Do You Appreciate When Thai Restaurants "farangatize" Your Food?

[Jingthing]

Well...is there a middle ground? Literally.

Phet = spicy. Got that. Certainly works!

Mai phet = not spicy. Got that. :D

But what's "in the middle"?

Actually as a farang phet will usually get medium phet. Phet phet is asking for super spicy, and then if you are lucky as a farang you will get normal Thai spicy. You could try phet nit noy; it might work in some places, but some places will just hear that as mai phet coming from a farang.

Speaking of misunderstandings, I think that Thai waiters are so used to hearing mai phet and of course the typical Thai myth that we can't eat spicy food, that quite ofen they will hear phet phet as mai phet and just assume we made a mistake (and/or just not thinking).

Edited November 10, 2009 by Jingthing

[eek]

Well...is there a middle ground? Literally.

Phet = spicy. Got that. Certainly works!

Mai phet = not spicy. Got that. :D

But what's "in the middle"?

Hmm...maybe "phet nit noy" or "mai koi phet"?

..all depends of course on the cooks idea of medium spicy

edit: mahtin and jingthing bet me to it.

edit 2: jingthing, in that case could you say "phet thamadaa"?? "เผ็ดธรรมดา"

Edited November 10, 2009 by eek

[Dontdisturb]

I never eat at a thai restaurant in my home country, it has just nothing to do with thai food, and expensive. I cook thai food myself at home.

And as I usually don't stay for an extended period there I prefer to eat local food that is not available in Thailand.

I do the same in Thailand, I cook my own "farang food" at home. It's overpriced here as well and often not to my taste.

Edited November 10, 2009 by Dontdisturb

[sbk]

Wonder too if it makes a difference if ordering in Thai rather than English.

Well, that was the point I was trying to make, but guess it must be my Italian/greek/hungarian/american etc squeaky clean image that threw things off.

[mrtoad]

I am afraid that this is a whinge for the sake of whingeing if ever I saw one.

I don't appreciate personal attacks from posters just because they don't approve of the topic and think the Thais are always right,

JT, don't be so fragile - judging by the poll the majority agree with what you say, and I agree with it as well. It's not being difficult to request the food to be cooked the way it is supposed to be, rather than getting some ballsed up version of what they assume you might eat. I like the spicy food, and I often have to request it, otherwise I know I'll get some bland version that I don't like.

[siam2007]

unfortunately, I cannot handle too spicy food

so sometimes I am more than grateful for a little "Farangization".........

[mrtoad]

I don't appreciate personal attacks from posters

You dont?

Now how do i go back and delete all those posts JT?

Are you know a moderator Mr Neverdie?

[Jingthing]

It's not being difficult to request the food to be cooked the way it is supposed to be, rather than getting some ballsed up version of what they assume you might eat.

Requesting it how you want it quite commonly does not work, especially if you are a new customer. We are all being stereotyped.

Edited November 10, 2009 by Jingthing

[eek]

Wonder too if it makes a difference if ordering in Thai rather than English.

Well, that was the point I was trying to make, but guess it must be my Italian/greek/hungarian/american etc squeaky clean image that threw things off.

I got your point about that... But, its often funny just to leave things as they are.

[bwalker1973]

Depends on who is cooking it, some restaurants are good, some are rubbish.

I've been here 8 years, and in the last 18 months, I have noticed quite a few foreign restaurants are going down under, the quality of food is going well below the standards. I eat out every day at different restaurants. Its either they have changed chefs or something.

Even the chicken does not taste like chicken no more, no restaurants including kfc are not using fresh chicken no more, they are using grade B chicken, which is frozen and several years old. Cheaper deals with the recession etc.

Went to new orleans (restaurant) the other day, ribs were ok, but ordered a desert, to find a clumper of hair, and the corner of a milk carton in the food.

Anywhere else in the world this would be a court case, but this is thailand.

[Kitsch22]

I am afraid that this is a whinge for the sake of whingeing if ever I saw one.

I don't appreciate personal attacks from posters just because they don't approve of the topic and think the Thais are always right,

JT, don't be so fragile - judging by the poll the majority agree with what you say, and I agree with it as well. It's not being difficult to request the food to be cooked the way it is supposed to be, rather than getting some ballsed up version of what they assume you might eat. I like the spicy food, and I often have to request it, otherwise I know I'll get some bland version that I don't like.

My post was not intended to be a personal attack on JT; it was an attack on what he was saying. Which was that there is something wrong in tourist restaurants serving up tourist dishes as standard. I am very sorry if I have hurt his feelings.

And I do not find myself overwhelmed with surprise that a whinge receives wide support here. This is TV, after all.

I have experienced little in the way of real problems ordering food in any place where I speak the language. If I am a regular, they will know what I want. If not, then I tell them exactly what I want and get the waiter to repeat it back by way of confirmation. Sure, it only works perhaps 80% of the time, but that is the same in UK, the States and most of Europe as well as Thailand.

[Birdman]

First and primarily: Choose a non touristic restaurant, popular with Thais.

Second: Order food by saying baaep thai jing jing. If you like spicy: baaep thai jing jing, pet maak maak. You can also say expressively : Mai pet jing jing, mai gin jing jing.

Note: Thai restaurants cooking really delicious Thai food are actually not everywhere easy to find. So maybe if you are disappointed, Thais are disappointed too, but they don't complain about that in the restaurant.

[Ulysses G.]

I like when they fill it full of farang vegetables, get rid of the hot, spiciness and sugar and lousy curries and turn it into the kind of Chinese food you find in Singapore or San Francisco.

I'm not too fond of Thai food.

[mca]

The lady who makes my somtam's idea of farangatizing my food is throwing one handful of chili in instead of two.

[bifftastic]

I am afraid that this is a whinge for the sake of whingeing if ever I saw one.......

Didn't appear to be a whinge to me, just a question.

OP clearly stated he thought restaurants were trying to 'lessen the impact' of their food as they want people to enjoy it.

For me, I enjoy hot spicy food from all different parts of the world (Caribbean, southern India etc.) and Thai.

Someone previously mentioned that the same dishes are prepared differently in different restaurants, I think that's a good thing, shows the individual chef's particular 'take' on the dish. I enjoy trying the same thing in different places.

Usually, when ordering, Thai people I'm eating with 'have a word' explaining that I like Thai food prepared as it would be for Thai people.

But no, I wouldn't like them to assume I wanted a 'farang version'. I can imagine a similar English version of the same ....roast beef and yorkshire pudding with fish sauce and 15 chillies!

I do agree I think they may be genuinely worried that we can't eat it or won't like it if it's too spicy but I tend to pre-empt by making sure they know I want the real deal, even if it does set my mouth on fire!

[mca]

Once a Muslim friend of mine had a dinner party and I was scoffing down the curries etc like no tomorrow (as it was the closest I'd come to my fave grub Indian food for many a year). All the Thais were saying "Too spicy!" I thought "Are they insane? They're the sort who have 30 chilis in their papaya salad when I'm sweating with only 5!"

[ballzafire]

I eat mostly Thai food, but, as I'm sure witnessed by most foreigners, they just offer to omit the hot ingredients and condiments (or serve them separately). No big deal. Common practice.

[Jingthing]

I reckon for each person that complains the food isn't spicy enough there are 100 who complain it is too spicy. The greasy wheel gets the squeak. Maybe that's the long term answer to this situation -- complain MORE not less, and change the stereotype. Based on this poll result, the stereotype is very wrong. The complainers of too spicy often can't eat the food so they complain, while those who like things spiced authentically are of course capable of eating bland food so they usually just act polite and grin and bear it (and often vow never to return). From a business point of view it makes sense, restaurants don't want to serve food their customers can't eat (and of course you can't de-spice the food once its cooked), but they don't realize they are losing other people's business when they are served tasteless food. I don't always give places a second chance once they serve me crapola, it depends.

Note to UG -- I love Chinese food too, it is for the most part so much better in the US than here, oh well. There's always Singapore ...

Edited November 10, 2009 by Jingthing

[neverdie]

I don't appreciate personal attacks from posters

You dont?

Now how do i go back and delete all those posts JT?

Are you know a moderator Mr Neverdie?

Mrtoad,

now you've got me walking on shakey ground again .....i think it would be fair to say here on tv.....mmmm that the moderators (careful neverdie) they don't like things too hot or spicey , unless of course you start talking about the girls and their boots or perhaps the guys and their guys .

nb: neverdie means no offence to anyone regarding his comments, especially all those mods with their fingers on the button ...........& no animals were injured or aroused during the making of this post.

Back on topic:-

Personally, here in LOS, when I order, I just tell em if I want phet phet or just phet or mai phet and 90% of the time I get what I want, but I dont live in a tourist area, so I guess theyre not really onto the farang food thing here. What really shites me is trying to get a propper thai feed back home in Oz, I always request 'thai style' and only ever go to thai restuarants with thai chefs and always end up with crappy thai food

[moe666]

I have Lao friends here in New Mexico who own a Thai restrurant and when they first opened the food was perfect nice and spicy but as the business expanded they recieved a lot of complaints about to spicy. Now when I order the waiter puts my name on ticket so that the spice is jacked up.

When in Bangkok I like to go to Cabbages and Comdons one night but they donot put enough spice in the food either even when you are with a Thai.

So street food for me most of the time.

[Meridian007]

Now I have something that works great. My Thai girlfriend doesn't like spicy food. We will look at the menu, then send the waitress to get us drinks, so that they won't hear our plan. I tell the girlfriend what I want, she then orders it for herself, and then tells them that I want what she is going to order. When the food arrives, we switch plates. The waitress usually frerks out when she sees that. I've even had them try to take the plate back saying it's to spicy for me. We are both happy that way. If we don't trick them, the girlfriend will get food that is to hot for her to eat, and I am unhappy with my dish. Dealing with Thai's is hard sometimes. They have some preconceived ideas that they just won't let loose of.

My gf and I do this too, we actually have to get separate som tam dishes because she can't handle my minimum level of spice. Pronunciation does help, if your Thai sounds two weeks old, they won't believe you, but if you can at least come close to Thai pronunciation, you usually get what you ask for.

As has been said, this rule doesn't apply in tourist areas, I'm sure the poor restaurant staff get too many freaked out farang who think a green pepper in a salad is too hot (don't laugh, a farang friend of mine is like this, I'm slowly trying to increase her exposure to spice!), and therefore just make everything mild for everyone no matter what they say.

Complaints about bland food from a bored-looking farang are not as scary as the 150Kilo, shaved-headed, wife-beater wearing, tatooed farang screaming bloody murder, running about the place, knocking over tables and such, is. No wonder they err on the side of caution!

[cognos]

try eating Thai food in western countries.. WAYYYYY overpriced and under spiced.. I just wait until i get back to LOS

[Huey]

I Loath when they mess up my food like that. Unless I specifically said something like "Mai pet krap" that shit better come back with some chilis or I will be upset. if I wanted western food I would eat western food when I want Thai food I want it to be like Thais eat it.

It's not rocket science.

Though to be honest, if they really tried to farangitize it specifically to suit me, and threw a couple legs of good Fried chicken and a slice of watermelon as a side dish I don't think I would complain LOL!

[Kitsch22]

I am afraid that this is a whinge for the sake of whingeing if ever I saw one.......

Didn't appear to be a whinge to me, just a question.

Not a whinge?

"I find it offensive for assumptions to be made about my food tastes based on being a farang only. In other words, while trying to help us out, for many of us, we are actually being cheated, not giving us the food we ordered and are expected to pay for."

"Offensive" ... "Cheated" - If that is not a whinge, then what is?

For me, I am grateful if a Thai makes allowances for the fact that I am farang. If I want him to pretend that I am not, then I tell him so.

OP clearly stated he thought restaurants were trying to 'lessen the impact' of their food as they want people to enjoy it.

For me, I enjoy hot spicy food from all different parts of the world (Caribbean, southern India etc.) and Thai.

Someone previously mentioned that the same dishes are prepared differently in different restaurants, I think that's a good thing, shows the individual chef's particular 'take' on the dish. I enjoy trying the same thing in different places.

Usually, when ordering, Thai people I'm eating with 'have a word' explaining that I like Thai food prepared as it would be for Thai people.

But do you really mean that? You want the bones and fat and gristle that a Thai would regard as normal? Most contributors here are referring simply to the number of prik khii nuu to be found in their dish.

But no, I wouldn't like them to assume I wanted a 'farang version'. I can imagine a similar English version of the same ....roast beef and yorkshire pudding with fish sauce and 15 chillies!

I do agree I think they may be genuinely worried that we can't eat it or won't like it if it's too spicy but I tend to pre-empt by making sure they know I want the real deal, even if it does set my mouth on fire!

Then that is entirely reasonable - you tell them what you want and you accept the consequences.

[youngted]

I am not singling out any one restaurant, as most of us know, this practice is very widespread

More like it's mostly limited to the farang enclaves such as your cited Samui.

Many, if not most, Thai restaurants outside of these areas make no such distinction, although many will inquire if you can tolerate spicy food and seemed pleased when an affirmative answer is given.

I personally would not patronize a restaurant again that farangatized (bonus point for your dandy neologism ) my order without checking with me first.

Edited November 10, 2009 by youngted

[Jingthing]

Most contributors here are referring simply to the number of prik khii nuu to be found in their dish.

Nope, there is more to cooking food Thai style than throwing in a bunch of prik ki nu although of course I like that when it fits with the specific dish.

I am not interested with arguing with people who think we don't have a right to complain about certain things here. I don't care if you call it whining, that kind of talk just stifles free speech.

For me, I am grateful if a Thai makes allowances for the fact that I am farang. If I want him to pretend that I am not, then I tell him so.

What does your race have to do with your palate? People that live here and many that visit love actual Thai food exactly as Thai people eat it. Sure its OK to change it IF we ask for it. If we don't and the food is changed based on race, the intention may be polite (probably more CYA) but the result is anything but polite.

Another point, the naive tourists who really don't know. Say they take a trip here and are never exposed to real Thai food in Thailand. Perhaps they would have loved it. I feel such "protection" of people actually cheats them of the experience they traveled around the world for. Yes, many don't want the real thing, but many don't even know what they don't want, they might like it if exposed to it.

BTW, I don't like all Thai food. I don't like insects, pork blood in soup, rats, fermented fish paste for som tam, and black crab for som tam. I simply avoid those dishes.

Edited November 10, 2009 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

I am not singling out any one restaurant, as most of us know, this practice is very widespread

I personally would not patronize a restaurant again that farangatized (bonus point for your dandy neologism ) my order without checking with me first.

Thanks, I rather like it too. I did make it up. I don't know if it rates with the gem of my literary legacy: Thai-ier than Thai ...

[billp]

I usually say "chob aharn phet" and get the full octane. But then I avoid obvious tourist traps like Cabbages & Condoms and its ilk. It's not just the amount of chile. I find the tourist rip-off places dumb down the the food in general: not enough kaffir lime, lemon grass, garlic etc in dishes that should be full-flavoured.

[phetaroi]

I eat mostly Thai food, but, as I'm sure witnessed by most foreigners, they just offer to omit the hot ingredients and condiments (or serve them separately). No big deal. Common practice.

You have a point there. Many of my Thai friends, including my SO, almost always automatically add ground chili and/or one of the various chili sauces to their food.

[wamberal]

Even my own dear wife, bless her, has to be reminded regularly that I can eat Thai food - I lived and worked in Thailand for four years, spent a lot of time upcountry, and can eat just about anything going, and have no problems with chili, garlic, whatever. Mind you, that was before I met her.