Healthy Local Restaurants: No Msg, At Least 50% Thai Customers

[WinnieTheKhwai]

And, some of the msg crusaders may still have a drink or even smoke and nit think twice about it. Much easier to show ill effects if alcohol and a whole lot of other substances.

Clearly though, you don't want *too much* of it in your food, just like you don't want too much salt in it. But a little us fine; required even for optimum taste. (may be msg feom natural ingredients)

Everything that you ever wanted to know about MSG:

The fact is that, since the eighties, mainstream science has got bored of MSG. Some research continues; in 2002, for example, New Scientist got very excited over a report that MSG might damage your eyesight, after Japanese scientists announced that they had produced retinal thinning in baby rats fed with MSG. It turned out they were putting 20 grams of MSG in every 100g of rat food - an amazing amount, given that, in the UK, we adults consume about four grams of it each a week. (One project took people who were convinced their asthma was caused by MSG and fed them up to six grams of it a day, without ill-effects). However, at no time has any official body, governmental or academic, ever found it necessary to warn humans against consuming MSG.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2005/jul/10/foodanddrink.features3

[Femme]

But unlike salt, it stays in your throat and on your tongue forever. Somehow it makes my salvia thick and sticky in the throat.

Anyway, I never heard of MSG/Vetsin, it was only after I started observing my physical discomforts after having eaten food containing this ingredient.

[lynchee]

What's the big deal with MSG?

Just looked it up and has been used for years in food.

What are the symptoms of consuming it? Is it just one of those latest paranoia things that has cropped up in the last 20 years suggesting that everything is bad for you?

Just curious to know why it is bad for you and what evidence is available to support this?

I've had very serious reactions to MSG in the past where I thought I was having heart failure. During my research of its danger I came across this:

Can MSG really kill you?

MSG is an excitotoxin, which means it overexcites your cells to the point of damage or death, causing brain damage to varying degrees -- and potentially even triggering or worsening learning disabilities, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Lou Gehrig's disease and more.

Over 460,000 people per year are now dying of a disorder called of sudden cardiac death according to CDC statistics. Dr. Blaylock also reports: "Numerous glutamate receptors have been found within the heart's electrical conduction system, as well as heart muscle. When an excess of food-borne excitotoxins, such as MSG, hydrolyzed protein, soy protein isolate and concentrate, natural flavoring, sodium caseinate and aspartate from aspartame, are consumed, these glutamatereceptors are over stimulated, producing cardiac arrhythmias.

http://www.examiner.com/kids-nutrition-exercise-in-fort-worth/can-a-little-food-additive-like-msg-really-kill

It is not the additives in soy, oyster sauce etc. that bother me, it's the spoon full after spoon full that restaurants add to a single dish. I find the more expensive the restaurant, the more prestigious it is, the more MSG they put in.

[TantraMantra]

Hi, you should find some healthy vegetarian places on this list from Happy cow.

http://www.happycow.net/asia/thailand/chiang_mai/

[true blue]

hot chilli,half way down sunday walking street,does not use msg in its food,big sign saying so??????.

[jackr]

Can someone please clarify how to ask for MSG not to be added to your food? I saw "mai sai choo rook" - can I have a Thai spelling of choo rook so I say it right?

Mai sai pon su rot, or mai sai su rot.

Many people poopoo its said effects. All I can say to that is I'm glad it only affects a minority as it's pretty <deleted> if you do suffer. In any case, why eat somewhere where they need to artificially enhance the flavour of food? Real cooks know how to make their food tasty naturally.

[drnkurmlkshk]

The examiner is not a good source. According to wikipedia,

Examiner.com has been criticized for its lack of verification and fact-checking of stories published on the site

Here is the same website basically saying that vaccines are bad: http://www.examiner.com/us-intelligence-in-national/vaccines-for-children-not-effective so I basically wouldn't be taking this site as a serious source of information at all.

-

In this particular case, on the surface, it would seem that a source was given. But if you look at what the FDA *actually* says about MSG you will see that they found no evidence supporting "MSG Symptom Complex". So the article is either being deliberately misleading or the author is incompetent. This source provides evidence that counters the message this article is giving.

The second source that article brings up is a Dr. Blaylock. If you look up the wikipedia for him you will see that he has not actually done a study to demonstrate support of these supposed symptoms (or long term effects). It is clearly stated that his claims are directly countering scientific studies done on the subject.

Call me crazy but I'll stick with the scientific evidence...

[Femme]

I have to mention Lemon Tree, next to Salsa Kitchen. Thai food and you can ask not to put MSG in the food (except for the sauces they make earlier)

I like this little restaurant because 90 % of the customers is Thai and it has a nice informal atmosphere.

40-200 baht dishes. Food is not tongue blowing, but I find it better than the average local restaurant.

[elektrified]

I have to mention Lemon Tree, next to Salsa Kitchen. Thai food and you can ask not to put MSG in the food (except for the sauces they make earlier)

I like this little restaurant because 90 % of the customers is Thai and it has a nice informal atmosphere.

40-200 baht dishes. Food is not tongue blowing, but I find it better than the average local restaurant.

The few times I went there I found the clientele to be more like 65% farang who were all staying at the Huay Kaew Residence. I thought the food was O.K.

[Femme]

I think it really depends at what time you eat there. I'm usually the only foreigner... (after 9PM)

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I have to mention Lemon Tree, next to Salsa Kitchen. Thai food and you can ask not to put MSG in the food (except for the sauces they make earlier)

I like this little restaurant because 90 % of the customers is Thai and it has a nice informal atmosphere.

40-200 baht dishes. Food is not tongue blowing, but I find it better than the average local restaurant.

Agreed; this is one of my favorite restaurants in town. You get the odd foreigner in for lunch, usually ordering something completely unimaginative like a Phad Thai or fried rice, even though they have really interesting stuff on the menu, and specifically also the specials on the whiteboard on the wall.

[ha55ha]

Lemon Tree is great, and has some really tasty dishes. Their's also another Lemon Tree branch just off Nimman Road inside the Uniserv building

Also, on a side note you should probably be more worried about what oils they use to stir-fry their dishes with than if they use MSG. The cheap, low grade vegetable oil most places use is terrible for you

[Femme]

ha55ha, you are so right on this... that's why I'm hesitant about foodstalls and cheap restaurants. And that's also why I love my own food the most, I know what's in it. But a (wo)man shouldn't be dogmatic, so I "dare" to eat outside

Too healthy is very unhealthy!

A recommendation: Khao Soi Nimman/ NImanhaemin Soi 7.

50 baht + restaurant, that equals NImman Kitchen, but nicer to sit without bar noise. And I choose this one over Lemon Tree.

Interesting menu with frogs, red ant salad and larves. The menu shows pictures.

I liked the Khao Soi, but i missed the usual veggies (sprouts). A thick rich sauce the way I like it. For big eaters there's a Khao Soi Large for 110 baht. Average Khao Soi = 65 baht

Some say we shouldn' t pay double the price for Khao Soi, and I don't know if the veggies are pesticide-free, but the open garden restaurant is very pleasant to have a meal with friends or even by yourself.

I was not a big fan of Thai food, but I'm starting to appreciate it more and more...