Cajun Food Update!

[intoxicajun]

This is not an idea for investment, nor is it a get rich in Phuket deal. My Uncle used to say, "I got all the food you can eat, and all the beer you can drink, if you don't like it, don't come back!"

We have found our location, and it comes with free parking. (22 Spaces) so all of you looking to get out in the car, can have a spot to park. Motorcycles are also welcome. Helicopters can land on the helly-pad on the roof.

This restaurant came from the 2 things. 1.) Phuket as a whole has few places with good food, service, and value for the money. 2.) My mother is running herself ragged in the hustle and bustle work force, and is missing my baby girl growing up.

So, with these thoughts in mind, I have come up with the idea for the restaurant.

It will be in Rai Wai, will seat around 28 people, and have a open kitchen, (for those who like to watch.....) and a full bar.

Boudin will be made fresh, and will be available for shipment to Chaing Mai.

Cajuns were peasants. They refused to fight in the Civil War, Never owned Slaves, and grew everything they ate. With that said, Phuket can rest assure that our place will be geared to medium to large portions, at prices around 150 - 600thb. (we will have fine steaks and wines, as per our Executive Chef.

We are shooting for opening Jan 1. Free tasting party TBA.

tox

[El Taco Loco]

Great news. Thanks for the update.

[cotambear]

"all the food you can eat, and all the beer you can drink"

fantastic deal! how much baht?

seriously, all the best, Im sure it will be a success

[seppl04]

good luck, sure will be successful

why so far away from the hustle ?

can civil war fighters come too ?

[dclaryjr]

Boudin will be made fresh,

How 'bout da crawfish??

[Goldenbead]

Yay! Great to hear the location. Looking forward to trying it when you open. Good luck.

[thaigerd]

Who's gonna be your Chef???

Gerd

[intoxicajun]

The Chef will be Executive Chef Ryan J. Waddell.

Crawfish will be served. Crawfish etouffee, and Boiled Cajun Style.

One thing to clear up:

2 Farangs from Wales have a baby born in Thailand, does that make the baby Thai or Welsh?

Had a conversation the other day regarding CAJUN. We are going to set the record straight.

I am so excited for yall to taste my mama's cooking, I am about to burst.

tox

[steelepulse]

Where abouts in Rawai?  Have you secured a location yet?

[Sir Burr]

Well, I wish you success, but...

Rawai isn't the greatest place to start a restaurant. As it's away from most of the hotels, your main customer base will be the residents, and they are a cheap lot (I include myself).

Many quality restaurants have opened and closed within a year due to the limited customer base.

If you want to make money, then Patong is really the only choice as it doesn't have a low season anymore.

As I've said before, I wish you luck. Hope you're still around in a year or, so.

[seppl04]

Well, I wish you success, but...

Rawai isn't the greatest place to start a restaurant. As it's away from most of the hotels, your main customer base will be the residents, and they are a cheap lot (I include myself).

Many quality restaurants have opened and closed within a year due to the limited customer base.

If you want to make money, then Patong is really the only choice as it doesn't have a low season anymore.

As I've said before, I wish you luck. Hope you're still around in a year or, so.

can agree to Sir. Go where the people are ! even Rawaian residents come a few times per month to Patong

but each and every tourist on the island visits Patong !

Anyway, once you open I'll make my way down to Rawai

[El Taco Loco]

Restaurant succeeds irrespective of where it is located. If the food is good, quality is constant, service remains good, expats will come and tourists will know about it. Many expats avoid Patong like the plague and the food there is not THAT good.

Some of the best farang food I have had has been out of the tourist area. Example, new Swiss run restaurant near Villa California. Not tourist priced and the food is very very good. (Not Swiss Delight, that place has gone downhill).

The OP opens in Pa-tin-tong, his rent will be huge and staff turnover will be a complete headache.

But as another poster stated, I too would go far to eat some real Cajun food.

[intoxicajun]

I am by no means an expert on choosing locations or furniture or whatever. I am, however, an expert on Cajun Food. I played American Football in Highschool and my mother fed everyone. This stuff is just flat out delicious and addictive. One time she made dinner for myself and a friend on our way through town to hit the beach...we never left.

What I really want to say to everyone here interested in our idea is this:

I was raised on this stuff man! I work in the Energy Sector, and will not be opening this resturant for fame, fortune or fortitude. I want a place I can go an eat, where I know it isn't going to be absolute crap. I want to have all the food I had as a child. And whatever I can't eat, I am going to sell ta yall.

With that said, The reality is this: Gormet Recipes, A/C, Fine Wines and Spirits, Cajun Chank-a-Chank Music, our staff personally trained by our Chef, Ryan Waddell, and everybody is going to have on shoes. We will bring Mardi Gras to Phuket, Beads from Bourbon Street, and if all else fails....

If you are in Patong, Call us, we'll send a car for you! I mean honestly, we want to feed you, not rip you off. If it ain't good, you ain't payin!

Seriously, I wouldn't start a fire in Patong much less a resturant. I hope our place can sustain itself with the locals here in the South. That is what we are really about. Getting together, cook up some Gumbo, and Crawfish Etouffee, have some laughs, and get home safe so you can come back tomorrow. We will be a success because we will have a crowd made up of people who truly enjoy what we are creating. Not just food, it is an entire Culture.

We are working on the Live Crawfish. Will keep you posted!

Long Live the South!

tox

[Sir Burr]

Okay, for you, this is the food of your childhood.

For the rest of us, this is one cuisine of many. Frankly, it doesn't matter how good the food is, if you open in Rawai, it will depend on the price. Simple as that.

Check out Fatties restaurant for a winning formula.

Edited October 1, 2007 by Sir Burr

[seppl04]

I am by no means an expert on choosing locations or furniture or whatever. I am, however, an expert on Cajun Food. I played American Football in Highschool and my mother fed everyone. This stuff is just flat out delicious and addictive. One time she made dinner for myself and a friend on our way through town to hit the beach...we never left.

What I really want to say to everyone here interested in our idea is this:

I was raised on this stuff man! I work in the Energy Sector, and will not be opening this resturant for fame, fortune or fortitude. I want a place I can go an eat, where I know it isn't going to be absolute crap. I want to have all the food I had as a child. And whatever I can't eat, I am going to sell ta yall.

With that said, The reality is this: Gormet Recipes, A/C, Fine Wines and Spirits, Cajun Chank-a-Chank Music, our staff personally trained by our Chef, Ryan Waddell, and everybody is going to have on shoes. We will bring Mardi Gras to Phuket, Beads from Bourbon Street, and if all else fails....

If you are in Patong, Call us, we'll send a car for you! I mean honestly, we want to feed you, not rip you off. If it ain't good, you ain't payin!

Seriously, I wouldn't start a fire in Patong much less a resturant. I hope our place can sustain itself with the locals here in the South. That is what we are really about. Getting together, cook up some Gumbo, and Crawfish Etouffee, have some laughs, and get home safe so you can come back tomorrow. We will be a success because we will have a crowd made up of people who truly enjoy what we are creating. Not just food, it is an entire Culture.

We are working on the Live Crawfish. Will keep you posted!

Long Live the South!

tox

good idea ! let's see whether it can sustain your chef as well

any idea on pricing yet ?

I come back on the car offer (as long as it is not Dunkey towed)

[El Taco Loco]

SB, always ready for a putdown.

Fatties is also loosing it. He is not aging the beef anymore, now served with grizzle. The service, while good for the first year, has gone downhill. Same babes, real Thai I do not care and cannot see you unless you jump 10 meters attidude. Not a falang restaurant anymore.

The owner is not there as much.

So you are comparing Fatties to a yet unopened restaurant? One cousine too many? Arai wa? Where is there a Cajun restaurant? How many German, Swiss restaurants do you really want in this place?

We need to convince Intoxicajun to also add real huge hamburgers as part of the menu. No one makes them the real way in Phuket.

One of the reasons why Los Amigos is doing well, far far away from Patintong: Good food, good prices and very different food. Beats all the so called TexMex places on the island.

And Thais may just enjoy Cajun food. They love TexMex when I take them to Los Amigos and they go back alone.

Solutions, SB, gives us solutions.

Okay, for you, this is the food of your childhood.

For the rest of us, this is one cuisine of many. Frankly, it doesn't matter how good the food is, if you open in Rawai, it will depend on the price. Simple as that.

Check out Fatties restaurant for a winning formula.

[Sir Burr]

Thought I broadly hinted at the solution.

Good food at a very cheap price.

Fatties is still so full between 7 pm and 8 pm that you can't get a seat. He must be doing something right, especially taking into consideration the lousy location.

[LivinLOS]

We need to convince Intoxicajun to also add real huge hamburgers as part of the menu. No one makes them the real way in Phuket.

Faulty Tower Faulty Burger.. So large Shergar couldnt jump it !!

Tho it is in Patong !!

But surely this is the opposite of what he wants to do (good Cajun) ?? Even if it is a good / missing thing..

I am looking forward to it.. And will certainly head out of Patong to try it (as will a few mates, some work the rigs and love Southern / Cajun food.. Perhaps the menu could include generic soutern.. Not had good cornbread in years).. But also agree that it will be a novelty and to get good custom in an out of the way place you really need to hit the expat price point.. Expats are so often pretty ###### cheap.

[steelepulse]

There are a lot of cheap farangs in Rawai, but there is an ever increasing amount of them with money too.  Can't believe how crowded the roads are out here now.  M & M's seems to be always full, and they aren't exactly cheap.

[geriatrickid]

Cheap = low quality and not the freshest of ingredients.

Sorry, but good quality food starts with relatively expensive base food. That means decent meat and vegetables that aren't cooked during transport or moldy before they get to the kitchen. If this resto is going to be serving quality then it will have to charge more and frankly I will gladly pay more for something with flavour and that uses edible ingredients. If he makes big fat hen gumbo he has to use a more expensive hen rather than a cheap fryer, he'll need real garlic, not the tasteless cardboard from china, flavourful green peepers, fresh basil etc. which are expensive in Phuket. Cheap means using sausage of questionable origin as is found in most hotel breakfast buffets. A good jambalaya with sausage requires a properly smoked sausage etc. If he goes cheap, he has to cut corners on quality.

The loyal customers are the ones a step above "cheap" and that appreciate quality. They are called value conscious. If they want cheap, they'll line up with the sweaty drunkards at McD's.

I suspect his mamma won't be cutting any corners anytime soon, and for that I'm thankful.

[LivinLOS]

Well I am with you on quality.. But from a business perspective.. Down in Rawai.. I am fairly sure price will be a factor in peoples regularity of being there.

BTW mentioned this idea to a mate of mine whose just moved back to Gods waiting room (rawai) and his only response was 'when and where'..

[intoxicajun]

I can tell you that NOBODY in Phuket oes burgers like I have had in Houston, and with that said, we will have a BadA$$ burger on the menu. For those who know burgers like we know them. No offense to any countries out there, but America makes the best burgers. Philly Cheese Steaks, Cajun Atkins Wraps, Grilled Prawn with Cajun Alfrado Sauce, and Fat Hen Gumbo. Anyone ever heard of a TurDucKin? Or a deep fried Turkey?

We will be fresh. Our Chef will be on hand to assure authenticity, and to do Quality Control. We will have a Resturant Manager and either will be on hand to see to our customers needs. We will bring a new attitude as well as a new management approach to our place.

Our staff won't want to quit. We will offer benefits to our staff.

Free ChildCare

Free English Lessons Daily

Free rides to and from work via motorbike taxi

Free uniforms

and more...

As I said before, some people buy boats, some buy airplanes, me...I'm doin Cajun Food.

As long as I can pay my staff, we will be successful, and we aim to stay in Rai Wai.

tox

[seppl04]

I can tell you that NOBODY in Phuket oes burgers like I have had in Houston, and with that said, we will have a BadA$ burger on the menu. For those who know burgers like we know them. No offense to any countries out there, but America makes the best burgers. Philly Cheese Steaks, Cajun Atkins Wraps, Grilled Prawn with Cajun Alfrado Sauce, and Fat Hen Gumbo. Anyone ever heard of a TurDucKin? Or a deep fried Turkey?

We will be fresh. Our Chef will be on hand to assure authenticity, and to do Quality Control. We will have a Resturant Manager and either will be on hand to see to our customers needs. We will bring a new attitude as well as a new management approach to our place.

Our staff won't want to quit. We will offer benefits to our staff.

Free ChildCare

Free English Lessons Daily

Free rides to and from work via motorbike taxi

Free uniforms

and more...

As I said before, some people buy boats, some buy airplanes, me...I'm doin Cajun Food.

As long as I can pay my staff, we will be successful, and we aim to stay in Rai Wai.

tox

don't get me wrong, but seeing all what you plan staffwise and all the fringe benefits

either you must have a huge Restaurant with high table turnover or skyrocked prices and that in an area where the most stingy people live in Phuket lol

when is the opening again ?

Seppl

[LivinLOS]

Just sounds better and better...

Only thing I can say is.. Tell me when your open.