautiful outdoor setting you could choose. Red Box was surprisingly tiny for such a high end restaurant.

 

It was a nice experience, but 20,000 baht is a bit too high for two meals I would say. They were good, but not 20,000 baht good.

3 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

 

Don't mansplain threads to me and what they're about. You may want to re-read the thread, the OP specifically asked:

 

 

As the bible says, ask and ye shall be given, he asked so I answered.

 

 

Of course it was "nice" it cost over 10000 baht each!

 

But I don't like the atmosphere at these places, these tiny portions. It's bit like at the airport, you feel THEY are the most people and you're just a pleb who came to pay the 10000 baht bill.

 

Chef's table at least had a beautiful outdoor setting you could choose. Red Box was surprisingly tiny for such a high end restaurant.

 

It was a nice experience, but 20,000 baht is a bit too high for two meals I would say. They were good, but not 20,000 baht good.

What's the nicest Thai food you've had?

 

What's a special occasion Thai meal in a restaurant look like to you? What do you order?  Where?

 

 

Is what he said.

The only time cost was mentioned is when asked what would it cost out in the sticks.

I don't consider Chiang Mai the sticks.

2 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

 

Don't mansplain threads to me and what they're about. You may want to re-read the thread, the OP specifically asked:

 

 

As the bible says, ask and ye shall be given, he asked so I answered.

 

 

Of course it was "nice" it cost over 10000 baht each!

 

But I don't like the atmosphere at these places, these tiny portions. It's bit like at the airpot, you feel THEY are the most people and you're just a pleb who came to pay the 10000 baht bill.

 

Chef's table at least had a beautiful outdoor setting you could choose. Red Box was surprisingly tiny for such a high end restaurant.

 

It was a nice experience, but 20,000 baht is a bit too high for two meals I would say. They were good, but not 20,000 baht good.

 

How are they even different from a buffet?

In Ha Noi, I went to a cook to order buffet restaurant. So you could order those small dishes until closing time, for a fixed price. We are talking the equivalent of 500/600/700 baht per person...not 11,000 per person. That's just pretentious.

 

Similarly, but quite different, is https://www.dmaris.vn/dmaris-ho-chi-minh

 

An incredible buffet with no time limit. Again in the 500 to 700 baht equivalent price range. Soft drinks included(coconuts, sugar cane juice etc when I was there)

 

So, sorry, I don't get over excited by expensive food that has no justification for it being expensive.

5 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

What's the nicest Thai food you've had?

 

What's a special occasion Thai meal in a restaurant look like to you? What do you order?  Where?

 

 

Is what he said.

The only time cost was mentioned is when asked what would it cost out in the sticks.

I don't consider Chiang Mai the sticks.

 

I don't wish to interrupt your debate, but the topic title is Expensive Thai Food

Off topic troll post removed @Nick Carter icp

17 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

What's the nicest Thai food you've had?

 

What's a special occasion Thai meal in a restaurant look like to you? What do you order?  Where?

 

 

Is what he said.

The only time cost was mentioned is when asked what would it cost out in the sticks.

I don't consider Chiang Mai the sticks.

 

There've been so many meals, hard to say, but I'll freestyle it a bit, I had an outstanding Massaman curry in a god-forsaken small retaurant in a residential part of Lad Phrao. It was really excellent.

 

Though the Massaman at Welladee in CM is also not bad, it's not quite on that level.

 

I'm very partial to Duck, so on a special occasion I would see if Duck is on the menu, red curry or Massaman. Also beef short ribs and lamb do it for me. Nasi Jumpru do a great Hang Lay with ribs.

 

However, there are some tiny cheap places like a noodle place in CM that does fresh noodles whch is outstanding.

 

In Bangkok there was a gigantic restaurant in Bang Na which is superb. I had the deepfried sea bass there, which is always a go to in seafood restaurants.

 

In Hua Hin three flavour fish was very good.

 

Baan Landai in CM always have good Hang Lay, though I think Kiti Panit's is even better.

 

To be honest with special occasions I like to go Chinese.

 

 

 

 

11 minutes ago, BatteringRam said:

 

How are they even different from a buffet?

In Ha Noi, I went to a cook to order buffet restaurant. So you could order those small dishes until closing time, for a fixed price. We are talking the equivalent of 500/600/700 baht per person...not 11,000 per person. That's just pretentious.

 

Similarly, but quite different, is https://www.dmaris.vn/dmaris-ho-chi-minh

 

An incredible buffet with no time limit. Again in the 500 to 700 baht equivalent price range. Soft drinks included(coconuts, sugar cane juice etc when I was there)

 

So, sorry, I don't get over excited by expensive food that has no justification for it being expensive.

Short term memory loss perhaps? Remember when you said this to me,"..............

Green curry in Texas? Why does anyone need to know about that?

I would like to read about the something different that the OP has described, not everyday run-of-the-mill foods.

Sorry if your feelings get hurt. But your reply has nothing to do with the topic."  ..................... But now you're talking about Hanoi, where you went to a cook to order buffet restaurant. And also about your cooking at home......"Personally I tend to cook my own curries, as I can control the quality of the ingredients. Freshly squeezed coconut milk for instance".................................................. Seems like the same thing, along with everyday cooking at home. 

7 minutes ago, BatteringRam said:

 

How are they even different from a buffet?

In Ha Noi, I went to a cook to order buffet restaurant. So you could order those small dishes until closing time, for a fixed price. We are talking the equivalent of 500/600/700 baht per person...not 11,000 per person. That's just pretentious.

 

Similarly, but quite different, is https://www.dmaris.vn/dmaris-ho-chi-minh

 

An incredible buffet with no time limit. Again in the 500 to 700 baht equivalent price range. Soft drinks included(coconuts, sugar cane juice etc when I was there)

 

So, sorry, I don't get over excited by expensive food that has no justification for it being expensive.

 

Yah, I would agree Chef's table and Red Box are incredibly pretentious. having said that I woud on principle never eat buffet so I couldn't tell you.

 

I know there are some excellent Thai seafood buffets in Bangkok, my gf took me to one, but I find them too much stress and unpredictable.

 

You certainly shouldn't get overexcited by expensive food, it's rarely worth it, I would say middle of the road 1000 to 2000 baht is usually the sweet spot for really good restaurants that serve normal meals, ie like Baan Landai, Kiti Panit, Nasi Jumpru etc.

2 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

 

Yah, I would agree Chef's table and Red Box are incredibly pretentious. having said that I woud on principle never eat buffet so I couldn't tell you.

 

I know there are some excellent Thai seafood buffets in Bangkok, my gf took me to one, but I find them too much stress and unpredictable.

 

You certainly shouldn't get overexcited by expensive food, it's rarely worth it, I would say middle of the road 1000 to 2000 baht is usually the sweet spot for really good restaurants that serve normal meals, ie like Baan Landai, Kiti Panit, Nasi Jumpru etc.

How is Baan Landai? I heard about that in the past. 

4 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

How is Baan Landai? I heard about that in the past. 

 

A rather non-descript and small space, which is why reservations are so hard to get. But everything is top notch, they even have a nice airpurifier there. Service is great. I'm talking old town, I've not been to there Mae Rim branch.

 

Food is really of above average quality, delicious, but they don't go super-creative, no reinventing the wheel there. Green currys and red currys, Hang Lay, and Tamarind prawns. They do deep-fried Snapper fish instead of deep-fried Sea Bass, which is a nice touch, as I like Snapper.

 

Good food, 1500 to 2000 for two. 

Just now, Cameroni said:

 

A rather non-descript and small space, which is why reservations are so hard to get. But everything is top notch, they even have a nice airpurifier there. Service is great.

 

Food is really of above average quality, delicious, but they don't go super-creative, no reinventing the wheel there. Green currys and red currys, Hang Lay, and Tamarind prawns.

 

Good food, 1500 to 2000 for two. 

Some of my local friends here go to Bangkok to visit other foreigners, and one mentioned that place, along with a couple western burger and pizza joints. Wish we had more around here.

15 minutes ago, BatteringRam said:

In Ha Noi, I went to a cook to order buffet restaurant. So you could order those small dishes until closing time, for a fixed price. We are talking the equivalent of 500/600/700 baht per person...not 11,000 per person. That's just pretentious.

 

 

Those prices are just for bragging rights and status signaling. If we took some time I promise you we could find loads of Facebook posts about "look at 11,000 baht meal" blah blah blah.

 

Thai people really love bragging about food prices amongst other things. You won't believe the amount of people that ask me how much my dog costs. 

3 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

 

A rather non-descript and small space, which is why reservations are so hard to get. But everything is top notch, they even have a nice airpurifier there. Service is great.

 

Food is really of above average quality, delicious, but they don't go super-creative, no reinventing the wheel there. Green currys and red currys, Hang Lay, and Tamarind prawns.

 

Good food, 1500 to 2000 for two. 

Leos in Sisaket is moderate to high price, great burgers and good pizza, along with excellent Thai food. The cooks are Thai, the owner a Brit.

Out in the countryside you splurge on food at the supermarket and online specialty food vendors. 

 

Homemade larb moo with homegrown veggies

 

 

homemade striped shiitake mushroom pork noodle soup

 

roasted homegrown daikon radishes

 

homegrown mixed salad green salad

 

homegrown organic collard green pork stir fry with fermented black bean sauce

 

homemade anchovy mushroom black olive pizza with homemade cilantro/pistachio pesto

 

homemade coleslaw with homemade croutons

2 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Some of my local friends here go to Bangkok to visit other foreigners, and one mentioned that place, along with a couple western burger and pizza joints. Wish we had more around here.

 

The Baan Landai I was talking about is in CM, if you're talking Bangkok, do yourself a favour and go to Krua Bang Na. One of the best restaurants in Bangkok.

 

The food is absolutely superb. Cheap too.

 

It is a giant place, a bit like in China, but run like clock work.

2 hours ago, Prubangboy said:

What's the nicest Thai food you've had? 

Was in Bangkok on the river recently, food was great but the show was better. 

 

Food in Thailand is all about the company and the atmosphere, all food tastes great 

 

1 minute ago, Cameroni said:

 

The Baan Landai I was talking about is in CM, if you're talking Bangkok, do yourself a favour and go to Krua Bang Na. One of the best restaurants in Bangkok.

 

The food is absolutely superb. Cheap too.

 

It is a giant place, a bit like in China, but run like clock work.

Right there. My friend here is an American by way of Sweden and he has friends in Chiang Mai also. He's always traveling with his wife to meet others around Thailand.

2 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Was in Bangkok on the river recently, food was great but the show was better. 

 

Food in Thailand is all about the company and the atmosphere, all food tastes great 

 

 

Oh what a lovely dance. That's just lovely. Thai and Indonesian dancing is the best.

 

I'll have to get the gf to do this for me. Lovely.

3 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

Out in the countryside you splurge on food at the supermarket and online specialty food vendors. 

 

Homemade larb moo with homegrown veggies

 

 

homemade striped shiitake mushroom pork noodle soup

 

roasted homegrown daikon radishes

 

homegrown mixed salad green salad

 

homegrown organic collard green pork stir fry

 

homemade anchovy mushroom black olive pizza with homemade cilantro/pistachio pesto

 

homemade coleslaw with homemade bread croutons

Larb Moo looks just like my girlfriends. She also makes a Shrimp Salad, cold, with ground pork, basil, thin rice noodles, onion and spices. There's a name for it here but can't think of it now.

5 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

all food tastes great 

 

 

Except Mu kratha. Every Mu Kratha place I've been to was diabolically bad. The gf loves them, I hate them.