Pricey Meat

[corkscrew]

Here is a 3,300 baht Kobe steak from "55" at Centara here in BKK. So 'gentle'...is that the right word? No...it was f---ing good.

[junkofdavid2]

Can you estimate, how many grams was it (live weight)??

[corkscrew]

The poor beef was massaged by his owner up until its death....also probably fed beer. I guess that it had a better life than the cows in Omaha, Nebraska. But, I have no idea about its weight when it died. My steak was about 8oz. But, dam_n, it was delicious.

So was my meatless salad tonight.....well, it, too, was accompanied by wine.

Whatever!

Maybe drink helps everything.

[Nio]

why is this in need of a post? You never had a steak before?

[Dontdisturb]

I buy thai beef tenderloin at 290 baht/kg here at Rimping Chiang Mai. I could buy the 1000baht/kg stuff from Australia as I used to, but it's not worth the money.

Believe it or not, the meat is excellent.

[Deke]

Did you pay for that yourself?

[Dontdisturb]

<deleted> ?

[corkscrew]

why is this in need of a post? You never had a steak before?

Not one that costs 3,300 baht ($100) for 8 ounces.

[corkscrew]

Did you pay for that yourself?

I was a guest.

[Daren]

Nio, which is more ridiculous: Making a post about an absurdly expensive steak, or, replying to criticize it?

I'd venture the guess that you're bored a lot.

Any way... While I think that buying and eating such a piece of meat is horribly wasteful and exceedingly decedent, I also kinda wanna try it.... What a hypocrite I am!

[fred2007]

So why most farangs complain the western food is so expensive over you try to tell us

your $100 steak was good. I believe it was good but for that money I could have bought

3 steaks in OZ the same quality or taste which you farangs always complain about (the price)

[fred2007]

So why most farangs complain the western food is so expensive over you try to tell us

your $100 steak was good. I believe it was good but for that money I could have bought

3 steaks in OZ the same quality or taste which you farangs always complain about (the price)

spelling mistakes

[Tim207]

Did you pay for that yourself?

I was a guest.

LOL, that sure does make it taste better.

[callum06]

A lot of poor jealous people reading this thread Corkscrew has a few bob and he likes his food, very simple.

[davyboy]

Never mind the cost, taste the quality!

[jazzbo]

The folks at 55/Centara are no dummies... if there was not a good demand for the Kobe beef, Kuhn Corkscrew would not have been able to order it off the menu.

[sbk]

Did you pay for that yourself?

I was a guest.

I like your friends corkscrew. Care to introduce me?

[sceadugenga]

I'd want some chips on the plate at that price.

[namoo]

"55" terrible food and anyone says it isn't doesn't know good food when it smacks them in the face.

Corkscrew, The problem you have is you always come across as saying "Hey look what I can eat at 3300baht, I eat at all the best places, look at me I have so many mercedes, I stay at the athenee residence"

blah blah blah. That might not be the impression you are trying to give (Or maybe it is) but that is how it comes across.

I always found those with serious money don't brag about it especially on a internet forum ..... ....

Anyway "55" is crap its up there with the crapness of "Vertigo" and Scirroco. Kobe steak at 55 total waste of money if I was gonna order Kobe anywhere in BKK it would Prime or NY SH or a quick word with the chefs at Tsu Certainly not a Centara hotel.

Centara hotel's are Thai hotels trying to act like a western 5 star but they never quite pull it off in my opinion - yes they look great on the surface but once you actually experience it you find the restaurants, service, build quality and everything else is a mediocre 4 star at best - they just cant do it.

The only appealing thing about the place is the free-flow wine buffet. Food/service is crap again but you can get pissed for a decent price

Although I guess it appeals to the Thai mentality it looks great therefore it must be a great place and great restaurant to be seen at...big face big face.

Just my 3300bahts worth

Edited November 11, 2009 by namoo

[bonobo]

If that was a real Kobe, then the same steak would cost $200 at many New York restaurants.  It has become the "in thing" to eat there lately.

However, I have had some outstanding Australian Wagyu which is nearly indistinguishable from real Kobe at a fraction of the price.  Oddly enough, some of the best Wagyu I have had was at the Grand Hyatt Erawan last February during their Australian promotion, and that was a heck of a lot cheaper than 3,300 baht (half of that, in fact.)  And at the restaurant at the top of the Four Seasons, you can get a very nice Wagyu steak for only 800 baht.

[Ossies]

Not sure why it should really matter which restaurant/hotel you go to for your steak fix as it is not exactly hard to cook to a good level and should be within any commercial establishment's remit.

I suppose where the diiference should/will be is in the quality (control) of the meat purchased by the establishment in the first place.

What I am trying to say is you do not have to go to the most expensive hotel/restaurant for a good steak as long as the raw prouct is up to scratch.

[sabaijai]

I buy thai beef tenderloin at 290 baht/kg here at Rimping Chiang Mai. I could buy the 1000baht/kg stuff from Australia as I used to, but it's not worth the money.

Believe it or not, the meat is excellent.

That is my experience as well.

[bonobo]

Some of the best beef I have had in Thailand is at a restaurant in Bang Plad near Yanhee hospital. It is marinated in a Chinese whiskey-based marinade, then grilled over wood and sliced. It is very tender and quite tasty and runs around 100 baht or so for a serving. I usually get two servings, fried rice, fried pad boon (with the seafood side), mixed veggies, and a soup, all for about 450 baht.

This is certainly Thai beef, so it is possible to prepare it well.

[jc14all]

Just go to buy your meat at Big C, it is much much cheaper.

[p_brownstone]

Just to bring the somewhat pretentious “Gourmets” here on TV into the real world.

What you see advertised in Restaurants in Thailand (and around the world for that matter) is undoubtedly NOT the real, Grain and Sake fed, daily massaged “Kobe” beef of legend, story and song. There are less than 300 farms in Japan producing this “real” Kobe Beef and most raise less than 10 animals because of the labour involved – thus the local Japanese demand is such that there is no excess available for Export.

In restaurants outside Japan what you are eating is, at best, Wagyu “faux Kobe” beef raised anywhere in the world - sans Sake or a personal daily massage.

Fact.

Example:

http://www.members.tripod.com/~BayGourmet/wagyu.html

Patrick

edit : spelling

Edited November 16, 2009 by p_brownstone

[Gary A]

"55" terrible food and anyone says it isn't doesn't know good food when it smacks them in the face.

Corkscrew, The problem you have is you always come across as saying "Hey look what I can eat at 3300baht, I eat at all the best places, look at me I have so many mercedes, I stay at the athenee residence"

blah blah blah. That might not be the impression you are trying to give (Or maybe it is) but that is how it comes across.

I always found those with serious money don't brag about it especially on a internet forum ..... ....

Anyway "55" is crap its up there with the crapness of "Vertigo" and Scirroco. Kobe steak at 55 total waste of money if I was gonna order Kobe anywhere in BKK it would Prime or NY SH or a quick word with the chefs at Tsu Certainly not a Centara hotel.

Centara hotel's are Thai hotels trying to act like a western 5 star but they never quite pull it off in my opinion - yes they look great on the surface but once you actually experience it you find the restaurants, service, build quality and everything else is a mediocre 4 star at best - they just cant do it.

The only appealing thing about the place is the free-flow wine buffet. Food/service is crap again but you can get pissed for a decent price

Although I guess it appeals to the Thai mentality it looks great therefore it must be a great place and great restaurant to be seen at...big face big face.

Just my 3300bahts worth

Eat your heart out. Jealousy is ugly.

[bonobo]

Just to bring the somewhat pretentious "Gourmets" here on TV into the real world.

What you see advertised in Restaurants in Thailand (and around the world for that matter) is undoubtedly NOT the real, Grain and Sake fed, daily massaged "Kobe" beef of legend, story and song. There are less than 300 farms in Japan producing this "real" Kobe Beef and most raise less than 10 animals because of the labour involved – thus the local Japanese demand is such that there is no excess available for Export.

In restaurants outside Japan what you are eating is, at best, Wagyu "faux Kobe" beef raised anywhere in the world - sans Sake or a personal daily massage.

Fact.

Example:

http://www.members.tripod.com/~BayGourmet/wagyu.html

Patrick

edit : spelling

Actually, authentic Kobe beef is available in the US, and except for a four-year moratorium, it has been available for quite a number of years.  But what is known as "American Kobe," a Wagyu mix, is taking most of the market share.

Interestingly, the Kobe beef growers contracted out to US ranchers such as Harris Ranch, north of LA, to breed and raise pure-bred Wagyu beef under strict Japanese standards, then ship the animals back to Kobe for finishing and slaughter. This gave a big boost to the amount of authentic Kobe beef available for the world market.  After the last case of hoof-and-mouth in 2007, the export of these animals back to Japan was halted.  I don't know if they have started back up again yet.

You can't buy Wagyu beef at the Harris Ranch restaurant, so they may be prohibited by contract to sell the beef itself, but that is only a guess on my part.

But your point on US and Australian Wagyu is valid inasfar as being the bulk of the source for what is illegally called "Kobe."  Only animals slaughtered in Kobe and raised under their standards can carry the "Kobe" name.

[bonobo]

 

edited for double post.

Edited November 16, 2009 by bonobo