Bad Steak At Chok Chai Farm

[autonomous_unit]

We made the mistake of following a relative's recommendation and stopping at Chok Chai Farm steakhouse on highway 2 between Korat and Bangkok... I wish I would have seen the negative reference buried in another thread here, so I thought I'd make it a top-level topic of its own!

While the cut of meat they gave me did not look like what I expect of a prime rib, it did appear to have started as a pretty decent grade of fatty meat. However, they have a serving gimmick of plating it on a sizzling cast iron platter (like steak fajitas or something), so in the few minutes it took me to cut into it, my rare steak actually fried in its own juices until a chewy well done. I did eat one bite of tender, rare meat (the first bite) but the rest was over-cooked and you could quite clearly see that it was cooking all the way through, bottom to top, when you cut into it... it was also over-salted but that complaint is far secondary to the way it was served/cooked.

It made me wonder, are they just a tourist trap or do Thais actually come away satisfied with these shoe-leather steaks?

In any event, if you actually feel the need to stop there, steer clear of the steakhouse and just try one of the burgers from the adjacent lunch-counter area. The burger my wife bought was not so bad, but they are not on the menu in the steakhouse...

[lopburi3]

Most Thai that I have met do not want to see blood in there meat (for good reasons if you shop in local markets) so am sure the normal preparation takes that into account. Chok Chai is not really tourist orientated - they serve mostly Thai.

As have never eaten at that steak house (only stop to buy dried meats) don't know if there is a selection in preparation/serving or not but cast iron platters are very common for steak servings here.

[PadThaiGuy]

I think it is a Thai Tourist place.

I've order pork chops the few times I've been there.

[singa-traz]

.. it was also over-salted but that complaint is far secondary to the way it was served/cooked.

It made me wonder, are they just a tourist trap or do Thais actually come away satisfied with these shoe-leather steaks?

Went there a couple of time, and the meat was never that over cooked.

As mentioned by others, it is a Thai Tourist Place, a popular one and one that I recommend.

The main issue is that the portion are too big ...

[JohnBKKK]

It's not bad meat, serving it as a "sizzling" steak is the mistake but as mentioned above, most Thai's that eat Beef like it well done.

I'm also one of those people who lovetheir steak medeum rare with a tendancy to the rarer side and a fan of one Chef of a famous restaurent in Canada who instructs new waiters - our steak is only seared and if someone asks for it to be well done point them to the door, they don't deserve to eat here

As far as Thai run Steak Houses are concerned Chock Chai is the top of the line I would say - this would not put me off eating there though, just ask for the steak medium rare and served on a normal plate. The condiments are somewhat a reminder of English public school food though.

I find the set up quite amusing in a mock cowboy way, but service was very good when I went there.

John

[autonomous_unit]

Thanks for the answers. So, it sounds like they do an OK repeat business for Thais and it's not just a trap for suckers...

I did think about the fact that the steak would probably have been OK if served on a regular plate, but I guess we'll probably try the burger side again next time we pass... I prefer a thick chunk of rare beef seared and just barely warmed in the middle, so even in the US I find it a bit hit or miss for me to really be pleased with restaurant steaks.

I had never seen a sizzling platter presentation of what was supposed to be a rare steak, so I had to ask... it's not exactly properly resting the meat before serving, is it?

[Khutan]

There is a take-away outside that has very nice Hamburgers

[JohnBKKK]

To serve a steak or even seafood on a "sizzling" cast iron plate is very old fashioned and does the food items no good at all. It is rarely found in Europe these days. Last time I had it was in KL in what is probably the oldest surviving colonial style restaurant there, the "Coloseum" where I couldn't help to think the all male waiters served Churchill when they were in their twenties. That was donkeys years ago and I went more for the unique style of the place than the cuisine.

I love steak tartar, taking the idea of rare steaks a step further, avoiding the cooking process all together, but a good steak should be medium to rare with the tendancy towards rare and left to rest, depending on thickness for 2 minutes or more - it should be at least 1 inch thick - well marbled and in case of a ribeye have a nice chunk of fat - one does not have to eat the fat, but it creates flavor and makes the steak juicy.

Try, if you are looking for a real good steak any of the 5 star Hotels in BKK - they generally have great steaks cooked as ordered,

John

[pampal]

oddly enough, the Mexican Restaurant on soi Convent does excellent steaks, around 600-800 baht

[seobangkok]

and a fan of one Chef of a famous restaurent in Canada who instructs new waiters - our steak is only seared and if someone asks for it to be well done point them to the door, they don't deserve to eat here

Surely it's up to the paying customer how they like their steak isn't it? What if the the chef doesn't like red cars and you turn up to his restaurant in a red car, would you be welcome? He sounds like a <deleted> to me.

My girlfriend always had her steak well done, over time I have managed to persuade her that their is so much more flavor when not cooking it all the way through and she needs to ignore the colour of the meat - Now she eats her steak rare

As for myself, I like my steak rarer than rare (blue), 10 seconds on each side on a hot grill/pan is enough for an inch think tenderloin for me. Most (99.9%) of restaurants mess this up and over cook it

Anyway, as for the Chok Chai farm... I've driven past their a few times but knowing how tough thai beef normally is, I've never stopped to try it out. After this review, I think I'm better just driving past it

Edited March 4, 2008 by seobangkok

[thaigerd]

To serve a steak or even seafood on a "sizzling" cast iron plate is very old fashioned and does the food items no good at all. It is rarely found in Europe these days. Last time I had it was in KL in what is probably the oldest surviving colonial style restaurant there, the "Coloseum" where I couldn't help to think the all male waiters served Churchill when they were in their twenties. That was donkeys years ago and I went more for the unique style of the place than the cuisine.

I love steak tartar, taking the idea of rare steaks a step further, avoiding the cooking process all together, but a good steak should be medium to rare with the tendancy towards rare and left to rest, depending on thickness for 2 minutes or more - it should be at least 1 inch thick - well marbled and in case of a ribeye have a nice chunk of fat - one does not have to eat the fat, but it creates flavor and makes the steak juicy.

Try, if you are looking for a real good steak any of the 5 star Hotels in BKK - they generally have great steaks cooked as ordered,

John

Have a look here to see what John is talking about:

http://www.<URL Automatically Removed>/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=48

Gerd

[mackayae]

Chok Chai is a good family venue. The farm tour and camping are fun for the children. I have never been impressed by the food in the steakhouse. The hamburger barn is better. Don't laugh, but one thing that always impresses me is the cleanliness, even out on the farm. I always think this can't be Thailand.

[JohnBKKK]

Surely it's up to the paying customer how they like their steak isn't it? What if the the chef doesn't like red cars and you turn up to his restaurant in a red car, would you be welcome? He sounds like a &lt;deleted&gt; to me.

--------------------------------------------------------

Hi,

hmmmmm at first, the restaurant in question has 3 stars in he Guide Michellin and one must consider that cooking is creative, I'm not talking about a tom yam stall or hamburger joint but real cuisine, and the Chef is in his/her own right is an artist, creating with great care and even greater choice of raw material, the perfect culinary creation of which he/she is not only proud, but which also influences his/her reputation.

Imagine, you have created that perfect, clear consome', with a julienne of mushroom and fine bone marrow dumplings (one of my signature dishes) - you serve it to your guests and the next thing you here is someone asking for the Maggie bottle or where is the fish sauce?? - that chefs knife in your hand may just start to tremble ever so slightly ... now, if you can afford to, tell the bloke in a friendly way that the stall down the street offers an excellent tom yam and they have plenty of fish sauce on the table -

This is the same as if someone asks for that perfect steak to be "burned" - a sin against everything one stands for and in his enviable situation, I would do the same.

Glad you girlfriend found her way to at least medium steaks,

bone appetite

John

[Gary A]

Some of you are a lot like a friend of mine. He used to embarrass me whenever we went to a steak house. His first question was whether or not the steaks were frozen. If they were frozen he ordered something else. If they were not frozen he would then instruct the waiter EXACTLY how he wanted it cooked. I had to be cooked on a hot plate, not flame broiled or anything else, just fried on a steel grill the same as you would fry eggs on. The orders were to drop it on the hot grill and as soon as it hit to pick it off, turn it over and drop it on another hot part of the grill. As soon as it hit to pick it off and put it on his plate. He specifically told the waitrer/waitress that if it was warm in the center, he wouldn't eat it and would send it back.

As for myself, pink in the center is perfect. Not bloody, just pink.

[Austhaied]

Some of you are a lot like a friend of mine. He used to embarrass me whenever we went to a steak house. His first question was whether or not the steaks were frozen. If they were frozen he ordered something else. If they were not frozen he would then instruct the waiter EXACTLY how he wanted it cooked. I had to be cooked on a hot plate, not flame broiled or anything else, just fried on a steel grill the same as you would fry eggs on. The orders were to drop it on the hot grill and as soon as it hit to pick it off, turn it over and drop it on another hot part of the grill. As soon as it hit to pick it off and put it on his plate. He specifically told the waitrer/waitress that if it was warm in the center, he wouldn't eat it and would send it back.

As for myself, pink in the center is perfect. Not bloody, just pink.

With mates like that who needs enemas.

Sounds like 75 % of the farangs living in Chiang Mai at present...Drip...drip...drip...ZZZZZZZZZZZ...

[Austhaied]

To serve a steak or even seafood on a "sizzling" cast iron plate is very old fashioned and does the food items no good at all. It is rarely found in Europe these days. Last time I had it was in KL in what is probably the oldest surviving colonial style restaurant there, the "Coloseum" where I couldn't help to think the all male waiters served Churchill when they were in their twenties. That was donkeys years ago and I went more for the unique style of the place than the cuisine.

I love steak tartar, taking the idea of rare steaks a step further, avoiding the cooking process all together, but a good steak should be medium to rare with the tendancy towards rare and left to rest, depending on thickness for 2 minutes or more - it should be at least 1 inch thick - well marbled and in case of a ribeye have a nice chunk of fat - one does not have to eat the fat, but it creates flavor and makes the steak juicy.

Try, if you are looking for a real good steak any of the 5 star Hotels in BKK - they generally have great steaks cooked as ordered,

John

Ah the Coloseum in KL...That brings back fond memories. I stayed there while trying to break into the oil and gas business back in 97...4 weeks i stayed there..

In the end they were all my best mates and were buying me food in the resto every night...very fond memories...The food was Ok i thought, although i was almost peniless and shit would have tasted OK at that time...

Sorry, a bit off topic...

[LtLOS]

Well must disagree about a hot platter for a rare steak. Now having said that if the steak is only 1/4 inch thick and weighs 4-6 ounces not a good idea. Have you ever been to a Ruth's Chris steak house? They serve their steaks on a very very hot plate that is sizzling out of the kitchen. The reason, these are very thick steaks, and take a while to eat. The plate helps keep your properly cooked steak at temp during your dining experience. If your steak is so thin that it cooks to well done on a hot plate, its just too thin to be served that way. Not a gimmick, its done for a reason!

[seobangkok]

Surely it's up to the paying customer how they like their steak isn't it? What if the the chef doesn't like red cars and you turn up to his restaurant in a red car, would you be welcome? He sounds like a &lt;deleted&gt; to me.

--------------------------------------------------------

Hi,

hmmmmm at first, the restaurant in question has 3 stars in he Guide Michellin and one must consider that cooking is creative, I'm not talking about a tom yam stall or hamburger joint but real cuisine, and the Chef is in his/her own right is an artist, creating with great care and even greater choice of raw material, the perfect culinary creation of which he/she is not only proud, but which also influences his/her reputation.

Imagine, you have created that perfect, clear consome', with a julienne of mushroom and fine bone marrow dumplings (one of my signature dishes) - you serve it to your guests and the next thing you here is someone asking for the Maggie bottle or where is the fish sauce?? - that chefs knife in your hand may just start to tremble ever so slightly ... now, if you can afford to, tell the bloke in a friendly way that the stall down the street offers an excellent tom yam and they have plenty of fish sauce on the table -

This is the same as if someone asks for that perfect steak to be "burned" - a sin against everything one stands for and in his enviable situation, I would do the same.

Glad you girlfriend found her way to at least medium steaks,

bone appetite

John

I appreciate what your saying, in regards to it being sin to eat food the way that doesn't release the maximium flavour etc, but that's just our thoughts and opininions.

Gorden Ramsey, one of the best chefs in the world, even says in his book "Kitchen heaven?" that if someone asks for a steak well done, he just adds a label of stock to the pan towards the end to stop making it so dry. I'm not sure if this works but the moral of the story is: if the customer wants it like that, then they should be treated like everyone else and be served what they have requested... especially from a chef that has 3 Michellin stars. No chef has the right to tell epople how to eat there food, nor have they got any right to refuse people. It's wrong. I've eaten at some of the best resturnats in the world (including Gorden Ramsey's) and have never heared such a thing.

By the way, I hate to say it, but my missus likes sweet chilli sauce with her steak... after I've tried my best to cook it 100% perfect. I think she's crazy, but at the end of the day, if she prefer's it that way, then that's up to her.

[suegha]

By the way, I hate to say it, but my missus likes sweet chilli sauce with her steak... after I've tried my best to cook it 100% perfect. I think she's crazy, but at the end of the day, if she prefer's it that way, then that's up to her.

I 100% agree with you. If that's how she likes it that how she should have it! Although sweet chilli sauce with a steak does sound weird!

[taxexile]

Chok Chai is not really tourist orientated - they serve mostly Thai.

that doesnt stop them having a 2-tier price system ( thai and falang ) should you want to tour the farm.

needless to say , we moved on.

[JohnBKKK]

Well must disagree about a hot platter for a rare steak. Now having said that if the steak is only 1/4 inch thick and weighs 4-6 ounces not a good idea. Have you ever been to a Ruth's Chris steak house? They serve their steaks on a very very hot plate that is sizzling out of the kitchen. The reason, these are very thick steaks, and take a while to eat. The plate helps keep your properly cooked steak at temp during your dining experience. If your steak is so thin that it cooks to well done on a hot plate, its just too thin to be served that way. Not a gimmick, its done for a reason!

Hi,

now there is a fifference between a steak served on a hot plate and a "sizzling" steak like served at those places mentioned, a "sizzling" steak is served on a heavy cast iron dish that has been heated to very high temperature and being cast iron, retans the high temperature over a long time, cooking the steak further.

Any food that is intended to be eaten hot shout be served on a hot plate.

Hi Austhaied,

last time I was there was before 97 and I just wonder if the tablecloths had been changed or if they appeared to be antique as well? Otherwise the food was very British, well old style British and the sauce on the steak came from a box which probablky had the name "Bisto" printed upon it. Hoever, given the uniquenes of the place and the fact that the Gin & Tonics contained more Gin than Tonic and were quite reasonable, it was a fun place to be in and watch the comings and goings.

Hi seobangkok,

Gorden Ramsey is one of those Chef's who have come to glory and faim not so much because of their cooking skills, but mainly thanks to their media Managers and he also, because of his unique way of using the f-word more often than a black stand up commedian in the US - can't think of his name right now, but he also played in some rather funny movies.

For me, a grand Chef who also would not cook a steak well done, no matter who the customer was and how much of a fuss he made, was/is Paul Bocuse who's famous restaurant "l'Auberge du Pont de Collonges, near Lyon" is one of the best in the world. He became famous due to his great food and his "soupe aux truffes" . His is now well in his 80's anfd has trained a lot of great Chef's like Witzigman and many others who also earned Michellin stars.

I have not read Ramsays book, but he is certainly wrong, a well done steak is not only dry, but tuff, hard and simply bad food.

I believe any Chef/Restorateure can refuse to serve bad food if he has taken years of training and years of hardship to establish his place to serve great food.

I made a test one day not too long ago and went to a Thai "Steakhouse" on route to Nakonayok - looked like a blockhouse and had "STEAKHOUSE" in big letters on its roof - the menu did actually show 1 (in words one) steak which was supposed to be Soirloin - hmm I thought ok and turned to the waiter to order - I had just said "I would like the steak......" when he said OK, turned away and left for the kitchen, I didn't even have a chance to specify the degree of done-ness I wanted. I was able to look into the kitchen from my seat and beinga chef, it was hard to believe what was happening - the Thai "Chef" placed a pan onto the stove, added some oil and without waiting for it to heat up placed the 1/4 inch thick "steak" int it - the result would have impressed a cobbler, but not me. It was simply inedable and I just finished my beer paid and left ....

And I must say, I would rather serve your Girlfriend her medium steak with sweet Chilly sauce than a well done staek with sauce Bearnaise also since the combination of sweet/sour sauces and beef does actually work quite well, see one of our products, German "Sauerbraten" with raisons....

well, am rambling on again,

have a good night

John

[Austhaied]

Hi Austhaied,

last time I was there was before 97 and I just wonder if the tablecloths had been changed or if they appeared to be antique as well? Otherwise the food was very British, well old style British and the sauce on the steak came from a box which probablky had the name "Bisto" printed upon it. Hoever, given the uniquenes of the place and the fact that the Gin & Tonics contained more Gin than Tonic and were quite reasonable, it was a fun place to be in and watch the comings and goings.

Thanks for the reply John.

I agree that the drinks there were second to none.

Truly a fantastic place to watch the "eccentric" world go by.

[seobangkok]

I made a test one day not too long ago and went to a Thai "Steakhouse" on route to Nakonayok - looked like a blockhouse and had "STEAKHOUSE" in big letters on its roof - the menu did actually show 1 (in words one) steak which was supposed to be Soirloin - hmm I thought ok and turned to the waiter to order - I had just said "I would like the steak......" when he said OK, turned away and left for the kitchen, I didn't even have a chance to specify the degree of done-ness I wanted. I was able to look into the kitchen from my seat and beinga chef, it was hard to believe what was happening - the Thai "Chef" placed a pan onto the stove, added some oil and without waiting for it to heat up placed the 1/4 inch thick "steak" int it - the result would have impressed a cobbler, but not me. It was simply inedable and I just finished my beer paid and left ....

And I must say, I would rather serve your Girlfriend her medium steak with sweet Chilly sauce than a well done staek with sauce Bearnaise also since the combination of sweet/sour sauces and beef does actually work quite well, see one of our products, German "Sauerbraten" with raisons....

well, am rambling on again,

have a good night

John

After reading the first sentance here, I knew where this was going

Like another member of the forum has already said, you are only going to get a decent steak in a 5 star hotel... here in Bangkok. Or, you can always cook it at home

Happy eating!

*I've got roast rib of beef today.... whoooohooooo!

[KhaoNiaw]

Chok Chai is not really tourist orientated - they serve mostly Thai.

that doesnt stop them having a 2-tier price system ( thai and falang ) should you want to tour the farm.

needless to say , we moved on.

I don't think that's true any more. It was the same for all when I was there a year or so ago. And they show the same price on the Thai and English pages of their website.

Edited March 10, 2008 by KhaoNiaw

[TheExpat]

Sorry to hear this. If you are up to it, try their branch in Rangsit. it is spot on and imho the best steak in Thailand.

We made the mistake of following a relative's recommendation and stopping at Chok Chai Farm steakhouse on highway 2 between Korat and Bangkok... I wish I would have seen the negative reference buried in another thread here, so I thought I'd make it a top-level topic of its own!

While the cut of meat they gave me did not look like what I expect of a prime rib, it did appear to have started as a pretty decent grade of fatty meat. However, they have a serving gimmick of plating it on a sizzling cast iron platter (like steak fajitas or something), so in the few minutes it took me to cut into it, my rare steak actually fried in its own juices until a chewy well done. I did eat one bite of tender, rare meat (the first bite) but the rest was over-cooked and you could quite clearly see that it was cooking all the way through, bottom to top, when you cut into it... it was also over-salted but that complaint is far secondary to the way it was served/cooked.

It made me wonder, are they just a tourist trap or do Thais actually come away satisfied with these shoe-leather steaks?

In any event, if you actually feel the need to stop there, steer clear of the steakhouse and just try one of the burgers from the adjacent lunch-counter area. The burger my wife bought was not so bad, but they are not on the menu in the steakhouse...

Edited March 29, 2008 by TheExpat

[freitag1]

I have been here today: http://www.michellegourmet.com

Its awesome, one of my favorite spots in Bkk from now on. It beats Chok Chai anytime!