"le Bistrot" Chiang Mai

[PostmanPat]

This is a word of warning thread. Went last night to the new restaurant situated in the same building where the excellent "Gibus" plied his trade until five years ago. The new owner is VERY French, in fact his menu is entirely in French, purports to be locally produced French style cuisine....but in fact, much of his product is simply of the "boil in a bag/ microwave" style, shipped in from a company called "Loupo" based in Rayong, and yet by no means inexpensive, quite a well planned confidence trick in my opinion.

For all that there is an "extensive" menu, very little seems to be actually cooked on site. After our starter consisting of "charcuterie" none of which was freshly produced on site, we ordered a steak. This was served basically just fried a bit on both sides, the steak was very rubbery despite costing over 400 baht and I ve cooked much better myself at home!!

All in all, although this seems to have very quickly become a home from home for the French community in Chiang Mai, with groups of guys perched next to the bar drinking Pernod, Pastis etc, the food was frankly overpriced rubbish.....if you want good proper French food there are a number of places in Chiang Mai, but this is certainly not one of them!!

Thats all....be warned!!

[elektrified]

Don't know anything about this place mentioned above but there are a large number of places in town who buy their meals from a well-known chef here in C.M., already prepared. All they do is heat them up and serve them. Actually I was quite surprised when I was told that at one place in particular because the food was delicious. But think about it, one who owns a small bar/cafe would have to stock all the fresh ingredients for gourmet meals like lamb shanks, etc. on the off chance a customer would order it once a week or something and then the Thai staff prepare it?. Come on, not possible. So it is a good way to enhance the menu. The meals are not cheap either. The restaurants pay something like 165 Baht on up per meal and mark up from there. I was shown the vacuum packed bags and all in all very good idea (IMHO). I don't know who the chef is but apparently he has a well-known restaurant here in C.M.

[stuartd1]

This is not a new practice, nor is it a CM phenomenon. I used to eat in a gastro-pub in a village near Oxford about 15 years ago who employed exactly the same methodology. For many things, particulary stews and food cooked in sauce, it results in a betterproduct than would have been if prepared that day on the premises.

The steak sounds pretty grim though!

[jonwilly]

Did not Danielle pass on a month or two ago ?

john

[worgeordie]

They must have gotten the idea from Fawlty Towers, when Basil had his French friend

make the meals for the French night at the hotel,the episode where he beat his car to

death with a tree,after it broke down on the way back to the hotel with the food.

regards Worgeordie

[hellodolly]

Basically all you are saying is you didn't like the steak as it was rubbery.

Is that any thing like being tough?

[PostmanPat]

Basically all you are saying is you didn't like the steak as it was rubbery.

Is that any thing like being tough?

No. Rubbery fits well. Thats why I chose to use that word! If I could have turned the (400 Baht!) steak into a ball it would have bounced very well!!

[market trader]

So I assume this restaurant not on your list for a return visit.

[harryfrompattaya]

Le Roy and I call this TV Dinners

The French Menu is just part of a con

I bet the box in Thai or America

Remember Thailand has TV Dinners too

[rideswings]

My gf and I had dinner at Le Bistrot a couple of weeks ago because our favorite little Italian place around the corner was closed for Songkran. I warned my GF that French food is expensive anywhere in the world, especially outside of France. And to make matters worse, this place was actually called Le Bistrot, bistrot to me means a specialty dining shop that usually has the owner as cook, andextra high prices. After overcoming my initial shock looking at the sidewalk menu, which was around 260 baht for a simple chicken dish, we went inside and were greeted by the owner, a very large, personable fellow. His staff was off for the holiday, so he served us himself. Yes the menu was in French, but it made me feel like I was dining at a bistro on the Champs Elysee. My French was rusty, so I asked him to cook me something with chicken, vegetables, and some wine mixed in. My GF ordered a pork dish, and the chef added some mashed potatoes. He gave us a complimentary side dish of a mixed seafood salad which was wonderful while we waited for our entrees. My GF complained that the French breast crust was too thick, but I thought it was just right.

The main dishes came out with quite a presentation, They were beautiful, and smelled great. One taste of my chicken dish and thats all I needed. It was marvelous. My GF got her dish and gave me a taste of the pork sausage. Simply the most delicious I have ever had. Taste exploded in after one bite.

The chef came over and asked what we thought and I told him C'est merveilleux!! Its marvelous. He told me he grew the veggies in his garden and he raised the chickens himself. Ok maybe that was a stretch of his imagination, but it made it more special. For dessert he brought some cream puffs, they were a little bit frozen but great anyway.

The bill came to 660 baht, yes insane price for a local restaurant, but it was worth it. I loved the food. If the OP is right and the food is all pre-cooked someplace else, its ok with me. It was delicious no matter where it came from.

[Ulysses G.]

I had heard that the original owner of Gibus was back in his old spot and the last post seems to suggest that. Does anyone have the real lowdown on who owns Le Bistrot?

Edited May 1, 2013 by Ulysses G.

[tornado24]

That bread looks good also, the chicken dish is homemade 100% and I dont see any problem heating it up.

[junglechef]

This is not a new practice, nor is it a CM phenomenon. I used to eat in a gastro-pub in a village near Oxford about 15 years ago who employed exactly the same methodology. For many things, particulary stews and food cooked in sauce, it results in a betterproduct than would have been if prepared that day on the premises.

The steak sounds pretty grim though!

Fine for frozen take-away dinners (and perhaps restaurants in England) but if any self-respecting Chef tried that in America he would be laughed out of business in a second!

[tornado24]

Jungle chef, respected chefs are better in England than in the US, consequently, restaurants too.

We are talking about normal chefs, however I will put you a few well respected English chefs: Heston Blumental, Marco Pierre White or Gordon Ramsay.

[dave2]

re

After overcoming my initial shock looking at the sidewalk menu, which was around 260 baht for a simple chicken dish, we went inside and were greeted by the owner, a very large, personable fellow

here ya go : )

dave2

[Ulysses G.]

Jungle chef, respected chefs are better in England than in the US, consequently, restaurants too.

Horse manure.

The list of the world's top restaurants that makes up the world's best 50 is out - and predictably controversial: it is dominated by the US, with only three from the UK.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/apr/30/world-50-best-restaurants-list

Edited May 1, 2013 by Ulysses G.

[CMNightRider]

Basically all you are saying is you didn't like the steak as it was rubbery.

Is that any thing like being tough?

Maybe the next time you go out to your vehicle, bite one of your vehicle tires and tell us if it seemed rubbery or tough.

[Konini]

re

After overcoming my initial shock looking at the sidewalk menu, which was around 260 baht for a simple chicken dish, we went inside and were greeted by the owner, a very large, personable fellow

here ya go : )

dave2

For those prices, my expectations would be very high.

[Mapguy]

Is there still a MacD on the Champs-Élysées ? Wonder what a burger costs there these days?

[Chicog]

He's in good company with this muppet then:

From 2009:

Michelin-starred chef Gordon Ramsay has defended the use of 'boil-in-the-bag' meals in his restaurants, claiming are still 'freshly prepared'.

It has been revealed that customers at four of the celebrity chef's restaurants are likely to be served pre-prepared meals produced by a central supplier. The food arrives in transit vans, is reheated – then sold for up to six times the cost price.

But a spokeswoman for the award-winning chef said although the meals were prepared in one part of London and then distributed to one of Ramsay's restaurants and three gastropubs, they were still considered 'freshly prepared'.

[hellodolly]

Jungle chef, respected chefs are better in England than in the US, consequently, restaurants too.

Horse manure.

The list of the world's top restaurants that makes up the world's best 50 is out - and predictably controversial: it is dominated by the US, with only three from the UK.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/apr/30/world-50-best-restaurants-list

Has the fact that the United States has over 315,000,000 people and the UK has only 63,000,000 got any thing to do with it.

Also that is the Population for all of the UK not just England. I got those figures from Wikapedia, So they may not be accurate,

Close enough,

[jonwilly]

Well myself and two friends went to Billy's yesterday.

Good food, cheap and a pleasant lunch.

john

[tornado24]

Jungle chef, respected chefs are better in England than in the US, consequently, restaurants too.

Horse manure.

The list of the world's top restaurants that makes up the world's best 50 is out - and predictably controversial: it is dominated by the US, with only three from the UK.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/apr/30/world-50-best-restaurants-list

Dominate by US? The restaurant eleven in Madison park the real chef is from Denmark I think, Daniel Hum.

Blumental is a very famous chef and has done important things, marco pierre as well. But I dont know any important chef from the US. They only eat burgers and fast food. Thats why americans are so fat.

Im not from the UK, I just say the reality.

Edited May 2, 2013 by tornado24

[Ulysses G.]

On the contrary, the evidence points out that your claim is fallacious and FYI, there are plenty of fat people in the UK.

Only three UK restaurants have made it into the top 50, the joint-lowest number in the list's 10-year history. And, for the first time, not one of them is in the top five. http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/apr/30/world-50-best-restaurants-list

Edited May 2, 2013 by Ulysses G.

[junglechef]

He's in good company with this muppet then:

From 2009:

Michelin-starred chef Gordon Ramsay has defended the use of 'boil-in-the-bag' meals in his restaurants, claiming are still 'freshly prepared'.

It has been revealed that customers at four of the celebrity chef's restaurants are likely to be served pre-prepared meals produced by a central supplier. The food arrives in transit vans, is reheated – then sold for up to six times the cost price.

But a spokeswoman for the award-winning chef said although the meals were prepared in one part of London and then distributed to one of Ramsay's restaurants and three gastropubs, they were still considered 'freshly prepared'.

There is a French cooking method called "sous-vide" which is cooking food in a sealed bag, that was developed in the 1700's and rediscovered and used for industrial food preservation in the 60's and re-rediscovered for fine dining, esp. slow cooking foie gras, in Michelin stared establishments.

Many Chef's branch out from their Michelin stared places that made them famous and use their "brand" by opening chains and other non-Chef driven enterprises.

As for "Gastropubs" they are suppose to be serving high-end food and drink. If this means pre-cooked (and most probably frozen) to you and you are willing to pay the same price of food cooked freshly then fine. But the term "freshly prepared" (incl. "natural" etc. ect.) and especially the title Chef are overused by many and often incorrectly. And to be fair and I'll comment on a post of someone that was agreeing with me and mention that the lists of best this and that are often driven marketing (just as the original post may have been which worked as I'll sure to try Le Bisrtot now) and are not totally biases.

There are great Chef's all over the world as there is beautiful scenery, food and women! And there are even more who are trying to make a buck off the modern food trends. I remember how novel it was to have a camera crew in my kitchen back in the 80's.

Finally I don't know how to really respond to my original detractor but your response is just so British, sounding superior about something that you so obviously from your comments don't know much about. I will say that my Mother's side hails from London and as much as I love them dearly I focus on the other beautiful things they have to offer at dinner besides the food.

[elektrified]

He's in good company with this muppet then:

From 2009:

Michelin-starred chef Gordon Ramsay has defended the use of 'boil-in-the-bag' meals in his restaurants, claiming are still 'freshly prepared'.

It has been revealed that customers at four of the celebrity chef's restaurants are likely to be served pre-prepared meals produced by a central supplier. The food arrives in transit vans, is reheated – then sold for up to six times the cost price.

But a spokeswoman for the award-winning chef said although the meals were prepared in one part of London and then distributed to one of Ramsay's restaurants and three gastropubs, they were still considered 'freshly prepared'.

Well there you have it. Like I said, this was a new concept to me, but I'm not a chef or expert on food. But I would be willing to bet that dozens and dozens of TV members have eaten these boil in the bag meals here in C.M. at some of their favorite restaurants, paid 265 THB on up and didn't know the difference. The restaurant owner I met would not tell me who this 'famous C.M. chef' is.

[elektrified]

Well myself and two friends went to Billy's yesterday.

Good food, cheap and a pleasant lunch.

john

Been there twice recently. Haven't seen Billy or his wife but quality as good as ever. In fact portions seem larger since they moved. I took note of the larger plates they use now. I assume Billy does all the cooking himself so maybe he's in the back somewhere. People who enjoy Billy's should support the new (IMHO terrible) location as the 2 times I have been since they moved there were only a few patrons in there each time. At the old location it was packed every night. I have no idea where one parks at the new place. Tried to park out front and older lady who I guess owns the buildings around there chased me away. Had to park a good distance away. Also the couple of signs that were there to guide you to the new place are gone. Difficult to find if you don't know the area.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

re

After overcoming my initial shock looking at the sidewalk menu, which was around 260 baht for a simple chicken dish, we went inside and were greeted by the owner, a very large, personable fellow

dave2

5 years from now we will all have these, instantly translating the menu AND whatever French dudes are saying in real time.

[tornado24]

Nowadays, Pierre white doesnt cook anymore, but for me is the second chef of history after Ferran Adria.

All the michelin restaurants "cook in bags" for example the N1 of the list "celler de can roca", the lamb is slow cooked in bags.

America didnt do anything for the modern cuisine and the UK a lot.

[Ulysses G.]

Thanks for sharing all your wisdom on American cuisine.

But I dont know any important chef from the US. They only eat burgers and fast food.