Don Of Don's

[thaigerd]

Gerd, as a chef for Thai Airways, I am sure you would like to hear about your food from Phuket to wherever flights. Some will enjoy them and some will not. Deal with the criticisms when they come.

I have eaten at Dons for years and his food has gone down hill. Dark brown keylime pie, cold mash potatoes, old pot roast.

But Don is an incredible human being and he tries to do everything himself and he just cannot. From his farms up north to his restaurant here, he is stretched too thin and the quality has suffered. The service is one of the worst on the island.

But I have to say his bbqs on Saturday nights are heaven on earth. I will always go there, but I cannot take my guests there.

Sorry,

I don't work for TG anymore!

Gerd

[Redted]

I've read where 50% of food poisonings are self inflicted. Not washing your hands after using the toilet the main culprit.

Buttons off the ATM where someone who has not washed hands, shaking hands with someone with bad bathroom habits can get fecal on your hands which you accidentally ingest.

This is why grandma always insisted you wash up before eating............

Self inflicted? 50%? Oh my God. I would love to read where you read this. You would have to be a total fool to think that 50% of food poisonings come from .... I am not even going to repeat it.

Maybe 50% of YOUR food poisonings are from what you said. And what does this have to do with the topic. This is another example of someone reading something and then going overboard with something totally off topic. (Example: Wing Sun Topic, Post #3 http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=176547 ) I am the relatively New User, and I am the one that made the comments...blah blah blah...

This forum exists to inform people, regardless of your personal interests in the topic, and regardless of how it makes you feel. I think that people should be aware of what they are in for, especially if they seek out information about it. If they are here reading, they must be looking to be informed, or they would just go, and never mind the <deleted>. I have seen many things discussed here, and often times, there is someone who takes it the wrong way, or gets offended, or says something we all wish we could or would have said. (geriatrikid)sp

There are plenty of Mods that are watching everything we say, and they have the ability to delete any post they do not feel is proper. I watched one get deleted before my very eyes.

I brought up the topic, which was deleted, but somehow, someone got offended, (which was not the person it was intended for...) and rehashed it with this topic, and then tells us how to get food poisoning. Some people really belong posting here rather than speaking out loud. At least here, someone can moderate it.

Huggs, you need to be moderated, sweetie!

Wise man say: Don't scratch arse and then chew fingernails.

~a~

Here... Here

I've never gotten food poisoning here Amanda and Ted.

Don't appreciate being called a fool Amanda, again, par for the course on your postings........

HB. In Time.

[donna]

please, people, try to refrain from name calling. next time this happens, more warnings will be issued. lets keep it nice, shall we?

[huggybear]

I've read where 50% of food poisonings are self inflicted. Not washing your hands after using the toilet the main culprit.

Buttons off the ATM where someone who has not washed hands, shaking hands with someone with bad bathroom habits can get fecal on your hands which you accidentally ingest.

This is why grandma always insisted you wash up before eating............

Self inflicted? 50%? Oh my God. I would love to read where you read this. You would have to be a total fool to think that 50% of food poisonings come from .... I am not even going to repeat it.

Maybe 50% of YOUR food poisonings are from what you said. And what does this have to do with the topic. This is another example of someone reading something and then going overboard with something totally off topic. (Example: Wing Sun Topic, Post #3 http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=176547 ) I am the relatively New User, and I am the one that made the comments...blah blah blah...

This forum exists to inform people, regardless of your personal interests in the topic, and regardless of how it makes you feel. I think that people should be aware of what they are in for, especially if they seek out information about it. If they are here reading, they must be looking to be informed, or they would just go, and never mind the <deleted>. I have seen many things discussed here, and often times, there is someone who takes it the wrong way, or gets offended, or says something we all wish we could or would have said. (geriatrikid)sp

There are plenty of Mods that are watching everything we say, and they have the ability to delete any post they do not feel is proper. I watched one get deleted before my very eyes.

I brought up the topic, which was deleted, but somehow, someone got offended, (which was not the person it was intended for...) and rehashed it with this topic, and then tells us how to get food poisoning. Some people really belong posting here rather than speaking out loud. At least here, someone can moderate it.

Huggs, you need to be moderated, sweetie!

Wise man say: Don't scratch arse and then chew fingernails.

~a~

Here... Here

I've never gotten food poisoning here Amanda and Ted.

Don't appreciate being called a fool Amanda, again, par for the course on your postings........

HB. In Time.

Nahhhh.............lucky for me I've got the cast iron belly.

Also, a bearded clam that smells funny, I tend not to put in my mouth

[amanda76]

Beard? What Beard? Wax on Wax Off!!!

Sounds to me like someone's been spending too much time in the wrong places .

Gerd! I saw the photos of your F1 ribs, (so did my baby, she was drooling).

Also, my cousin is here, and he brought a couple of cans of Tony Chachere's Original Cajun and Creole Seasoning.

I told him that there was no Cajun food here, except for Bangkok, so he brought his own.

He would like to be an importer of Tony's line of products. I would like to know if you would know anything about doing that. He is Screenname: Flamingtodd

As many people love Cajun food, and the spices, but like me, they can't cook.

Does Don's have any spices like this?

~a~

The Bearded Clam

THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST --Refined diners appreciate the savoury taste of one of the Pacific's little-known seafood delicacies, the bearded clam. Renowned for its pungent, yet robust flavour, the bearded clam is a rare treat that is a genuine pleasure for the tongue.

The savoury flavour of the Pacific Bearded Clam is an irresistible temptation to most people.

This furry little mollusk is often compared to chicken in its texture, although it can smell fishy if not snatched up fresh. Inside its shell, the bearded clam stews in its own juices, and the delightful taste is revealed every time it is opened up.

The bearded clam gets its name from the seaweed that grows on its shell. The seaweed nourishes itself on the minerals in the clam's shell, and clings to it like lichen. The mossy seaweed gives the clams an appearance of facial growth--like a beard.

The bearded clam is found in the northern Pacific regions, buried deep in hard-to-reach seabeds. Bearded clam divers toil hard to get to their tasty treasure, but they know the reward are worth the effort.

Restaurateurs admit that men love the bearded clam, and that for women it is an acquired taste. They say that the bearded clam is best when it's tasted for the first time, moist and dripping in its own succulent juices.

The clams make for an excellent chowder, but connoisseurs insist they be kept uncooked, preferring to pry them open with their fingers and slowly taste the insides. Many Canadians find that the bearded clam is almost as desirable as beaver, another delicacy.

Creston Colgate, a Seattle chef working in Vancouver, has a few tips for would-be gourmets.

"Coaxing them out is half the battle," said Creston. "And they go very well with zucchini. You'll find them juicier and almost begging to be swallowed. For bearded clam, you'll definitely need to head downtown."

"Bearded clams are the reason I like to eat out so much!"

Those who have tried bearded clams are passionate about them. "I love them when they're hot and steamy," said Diana Butcher, a recent convert. "I let the juices run down my chin. It's so wonderful."

"I love chowing down on bearded clams," agreed Woody Normus, Renowned Chef. "I can't get enough of them. In fact, bearded clams are the reason I like to eat out so much!"

"I've never seen a bearded clam," said young Billy Roth. "But someday, when I'm older, I hope to sink my face into one."

Although most bearded clams are bearded, there is are some recipes that call for the beard to be shaved off. Incidentally, bearded clam chowder is one of the only soups where it's normal to find a hair.

[stuandchris]

Bearded clams are also the reason why so many people like to eat out here so much

[donna]

oh, stuandchris. i nearly spat my coffee out at that one!

[huggybear]

Beard? What Beard? Wax on Wax Off!!!

Sounds to me like someone's been spending too much time in the wrong places .

Gerd! I saw the photos of your F1 ribs, (so did my baby, she was drooling).

Also, my cousin is here, and he brought a couple of cans of Tony Chachere's Original Cajun and Creole Seasoning.

I told him that there was no Cajun food here, except for Bangkok, so he brought his own.

He would like to be an importer of Tony's line of products. I would like to know if you would know anything about doing that. He is Screenname: Flamingtodd

As many people love Cajun food, and the spices, but like me, they can't cook.

Does Don's have any spices like this?

~a~

The Bearded Clam

THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST --Refined diners appreciate the savoury taste of one of the Pacific's little-known seafood delicacies, the bearded clam. Renowned for its pungent, yet robust flavour, the bearded clam is a rare treat that is a genuine pleasure for the tongue.

The savoury flavour of the Pacific Bearded Clam is an irresistible temptation to most people.

This furry little mollusk is often compared to chicken in its texture, although it can smell fishy if not snatched up fresh. Inside its shell, the bearded clam stews in its own juices, and the delightful taste is revealed every time it is opened up.

The bearded clam gets its name from the seaweed that grows on its shell. The seaweed nourishes itself on the minerals in the clam's shell, and clings to it like lichen. The mossy seaweed gives the clams an appearance of facial growth--like a beard.

The bearded clam is found in the northern Pacific regions, buried deep in hard-to-reach seabeds. Bearded clam divers toil hard to get to their tasty treasure, but they know the reward are worth the effort.

Restaurateurs admit that men love the bearded clam, and that for women it is an acquired taste. They say that the bearded clam is best when it's tasted for the first time, moist and dripping in its own succulent juices.

The clams make for an excellent chowder, but connoisseurs insist they be kept uncooked, preferring to pry them open with their fingers and slowly taste the insides. Many Canadians find that the bearded clam is almost as desirable as beaver, another delicacy.

Creston Colgate, a Seattle chef working in Vancouver, has a few tips for would-be gourmets.

"Coaxing them out is half the battle," said Creston. "And they go very well with zucchini. You'll find them juicier and almost begging to be swallowed. For bearded clam, you'll definitely need to head downtown."

"Bearded clams are the reason I like to eat out so much!"

Those who have tried bearded clams are passionate about them. "I love them when they're hot and steamy," said Diana Butcher, a recent convert. "I let the juices run down my chin. It's so wonderful."

"I love chowing down on bearded clams," agreed Woody Normus, Renowned Chef. "I can't get enough of them. In fact, bearded clams are the reason I like to eat out so much!"

"I've never seen a bearded clam," said young Billy Roth. "But someday, when I'm older, I hope to sink my face into one."

Although most bearded clams are bearded, there is are some recipes that call for the beard to be shaved off. Incidentally, bearded clam chowder is one of the only soups where it's normal to find a hair.

Hilarious !!!

[greenwater]

I was at Don's two times in 2 weeks. Very bad experience. Staff no good and food bad cooking.

First time i think was a bad day so I return after 5 days: terrible dinner. The staff was a shame.

I find a very good improvement of staff attitude at Mario -La Capannina-in Kata. A new sala manager (a woman from Chezh Republic) take care of all customer in a beautiful way. She also speaks about 7 language: from russian to italian, from french to thai...

The food was good and the staff skill (with the restaurant very busy) very very good.

[smartecosse]

well I have only ever been to Don's to eat once - had the ribs and they were superb.

I like the bread rolls the deli has there as well

[huggybear]

I was at Don's two times in 2 weeks. Very bad experience. Staff no good and food bad cooking.

First time i think was a bad day so I return after 5 days: terrible dinner. The staff was a shame.

I find a very good improvement of staff attitude at Mario -La Capannina-in Kata. A new sala manager (a woman from Chezh Republic) take care of all customer in a beautiful way. She also speaks about 7 language: from russian to italian, from french to thai...

The food was good and the staff skill (with the restaurant very busy) very very good.

I like Campanina also, but whaaaaaaaaa, has he gotten expensive !

Was in there a couple months back with a couple of Chinese girlfriends, we split the seafood platter a salad and a pizza and although excellent, with drinks our bill was something like 1600thb!!

1600thb in the seafood restaurants on the beach in Rawai feeds a party of 10.

[stuandchris]

I started a post while ago about Don's selling out of date food etc, I couldn't find it i.e, to lazy to look for it. I do remember Don answering about he had taken his eye off the ball a bit recently and things would change siting lack of farang buyers etc.

It did pick up for a couple of weeks but is now worse than ever,

I was in there, ever hopeful, no bacon. no sausage, no lamb, no burgers.

Had your chance Don, I accepted your assurance last time as did loads of farang friends.

Mods will probably delete this but my 4,000 THB a month is going to Mr Moo's.

[thaiwanderer]

I started a post while ago about Don's selling out of date food etc, I couldn't find it i.e, to lazy to look for it. I do remember Don answering about he had taken his eye off the ball a bit recently and things would change siting lack of farang buyers etc.

It did pick up for a couple of weeks but is now worse than ever,

I was in there, ever hopeful, no bacon. no sausage, no lamb, no burgers.

Had your chance Don, I accepted your assurance last time as did loads of farang friends.

Mods will probably delete this but my 4,000 THB a month is going to Mr Moo's.

4,000thb a month - don will be quaking with a high roller such as you withdrawing patronage

[fiddlehead]

It did pick up for a couple of weeks but is now worse than ever,

I was in there, ever hopeful, no bacon. no sausage, no lamb, no burgers.

I was in there 3 days ago and they bacon, 4 different kinds of sausage, burgers, steaks. Didn't see lamb although i didn't look for it.

Maybe you went at night. I usually hit it in the morning.

[Sir Burr]

Mods will probably delete this but my 4,000 THB a month is going to Mr Moo's.

Who also sell Cumberland sausages after their expiry date.

[DonaldBattles]

For those who continue to come to my rescue, many thanks. After 26 years of trying to make Thailand a better place for people to live I have found many who disagree with me. Since being in the food business for the past 13 years I have donated my salary and company expense for Thai education, housing and a higher quality of life. For a country that has been good to me I feel that it is better to leave it here than to try to take it with you. I admit that at age 75 my efficiency is not as good as it used to be but I will continue my misson in Phuket, Bangkok and Chiang Rai as long as god gives me the strength and courage.

Our staff is not always the best but the best that I can find. I know that many come to work looking for "Mr. Goodbar" who will provide them with the golden rice bowl that is never empty and I don't discourage them. For the many who have found a good life I salute them.

I check the food at Don's Cafe as often as I can and try to correct small mistakes that the kitchen staff might make. Comments about specific meals at a given point in time are always appreciated. Our head cook has been with us for 11 years and has ha 3 children in this period of time. WITH YOUR HELP WE CAN ALWAYS DO BETTER!

Many of our competitors try as hard as they can. The Green Man is a respected pub and has a good reputation over a long period of time. His promotions and food products have stood the test of time. For the meals that I have eaten there they were good. I have always enjoyed the live music and Howard's humor. Howard is a credit to the community.

Don

[huggybear]

The Green Man is a respected pub and has a good reputation over a long period of time. His promotions and food products have stood the test of time. For the meals that I have eaten there they were good.

I've given The Green Man a few different occasions to prove that "maybe I didn't order the right thing".....

Super greasy chips one time, a sort of pizza like concoction that gave me the squirts for two days, a sandwich that was a disgrace to the word sandwich.........

It's a nice building, a great looking venue, good place to get a drop of grog, but I will never recommend the food at The Green Man, never.

[thaigerd]

Sorry for digging out these postings again:

Have been to Don's this afternoon for a quick coffee.

His Deli shop, butchery etc. looked great and very well organized and absolutely clean.

Bread section very good and fresh products, bought some fantastic looking burger buns, the cheese/butter display as well.

Only one minor thing was missing: DON!

Gerd

[Somtamnication]

With all its ups and downs, Don's is a diamond in the rough. Many come and try to do what he does and they fail.

Have I been disappointed by Don's? Sure I have! But goddamm, don't piss on the goose that lays golden eggs (and fantastic bbqs on Saturdays).

Very very few restauranteurs give the service that he does. Got a complaint? PM him, email him. You will get a response.

Not many places make their own bread, sausages, cheeses, etc etc.

I am sure if you ate at Ma Maison's in LA, you will not find it perfect either.

Over the past couple of years, the staff have changed and Thais are difficult to train and keep and are not loyal and you gotta watch the till. For Don to have done this for 26 years, is a true testament to his willpower and wish for nothing but the best.

Now I am hungry and miserable in London. Wish I was there, eating his horrible sausages, freshly baked breads and watching farang tourists making a fool of themselves.

[Sir Burr]

Mods will probably delete this but my 4,000 THB a month is going to Mr Moo's.

Who also sell Cumberland sausages after their expiry date.

I have been contacted by Mr. Moo with the correct explanation regarding expiration dates which I post with his permission below:-

"When we produce our products they are immediately frozen. If the products are kept frozen they are good for six months from the production date. The expiration date on the label was intended for fresh sausage or bacon and not for frozen. We do not sell fresh products unless specifically asked to do so. Then and only then does the expiration date come into play".

The cumberland sausages which I bought were indeed frozen and not fresh, so, the sausages I bought were in fact good and I can attest that they are of excellent quality and taste.

I believe Mr. Moo has now taken action to avoid a recurrence of this regretable misunderstanding for future customers.

[H2oDunc]

phuket has some good restaurants but many more just average ones. finding good staff in thailand, phuket in particular, is very difficult for a few reasons.

1. there is such a bad public transport system that staff have to use their own motorbikes to get to work

2. smaller establishments cant afford a car to bring staff to work

3. staff want service charge on top of their basic salary, and many want a guaranteed service charge

4. restaurant hours are erratic and many staff dont want to do shifts

5. english isnt a big thing in the thai school curriculum. there are a few thais that speak english well but often these people are too qualified to work in a restaurant

6. lack of training. restaurant owners do not train their staff well enough, and when it comes to wine knowledge, forget it

im sure that there are many more things but thats what i came up with off the top of my head. please bear in mind that if a place has had good reviews and suddenly gets bad reviews, there is usually a reason for it. change of management? change of chef? a bad day perhaps? who knows. constructive criticism is always welcome but remember that praise given where due is also welcome.

Donna can you enlighten me as I'm obviously missing something but then that's nothing new

1 Whats riding to work on your own bike got to do with good service ?

2 Same as above, why should they be driven to their place of work and what difference would it make ?

3 I don't see that as a staff requisite but rather something the management like to add to the bill ?

4 Hours are erratic? They open at a time and they close at a time. Unlike bars which will tend to stay open later if they are busy ???

5 Granted on that one girl

6 Same as 5 Donna have to agree

Cheers

OH and Huggy, N.A.S.A = Never A Straight Answer.

I for one do not believe they ever landed on the moon! Just my opinion!

[Ping]

Not having a dig at you SB, but I am more than a little surprised about how many people make potentially libelous statements on this site. In your case, there is a fair and reasonable explanation and you have done the right thing in correcting an error. In that respect, you are more the exception than the rule. I would have thought that TV is wide open to civil liability in some of the cases I have read, but I assume they have advice to the contrary.

As to the snags, I'll have to give Mr Moo a try when I get back, given your endorsement.

[donna]

phuket has some good restaurants but many more just average ones. finding good staff in thailand, phuket in particular, is very difficult for a few reasons.

1. there is such a bad public transport system that staff have to use their own motorbikes to get to work

2. smaller establishments cant afford a car to bring staff to work

3. staff want service charge on top of their basic salary, and many want a guaranteed service charge

4. restaurant hours are erratic and many staff dont want to do shifts

5. english isnt a big thing in the thai school curriculum. there are a few thais that speak english well but often these people are too qualified to work in a restaurant

6. lack of training. restaurant owners do not train their staff well enough, and when it comes to wine knowledge, forget it

im sure that there are many more things but thats what i came up with off the top of my head. please bear in mind that if a place has had good reviews and suddenly gets bad reviews, there is usually a reason for it. change of management? change of chef? a bad day perhaps? who knows. constructive criticism is always welcome but remember that praise given where due is also welcome.

Donna can you enlighten me as I'm obviously missing something but then that's nothing new :jerk:

1 Whats riding to work on your own bike got to do with good service ?

2 Same as above, why should they be driven to their place of work and what difference would it make ?

3 I don't see that as a staff requisite but rather something the management like to add to the bill ?

4 Hours are erratic? They open at a time and they close at a time. Unlike bars which will tend to stay open later if they are busy ???

5 Granted on that one girl

6 Same as 5 Donna have to agree

Cheers

OH and Huggy, N.A.S.A = Never A Straight Answer.

I for one do not believe they ever landed on the moon! Just my opinion!

1 Whats riding to work on your own bike got to do with good service ?

many hospitality staff on Phuket feel that their boss should transport them to and from work. the better staff often go to the place that gives them a higher salary and more benefits, such as transport, housing allowance, and fixed service charge payment.

2 Same as above, why should they be driven to their place of work and what difference would it make ?

i guess i repeated myself in the initial post - it was a long time ago!

3 I don't see that as a staff requisite but rather something the management like to add to the bill ?

the service charge (speaking from a hotel perspective anyway) is definitely part of the bargaining process when hiring staff in Phuket. many a time i interviewed potential staff who were very reluctant to come to work in a hotel under construction because they wanted a guaranteed service charge. the Mercure hotel in Patong was offering staff a guaranteed service charge of 10k per month, on top of their base salary. that was throughout the whole year, not just in high season.

management do add that to the bill, as sometimes they skim a little off the top. but if staff in Phuket know that the boss is doing that, they will threaten to walk out unless it is rectified.

4 Hours are erratic? They open at a time and they close at a time. Unlike bars which will tend to stay open later if they are busy ???

sorry. i guess i meant to say that the hours are from early until late. maybe not erratic, but shift work isnt popular with everyone.

5 Granted on that one girl

6 Same as 5 Donna have to agree

hope that answers some of your questions.

[1000baht]

Mods will probably delete this but my 4,000 THB a month is going to Mr Moo's.

Who also sell Cumberland sausages after their expiry date.

I have been contacted by Mr. Moo with the correct explanation regarding expiration dates which I post with his permission below:-

"When we produce our products they are immediately frozen. If the products are kept frozen they are good for six months from the production date. The expiration date on the label was intended for fresh sausage or bacon and not for frozen. We do not sell fresh products unless specifically asked to do so. Then and only then does the expiration date come into play".

The cumberland sausages which I bought were indeed frozen and not fresh, so, the sausages I bought were in fact good and I can attest that they are of excellent quality and taste.

I believe Mr. Moo has now taken action to avoid a recurrence of this regretable misunderstanding for future customers.

I will also endorse Ray at Mr.moo, have known him since day one in Phuket, and has put alot of effort into his business and its paying off, his food is fresh and tasty as well.

[chefshane]

Maybe I have low standards, but whether I'm eating khanom jeen on the street, pasta at La Gaetana, steak at Rivet Grill, kao man gai tord at Central, Indian at Kama Sutra, noodles at the side of the road or pizza at P Pizza, I always enjoy my meals. I've only lived here about eight months, but I would never complain about the food here. If somewhere sucks, I won't go there again, but I won't give it much thought afterwards unless I'm supposed to be writing a review of the place.

Perhaps some of you are just fussy eaters.

WHEN you get food food poisoning you might change your tune.

Its just a matter of time.

Ted.

Sorry - long mail about restaurants and cooking in general.

I am a chef of 25 years experience.

IMO Phuket is overpriced compared too the rest of Thailand, and offers a slightly inferior food standard and dining experience. Generally.

Especially compared to BKK, Pattaya and Chaing Mai.

Having said that, I eat very well most days myself, with only a few very occasional disappointments.

The best food in terms of freshness, value for money and taste on a day to day basis is the Thai street food from high turnover vendors with specific time frames, and also the small local places with busy service periods.

The food is fresh daily and cooked and served within a safe period.

My average cost for an awesome meal is 50 baht.

The food compares well to tucker I'd buy in Sydney Thai restaurants at e to fivten times the price (often caning it totally).

Very similar to the premium you pay here for eating "exotic" food.

On average, the more I pay, the poorer the flavour profile, and more of my money ends up paying for service, decor, rent, overheads etc instead of the food I am eating.

The middle priced places usually have a higher incidence of food poisoning, as do vendors with long service periods, such as in tourist locations or all day markets.

This is for two reasons.

Firstly, this cost bracket gets into western food and non Thai food, and the skills and base products here are either lacking, or expensive / poor in quality. They have to offer a higher standard than vendors which means higher overheads.

There is a pressure on cost to stay competitive, which means cutbacks in hygiene equipment, training, chemicals and systems.

Also cheaper (read lower quality, also less appropriately handled or stored) foods & ingredients, and minimal staffing at lowest rates

Secondly, larger restaurants have menus - meaning food bought in, received, processed, cut into "prep" and stored / used until finished, or until the use by date is reached.

With a big restaurant menu it is impossible to buy all food fresh in the morning, serve it all for lunch, run out and repeat it for dinner.

In most restaurants, your food is minimum 24 hours old and often 2-3 days old by the time you get it cooked.

The small vendors - especially street ones buy everything fresh, sell it out, then go home.

I have rarely had better tasting food in "nice" establishments as opposed to street vendors and local restaurants - because the vendor him/herself personally & skilfully cooks only a couple of consistent dishes, 6 days a week for years on end. They SHOULD be good at it. It is all they do every day.

Restaurant chefs have 2-50 chefs cooking a menu of which they are only personally responsible for a small percentage. Then the menu changes, often seasonally. And often made by a chef, owner or manager who does not cook it them self. Then when they have learned how to do it properly, they leave for a small increase in their subsistence salary.

As one gets to the upper price brackets, you begin to receive benefits in terms of the quality standard and consistency of the raw product, as well as creativity and skill of dedicated chefs, and the need to develop/protect the reputation of the business - ie service standard, food hygiene, branding and consistency.

The International hotel chains and branded restaurants are bloody expensive - because they (usually) invest time, effort and thought into developing efficient systems, training, staff development and guest experience indicators.

They also buy better quality goods, delivered to HACCP (trackable, food safe) standards, and try to offer meaningful benefits in order to keep key staff.

I find the Thai staff a pleasure to work with and a pleasure to train.

They are far from stupid, and the fact they cannot personally change their lot in life does not mean they are unaware of the vast gap in benefits and opportunities between themselves and the foreigners.

Salaries are low and getting cut, and there seems, generally to be limited effort into developing career paths, and solid skills.

Half due to education opportunities and profit margins in the current climate of last 5 years, and the rest due to a lack of care.

Phuket is well expensive compared to BKK for staff to live and work.

Hence the staff skip between jobs with not much loyalty for small increases in salary and / or benefits.

This means no long term cohesive team, whose skills you can develop, then build on - which would provide consistency - also constantly evolving and improving food, service and standards.

As another poster mentioned, Sydney, London, New York - these places train hard, pay well, and if not, they offer a clear and transparent pathway to a solid career and the chance to develop a decent income in the future - in return for developing discipline, attitude and skills.

In Phuket the staff are more concerned about paying this months rent and not getting salary deductions for breakages.

People are really not so different the world over.

How do I know?

Because I have trained quite a few "green" Thai staff in Australia who, with the right opportunities perform equally if not more capably and consistently than their local Aussie and kiwi counterparts.

Also - the market here is small, and controlled by the few.

In Pattaya you can get from BKK, CM is larger in terms of ingredients and staff availability.

Phuket is small, protected and monopolised.

As the options for suppliers grow, and turism demand and capacity increases, and as the region develops, if the Island is also able to offer affordable living and liveable salaries then it will reap the benefits of competition, higher volumes, more profitability in supplying / catering to the industry and also lower costs.

This from a different perspective to the average diner of course, who cares mainly about taste, speed, safety and cost.

Food poisoning?

I shudder at the lack of time and temperature control at the vast perishables sections at a Major british supermarket and wouldn't touch the roast chickens or packaged meals with a barge pole. And they should know better.

Avoid dirty street vendors or those that are not busy. (common sense)

Watch your beer glasses in cheap to mid price places. Often the glasses are only rinsed and not washed. Esp Patong in a couple of busy beach facing bars. Cold sores anyone?

Have your food cooked fresh - don't just go and pick up cooked food off a vendor. See it get cooked in front of you.

If eating foreign food in Thailand, expect to pay way through the nose, expect frequent disappointment compared to back home. Local staff lack the skills, training, personal experience of eating and familiarity with most foreign food. Factor that in.

Plus Western suppliers make a point of taking an almost criminally large margin on imported food compared to locally supplied food and ingredients. And like our own governments, huge taxes are added to imports.

Oh - and there are also too many restaurants for too few people.

That also has to change, one way (by places shutting down) or another way (improved economic conditions, more bums on seats, and better standards meaning more confidence in the industry and its perceived value)

OK, I'll shutup now, It's not a thesis.

regards All.

[H2oDunc]

I started a post while ago about Don's selling out of date food etc, I couldn't find it i.e, to lazy to look for it. I do remember Don answering about he had taken his eye off the ball a bit recently and things would change siting lack of farang buyers etc.

It did pick up for a couple of weeks but is now worse than ever,

I was in there, ever hopeful, no bacon. no sausage, no lamb, no burgers.

Had your chance Don, I accepted your assurance last time as did loads of farang friends.

Mods will probably delete this but my 4,000 THB a month is going to Mr Moo's.

4,000thb a month - don will be quaking with a high roller such as you withdrawing patronage

Now multiply that by 10-20-30 people who read this and pass on spending their cash there and you are talking a lot of Baht! To ignore and put down a customer who spends around 4000 baht a month is ludicrous Im sure lots of businesses would love to have customers like that!

[H2oDunc]

Oh and I forgot to say thanks to Donna. A little wiser now