Expats On A Budget: Your List Of Luxury Food/drink Items

[WeeGB]

Miss

Youngs Admirals pies *, sherbert dip-dabs, kay-lie (sherbert) and licquorice, caramac bars and nougat. Vegetarian sausage mix, (Sos-mix), the soya at Tesco isn't the same, too chewy, not crispy .

Good value Thailand

Drinking yoghurt, particularly pineapple flavour. Prawns, even the large ones are reasonably priced here. Jam, best foods / tesco own label really good.

Fruit, so much variety, usually good quality.

* My (Thai) wife keeps trying to make these, usually taste pretty good, but she hasn't quite hit the formula for Youngs fish pies yet, but it's fun trying. Luckily for me, she's lived in the UK, and makes wonderful yorkshire puddings, and shortbread biscuits.

Cheers and bon appetit !

PS Keep reading about people buying stuff from Makro, I live in up country, is there a Makro anywhere near Phetchabun? Do you need a special card to go there, like in the UK?

[PoorSucker]

I use fresh shitake mushrooms here for just about everything and they are massively health promoting and also cheap here (expensive in the west). If you haven't tried using fresh shitakes in western dishes, you may be in for a surprise.

Agreed.

[popshirt]

Why not try this. On your monthly trip buy as much bread as will fit in the freezer part of your refrigerator: NOT the normal part of your fridge (doing so, the fridge will suck out all the moisture leaving you with stale bread; a common household experience). Be sure to enclose each loaf in 2 air tight plastic bags, then freeze them as solid as ice. Once needed, stick the frozen slices directly into your toaster. Or, allow the slices to warm up gradually on a plate (butter them while frozen). Bread tastes fresh and homemade. If you are doubtful, buy only a couple of loaves at first. Been doing this for decades. Really.

This is a great idea even if you live in the city as I do. I always wondered why bread in the fridge turned to cardboad after only a day or two! THANKS.

[livinthailandos]

Things I cannot due without

Khao Shong Coffee ( 3 in 1 )

Beef noodle soup with rice ( 45 baht )

Chicken with rice ( 100 baht )

pork noodle soup with dumpling (45 )

pad gra pow

stir fried vegetables with oyster sauce

Jackfruit

Green Mangos

Tea ( not lipton tea but the tea in the green bottle )

Stir Fried noodles

Fried rice with chicken

bottled water

Things I can do easily without

MK Suki

KFC, Mcdonalds, Burger King

Alcohol

Can do away with all sodas

Fuji

ice cream

[bkkjames]

Money no object: can't live with out aged rib eye, seasoned with sea-salt and fresh ground black pepper, seared on both sides on my bbq until medium rare. side baked potato, sour cream, chives butter and bacon bits, bypass surgery extra.

Can live with out: Pepsi Green - the worst soft-drink I have ever tasted. Looks like gin and tonic under a black light and tastes like mouthwash and dead rat in real life.

[dominique355]

It never occurred to me before I came here, but I miss decent bread. I know there is good German bread about, but I prefer a bog standard wholewheat loaf!

...

I missed a good bread too until I found two sources:

- Tops Supermarket (I visit the one at Ramkhamhaeng Road) has freshly baked whole wheat, whole grain bread, fresh several times per day. Really good.

- I like to visit a pizzeria in Sukhumvit 11 ("Venezia") and they have a marvelous dark bread they make themselves. I usually take a whole bread with me.

Some people complained about decent beef. Well, for me it was the opposite. I found beef of a much higher quality here in Thailand than in my home country (Switzerland). I never bought this "Wagiyu" beef in a shop though (too expensive), but I have had several chances to eat it in a restaurant. Absolutely fantastic! So tasty, tender, juicy, I have never seen anything like that in Europe. I like my beef very rare, Thai people almost faint when they see my tenderloin.

What do I miss here? Cheese. A fresh Gruyere (from Switzerland), a non pasteurized soft cheese like Camembert, a Fontina (from Italy) etc. Those I saw in Paragon, Central World etc are just not good, too old and sweaty.

I miss but can live without it (actually I had to, couldn't find any):

- peaches

- apricots

- plums

- some European berries (don't know their English names)

- strawberries that taste like strawberry

Luxury things I do buy here:

- coffee from Italy

- wine (a glass a day keeps the doctor away )

[lothda]

My list (can't live without)

German style bread and rolls (at least once or twice a week)

French wine (even though the cheapest costs three times the price in Europe)

cheese (some NZ import cheese is tasty and good value)

My list (can live without)

really good black tea (it's Lipton now)

smoked salmon

crispy Wasa bread

[ignis]

What I have to live without because i cannot find fresh here.

Runner beans

Sprouts

Rhubarb

Figs

Could not live without..

Dutch coffee, but then it is cheaper here 500gr Douwe Egberts cost just 215baht

[patklang]

Not all thai food is spicy,and why cant you have a bbq here in Thailand???

I didnt read the op well enough,it said luxory food and i put a sausage sarnie pmsl.

I meant any type of food not luxury food.

Mate,everything my wife brings home is spicy....And where the hel_l do i get a BBQ in Sawan???And let us not forget the small matter of sausages... I don't live in BKK or Pattaya,so it is a lot harder to find some items.

Consider myself told off lol

[patklang]

Not all thai food is spicy,and why cant you have a bbq here in Thailand???

I didnt read the op well enough,it said luxory food and i put a sausage sarnie pmsl.

I meant any type of food not luxury food.

If its not spicey its mai aroy/sep

Ive never known my missus or any thai to eat anything that is not spicey or r u talking about that thai food that is modified for westerners?? yuck

NO,i am talking about a guy on here who says he doesnt like spicy food,so he does have a choice to have it nid noi spicy or mai ped

[bonobo]

I travel enough that I can bring back some foods regulary:

Diet Dr. Pepper

Miracle Whip

Dijon Mustard

Lipton's Onion Soup (used for cooking)

Huckleberry Jam

Skippy Peanut Butter

Wine

Salami

Turkey Patrami

Hebrew National Hot Dogs

Canned Italian ROma Tomatoes

Anchovies  

High end olive oil

High end balsamico

SOme of these I can buy here, but at extremely inflated prices.  Others, like anchovies or the Dr. Pepper, I just can't find.

But here in Thailand, there are a few things I just have to have, and I pay the inflated prices.

Frozen berries (rasberries are quite expensive)

Campbell's Tomato Juice (I use to make gazpacho)

A Beef Chuck Roast (I have to have my pot roast fix)

Decent-quality Chocolate Ice Cream

Tater Tots

Mostly what I do is eat Thai food or substitute or limit my diet to account for what is available here.  I drink fresh juices or Pepsi Max instead of Diet Dr. Pepper each day, I make pork burgers instead of hamburgers, I eat pork chops instead of steaks and such.  I use passion-fruit juice in my smoothies instead of peach juice.

Edited May 9, 2009 by bonobo

[bonobo]

I use fresh shitake mushrooms here for just about everything and they are massively health promoting and also cheap here (expensive in the west). If you haven't tried using fresh shitakes in western dishes, you may be in for a surprise.

I use the fresh shitakes for everything, too.  A nice pork burger cooked in a faux-terriyaki and smothered in shitakes is really quite delicious.  Even using shitakes in my Italian pasta dishes works out quite well.  One of the dishes my friends like the most is my Passionfruit Pork Chops covered in shitakes.

[Korat88]

I'll make 2 distinctions, those things that I miss and those things which I can get in the big cities but not out in the boonies, I include things which I can get but which will just not pay for, whether I can afford it or not.

Miss

English newspaper - too late and too expensive

Good quality meat available everywhere

Farmers markets on a Sunday morning

Red tomatoes

Decent priced and not bashed fruit like cherries, strawberries, peaches, pears etc.

Absolute variety of restaurants - many good of each variety

Decent milk - I have found none in Asia worth drinking

Variety of beer and wine

I note your comment on milk and also that of another TV member saying a similar thing. Have you tried the Farm ChokChai milks? They are fresh and can be found in a small shop in Prasanmit Shopping Complex off Sukhumvit Soi 23. I think they are very good. Give them a try. They have gold top 'normal' milk and blue top low fat (semi-skimmed). Of course it depends where you live, but they have the farm in Khao Yai, so perhaps that is closer.

[Oberkommando]

I get my wine from Cambodia. Bayon Market on Monivong in Phnom Penh.

You are only meant to bring in a litre but I bring in 5/6 bottles.

They've got Dr. Pepper and Cherry Coke too, as well as many of the other treats people here are missing.

[Livinginexile]

After reading through this thread I think myself very lucky I love Thai food and only ocacionally crave western food.

Now and again I crave a good ol' bacon and egg breakfast.

[Birdman]

It's quite surprising, that no one is happy with the way it is. I for one NEVER missed any foreign culinary specialities. I am more than happy to have Thai- and seafood, sometimes Japanese or European food.

[Jingthing]

You are only meant to bring in a litre but I bring in 5/6 bottles.

So do you declare this or not? If not, what happens when they open your luggage?

[bojo]

Really miss West Indian food and a doorstep Salt beef sandwich on rye with pickles and Colemans mustard. Not found anyone doing pie mash and liquor in Chiang Mai as yet. Any clues anyone? The fat boys at the Elephant and Castle in Samui do great pie and mash.

regards Bojo

[Texpat]

I miss Budweiser -- King of Beers . Sometimes I'll splurge and upgrade to a few bottles of Chang instead of Isaan Beer.

Edited May 9, 2009 by Texpat

[Jingthing]

doorstep Salt beef sandwich

I know of salt beef but eating a doorstep sounds a bit too crunchy.

[mahtin]

Fish and chips. As a previous poster said, you can get it here - but it's nothing like the real thing.

When in Bangkok try Oh My Cod, excellent and real cod.

http://www.fishandchipsbangkok.com/

The piece of cod which passeth all understanding...

[Jingthing]

Fish and chips. As a previous poster said, you can get it here - but it's nothing like the real thing.

When in Bangkok try Oh My Cod, excellent and real cod.

http://www.fishandchipsbangkok.com/

The piece of cod which passeth all understanding...

Yes the food of the sea which must be obeyed ...

[GuestHouse]

Great thread Jing, shame we have to have negativity even in this topic.

Budget of course is not the only reason why one cannot get the 'luxury' one wants, lack of availability is often as much a reason.

A good friend and I often discuss this very point, I often bring him the one thing he misses - Tea of a particular brand. What we both agree is, not that so much that we miss certain things and that missing them is a privation - rather that when there are so many things we do miss, suddenly receiving a 'luxury' becomes and immense pleasure to be enjoyed and shared.

Again, a great thread, thanks for starting it.

[Jingthing]

It's quite surprising, that no one is happy with the way it is. I for one NEVER missed any foreign culinary specialities. I am more than happy to have Thai- and seafood, sometimes Japanese or European food.

That's funny. I am surprised that your are surprised. Everyone's palate is different. I love Thai food also but not every meal, gets really boring then, for me ...

Again, a great thread, thanks for starting it.

You're most welcome.

Edited May 9, 2009 by Jingthing

[bonobo]

I get my wine from Cambodia. Bayon Market on Monivong in Phnom Penh.

You are only meant to bring in a litre but I bring in 5/6 bottles.

They've got Dr. Pepper and Cherry Coke too, as well as many of the other treats people here are missing.

I goet to PP twice a year, so thanks for the head's up about the Dr. Pepper!  

[DeathbyDurian]

If I were on death row I would order...

A plate of Brie Cheese

Bremner Wafers (crackers)

A can of black olives

and a giant bottle of he finest white wine.

Ahhh.....paradise.....

[alant]

Oh i miss the Chocolate & Sweets Variety in the UK, I still buy Chocolate here but its more expensive and there's not much variety.

I have never seen any Hollands Steak & kidney Puddings here - still searching, i doubt if i ever will, so will carry on dreaming and remembering what they tasted like.

hollands pies and puddings, oh the memories, I lost track of them in the south of england nevermind here, wish someone would import them heaven

fat northerner (aka al)

[alant]

the mrs is a great cook so i llike thai food a lot, her way but

cant live without - good coffee

miss - kippers/hollands pies/mushy peas/chips in gravy

[MJP]

Discounted carbohydrates of any particular description

Low grade rice

Water, tap not drinking

Protein (bits of animal, dead) an occasional luxury

Mama Noodles

[Jingthing]

Discounted carbohydrates of any particular description

Low grade rice

Water, tap not drinking

Protein (bits of animal, dead) an occasional luxury

Mama Noodles

Did you mistake this with the prison food thread?