Don's Doi Hang

[DonaldBattles]

I am pleased to report that my business in Phuket has been sold however it will take until April to clear. This gives me an opportunity to spend a lot of time in Chiang Rai and personally supervise the bakery, butchery, restaurant and factory. This will allow for more, higher quality products and service. A lot of changes will be made next year to satisfy the needs of the customer.

[sceadugenga]

I'll look forward to it.

[Big Gary]

I was there yesterday and met Dons Nephew--Sam. Had a good time and drank all the Leo,s in the fridge. Looking forward to the revamp.

[sceadugenga]

He'll need to warm that chilli up before I'd get my mate back there.

Phet, not ron.

[Limbo]

Even if you would change its batteries every day you still wouldn't be able to run a restaurant with a remote control.

The mushrooming of excellent Thai steakhouses in town, that refute the old prejudice that for some mysterious reason Thai

cooks wouldn't be able to prepare good steaks, is of course a part of the problem for western restaurant owners.

I know among many others two 'low-profile' Thai restaurants in town that serve steaks prepared by a chef that learned his trade

in the kitchen of a five star hotel in Bangkok. It's hard to compete with that kind of professionals.

Almost a quarter of a century ago, I guess about 1985, it was the legendary German Karl-Heinz who in his 'Bierstube' introduced

steak and other western dishes in Chiang Rai.

Aside from the few foreigners that were living in Chiang Rai at that time (I would guess not more than twenty) he also

had several 'hi-so' local Thai customers.

These were people with an international orientation and, important detail, they knew how to eat with fork and knife.

We all remember the first time that we tried to eat with chopsticks, so it will not be difficult to understand the problematic

introduction of steak to the local population.

But now, twenty-five years later, the situation has completely changed. Most of us, Thai and foreigners, can eat with chopsticks

and, as more traditionally oriented Chinese would say, with 'sword and pitchfork'.

Thousands of Thai restaurants spread all over the world and, in our own little Chiang Rai the same global culinary trend manifested

itself with dozens of restaurants serving European style food.

It may concern any kind of visual or performing art or even a more basic need as food, but 'good taste' is universal and timeless.

It crosses cultures, borders and ages.

The yearly dinner in Chiang Rai on the Memorial Day of H.M. King Chulalongkorn proves it.

A small circle of friends, Thai and foreign, enjoyed this year exactly the same meal that was served to the Great King in Bruxelles during

his first visit to Europe 112 years ago. His Majesty's favourites, oysters weren't part of it this time.

Last year we had the dinner that was presented to him in Oostende at the Belgian coast.

You need a master chef though, who has some idea about the 'melange'. Luckywise one of us is.

Limbo

PS: For the recipes you could consult Pisanu Chanvitan,

A Collection of the Royal Menues during H.M. King Chulalongkorn's Visit to Europe 1897,

Bangkok, Manta Books 1999.

The pictures show a portrait of His Majesty, made by the Belgian painter Franz Gaillard during his visit to Belgium in 1897

and one of the menues.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[Limbo]

My apologies!

In the posting above I suggested that the book of Khun Pisanu contains recipes.

It doesn't. You will find menues in it and that is why I wrote that you need a real

chef to 'interprete' and 'translate' these old menues into delicious meals.

It's like playing old music, you can't go by the keynotes alone, it's also about 'sentiment' and

therefore in this case more particular 'taste'.

Furthermore I spelled the name of the Belgian painter wrong: It is Franz Gailliard, not Gaillard.

For the gourmets among us: Have a look at the fantastic program of Le Meridien for coming

Christmas and Newyear. Good old Australian top chef Matthew is really going for it this time.

Don't believe anybody who tries to tell you that you can't experience top quality culinary happenings

in Chiang Rai. Try some of the real top places first and thereby I think about Latest Recipe, Tavola, the Powadhol and some of the smaller restaurants in town that are famous for their specialities, like for instance the Family Steakhouse.

I am very curious if American Don after the revamp coming year will manage to add his restaurant to my list,

which of course doesn't have to be your list as tasts differ, but I live not far from his place so I have a more

personal interest in it 555! The statements in his posting are very promising and I hope he can, because I

certainly would be prepared to give his restaurant a second chance (in reality: the fourth or fifth).

Good luck with it Don!

Limbo

2 Reasons for editing:

1) Please Don, inform us when the 'new' Don's restaurant is ready to host its guests.

It might be a good idea to give it a new name, like 'Dons New Place', to indicate that things have changed.

2) I also apologize to all these foreign restaurant owners in town that offer good meals for reasonable prices

but are considered 'tourist restaurants' by many foreign residents of our town and therefore don't get the

praise and attention they deserve.

Edited December 17, 2009 by Limbo

[lukamar]

Once again I sympathize with you Don. The restaurant/food-service business is the hardest on earth to get right. Just when you get where you are going, something changes and you get to start over. The most frustrating, and costly, thing I have ever done in my life was open my own restaurant and I should have known better after 25 years in a kitchen as an executive chef. Even more costly and frustrating than my brief foray into airline ownership..LOL

[skybluestu]

Similar Christmas menu to last year Don?

[mumbojumbo]

Similar Christmas menu to last year Don?

Didn't see where the Op said there would be an x-mas feed there.

[skybluestu]

Similar Christmas menu to last year Don?

Didn't see where the Op said there would be an x-mas feed there.

It didn't but he did one last year so I thought he might do again this year. I will pm him and let you know.

[skybluestu]

Similar Christmas menu to last year Don?

Didn't see where the Op said there would be an x-mas feed there.

It didn't but he did one last year so I thought he might do again this year. I will pm him and let you know.

Don replied to say no Christmas menu like last year here in The Rai, only at Don's Phuket.

[Limbo]

Don replied to say no Christmas menu like last year here in The Rai, only at Don's Phuket.

I am afraid Rico's Christmas Dinner can't be your choice either anymore.

Originally he planned to limit the number of guests to 80 people, but extended it to 90 as so many wanted to enjoy it.

He removed the registration list when 90 persons had booked, as he considered this to be the maximum capacity

of his restaurant.

It's great that Rico managed to create not only the supporters home for the foreigners that are fans of Chiangrai United,

on top of that created a meeting place for the Mae Kok Golf Club that plays at the Army course, but also became the number

one meeting place in Chiang Rai for local expats and visitors.

Could it be the genuine German beers? Could it be the Berlin inspired Hamburgers he serves? Could it be the delicate goodies

he sells on behalve of the Swiss Delicatessen?

A fact is that Chiang Rai Corner is the place to go when you are living in Chiang Rai or visiting it.

To morrow's Christmas Dinner is going to be a co-production with German Franky and English Jason.

The turkeys will fly around, catch them!

Limbo

PS: Le Meridien has a Christmas brunch. Expect only top quality and free floating sparkling wine.

[villagefarang]

Don replied to say no Christmas menu like last year here in The Rai, only at Don's Phuket.

I am afraid Rico's Christmas Dinner can't be your choice either anymore.

Originally he planned to limit the number of guests to 80 people, but extended it to 90 as so many wanted to enjoy it.

He removed the registration list when 90 persons had booked, as he considered this to be the maximum capacity

of his restaurant.

To morrow's Christmas Dinner is going to be a co-production with German Franky and English Jason.

The turkeys will fly around, catch them!

Limbo

So how was Christmas Dinner at Rico's?

[thaigerd]

Who are(is)the new owner in Phuket?

Gerd

[sceadugenga]

Might be better asking on the Phuket forum Gerd, Don can take a while getting back to his posts here.