Noticed since I got back last month makro out of beef, both in-store and online via their app. Prefer imported brands like pro butcher (Australian iirc). Any other decent quality/priced beef in bkk?

There’s both Thai-French and KU (Kasetsart University) cattle breeds in Thailand, so it is local beef.

But it’s very hit-and-miss. There’s a real lack of consistency in quality. When it’s good, it’s absolutely worth buying, but unfortunately you usually only find that out once it’s cooked and on the plate.

Otherwise, your options are the very expensive cuts from specialist butchers like The Accidental Butcher or Bangkok Bob's, or imported beef from Villa Market and Gourmet Market, which is also pricey.

In my opinion, Makro is actually a decent option, but again, you need to be careful about what you’re buying.

The last batch I bought from Makro - about 2kg of sirloin - was awful, with a thick seam of sinew running right through the middle (which IMO was more like an oyster blade than a sirloin - the labelling is often off !!)

That still wouldn’t stop me buying another large cut from Makro. I usually slice it into different steak thicknesses and freeze portions to use as I want them. But again, the real quality remains unknown until it’s cooked.

Edited May 15May 15 by richard_smith237

I use Bangkok Beef. Great variety and price range, ribeye steaks from well under 1,000/kg up to 5,000+. Service and delivery has been great and never had a problem with any order. https://bangkokbeef.com/

Paloerobbie is one................https://paleorobbie.com/.

I find the quality excellent from Accidental butcher in Bangkok

https://www.theaccidentalbutcher.com/

12 minutes ago, Upnotover said:

I use Bangkok Beef. Great variety and price range, ribeye steaks from well under 1,000/kg up to 5,000+. Service and delivery has been great and never had a problem with any order. https://bangkokbeef.com/

I'd never seen this before.... (Bangkok beef).... I'll be making my next order from this lot.

Anything to recommend ??? - Not actual steaks, but a large 'slab' of something, that I can cut into various steak thickness myself.

For those in Pattaya, you can find local Brahman beef fillet in the Ratanakorn market.

Between 230 and 250 baht per kilo.

Arrive early, because there are many fans, especially restaurant owners and other steakhouse shops.

IMO This meat is far superior to all the cheap cuts of steak sold by Makro.

I imagine the same options can be found elsewhere in Pattaya and, of course, in Bangkok.

36 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

I'd never seen this before.... (Bangkok beef).... I'll be making my next order from this lot.

Anything to recommend ??? - Not actual steaks, but a large 'slab' of something, that I can cut into various steak thickness myself.

I only buy steaks but a friend of mine is highly recommending their Tender Valley striploin which he buys in larger cuts for his Sunday lunch efforts. Here's a recent example....

Villa Market?

On 5/15/2026 at 3:30 PM, richard_smith237 said:

There’s both Thai-French and KU (Kasetsart University) cattle breeds in Thailand, so it is local beef.

But it’s very hit-and-miss. There’s a real lack of consistency in quality. When it’s good, it’s absolutely worth buying, but unfortunately you usually only find that out once it’s cooked and on the plate.

Otherwise, your options are the very expensive cuts from specialist butchers like The Accidental Butcher or Bangkok Bob's, or imported beef from Villa Market and Gourmet Market, which is also pricey.

In my opinion, Makro is actually a decent option, but again, you need to be careful about what you’re buying.

The last batch I bought from Makro - about 2kg of sirloin - was awful, with a thick seam of sinew running right through the middle (which IMO was more like an oyster blade than a sirloin - the labelling is often off !!)

That still wouldn’t stop me buying another large cut from Makro. I usually slice it into different steak thicknesses and freeze portions to use as I want them. But again, the real quality remains unknown until it’s cooked.

if shopping at Macro .. they offer Australian primals .. the Reserve is a mixed cattle breed so you would want the "ANGUS Reserve"

then you are getting their top tier .. a whole stiploin would run you 35-45% cheaper than buying from..say .... a Villa Market

and you can cut them to your desired size !

26 minutes ago, Luuk Chaai said:

if shopping at Macro .. they offer Australian primals .. the Reserve is a mixed cattle breed so you would want the "ANGUS Reserve"

then you are getting their top tier .. a whole stiploin would run you 35-45% cheaper than buying from..say .... a Villa Market

and you can cut them to your desired size !

The last lump I purchased from Marko was an Australian Strip-loin - I'm sure it was mislabelled at it had an in-edible (non-renderable) sinew line down the middle of the steaks which I could only see after I'd cut them to thickness - essentially the steaks were oyster-blade (I think it was mislabelled somehow - slabs look similar when a 3kg slab - so an honest mistake by someone) - the steak was good, but the cut was very hit-&-miss.

Sous-vide made the best of it and turned something tougher and below average and not really meant for steaks into something better than average - and could be eaten as a steak when cutting / eating around the 'sinew line'.

Previous beef from Makro before has worked well, with a Scotch-Roll (which is was basically a Ribeye) once I've 'cut it into desired thickness steaks) - it worked very well for both Pan-sear-oven-finish or Sous-vide-reverse-sear methods (this was the first lot I had from Marko, though I don't remember the 'brand' - I couldn't find it second time when stocking up for the same process (which is why I ended up with the dodgy strip-loin oyster-blade lump instead).

Picanha would be a great option and my primary choice of cut - but it won't work so well with the style I cook it - the fat-cap is quite thick and needs a lot of high heat rendering - sous-vide does not render the fat so it doesn't suit my cooking style / that said, it could be great as thick steak and if going to skillet-render the fat for a decent length of time, then pre-sear-oven-finish-post-baste.

I could trim off more of the fat-cap to reduce the fat-cap thickness - then sous-vide, but I'd need to still focus on a good-fat-render in the skillet before pan-searing the steak an oven-finishing.

Of note: The Marko Cuts are Vacuum packed but not frozen - so 'whatever' 2-3kg lump you choose can but cut into your specified steak thicknesses - I'll anything from a 1cm thick steak for a 'flash-sear) if I'm not hungry, to a 2-3" thick steak if I'm feeling particularly meaty !

(its impossible to tell if the meat has been frozen before it reaches the vacuum packed chilled display - but I don't mind if beef has been frozen twice - IF it was 'blast'-frozen' the time which minimises cellular damage of the less fatty cuts).

Of note: the Bangkok-Beef recommendation - seems there are two different 'order possibilities'.

Pre-cut steaks: Varying thicknesses (cut as weights - 250 / 300 / 400 gms)... these arrive frozen so we don't get to cherry pick our 'exact' thickness.

Full Cut (Slab 4kg slabs) I'm guessing this is also frozen which makes cutting into desired thicknesses very difficult.

I'm about to try:

Strip-loin - which looks decent - I'll Pre-sear and oven finish those the first one of those, post-basting in garlic-rosemary - on first inspection the steaks look very lean, potentially a tougher cattle than anticipated, so I may need to sous-vide

Flat-Iron - which looks very decent - I'll Sous-vide (2.5 hrs at 53 deg C) and post-skillet-sear again basting in garlic-rosemary - on first inspection the steaks are well marbled - so I might go for a slightly longer 3 to 3.5 hr sous-vide for better intra-muscular-fat-breakdown before dry-skillet-searing before butter-garlic-rosemary basting.

1 hour ago, Luuk Chaai said:

if shopping at Macro .. they offer Australian primals .. the Reserve is a mixed cattle breed so you would want the "ANGUS Reserve"

I'll look out of the Angus Reserve - next time I'm at Makro....

On 5/15/2026 at 3:30 PM, richard_smith237 said:

There’s both Thai-French and KU (Kasetsart University) cattle breeds in Thailand, so it is local beef.

But it’s very hit-and-miss. There’s a real lack of consistency in quality. When it’s good, it’s absolutely worth buying, but unfortunately you usually only find that out once it’s cooked and on the plate.

The first week I got here several years ago I got hamburger from MaxValu. Tasted like a fine steak. Thailand: beef heaven.

But it all changed a couple weeks later and I've been chasing that hit ever since.

3 hours ago, Srikcir said:

Villa Market?

If wanting 100% guarantee every time and not fussed about price:

- Accidental Butcher

- Gourmet Market (At EmQuartier / Paragon)

- Villa Super-Market

- Food-Land

Probably that order given range, and quality of beef and cut etc... And if cooking for yourself and simply going for 'pan-sear' (any pan) then going for 'tenderloin' - Pretty much impossible to make a mistake.

8 minutes ago, davb said:

The first week I got here several years ago I got hamburger from MaxValu. Tasted like a fine steak. Thailand: beef heaven.

But it all changed a couple weeks later and I've been chasing that hit ever since.

IMO - its always been best to make my own hamburgers.

Prep with Mince that is at least 20% fat.

Chuck & brisket blend if you can get them to mince it for you.

Lightly season - salt & Pepper when mixing.

Create the patty (size) - handle as little as possible (little thumb print in the middle to keep the outer contact).

Also season lightly before cooking.

Add to lightly toasted Brioche bun.

Upgrade: Smashed burger, same recipe beef.

Lightly season when cooking (not mixing).

Skillet fry a 'puck' of mince (recipe above).

Press down on to pan immediately (use grease-proof paper then press with another slightly smaller pan)

<ake it about <1cm thick, ideally about 0.5cm thick.... allow it to crisp up (full Milliard reaction) and self loose before flipping with a (flat spatula) - ideally two patties thick.

Getting the smashed burger right involves a fair bit of trial and error.... but its worth it.

Make your own sauce to taste.

NorNuea has excellent quality Thai beef. Well marbled. You can find them on Facebook and Lazada. If you get their promotions the price is very good too, around 1,000/kg.

Greeny was in BKK a month ago highlighting Arnos and in particular Kritsada for dine in..incredible value by the looks of it.....I'm not in BKK so can't comment, but the man sure does get about food wise

2 minutes ago, Off Piste said:

Greeny was in BKK a month ago highlighting Arnos and in particular Kritsada for dine in..incredible value by the looks of it.....I'm not in BKK so can't comment, but the man sure does get about food wise

IMO - Don't bother with Arno's unless you are heading to the original / main branch in Naradhiwas Rd.

The other branches don't get as busy, have less turnover, also do not have the extensive range of cuts - and most of the cuts that do exist are 'pre-cut' and vacuum packed so choice is limited.

The original branch - has the main primal cut - so you can chose your cut to the exact thickness you want....

i.e. a 3" thick New York Steak (30 Days Dry Aged)... or a 2" thick Rib Eye (45 Days Dry Aged Beef) etc.

Note - At Arno's you can 'only' order the stake cooked Rare (unless things have changed).... which means the thicker cuts 3" porterhouse cuts etc arrive basically raw in the middle' - which is fine because, the steak is 'seared' then sliced (~1cm thicknesses) and brought out on an iron skillet on which you continue cooking your steak to personal requirements.... (this may sometimes also require another replacement hot-skillet at the original one cools)....

I've eaten at Arno's loads of times - since it 'only' had the main branch and became a social media sensation amongst Thai based foodies about 10 years ago... The expansion to other branches is obviously very business orientated - I've eaten at a few of them and never bothered going back - I'd only recommend the original branch.

Other mentions for eating out are the main steak-houses.

• El Gaucho Steak house (near Terminal 21 / Asoke - very good very very expensive)

• Cocotte ( very good - quite to very expensive )

• El Toro Brazilian & Argentina Steak house (nr Sukhumvit 29) - Use the Buffet Option B999++ (Well priced)

13 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

IMO - Don't bother with Arno's unless you are heading to the original / main branch in Naradhiwas Rd.

The other branches don't get as busy, have less turnover, also do not have the extensive range of cuts - and most of the cuts that do exist are 'pre-cut' and vacuum packed so choice is limited.

The original branch - has the main primal cut - so you can chose your cut to the exact thickness you want....

i.e. a 3" thick New York Steak (30 Days Dry Aged)... or a 2" thick Rib Eye (45 Days Dry Aged Beef) etc.

Note - At Arno's you can 'only' order the stake cooked Rare (unless things have changed).... which means the thicker cuts 3" porterhouse cuts etc arrive basically raw in the middle' - which is fine because, the steak is 'seared' then sliced (~1cm thicknesses) and brought out on an iron skillet on which you continue cooking your steak to personal requirements.... (this may sometimes also require another replacement hot-skillet at the original one cools)....

I've eaten at Arno's loads of times - since it 'only' had the main branch and became a social media sensation amongst Thai based foodies about 10 years ago... The expansion to other branches is obviously very business orientated - I've eaten at a few of them and never bothered going back - I'd only recommend the original branch.

Other mentions for eating out are the main steak-houses.

• El Gaucho Steak house (near Terminal 21 / Asoke - very good very very expensive)

• Cocotte ( very good - quite to very expensive )

• El Toro Brazilian & Argentina Steak house (nr Sukhumvit 29) - Use the Buffet Option B999++ (Well priced)

I tried the Arno's in Hua Hin Market Village .... all I can say is ..... " DON'T "

unless you desire totally zero sear and for lack of a better description .. "Soup Meat"