Not So Good Food

[sunholidaysun1]

Its good to let people know of the nice places you have been to eat and the type of food you have had, along with the price and service, recommendations are always welcome. However, maybe we can also inform of the not so good-a-time .

The golf course restaurant at the Old Airport , open 24hrs and was run a while back by a Philippina woman and her husband, they did burgers etc and I recall having a nice meal there. I have returned to the same restaurant , obviously changed in style , more of the 24hr burger shop of the likes of McDonalds etc.

I have made 3 visits , the first a couple of months back , my wife ordered the small Pizza, and boy was it small , she offered a slice to me but I didnt want to deprive her by even taking a bite out of the 6 incher. I ordered the Philly CheeseSteak, comes in a bun with onions etc, that was the worst one I have ever eaten, nothing like the ones I have eaten in the States. Ok , fair enough , this is Thailand, but if your going to put something on the menu and charge big prices , then get it right.

The second trip I did there was in the evening and ordered a burger and fries for take out, The burger I ordered was a cheese, onion and mushroom. After getting home with it , 2 minutes away , I took the first bite of the burger and it was salty as hel_l,it wasnt the beef pattie , it was the onions and mushrooms, also the colour of the fried onions was jet black , god knows what they did with that but it was inedible , the fries were coated in some sort of seasoning but also salty.

Heres the sad part, in desperation at midnight last night , I needed some food and thought about getting a pizza. Ricos does the best Pizza in town I think and a good honest price , big as well , so as that place was closed , I went to the Golf course place , remembering my wife had said she enjoyed her Pizza. I ordered the next size pizza up , the 9 incher, slightly bigger than the last one I ordered. Ordered a prawn salad to go with it, got to watch my weight these days .

The Pizza was undercooked, the base wasnt even cooked, the top part was ok but the base made it inedible , it also lacked flavour . The salad was run of the mill , nothing special with tasteless prawns. Why dont the prawns have flavour in Thailand ?

Sadly , I wont be going there for a 4th time , I think 3 not so good experiences are enough for me . If you are charging 300 bht for a pizza and salad , whatever the time of day or night ,it should be good . If not , then they lose the custom as they have with me .

I gave the pizza to my dog, he wouldnt eat it either .

[sunholidaysun1]

I forgot to mention , Gary at the Kangaroo Bar also does a great pizza but he sometimes

gives it away for free on a Sunday afternoon, I dont think you can buy it there , theres no menu as far as I know and its only from Garys good heart that he does the food that he does for his customers on a Sunday .

Maybe the so called professional outfits need to take a look at what is on offer elsewhere and improve their own products by what they have seen others doing .

If anyone else has had any bad experiences anywhere, it would be good to know where to avoid.

[Paul888]

You are right about that pizza.......

I was so looking forward to it but when it arrived the base seemed uncooked.

Well, I say thatm but in truth, I couldn't make my mind up if they had undercooked it or perhaps they had accidentally over cooked it and maybe part of the base had stayed stuck in the oven. The edge of the pizza also had no crispy crust for some reason.

I was thinking to give them the benefit of the doubt, and give the place another try another day, despite being very unimpressed also with their breakfast on my only previous visit, (although my wife's burger was actually quite good) but now it sounds like this wasn't a one - off, I am not so sure.

[scorpio1945]

I forgot to mention , Gary at the Kangaroo Bar also does a great pizza but he sometimes

gives it away for free on a Sunday afternoon, I dont think you can buy it there , theres no menu as far as I know and its only from Garys good heart that he does the food that he does for his customers on a Sunday .

Maybe the so called professional outfits need to take a look at what is on offer elsewhere and improve their own products by what they have seen others doing .

If anyone else has had any bad experiences anywhere, it would be good to know where to avoid.

I have generally had good luck there but I generally stick with the hamburgers. Seems no one can make a good Philly cheese steak sandwich. had a bad one at Don's also. Have also had a pretty good pizza there but I like the Pizza Companies deep dish deluxe the best and only thought Ricco's was OK so we all have different tastes like NY vs Chicago.

My guess is that if you politely tell Barry he would appreciate it, to help in training his staff to do it right.:jap:

Edited October 18, 2010 by scorpio1945

[kandahar]

Pizza, calzones and other good dishes with meat and cheese can be found at Tree House. Great food, good service. It's on the Google Map.

Edited October 19, 2010 by kandahar

[kandahar]

I really can't bring myself to name all of the bad places and bad experiences I have had. I know a lot of these people have dreams and try hard.

Now and then, I do get upset enough to type something about a bad experience. But others remind me that it is all subjective. What I find inedible is the best in town to another person. What I find is unacceptable service is perfect for another just because the server is likable. Limbo and I are so far apart on pizza that I question his sense of taste. So, these days, I just try to write about the good ones and leave the rest to the people who enjoy them, for whatever reason they have to enjoy them.

[sceadugenga]

Bad reviews do count, and effect businesses.

I need to buy about 20,000B worth of toner cartridges for a printer for a friend and actually got a quote from Jimmy's before someone canned them here.

It gave me second thoughts as they will need to be ordered so I sought out Technocom and will do the deal there today even though they are slightly more expensive.

Both shops need to order them in and they have to arrive before I leave for Australia next week, so reliability is an issue.

[jubby]

The Food thing is more down to consistency than anything else I think.

Not easy to get the staff here I suspect.

[Big Gary]

I forgot to mention , Gary at the Kangaroo Bar also does a great pizza but he sometimes

gives it away for free on a Sunday afternoon, I dont think you can buy it there , theres no menu as far as I know and its only from Garys good heart that he does the food that he does for his customers on a Sunday .

Maybe the so called professional outfits need to take a look at what is on offer elsewhere and improve their own products by what they have seen others doing .

If anyone else has had any bad experiences anywhere, it would be good to know where to avoid.

Yes I do put on free snacks on Sundays at the Kangaroo Bar to give back a little to my regular customers. Mainly Cheese and Bicuits/Sandwiches/Pizza etc.

[lannaman]

Get real Mr. Sunnyman! We live in Chiang Rai which has some of the best food on the planet - THAI FOOD!

If you go to these overpriced places where Thais try to cook western food, then I have no sympathy with your stomach juices .

When I'm out I usually eat Thai, it's delicious and much healthier than all that burger junk. I do cook at home such as: stews, spagetti and Indian curry, which my Thai family very much enjoy. Maybe I should start a little restaurant here for all you burger scoffing chappies.

When the old Pam GH in Jetyot Rd opens again they will be serving one of my special stews: so go there give it a try.

Edited October 29, 2010 by lannaman

[kandahar]

Wow, L man. Did you get up on the wrong side of the bed today?

In my home country, I tend to see out "other" foods, maybe once a week; Mexican, Italian, Chinese, Greek, Polish ect. Here in Thailand, some of us tend to seek out the "home" foods once a week. What is the trouble with that? I like a good burger now and then. Isn't there room for a little of everything here?.

[lannaman]

Wow, L man. Did you get up on the wrong side of the bed today?

In my home country, I tend to see out "other" foods, maybe once a week; Mexican, Italian, Chinese, Greek, Polish ect. Here in Thailand, some of us tend to seek out the "home" foods once a week. What is the trouble with that? I like a good burger now and then. Isn't there room for a little of everything here?.

Fair enough, but my point was that there's good falang food and bad, and from my experience most of it is cooked badly. Actually I'm not partial to burgers, when I travelled in western USA and Canada for a month I only had one burger, supposedly the best in the world, and I didn't enjoy that very much,actually it was a major task for me to tackle it as it was HUGE.

I do confess I'm rather fond of the lasagne and other delights in Doi Chang though.

Yes, feeling a bit grumpy - that's true, having to go to MaeSai two days running, school not getting the message about the correct papers re my work permit. Seems to happen to me every time. Just keep cool and smile at the nice immigration officer whatever woos he conveys. I will try to:) for him.

[kandahar]

I can see where the immigration thing would get aggravating. I know of some others on work permits that run into the same troubles.

Burgers. Even in the USA, there are different styles and most of the "biggest and best" aren't all that great, whereas some of the everyday "normal" ones are outstanding. If you ever want a first class "normal" burger, stop by a stockyard sales outfit on sale day. Salebarn burgers have been the best for years but you have to put up with the smell of the livestock.

I know of one bugrer there that is free if you eat the whole thing. Hard to do. But it is good. From the website- "If you're in the mood to test the limits of your stomach and your waist, try the Premium Ethyl. Named for a type of gasoline available at the Amoco station next door, Ethyl is a two-pound freshly ground hamburger loaded with toppings and served on a homemade bun. It costs $17.95 and is served with a timer. If you finish it in less than an hour you get it for free and your name gets put on a plaque that hangs on the wall."

I also know of a steak that is free if you can eat the whole thing. Link- http://www.bigtexan.com/free72.html

From the website- "Our World-Famous FREE 72oz. STEAK DINNER (if eaten in 1 hour) is only for the very hungry.Many have tried. Many have failed."

I have eaten at both places many times but have never attempted those two dishes.

Anyway, in CR, the best burger I have found is made by a Thai man and wife. A lot of the Farang owned places just can't seem to get a simple burger right for some reason. The Nice Kitchen on Jetyod does not try to put on airs about their burgers. It is just a simple burger, larger than most in CR, but does have a bit of Thai added to it in the way of green peppers and such. Still, it is very consistent. Whenever I go there, they don't ask what I want to eat. They ask "One or two?" The answer is usually "Two." They do excellent Thai food as well. As for an American breakfast, I have yet to find a decent one in CR. I haven't tried Don's yet. I will one day. Maybe there is a surprise waiting for me there. The problem is, the place is always in the wrong direction for the other tasks that I need to accomplish in the morning. I just can't bring myself to drive out there to eat and then double back past my house to go take care of my other business.

Edited October 29, 2010 by kandahar

[sceadugenga]

Buy Don's frozen burgers and cook them your self on your superb BBQ.

Once you have the meat you only need a toasted bun or a couple of thick slices of bread from one of the many bread sources around town and then add what ever extras you like.

I recommend the Aussie Special... a fried egg, fried onions, tomato ketchup (see, I speak American!) with a light dusting of salad and a couple of slices of tinned beetroot.

Cuisine magnifique!

Any attempt to add mayonnaise or pickles will totally destroy the effect.

[Garry]

Buy Don's frozen burgers and cook them your self on your superb BBQ.

Once you have the meat you only need a toasted bun or a couple of thick slices of bread from one of the many bread sources around town and then add what ever extras you like.

I recommend the Aussie Special... a fried egg, fried onions, tomato ketchup (see, I speak American!) with a light dusting of salad and a couple of slices of tinned beetroot.

Cuisine magnifique!

Any attempt to add mayonnaise or pickles will totally destroy the effect.

Bloody show off sayng ketchup..how about an Aussy Navy term, pass the 'redders'.

Totally agree on the burger side of things. Take the time to source the goods and make your own. My American boss is horrified about beetroot on burgers. I keep telling him to don't knock it until you try it. Nothing better, than some runny egg and beetroot juice running down your arms when one is attempting to inhail your freshly made burger. dam_n, now I'm hungry

[kandahar]

Where I come from, murder is a capital offense. So is putting beetroot on burgers. YUCK!!

Anyway, you two seem to have this thread confused with the International Food Group Pot-luck thread. This is the bad restaurant thread.

I do cook burgers at home; grand creations that will make you cry. But when I'm out and about, looking for a quick burger bite, I want a decent one.

[sceadugenga]

Americans don't understand good food, probably comes from not having a national cuisine of their own.

I said this to a Chiang Mai bookshop owner once and he became quite irate and said I should try the Chinese food in San Francisco, the Mexican food in Texas and the pizzas in Noo Yawk before I made that sort of comment.

[scorpio1945]

What this tread amply demonstrates is that although someone can comment on what THEY think is bad or good food, someone can usually be found in the opposite camp. Pizza being a prime example.

Since I am a Dagwood sandwich (Google it) type of guy, I actually have tried pickled beets (as we call them in the US) on a hamburger. Quite good, but I am not a purist. I do admit an occasional lust for a Wendy's cheese burger with a side dish of chili with onions. I also have to have an occasional White Castle bag of burgers..

[sceadugenga]

[scorpio1945]

Americans don't understand good food, probably comes from not having a national cuisine of their own.

I said this to a Chiang Mai bookshop owner once and he became quite irate and said I should try the Chinese food in San Francisco, the Mexican food in Texas and the pizzas in Noo Yawk before I made that sort of comment.

Au contraire. if you visit the interior of the US particularly the SE part you will find dishes and restaurants that are unique to the US and no where else. :jap: Most people are reluctant to claim NYC, SF etc. as represenative of the country:D

[kandahar]

What this tread amply demonstrates is that although someone can comment on what THEY think is bad or good food, someone can usually be found in the opposite camp. Pizza being a prime example.

Since I am a Dagwood sandwich (Google it) type of guy, I actually have tried pickled beets (as we call them in the US) on a hamburger. Quite good, but I am not a purist. I do admit an occasional lust for a Wendy's cheese burger with a side dish of chili with onions. I also have to have an occasional White Castle bag of burgers..

These guys didn't say anything about pickled beets. Pickled beets and non-pickled beets are entirely different. But neither one belongs on a burger.

[kandahar]

Americans don't understand good food, probably comes from not having a national cuisine of their own.

I said this to a Chiang Mai bookshop owner once and he became quite irate and said I should try the Chinese food in San Francisco, the Mexican food in Texas and the pizzas in Noo Yawk before I made that sort of comment.

Americans can take food from anywhere in the world and improve on it. They really have a way with cooking. They do, of course, have many original dishes, most of which were born in the kitchens and over the campfires of the poorest residents. Later, people with money realized what they were missing and began to copy those dishes.

I do understand that the Aussies have a very short list of original dishes but for the most part, nobody in the UK has a desire to copy them. Go figure.

[harrry]

Garry said:

Bloody show off sayng ketchup..how about an Aussy Navy term, pass the 'redders'.

Well brought up Army people do not mince words like the navy...they just say pass the blood.

[happyfamilyman]

Dear Sunholidaysun1,

As proprieter of the restaurant you commented about I would first like to apologize for my staff and to offer you a refund on what ever you were dissatisfied with. We just recently, 1 August, re-opened the restaurant and changed it to 24 hour operation. In Chiang Rai it is very difficult to find good employees and we are sorting through the bad ones and it will take some time to weed them out. Please understand that we are committed to good food and satisfied customers. If you have any complaints at all I would like very much to know about them and I will make it right. I can be reached by phone 24 hrs/day at 081-883-4677. I honestly thank you for your candid comments and will work dillegently to solve problems on a daily basis.

Sincerely,

Barry Finch

[dindong]

Well done Barry.

As far as I'm concerned, you're burgers are World Class.

[sceadugenga]

Dear Sunholidaysun1,

As proprieter of the restaurant you commented about I would first like to apologize for my staff and to offer you a refund on what ever you were dissatisfied with. We just recently, 1 August, re-opened the restaurant and changed it to 24 hour operation. In Chiang Rai it is very difficult to find good employees and we are sorting through the bad ones and it will take some time to weed them out. Please understand that we are committed to good food and satisfied customers. If you have any complaints at all I would like very much to know about them and I will make it right. I can be reached by phone 24 hrs/day at 081-883-4677. I honestly thank you for your candid comments and will work dillegently to solve problems on a daily basis.

Sincerely,

Barry Finch

Well said, and the best of luck with your business.

[sunholidaysun1]

Is it possible to keep on topic, the thread is for places you have eaten that have not been so good, rather than use the forum threads as if your on a chat site.Try using Messenger, otherwise we are wasting our time having to read all the crap to get to the information required.

Thankyou Barry for your offer to reimburse me , however , I dont need a refund but will await further updates to see if the food improves before I make a return. Good Luck.

[jubby]

Is it possible to keep on topic, the thread is for places you have eaten that have not been so good, rather than use the forum threads as if your on a chat site.Try using Messenger, otherwise we are wasting our time having to read all the crap to get to the information required.

Thankyou Barry for your offer to reimburse me , however , I dont need a refund but will await further updates to see if the food improves before I make a return. Good Luck.

He's right Guys, Its far too difficult reading through all the crap trying to get at the information we require.

there were over 4 off-topic posts on the forum yesterday, I lost a couple of nanoseconds where I could and should have been reading pertinent information or sleeping.

Get with the program. Name and shame these Restauranteers . Although I certainly have sympathy with most of them, you shouldn't.

Alternatively why not 'adopt' a restaurant worker, teach them about consistency; teach them to take pride in their work; teach them not to drink alcohol or take yabaa, teach them to actually give a dam_n about their employer. Teach them to not think about having fun with Girls etc.. and living for today

[skybluestu]

Is it possible to keep on topic, the thread is for places you have eaten that have not been so good, rather than use the forum threads as if your on a chat site.Try using Messenger, otherwise we are wasting our time having to read all the crap to get to the information required.

Thankyou Barry for your offer to reimburse me , however , I dont need a refund but will await further updates to see if the food improves before I make a return. Good Luck.

He's right Guys, Its far too difficult reading through all the crap trying to get at the information we require.

there were over 4 off-topic posts on the forum yesterday, I lost a couple of nanoseconds where I could and should have been reading pertinent information or sleeping.

Get with the program. Name and shame these Restauranteers . Although I certainly have sympathy with most of them, you shouldn't.

Alternatively why not 'adopt' a restaurant worker, teach them about consistency; teach them to take pride in their work; teach them not to drink alcohol or take yabaa, teach them to actually give a dam_n about their employer. Teach them to not think about having fun with Girls etc.. and living for today

[kandahar]

That is a good thing that Barry has done. I commend him for that. Quite a surprise to see that kind of post on the forum. It gives me cause for thought.

My first burger at Barry's was a bad deal. That was about one and a half years ago. The bun had been left out so long that it was dry, brittle and it shattered like glass with the first bite. I had to ask for a fork so I could eat the thing. The server could have cared less. I decided that was the end of that place for me. Several friends insisted that it was a one-off and that Barry probably wasn't there that day. So, two different people took me there to try again, two different times. Good burger both of those times. I think I wrote about it here but I can't remember for sure.

Since then, I have written several times about bad experiences at other places. For the most part, I stick by those comments. There are two places in town that serve pizza that is of less quality than a frozen pizza popped into the toaster oven back home. But they both sell a lot of pizza to the beer drinkers. When you're out having beers with like-minded friends, pizza is good, even if it is bad. I have since found a few places that serve decent pizza. So, there is really no point in writing about the bad ones. It is a personal preference; they aren't going to change and neither am I.

But I go back to the first experience at Barry's. I wonder why I didn't make a fuss and send it back, as a friend suggested to me this morning. I should have. Better to speak up, bring it to the attention of management and see how they handle it. Give them a chance to make amends or at least to see if they agree with you that the dish wasn't up to par. If they say that the food is what it is, then you're in a bad place. If they see what you're talking about and go into the kitchen and fix the chef, then you and they have made things better for the rest of us. That may be a better approach than writing about the bad food or service as if it is par for that place.

With all of that in mind, I think it is better to at least bring the troubles to the attention of the staff and see what happens. It really isn't fair to write about it without doing the right thing yourself. Good help is hard to find here. Very hard. The management can't be everywhere, supervising everything, always. And if it is brought to the attention of management and is ignored, then that is a damning post forthcoming and probably well-deserved.

This isn't my thread. I understand that. But it could be a better thread than it is if it was handled a little more fairly. And, it could be a thread that ups the quality of those places we all wish were a little better or more consistent.

So, if this is off topic, just jump on me with both feet. I don't care. I'll post my restaurant reviews in the "Where have you eaten lately" thread. But this one is already headed towards making at least one of the local eateries a better experience. It could actually help a lot of them if we went about it right.

Edited October 30, 2010 by kandahar