How Flexible Are Your Thai Partners' Tastes?

[soic]

I'm truly blessed. My wife doesn't really care for Western Food, but is always willing to try. There are some things that she can handle and she does without a whimper. The only things that she devours with gusto are roasts of beef and pork, as long as I add some to those little red chili's. For her, if it's not spicy, it's not edible.

All of the kids always rush in to see what Pa Pa is cooking this time. The all love to try everything. Our oldest son (14) eats everything, especially if it's western. They have all developed a fondness of peanut butter cookies and the other baked pastries I make. Our youngest (5) always wants to try everything, but he's quick to point out what he enjoys and what he doesn't. We developed a good signal, he runs up to be the first to try everything and then gives it a thumbs up or a thumbs down, always with a smile. Our niece and nephew are demons when it comes to cookies and cakes, if it sits on the table for a second, it's gone.

Overall, they prefer Thai food and I enjoy it too, we usuall compromise. Papa cooks 1 or 2 days a week, Mama cooks one or two days a week, and the rest we go to the market.

[autonomous_unit]

My wife spent a long time in the US and likes basically everything I can eat, plus a lot more (I don't care for seafood in general). However, once she got comfortable with my parents, she preferred to make a more Thai-style sauce to use with Dungenous Crab instead of the creamy sauce they used. One thing she doesn't really like is Lamb, but I have gotten her to eat some Lamb Vindaloo and say it isn't as bad as she expected... I knew I could marry her when she enjoyed wolfing down some plates of Flint's BBQ hot-links w/ hot sauce while shivering on a park bench in November (Berkeley, CA).

With me she has enjoyed various American BBQs, Mexican, Indian, Polish, German, Italian, Greek, Lebanese, Iranian, Chinese, Japanese (but only cooked stuff), Korean, etc. I think it would be easier to find things I do not like than her. However, she would long for Thai food if we go without it for a week or two.

I am more worried about my mother-in-law, who lives with us part time. I have yet to try to cook any real roasted meals, but would like to try this "winter"... maybe a roasted turkey, or a good ham if I can find either and get up the motivation to do the whole spread. She has tried my pizza, meatloaf, some Indian-style curries, and a quarter of a BLT sandwich. It is hard to read whether she really liked it or just was being polite though. She definitely did not like when I made a psuedo Palak Paneer (spicy minced spinach), but we cannot figure whether this is mainly because of the spices or the texture.

[tutsiwarrior]

My wife spent a long time in the US and likes basically everything I can eat, plus a lot more (I don't care for seafood in general). However, once she got comfortable with my parents, she preferred to make a more Thai-style sauce to use with Dungenous Crab instead of the creamy sauce they used. One thing she doesn't really like is Lamb, but I have gotten her to eat some Lamb Vindaloo and say it isn't as bad as she expected... I knew I could marry her when she enjoyed wolfing down some plates of Flint's BBQ hot-links w/ hot sauce while shivering on a park bench in November (Berkeley, CA).

With me she has enjoyed various American BBQs, Mexican, Indian, Polish, German, Italian, Greek, Lebanese, Iranian, Chinese, Japanese (but only cooked stuff), Korean, etc. I think it would be easier to find things I do not like than her. However, she would long for Thai food if we go without it for a week or two.

I am more worried about my mother-in-law, who lives with us part time. I have yet to try to cook any real roasted meals, but would like to try this "winter"... maybe a roasted turkey, or a good ham if I can find either and get up the motivation to do the whole spread. She has tried my pizza, meatloaf, some Indian-style curries, and a quarter of a BLT sandwich. It is hard to read whether she really liked it or just was being polite though. She definitely did not like when I made a psuedo Palak Paneer (spicy minced spinach), but we cannot figure whether this is mainly because of the spices or the texture.

get the mom-in-law a Flint's rib dinner or two (w/hot sauce)...that's something that I believe no one on the planet could resist...air freight, alla way from North Oakland...

(I'm gonna do a load of ribs this afternoon, in fack...deys marinatin' in the fridge as I type...)

Edited November 4, 2006 by tutsiwarrior

[davidjtayler]

As flexible as concrete ...

[Briggsy]

Hot is a must.

She likes ham.

Kid ye not.

[corkscrew]

What is really interesting is when I take my Thai wife to Thai restaurants in other countries. In London, Berlin and New York we have found some really good Thai restaurants. In Stockholm, Oslo, Helsinki and St. Petersburg they were pretty awful...sort of like Norse-Thai if that makes any sense.

[suegha]

What is really interesting is when I take my Thai wife to Thai restaurants in other countries. In London, Berlin and New York we have found some really good Thai restaurants. In Stockholm, Oslo, Helsinki and St. Petersburg they were pretty awful...sort of like Norse-Thai if that makes any sense.

That makes perfect sense. Here in the UK they are Anglo-Thai. I have not yet found (and I have tried many) any Thai restaurants to match anything in Thailand!

[Roy Jing]

What is really interesting is when I take my Thai wife to Thai restaurants in other countries. In London, Berlin and New York we have found some really good Thai restaurants. In Stockholm, Oslo, Helsinki and St. Petersburg they were pretty awful...sort of like Norse-Thai if that makes any sense.

That makes perfect sense. Here in the UK they are Anglo-Thai. I have not yet found (and I have tried many) any Thai restaurants to match anything in Thailand!

Same goes for Sydney. Could it be the canned curry paste and coconut cream as apposed to freshly made in Thailand that is the difference?

[autonomous_unit]

...

Same goes for Sydney. Could it be the canned curry paste and coconut cream as apposed to freshly made in Thailand that is the difference?

While freshly made pastes are great, I think you'd be surprised how often people are using the factory-made stuff from those little plastic envelopes in Thailand.

I think the real difference is the business reality: for every one of us who would like a "real" Thai dish, the restaurant has to serve dozens of locals who don't really know what Thai food tastes like, may not even like it, and must be pleased in order for the restaurant to turn a profit.

For example, take the level of chili heat; most restaurants will not make something hotter than "nit noy" in the west, because irate customers will send the food back for being "inedible". I've gotten in the habit of saying to the waitress (if she appears to actually be Thai): I would like this dish properly hot, like I was having it at home in Bangkok where I live. This usually confuses them for a bit and then they smile and go have a rapid conversation with the cook in Thai. My tablemates are left wondering why my food looks so different from theirs... for example, my pad kra pow comes minced instead of with big chunks of meat, all because I indicated that I knew the difference.

Of course, the availability of ingredients is a problem. I have seen some restaurants that do not have the right vegetables or variety of chilis, and the resulting dish just tastes different as a result. Not necessarily bad, but not authentic.

[migrant]

In my earlier post, I mentioned my Thai fiance doesn't like lamb. Seems that is pretty common following this thread.

Went to eat out last night, and I ordered lamb shank when she wasn't listening.

It came cooked to perfection, fall offf the bone tender, and a nice sauce. I cut her a small piece, and a inch away from her mouth she froze.

"This is lamb!"

"well, yes, but cooked different, no gamey taste"

it ended up back on my plate in a flash! (more for me )

She also needs some type of sauce, hot, herb, etc for most anything (hot works, I eat hotter than her )

[corkscrew]

In my earlier post, I mentioned my Thai fiance doesn't like lamb. Seems that is pretty common following this thread.

Went to eat out last night, and I ordered lamb shank when she wasn't listening.

It came cooked to perfection, fall offf the bone tender, and a nice sauce. I cut her a small piece, and a inch away from her mouth she froze.

"This is lamb!"

"well, yes, but cooked different, no gamey taste"

it ended up back on my plate in a flash! (more for me )

She also needs some type of sauce, hot, herb, etc for most anything (hot works, I eat hotter than her )

I agree....my wife won't touch lamb...though she does not mind if I order it. Once, I bought some lamb chops and broiled them in our oven. There was a lot of lamb smell in the air and I thought she would get sick.

[corkscrew]

What is really interesting is when I take my Thai wife to Thai restaurants in other countries. In London, Berlin and New York we have found some really good Thai restaurants. In Stockholm, Oslo, Helsinki and St. Petersburg they were pretty awful...sort of like Norse-Thai if that makes any sense.

That makes perfect sense. Here in the UK they are Anglo-Thai. I have not yet found (and I have tried many) any Thai restaurants to match anything in Thailand!

Same goes for Sydney. Could it be the canned curry paste and coconut cream as apposed to freshly made in Thailand that is the difference?

We also have a house in Florida...and the first thing my wife asked the Thai waitress when we went to a local Thai restaurant was "Where do you eat when you go out?" We found that there were two restaurnats where the Thais ate....and they turned out to be very authentic. Here in Bangkok we are very lucky to have everything.

[nakhonsi sean]

My Wife will eat any foreign food. She's never been out of the south and never tried any before we met. She loves Indian, mexican, Italian, British you name it! But her favourites are red wine, good bread and strong cheese, preferably a good parmasan! Always come home and there's a little less!

[nakhonsi sean]

My Wife will eat any foreign food. She's never been out of the south and never tried any before we met. She loves Indian, mexican, Italian, British you name it! But her favourites are red wine, good bread and strong cheese, preferably a good parmasan! Always come home and there's a little less!

[migrant]

I agree....my wife won't touch lamb...though she does not mind if I order it. Once, I bought some lamb chops and broiled them in our oven. There was a lot of lamb smell in the air and I thought she would get sick.

Same same

[meadish_sweetball]

What is really interesting is when I take my Thai wife to Thai restaurants in other countries. In London, Berlin and New York we have found some really good Thai restaurants. In Stockholm, Oslo, Helsinki and St. Petersburg they were pretty awful...sort of like Norse-Thai if that makes any sense.

There's one ok Thai reso in Stockholm, called Koh Pha-ngan. The others are best forgotten.

There is a great one in Copenhagen though, in the middle of the sex shop district behind the railway station. It's called Ban Gaew. Well worth a visit.

[migrant]

We're lucky. Southern California is loaded with many excellent Thai restaurants!

[tutsiwarrior]

We're lucky. Southern California is loaded with many excellent Thai restaurants!

oh yeah?...I've never seen nothin' in CA to resemble authentic thai cuisine...'duck in green curry sauce'?, sheeeddd...ask 'ol Mrs Tuk down at the bus station in Bang Li to whip that one up and see the startled reaction that you'ld get...

however...I understand that on Western Ave north of Hollywood Blvd in LA you could find the real goods if you knew what to ask for...buncha thai restaurants and shops up there...worth investigatin'...

[migrant]

We're lucky. Southern California is loaded with many excellent Thai restaurants!

oh yeah?...I've never seen nothin' in CA to resemble authentic thai cuisine...'duck in green curry sauce'?, sheeeddd...ask 'ol Mrs Tuk down at the bus station in Bang Li to whip that one up and see the startled reaction that you'ld get...

however...I understand that on Western Ave north of Hollywood Blvd in LA you could find the real goods if you knew what to ask for...buncha thai restaurants and shops up there...worth investigatin'...

LA has a bunch in the Thai Town area, Orange County has a couple on Brookhurst by Ball, and Garden Grove.

Banana Bay in Rowland Heights is good most of the time also.

Just gotta look and try, they're out there.

Lots of not so good ones though (or at least westernized)

Edited November 9, 2006 by migrant

[dr_Pat_Pong]

What is really interesting is when I take my Thai wife to Thai restaurants in other countries. In London, Berlin and New York we have found some really good Thai restaurants. In Stockholm, Oslo, Helsinki and St. Petersburg they were pretty awful...sort of like Norse-Thai if that makes any sense.

There's one ok Thai reso in Stockholm, called Koh Pha-ngan. The others are best forgotten.

There is a great one in Copenhagen though, in the middle of the sex shop district behind the railway station. It's called Ban Gaew. Well worth a visit.

and you can get both appetites sated while you are there