How Many Times A Week Do You Eat 'out'?

[jaideeguy]

Just a casual poll on CM expat eating habits [not including tourists]......

Figuring most of us eat an average of 3 meals a day = 21 meals a week, how many meals a week do you eat in a restaurant or food court??

And is it breakfast, lunch or dinner??

For myself, the best food is at home and cooking is shared between my wife and I who are both excellent cooks [for our taste].

On average, we do one big shop at Makro a week and maybe another quick shop at a superstore and often stuck in town for lunch and then there is the occasional birthday, trip to the dr, immigration and stuck in town and have to eat OPF [Other Peoples Food], so, I would say that my family's average is just over 2 lunches a week.

The best food and love is at home, where you know it's clean and what goes into it.

[trainman34014]

Similar experience here except we only shop Makro/Supermarket once a month. The rest comes from Markets and we eat average two lunches out a week but one will normally be Noodle Bar or the like. There is no substitute for home cooking and that's our preferred way.

[rene123]

I know that you meant only full time residents, but as a part time resident I seldom eat in my apartment, other than fruit and the occasional sandwich. It's just too easy to walk a short distance and have someone make it for me. Back in Canada I do all my own cooking and seldom eat in cafes or restaurants. It's just too expensive. Last night I paid for a simple meal for 2 of us in a Chiang Mai cafe and it only cost 200 baht including 2 large beer.

[mamborobert]

For me it would be at least 5 times per week.

Not one of them would be a sit down diner/restaurant like meal, might be one or two in a Thai food court.

Much like you I prefer food at home but when out and about and peckish I will stop at basically any road side cholera cart and have any Thai food or bbq or roti or what have you. Not a money issue at all, it's just I'm hungry, it's there, it's hot, it's quick...did I mention I was hungry.

Have done this for years, never really been sick. I do not expect a high level of health issues (as in food preparation or illness). If there are a bunch of Thais eating there and none are profusely vomiting it passes my low threshold test. Seen some dodgy restaurant food preparation food here (and equally so in the West) so I am not so sure that eating at a restaurant is a guarranteed safety.

Mainly I get this food because it is quick, hot, tasty and fills a hole. BBQ wise I have had pork that I thought was beef, beef that I thought was chicken, and something in Lampuhn that likely wore a collar a collar a day or two earlier. Put marinade and bbq it and I will eat it totally not knowing or caring what it is.

Funny thing is I would never do this at home, there it is a more enjoyable experience of right ingredients, planning it (I want to have X today), anticipation (this will be good), comfort, familiarity, Leo, sofa, little lie down, at peace with universe.

Edited December 20, 2012 by mamborobert

[chiang mai]

Probably 50% of the time although it does depend on the hours that Mrs CM is working, if she's on the noon to 10pm then we eat out more often than if she's working 8 to 5, it's a convenience thing. And by eat out I mean mostly inexpensive meals, typically under 150 baht for two people. About four times a month we'll do a River Market, Dukes or Arconbella or similar but that's for pleasure rather than "must eat something".

[Semper]

Never or maybe once a year.

[cloudhopper]

A few times a month and only when I insist or we're away from home where we grow lots of organic stuff, because Mrs. hopper's opinion that all the restaurants use black cooking oil, veg laden with pesticides and poor hygeine/food storage practices.

[uptheos]

maybe once a year.

Is this a random splurge or planned in advance?

[SamSipEt]

Almost always.

The huge choice of dishes available at both cheap roadside stalls and the more expensive sit down restaurants means I just can't be bothered with my own catering. I live in the city centre with most things only a short walk away.

[Semper]

maybe once a year.

Is this a random splurge or planned in advance?

Random.

[jaideeguy]

When I first settled in CM, I lived in a serviced apartment and as a single guy I ate out lunch and dinner, but always made a simple breakfast. Then after I married, moved into a townhouse and set up a decent kitchen more meals were eaten at home. It's not about cost, it's about quality and enjoying the 'perfect' steak, roast, salad or whatever in a familiar comfortable setting and being able to belch or fart if nature calls and not embarrass your wife. She can also be herself and eat Thai style with one foot up on the chair.

[LawrenceChee]

I would eat out almost daily....it's too convenient to be cooking every meal although the gourmet cooks out there would disagree....when I get to cooking, stir fried vegetables, a fried fish and some rice makes me happy.

[haybilly]

Probably a couple of times a week of eating out--similar to other posters this will be Thai stall-type food, with the exception of Muang Pon Laos in Kad Farang which we use occasionally.

Just a question though, based on Mrs. Clodhopper's assumptions about ingredients--does anyone know what pesticides we are ingesting in the Thai grown potatoes available locally??? My daughter has 'gone off' rice as a staple carb and seems to suddenly prefer spuds, having avoided them for years--so, I am keen to find out if I am poisoning her??

[WinnieTheKhwai]

About twice a week, typically on the weekend.

[GarryP]

Every day, but not by choice. I share a bowl of dry dog food with my hound on the front steps of an evening, and wash it down with pond water, spitting out any guppies before swallowing.

[bitewhentested]

not often i dont like to eat in places i cant see the kitchen as i know thais are very good about personal hygiene but not when it comes

to food prep and making sure things are covered after closing to stop the rats from pissing on everything

the only place i eat out regular would be the dukes spotlessly clean and great food

[eyecatcher]

Eat out all the time because I dont have a kitchen I have a toaster and a kettle and that sorts brekky out, but everything else I am pleased to say I read a menu twice a day. Now thats how I can make the freinds I left behind (still working) envious.

[barefoot1988]

sadly the question to me was probably "how many times a week do you eat in" i cook about twice per month. usually a slap of thick steak done at medium rare. i use local beef and coat it with kosher salt for 2 hours and wash it. turns out to be pretty tender =)

tops also have this awesome lamb racks. tender enough, don't have to marinate and do anything to it! i just rub rosemary, garlic, black peppers and salt to it and throw it in to an oven. its bloody good and dead simple. if not for the price, it would be a daily affair

[eyecatcher]

sadly the question to me was probably "how many times a week do you eat in" i cook about twice per month. usually a slap of thick steak done at medium rare. i use local beef and coat it with kosher salt for 2 hours and wash it. turns out to be pretty tender =)

tops also have this awesome lamb racks. tender enough, don't have to marinate and do anything to it! i just rub rosemary, garlic, black peppers and salt to it and throw it in to an oven. its bloody good and dead simple. if not for the price, it would be a daily affair

You can't write that..!!!....... its creates more tease and salivating than a strip joint...........apologise

[just_Elaine]

We are here 3 - 4 months out of the year.

For breakfast - we hardly eat out, but this year we are buying already prepped fruit. So on average 0%.

For lunch - almost always. We have a great noodle place close by, but I will cook depending on what groceries we have. Once a week, we buy gai yang, sticky rice and som tam from a great place. On average 90%.

For dinner - we order to pick up or cook or actually go out. I count pick up as going out. Lately, it's been more frequent 80%.

Back home, it's totally the opposite - close to 100% we cook. Of course, we have a dishwasher and not very many good food places nearby.

[JeffreyMcCollum]

Breakfast is at home unless away on a road trip

Lunch is 6 out of 7 times out

Dinner is 50/50

Makro is monthly stop

Big C is a weekly stop

Local market is weekly

And I will never admit to how often I stop at 7-11

[TommoPhysicist]

7-10 times a week on average, more when I'm in CM than on the farm.

Sausage King, Sala Cafe, Shop-fronts or Thai bar/restaurant/music venues.

[thaiscot]

everyday as dont have a kitchen , sometimes at a resturant, sometimes cafe, sometimes street or foodcourt , what ever we feel like at the time

good thing is no washing up just pay the bill get up and leave

[funcat]

everyday as dont have a kitchen , sometimes at a resturant, sometimes cafe, sometimes street or foodcourt , what ever we feel like at the time

good thing is no washing up just pay the bill get up and leave

...don't worry,they don't do much washing up ether ...that's why I'm only eating out when have to...just hate those public toilets,that you need to use afterwards...

[mcgriffith]

Breakfast always at home.

Don't eat lunch, ever.

Dinner 99% at home, maybe eat out for some special friend thing (b-day, etc.) once a month, if that.

I don't count buying street food (Isan gai yang/som tam, Burmese Library tea leaf salad) and bringing it back to the apt as "eating out", however, as I usually add other home prepared ingredients, wine, etc. to the meal.

[mania]

14-ish

For a few months when we first moved we always had our small breakfast ( toast & coffee )

then ate lunch out but cooked dinner at home.

Now my wife has a business so we find it easier to just eat out. ( except breakfast )

Well she eats at work & I usually grab something small like salapau etc. or skip lunch

If we did not live in Chiang Mai it might be different. But here you can

eat out for pretty close to or less than the same price as cooking. ( in our case )

Edited December 20, 2012 by mania

[fatfather]

Never ate 'out', what does it taste like?

Fatfather

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[mania]

Never ate 'out', what does it taste like?

Tastes like Chicken

[WinnieTheKhwai]

And only when I really care about the girl.

[elektrified]

...Mrs. hopper's opinion that all the restaurants use black cooking oil, veg laden with pesticides and poor hygeine/food storage practices.

That's the fear my g/f and her family have as well. Now we see more and more restaurants that have signs out front saying that they wash their vegetables in sodium bicarbonate. Poor hygiene/food storage practices are my biggest concern. So we don't go out too much anymore.