M.j.hotel & Restaurant, Sakon Nahkon

[bellagrego]

Here ye, come hither, be heard, and save baht, your pallet and sanity.

Tonight is Saturday night and I wanted to celebrate my first month living here with some MEAT, meat, as in red blooded beef. Investigation indicated my choices were limited to an outdoor, mosqito infested, Thai "steak house",or the Majestic,stately , Esaan renowned " MJ Hotel ".

Obviously, I selected the Michelin rated MJ as my choice for a gastronomical extravaganza. Oh, contrare, dear soul, a decision of gargantuan negative proportions.

The place was near empty. Three people eating at seven o'clock. An omen, unheeded. I surveyed the menu and to my delight there, in English was listed my prefered, favorite cut of Bouef, FIlet. Choices of sauces. A special Thai-French annointment of quality was listed as a further enhancement. I selected the "peppercorn" sauce and the meat to be cooked medium, pink center, no blood. The potatoe choice was , no choice, just fries. I asked for a glass of house red wine to accompany my meal. "Sorry, no have". Ok , a bottle, "sorry, no have". Another omen, unheeded.

Time passed slowly as I watched my Thai wife eat her entire meal. My food arrived and now she could watch me eat. Such is the courtest provided in the Thai tradition. My plate arrived and I am ready to devourer the main course post haste. The tiny little pitiful plate overflowed with an ugly piece of something, covered with a river of sauce over it, seated sadly next to some soggy frozed, ziggy fries. Oh, #@*, what is this *#@ ?

The thing was square and a half inch thick, No way, a filet. My blood pressure rose to crisis levels and my face turned cherry red thinking about the 250 baht investment in a good meal and how hungry was. I bit my lip, picked up the butter knife and tried to cut into the mystery meat, Alas, a fruitless attempt to find some substanace worthy and safely to consume. The cut or tear more apply indicated first that the meat was not beef, but veal. The color was paltry and the texture was stringy. This poor little doggie was just a few months old when they came for him,. He never had a chance to achieve the maturity required to be addressed as BEEF. This stuff wasn't fit to feed to my ma. Now, to the filet. This cut was a flank steak, the poorest of anything that remotley could be called steak. It was not a filet, a NY cut, a ribeye, a t-bone, nor a porterhouse. Just a lousey, end of the flank. Welcome to truth in advertising and the reality of caveat emptor. Forget about sending it back or not paying for it. You ordered it, you eat it, it belongs to you and mai pen rai to boot. So, in conclusion, you want a steak, import one from Auz or the USA, or buy one from Foodland and cook it yourself.

If there are 200 falangs in Sakon Nakhon that would like a restaurant-bar with AC, a quality billard table, Italian, creole French and American menu and a wine bar, Deserts with real cappchino. Let me know and I will start one.

eruss

[tubber]

Chill out, or you'll have a heart attack, just don't go there again. Try the Dusit. There isn't too many falangs here but they do their best. Try Thai-french beef from Sakon Nakhon it is some of the best in Thailand.

[longstebe]

I stayed at the M.J a few years back and only ate breakfast. Thank God.

I live here also and will take your word for it.

I am yet to shop ay the Thai -French place yet.

[maxjay]

If there are 200 falangs in Sakon Nakhon that would like a restaurant-bar with AC, a quality billard table, Italian, creole French and American menu and a wine bar, Deserts with real cappchino. Let me know and I will start one.

My wife's village is in the province...so I occasionally go there.

Keep us updated on your restaurant progress.

[geordie]

If you want anything half decent to eat in Sakon Nakhon, your best bet is probably the Green Corner opposite the Bus Station. I have never had a bad meal there.

[pianoman]

As someone eles mentioned, you have access to the Best Beef that Thailand has to offer, and it is only about 10km outside of Sakhon Nakhon... The Thai-French Beef is even better than anything that I have tried out of either Oz or NZ.... Plus you can specify the Cut and Thickness of your cuts.... Really Good Filet at 900 baht per kilo..... Definetly not cheap by Thai standards, but worth every baht...

I make the 2 hour trip from Kalasin up there to stock up on their beef about every other month, and usually end up buying for 2 to 4 other Farangs from this area...

Pianoman

[bellagrego]

As someone eles mentioned, you have access to the Best Beef that Thailand has to offer, and it is only about 10km outside of Sakhon Nakhon... The Thai-French Beef is even better than anything that I have tried out of either Oz or NZ.... Plus you can specify the Cut and Thickness of your cuts.... Really Good Filet at 900 baht per kilo..... Definetly not cheap by Thai standards, but worth every baht...

I make the 2 hour trip from Kalasin up there to stock up on their beef about every other month, and usually end up buying for 2 to 4 other Farangs from this area...

Pianoman

Thanks, P man, seveal expats here said same as you on thai french. I'll try them. That MJ advestised on the menu their beef was thai french, so I discounted the whole tf thing. It's hard to believe that there could be any quality beef here as the food souces are so poor and limited for cattle. I come from cattle country in the states and know all to well, what yiou feed , is what you taste.

Now, If I can find some good "lassie" steaks or rin-tin-tin roast up here then all is well.

[bellagrego]

If you want anything half decent to eat in Sakon Nakhon, your best bet is probably the Green Corner opposite the Bus Station. I have never had a bad meal there.

With you on the green corner. Nice ac place with good thai food. Falng limited.

[bellagrego]

Chill out, or you'll have a heart attack, just don't go there again. Try the Dusit. There isn't too many falangs here but they do their best. Try Thai-french beef from Sakon Nakhon it is some of the best in Thailand.

[bellagrego]

Chill out, or you'll have a heart attack, just don't go there again. Try the Dusit. There isn't too many falangs here but they do their best. Try Thai-french beef from Sakon Nakhon it is some of the best in Thailand.

Yo, Tub, I dont need to chill out. I write for fun and amusement at the whole Thai thing. I am a gormet cook as well as a critic and I hope any reader enjoys my jib and appreciates my candor.

[tubber]

Chill out, or you'll have a heart attack, just don't go there again. Try the Dusit. There isn't too many falangs here but they do their best. Try Thai-french beef from Sakon Nakhon it is some of the best in Thailand.

Yo, Tub, I dont need to chill out. I write for fun and amusement at the whole Thai thing. I am a gormet cook as well as a critic and I hope any reader enjoys my jib and appreciates my candor.

If you are a gourmet cook and critic you should have a field day in Isaan, some of it stinks that bad it makes me wanna puke. Seriously.

[UbonTaz]

MJ in Sakon Nakhon brings back some memories from 10 years ago. I stayed there but not too concerned with the restaurant food. I went other places to eat except for breakfast.

[longstebe]

Bellagrego

If you need to find out where the Thai-French beef place is, use the search engine on here.

I looked it up yesterday. I think it may have been IsaanGeorge who posted the exact directions.

He posted it in 2007-06-21.