Another New Restaurant Find

[PeaceBlondie]

UG has been plugging City Life for years. Off topic.

[Ulysses G.]

Exactly!

[getgoin]

UG started a positive post about Citylife that 100% of the posters agreed with. I must have missed the self promotion part because I don't remember him mentioning himself at all.

Business is business and one hand washes another. Money trades hands and the economy turns. This has always been the way that it is. People pay money to see their name in lights. It creates more business. If you believe that this forum is not a place of business than you are simply misinformed.

I thought the OP did a fine job recommending a new restaurant that I have heard is good and reasonably priced. I didn't think that they were self promoting, advertising or putting anyone down.

The posters that continually complain about advertisers or the numerous self promotions should steer clear of those threads. Easier said than done but there is no need to make a comment that you have read a thread that you should not have read and you don't like the content. Particularly if someone is paying for that content.

Now you could say that you will not frequent any establishment that advertises with Thaivisa but what would be the point of advertising if it wasn't to promote one's business?

And, I would have to add, how would any of these threads exist, if not for advertising revenue?

Edited April 7, 2010 by getgoin

[mcgriffith]

That's a fair and well reasoned analysis, getgoin....

[getgoin]

That's a fair and well reasoned analysis, getgoin....

For once.

[el jefe]

What's interesting is that the OP has been a member of the forum since 2008. Two posters (CMX and Slaps) who questioned his/her opinions and motives because they were from a "newbie", joined TV 3 and 4 months ago respectively. Who are the noobies?

[Donnyboy]

well spotted

must be a few lurkers out there that dont post till they eat at a new decent food outlet

I wonder if there are any new hamburger joints opening soon?

[neilrob]

Went to La Terrasse for dinner yesterday. I echo the OP's positive comments. I would describe the feel of the place (atmosphere, quality of food, value) as very similar to Marco's, although of course the cuisine is a bit different. And indeed I agree with the OP that they are even friendlier than Marco's. I went with a Thai companion and this leads to my only criticism. The menu is only available in French or English. Apart from the fact that some Thais may well want to dine there, it seems inappropriate for a restaurant in Thailand not to have a menu in Thai. The owner said they were working on it. Meanwhile, you might want to take this into account if you plan to dine with Thai companions, depending on how well they read French or English.

[venturalaw]

100% of the posters in this thread who have tried the food state that the experience at La Terrasse is exceptional (except for the lack of a Thai translation of the menu). I will definitely be giving it a try. Anyone know if it happens to be open for lunch?

[THAIPHUKET]

Some of the comments here , this wildly bashing about reminds me not of elder mature forum members but simply of sad souls bored out of there mind.

[millwall_fan]

Well, Mrs Millwall_fan and I went there tonight, due to this thread. We enjoyed the food and the atmosphere was very relaxed. I have never seen such a good decorative job done on a single shop house!

I had the mixed seafood tapas for starters, not the best in the world but perfectly acceptable. Mrs M-F had prawns in Chilli avocado paste - the only drawback of which was that the avocado paste was the same as the one tha tcame with the free bread that arrived at the beginning of the meal. For the main courses things really picked up! I had the Duck in Mushroom Sauce which was very pleasant and the memsahib had the Coq au Vin, which was truly excellent (one of the many advantages of having a Thai wife is that you get to eat half her dish too!!) For sweet she had an excellent Créme Brulet and i had the cheese board - good, though our French cheese board at The Olde Bell is just as good and 105 baht cheaper!

The proprieter Jean-Jacques is a very pleasant and friendly guy and his Filipina wife equally so. No more or less friendly than Marco, - but from a Brit perspective the fact that Jean - Jacques is from Calais means that he is from one of the few towns in France that is intrisically pro British! He genuinely understands us and our quirky little ways!!!

The old Calvados served wiht the coffee was superb!

all in all, a thoroughly welcome addition to the Chiang Mai dining scene. I wish them well! We will go back!

[venturalaw]

Well, Mrs Millwall_fan and I went there tonight, due to this thread. We enjoyed the food and the atmosphere was very relaxed. I have never seen such a good decorative job done on a single shop house!

I had the mixed seafood tapas for starters, not the best in the world but perfectly acceptable. Mrs M-F had prawns in Chilli avocado paste - the only drawback of which was that the avocado paste was the same as the one tha tcame with the free bread that arrived at the beginning of the meal. For the main courses things really picked up! I had the Duck in Mushroom Sauce which was very pleasant and the memsahib had the Coq au Vin, which was truly excellent (one of the many advantages of having a Thai wife is that you get to eat half her dish too!!) For sweet she had an excellent Créme Brulet and i had the cheese board - good, though our French cheese board at The Olde Bell is just as good and 105 baht cheaper!

The proprieter Jean-Jacques is a very pleasant and friendly guy and his Filipina wife equally so. No more or less friendly than Marco, - but from a Brit perspective the fact that Jean - Jacques is from Calais means that he is from one of the few towns in France that is intrisically pro British! He genuinely understands us and our quirky little ways!!!

The old Calvados served wiht the coffee was superb!

all in all, a thoroughly welcome addition to the Chiang Mai dining scene. I wish them well! We will go back!

Great detailed review. Thank you. I will also have to try the French cheese board at The Olde Bell.

[uptheos]

Well, Mrs Millwall_fan and I went there tonight, due to this thread. We enjoyed the food and the atmosphere was very relaxed. I have never seen such a good decorative job done on a single shop house!

I had the mixed seafood tapas for starters, not the best in the world but perfectly acceptable. Mrs M-F had prawns in Chilli avocado paste - the only drawback of which was that the avocado paste was the same as the one tha tcame with the free bread that arrived at the beginning of the meal. For the main courses things really picked up! I had the Duck in Mushroom Sauce which was very pleasant and the memsahib had the Coq au Vin, which was truly excellent (one of the many advantages of having a Thai wife is that you get to eat half her dish too!!) For sweet she had an excellent Créme Brulet and i had the cheese board - good, though our French cheese board at The Olde Bell is just as good and 105 baht cheaper!

The proprieter Jean-Jacques is a very pleasant and friendly guy and his Filipina wife equally so. No more or less friendly than Marco, - but from a Brit perspective the fact that Jean - Jacques is from Calais means that he is from one of the few towns in France that is intrisically pro British! He genuinely understands us and our quirky little ways!!!

The old Calvados served wiht the coffee was superb!

all in all, a thoroughly welcome addition to the Chiang Mai dining scene. I wish them well! We will go back!

Great detailed review. Thank you. I will also have to try the French cheese board at The Olde Bell.

The cheese board at The Olde Belle is one of their better value items. Well worth a try.

[venturalaw]

Went to La Terrasse for dinner last night. I had the shrimp in whipped and wiskey sauce. It was good. I have never tried this dish before anywhere, and therefore unable to compare. It was served with white rice (I was provided a choice of white rice, pasta or fried potatoes). Although the shrimp were small, there were plenty and, along with the rice, I was completely satisfied. French bread was also served and butter provided after requested.

What was quite outstanding was the service. The servers were extremely attentive. Since I was dining alone, the main waitress provided converstation throughout my meal. She spoke English quite well (she is Thai) and made me feel as though I was part of 'the family', which is how she described working for the restaurant. A most pleasant experience. I certainly willl be returning soon. The total cost (including two bottled waters) was 270 baht.

[DavidOxon]

I plan to go as soon as my back is up to it!

David

[el jefe]

I was at La Terrasse with my wife last night (Wednesday) for the first time. It was a very pleasant dinner. We had the duck pate (excellent) as a starter. Then we had the duck breast in a pepper sauce and the pork chop in a mustard and cream sauce. The duck was perfect, cooked exactly as my wife asked. My pork chop was fine but nothing special. The potatoes, fried in duck fat, were outstanding. Both dishes also came with a side of vegetables and were beautifully presented. The only weak point was the sauces. imho, Franco-Thai has better sauces. Servings were large and are a very good value.

They have a limited menu but that is so that everything will be fresh. Well, with 10 appetizers and 15 main courses, maybe it's limited only in comparison to Chez Marco and Franco-Thai.

The service was equal to the food. It was friendly but not overbearing. I don't need to have a long conversation with the owner or staff. Others have compared the service at La Terrasse to Chez Marco. Chez Marco's service is perfunctory. La Terrasse was much more friendly. After we had a chance to taste our food, we were asked if everything was OK. And as we finished, we were asked how we liked it. In all my years in CM, I can't recall ever being asked before. Also, our bread basket was refilled before it was empty, and it's very good bread. Finally, we were offered some complimentary mini pastries after our meal. That was a very nice touch. We will certainly be returning.

La Terrasse and the other two restaurants all have their fans and for good reason. It's nice to have this choice.

[Awk]

I was at La Terrasse with my wife last night (Wednesday) for the first time. It was a very pleasant dinner. We had the duck pate (excellent) as a starter. Then we had the duck breast in a pepper sauce and the pork chop in a mustard and cream sauce. The duck was perfect, cooked exactly as my wife asked. My pork chop was fine but nothing special. The potatoes, fried in duck fat, were outstanding. Both dishes also came with a side of vegetables and were beautifully presented. The only weak point was the sauces. imho, Franco-Thai has better sauces. Servings were large and are a very good value.

They have a limited menu but that is so that everything will be fresh. Well, with 10 appetizers and 15 main courses, maybe it's limited only in comparison to Chez Marco and Franco-Thai.

The service was equal to the food. It was friendly but not overbearing. I don't need to have a long conversation with the owner or staff. Others have compared the service at La Terrasse to Chez Marco. Chez Marco's service is perfunctory. La Terrasse was much more friendly. After we had a chance to taste our food, we were asked if everything was OK. And as we finished, we were asked how we liked it. In all my years in CM, I can't recall ever being asked before. Also, our bread basket was refilled before it was empty, and it's very good bread. Finally, we were offered some complimentary mini pastries after our meal. That was a very nice touch. We will certainly be returning.

La Terrasse and the other two restaurants all have their fans and for good reason. It's nice to have this choice.

Reading the glowing recommendations about this restaurant I have been there twice now, a few weeks apart, and can only concur;

very good.

Quality and service like this, in particular from the chef who has been very present on both occasions, has made me a more than

satisfied guest. Yesterday I was there with my wife and baby daughter, and the chef even cooked up a special baby meal for her,

which my daughter enjoyed, and which my wife enjoyed after my daughter had finished enjoying it.

The location and place is also very fitting for such a restaurant; a few metres down a dead-end soi of the busy Loi Kroh road. Far

enough away from Loi Kroh for one to be able to enjoy sitting outside without too much bar and traffic noise, yet very

easy to get to if you know where it is.

One never knows how long quality and service like this will last as things get more and more busy in a new restaurant, but

I for one will enjoy it while I can. ;-)

[Ulysses G.]

I went there when it was packed full and the chef was having a few problems with this and that. However, when the food arrived it really was excellent. I wish them success in Chiang Mai.

[BigWheelMan]

Sounds like the real deal, although it does read like a magazine advertisement with all the good reviews.

Problem is that with the diabolical exchange rates at the moment, it`s going to be good old fashion home cooking for the time being and I suspect that many of us are in the same situation.

[CMX]

Some months ago, now, the OP, kating, suggested trying La Terrace for French food.

I was finally able to go there and I too had a very good dining experience. It has been mentioned (some escort of a memsahib somebody's_fan, as I recall) that restaurants here find themselves at the end of a long food chain. (For example, poulet de Bresse is not available.) In spite of distances, however, in connection with the subject of a country pate which I enjoyed (and of some which I brought home, there was so much – and you cannot leave the bread alone), the chef/owner revealed that with a finer true liver pate (which he makes), he had on hand a bottle of Cahors. For me, that was enough to confirm my hopes for the future; he might as well have had Muscadet for fresh chilled oysters. (Perhaps he does?)

I ordered only the set menu for a first impression, but will be going back for a broader view (more and more). Chicken came with a good caramelized onion mixture, and there was an invention of potatoes and carrots that represented for me a surprise. I've eaten celery-root, celeriac, in France whipped with potatoes, but this mixture was not carroty – perhaps because carrots represented a lesser portion and the chef had added an enlivening amount of white pepper. With the the chicken and vegetables (which were fresh, plain, and good), the main course would have made a meal without the pate. But I also received a dessert of fruit, including a small naturally sweet fresh fruit treat to eat with a tiny spoon. So I had an "express" coffee afterward.

I cannot say much about the "service" issue, as I went early - in both time and the week. Nevertheless, I found the folks keeping an eye on each course so that the kitchen was quickly ready with the next. Very promising.

Thanks, kating – any more ideas?