h5n1 Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 (edited) I live on Thai food out of neccessity and because it is totally delicious. It was difficult for years making the 'breakfast jump' (porridge, eggs-sausage, bread) - but for three yrs I now eat kuay teow nam/heng or kai kathiem or sometimes really spicy stuff (bphai kaphao ____) at 1030am. I was raised in Italian household and my English mother who is a very good cook mastered a huge number of international dishes. I also learned to cook at early age -and I ate garlic and hot Italian chilli peppers early in life. Living in LA for many years was exposed to first to Hunan/Schzehuan and then to Thai in the 80s. My parents in their 70s enjoy when i toss together a Thai meal when I visit. Invite the friends and its pretty funny. They also are fine with having rice 1-2 a week and my mom really marvels at the way i can put out Thai rice (some tricks from an old Viet girlfiend). Anyway - I stick to the regular menu stuff I know how to order unless I'm in a night market. But I am curious about all of you that really love Thai food. Also curious how many of you have given up bread? Finally, I would like to say one more thing - it appears these days Thais are pretty jaded with us farang but one thing I always get a smail out of a Thai is tucking in and really enjoying street food. Ive noticed in here in Pattaya that I command a certain respect from the hawkers becasue I eat there nightly. not just once in awhile or same shop/same food. I try this and that. Its no suprise Thais love their food so much its certainly world class. its one huge reason i could never live in phils, indonesia, india. its healthy and tasty! so what are your stories? Edited March 21, 2006 by h5n1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suegha Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 Interesting thread. When in Thailand I'll eat Thai food at every opportunity. Even when in the UK I'll eat Thai the majority of the time. It's interesting that you ask about bread, even in Thailand I eat bread for breakfast with marmalade. It's what I have done for years and I would really miss it. It's my concession to western food, but as it's easily available, I'll continue doing so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tutsiwarrior Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 (edited) the bread in Thailand is so bad yew wouldn't want to poison yer worst enemy wid it... however...if you disguise the taste with bacon, lettuce and tomato AND LOTS OF MAYO (on toasted Thai bread...helps to improve the flavor) you may be able to survive... I don't even put tuna mayonaise on bread anymore...ruins the taste... Edited March 21, 2006 by tutsiwarrior Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dutch Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 There are a lot of bakeries nowadays with high quality of bread (many kinds). That said: I eat 95% of the time thai food 2 or 3 times daily. 75% home cooked Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxexile Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 (edited) i used to eat street food all the time , but lately i rarely touch the stuff , if i eat thai food it will be in a restaurant , khaw gaeng shop or ahaan tham sang tin table type of place. i rarely eat from the carts these days. the quality of street food has taken a huge tumble in the past few years . as prices have gone up so the quality of the ingredients has gone down. the massive use of hormones and antibiotics and dyes in meats and the use of illegal chemicals and insecticides in the production of fruit and veg. now has me buying and eating organic wherever possible. the cheaper the food , the more chemically enhanced and coloured it is , and the street food is the cheapest of the lot. most street food is poorly and unhygenically prepared compared with a few years ago. if you see where the carts come from each day and where and how the days food is pre-prepared then you might alter your eating habits too. if the mae khaa is over 40 years old then you might get a hygienic and properly prepared dish , if they are any younger than that , well , i would walk on. street food in thailand used to be wonderful , now its almost dangerous , at least in bangkok. things might be a little more traditional out in the sticks. Edited March 21, 2006 by taxexile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mobi Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 Lunch and dinner are about 95% Thai - of which maybe 80% is home cooked and the remainder we eat out. Breakfast is usually cereal, fresh fruit, and cofee. Sometimes my wife makes me a delicious Kow Tom (prawn or fish) or even sometimes a nice tuna and boiled egg salad. Once in a blue moon my wife will cook me a delicious fish and chips dinner - the only farang dish she can cook - bless her. I use to have a stock of hams and cheese, and sausages and stuff like that from the supermarkets to eat on the odd occasions when the wife wasn't around, but these days I have very little, and most of that gets thrown away. If the wife's away, the maid will cook thai food for me. I love Thai food, and eaten in moderation, it is very healthy, and has helped me lose weight. I also enjoy good western food, but I don't miss it. There's too many Thai delights, and my wife is a wonderful cook. That's my eating habits. PS My 8 year old Issan stepson loves bread, spaggetti and hot dogs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h5n1 Posted March 22, 2006 Author Share Posted March 22, 2006 tax exile - i quite agree and take two meals in restarants and dinner in the market just to mix it up - not really any cheaper. i have my fave restaurants but concur about the quality and age of the vendor esp if s/he is male. i know of one noodle vendor i am positive will give me a trip to loo sure. i do like to go to the markets and try this or that - but have to say - i was never big on innerards although my pop loves hearts/gizzards, etc... another reason i dont go mad for issan/khmer food. its not the spice - its that seemingly every body part of the animal is used. i may be poor, but not that poor - yet. as for the bread thing i was just wondering because it only makes me fat and i dont miss it any longer. of course, good bread is a wonderous thing - but its pricey and i only eat 1/2 plate rice. i think im also adopting moer thai eating habits - nibble till a bit full and move on. if i eat an full plate i rarely want to go/do anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxexile Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 i cant live without bread , and thankfully there are some first class bakeries around these days , especially around sukhumvit in bangkok and here in hua hin. a favourite meal of mine is a plate of som tam with a sizeable chunk of buttered french bread (which i take along with me to the som tam stall) , i get some strange looks but som tam and crusty french bread really do go well together. with wholemeal slices , a som tam sandwich is also a tasty treat , especially with a slice or two of smoked ham thrown in , and most of the juices drained off so that the bread is not too soggy. fusion cuisine a la tax ! i find the thought of eating innards , chickens feet , fish stomachs and pork skin nauseating . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suegha Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 Pork skin? Surely when well cooked and crispy it's called crackling, yummy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtb Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 with wholemeal slices , a som tam sandwich is also a tasty treat , especially with a slice or two of smoked ham thrown in , and most of the juices drained off so that the bread is not too soggy.fusion cuisine a la tax ! Now that DOES sound interesting. I'll definitely try it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaaaaa Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 well, first of all, I don't have 3 meals a day dialy - usually 2, sometimes 1 or let's say 1.5 about Thai food - if given a chance, yes, why not I can eat trice a day - as long as it is good. because not always it is good - I mean made properly. even my wife tells me so. about bread - yeah, not always possible to get good bread. but what to do? sometimes it is good to eat some bread. in some places (Like Gourmet store or Villa suppermarket) sometimes can find more or less good enough bread I think. the reason why bread in Thailand is not so good - because for them it is not main food but "kanom", sort of dessert or snack (same as pizza for example BTW). so, unless thay eat some rice, for them it is like haven't eaten at all - that's why they say "kin kao" (as chinese say - chi fan, same meaning - "eat rice"), not simply "Kin ahan" (eat food). they don't say "kin kanom pan" and even "kin somtam" or whatever other thign, no matter how delicious it might be - with meaning that they have eaten complete meal. so, they always put some sugar in their bread, which is too much for westerners. it is pretty same in any other part of Asia I think. but old habits die hard - I crave for bread sometimes. although rice, noodles or "chapatis" and "nan" (indian bread) would do also. I think it is becuase additciont to wheat. anyone ever serioulsy compared nutitious qualities of wheat and rice? I suspect wheat has better value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzap Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 Well, after 8 years Thailand, and more in Asia, I still insist on my 'Western Breakfast'= fried egg, bread, ham and tomatoes. After that, anything goes (and does, believe you me )... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miaow Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 Interesting thread indeed...I gave up eating bread and western food when i first moved to Thailand, couldn't find anything up to my taste being a cook myself. But since me and my wife opened a bakery, i'm back at eating toast for breakfast, and the occasionnal pizza and or farang dish & appetizers for dinner....I gave up eating fancy cheese and most of the Farang food i use to enjoy so much, but my morning double long espresso remains sacred and is enjoyed on a daily basis still...Overall i prefer eating Thai food, easier to digest in that kind of climate i think..I cook at least once a day and 90% of the food i eat/cook is Thai food....When i'm back in Canada i still eat lots of Thai food, i'm amazed at all the fresh Thai ingredients you can find at the Vietnamese grocery store, like things that grow in my back yard !!!!!! So to answer to your question, i eat Thai food about 2 to 3 times a day year round... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falangaman Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 Yes, great topic. I also insist on a western breakfast, not necessarily a fry up but at least cereal or bread. After that I will usually eat Thai. It depends on how fragile I am feeling... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KhunMarco Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 (edited) Yes, great topic. I also insist on a western breakfast, not necessarily a fry up but at least cereal or bread. After that I will usually eat Thai. It depends on how fragile I am feeling... Well being a spoiled Italian ( I mean by the good food ,hehe). I find it difficult to adapt to Thai food every day. Ok, it's not bad compared to USA or UK food , I mean , 1 year in Canada is my worst food-memory , but geez, they really need to stop pouring sugar on every freaking thing, I bought a slice of pizza not a darn cake ... Edited March 23, 2006 by KhunMarco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BKK90210 Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 (edited) I love thai foods so much and can eat thai foods all day and night....whole day, whole month, even a whole year! In fact I go to thailand just mostly to eat thai foods. I would be roaming the sidewalk stalls, local markets and especially the night markets. They all are fine to me......never got sick from eating there! Edited March 23, 2006 by BKK90210 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilyushin Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 Usually eat Thai / Lao or other Asian foods ( Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese, etc...) food 3 times a day. Don't eat too much bread even at my own BBQs. When I first got here bread was difficult to find only available in hotels and the Saigon Bakery Silom. Also most breads were sweet. Now there are a few good places. In Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia I eat bread with breakfast and lunch as it is comon and always tasty. When I travel to Europe and USA, I go crazy trying to find spicy food. Thai food usually saves the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rinrada Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 Just had a cheese and onion sarnie...*rown *read ...of course....Got the workers in smashing up the kitchen..should look good when finished. I will however need to rewire the place and get the microwave working again....like me fromage ...HOT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbk Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 After 17 years in Thailand I dont' feel the need to eat Thai food all the time. Besides, I am a very good cook and enjoy cooking western food (can do thai too but our cook is much better at it than I). Also, my husband likes to eat western food on a regular basis (he loves an English breakfast, and sauerkraut, sausage and potato salad is another favorite) so I tend to eat what he eats (except the sauerkraut ). There is a very good bakery on the island so I do eat bread (can't live without it either!), mostly baguettes tho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suegha Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 There is a very good bakery on the island so I do eat bread (can't live without it either!), mostly baguettes tho. It's hard to beat a good baguette! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penzman Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 Thai food about 3 to 4 times a week. Dear wife enjoys my cooking a lot so... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylar Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 so, they always put some sugar in their bread, which is too much for westerners. it is pretty same in any other part of Asia I think. Thais always put some sugar in everything that can possibly have sugar added to it. The next time I go back to Thailand, I won't eat so many spicy dishes as I developed heartburn that lasted for 2 weeks as well as putting on heaps of weight - I came back a real porker. Mai suay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suegha Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 so, they always put some sugar in their bread, which is too much for westerners. it is pretty same in any other part of Asia I think. Thais always put some sugar in everything that can possibly have sugar added to it. The next time I go back to Thailand, I won't eat so many spicy dishes as I developed heartburn that lasted for 2 weeks as well as putting on heaps of weight - I came back a real porker. Mai suay! Are you sure that wasn't from excessive amounts of beer?!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary A Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 My Thai wife is an excellent cook. I eat Thai food probably 99 percent of the time. When she doesn't feel like cooking she will make me a bacon and egg sandwich. That's about the only bread I eat. She cooks such a variety of Thai food that I never get bored. We seldom go to restaurants because she cooks better than they do. Once in a while we go to one of the local fish ponds and have fresh fish and prawn. It is really nice sitting on a raft with a bottle of Sang Som eating charcoal cooked fish and tam yam gung. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kasi Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 I've come to really love the "som tam thai" with some "kao niao". I actually get cravings after a day without. I just tried the som tam with carrots...heavenly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaffy Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 Great thread! When in thailand, I can't possibly eat thai food just 2-3 times a day.... MORE LIKE 5-6 TIMES A DAY !!!!! Thais eat constantly throughout the day so when in Rome.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylar Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 Are you sure that wasn't from excessive amounts of beer?!? Nice one, suegha. Beer isn't my bag, though - I'm a tequila or vodka drinker. I just think I ate way too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suegha Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 Are you sure that wasn't from excessive amounts of beer?!? Nice one, suegha. Beer isn't my bag, though - I'm a tequila or vodka drinker. I just think I ate way too much. I agree, when in Thailand I just find it too easy to eat to much! Everything tastes so good. Unlike Thais I like 3 big meals a day, in the UK I never snack between meals. In Thailand tough, I still eat 3 main meals and snack. I'm just asking for it!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astral Posted April 16, 2006 Share Posted April 16, 2006 (edited) In Thailand I eat Thai food with the family in the evening, but organise my own fruit for breakfast and a sandwich for lunch, when I am at home. If we are away somewhere I will eat Thai food for all 3 meals. Edited April 16, 2006 by astral Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tutsiwarrior Posted April 16, 2006 Share Posted April 16, 2006 when in Thailand I make my own food...the wife eats next door at Mama's...usually about 6-8 folks hunkered down on the floor in the traditional way. I stay clear because of the cooking and food smells...some of it smells like h Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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