Funny thing in US thai restaurant

[BngkkB]

Visiting the USA with my thai daughter and she was craving Thai food. We walk into a Thai restaurant and she orders a Thai dish in Thai and the manager says "That is real authentic Thai dish, we dont have it, actually I don't know any restaurant that serves it? I do make it at home though" Thought that was pretty funny coming from a Thai man in an "Authentic Thai Food Restaurant" as the sign said outside.

Before anyone ask it was a common chicken and noodle dish served at a lot of shops in Thailand.

[rene123]

That is quite common in Canada as well. Very often the only Thai person in the Thai restaurant is the owner, but the staff, including the cook, are from somewhere else.

[Bluetongue]

Most Thai restaurants overseas, authentic or not, would have a menu and if the dish requested isn't on it, they may not have the ingredients. And the chef may not know how to cook it. Having said that a lot of Thai restaurants in Australia sell much watered down, chinesified Thai food as the idea is to make money and customers don't want it that spicy usually. Tom Yum Goong is usually a good yardstick. If its reasonably fiery then I feel I'm off to a good start.

[Jingthing]

I think I know that chicken noodle dish. Kind of a boring dish I think. If that's what Americans thought Thai food was, it would have never become the huge trend that it became in the U.S. It was marketed on EXOTIC, not boring. Americans have more interesting chicken noodle soups in their native cuisines, not to mention the plethora of Vietnamese pho joints, who do much better noodle soups than found in Thailand. Its correct that dish isn't found in U.S. Thai restaurants and I see no good reason that it should be.

BTW, can't speak for other nationalities, but it is common these days for Americans to love heavily spiced food and also lots of chiles.

[DiNiro]

The authentic food is back in the kitchen, being eaten by the Thai staff.

[NanLaew]

There's loads of Thai restaurants in Houston... or there were the last time I was there. However, the small Thai community (and farangs that know better) don't eat at the ones on Westheimer or Richmond where the locals do. They eat at the hole-in-the-wall joints on Long Point or Crosstimbers where the Thai and Laotians do. My experience of Thai cuisine in the places the locals like is coconut milk and peanuts with EVERYTHING!

[joncl]

Walked into an authentic Thai restaurant in Buffalo, NY one night and ordered in Thai - only to find the place was run by Vietnamese ..

[Songhua]

If we served authentic Thai food in our restaurant here in Australia we wouldn't make any money. Unfortunately it's not what customers want. In fact, we're about to remove larp and Thai salads from our menu because nobody ever buys them.

We could still do 75% of our current turnover by selling cashew chicken, padthai and spring rolls only.

This is what has happened over a couple of decades here - Thai food is becoming as much Thai as Chinese is Chinese.

[Kilgore Trout]

I hope he considers himself lucky to be able to work in his own restaurant and thanks his gracious and generous host country.

An American here can neither own the land his restaurant is on nor work legally cooking or serving his food.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

That is quite common in Canada as well. Very often the only Thai person in the Thai restaurant is the owner, but the staff, including the cook, are from somewhere else.

Same in Thailand in American restaurants.

Only American person in the restaurant is the owner, all the staff, including the cook are from somewhere else.

[willyumiii]

The authentic food is back in the kitchen, being eaten by the Thai staff.

True!

When living in California with me, my Thai wife worked in a few Thai Restaurants.

I would visit in the kitchen and find the staff ( mostly from Lao ) eating squirrels and rats cooked on a stick!

That's real Thai food! lol

Also, I have spoken to a few Thai restaurant owners in the states and asked why Thai food tastes different in the U.S., even if you order it " Thai Spicy".

I was told by every owner that in the US they add sugar to every dish, cuz Americans have a big sweet tooth!

[NanLaew]

I hope he considers himself lucky to be able to work in his own restaurant and thanks his gracious and generous host country.

An American here can neither own the land his restaurant is on nor work legally cooking or serving his food.

And that's a problem?

[Kilgore Trout]

That is quite common in Canada as well. Very often the only Thai person in the Thai restaurant is the owner, but the staff, including the cook, are from somewhere else.

Same in Thailand in American restaurants.

Only American person in the restaurant is the owner, all the staff, including the cook are from somewhere else.

Strange, where I am from (major US city) in every thai restaurant I know, the owner is thai, the waitstaff are thais working illegally and the cooks are all mexican.

[theblether]

How many dishes are there in Thailand? 1,000, 2,000, 20,000? How many are localized? Khao Soi Gai being a prime example, easily available in the North, not so elsewhere.

How many ingredients can the restaurant expect to get a hold of? Most of the Thai restaurants in the UK rely upon the Chinese wholesalers to supplement and replace the relatively meagre authentic Thai supplies they can get their hands on. That then makes it fusion food.

Then we have the issue of the local taste not being able to handle the genuine Thai dish.

I don't go to Thai restaurants in the UK as I feel they are pale imitations of the food we get here. I would rather wait till I got the best than settle for a regular serving of way over priced second best.

[bunta71]

I have noticed through the years, many Thai restaurants in the States seem to close up after a year or so due to the competition of Chinese foods being so much cheaper with many of the same ingredients. Usually one can get a complete meal in a Chinese restaurant for $6-$8 and next door in a Thai place, even one small dish costs as much or more as a complete meal. Eventually, many fail.Just an observation, having grown up on the West coast where the dining experiences are endless...

[JLCrab]

Just to note that in the 1970's when I lived in New York City there was a style of restaurant know as Comidas Chinas -- A restaurant serving American, Puerto Rican & Cantonese-style Chinese food all cooked by Chinese chefs in those days solely from Taiwan or Hong Kong.

I used to say that when Sichuan and Hunan-style Chinese food started to become popular in USA that it was being cooked by Chinese chefs who had never been to Sichuan, Hunan or mainland China at all

[kurnell]

I ordered a burger in an American restaurant in Thailand and it wasn't very authentic

[Scottythai]

Well last time I was in Vancouver they had authentic Thai food. The owner was western but all the kitchen staff was Thai. I asked for a few things not on the menu and they happily made it for me with real spice. Was as close to authentic as I think I could have gotten

[Jingthing]

It really wasn't a very funny thing.

There are a few restaurants where I live in Thailand that serve relatively authentic American style food.

So if I go there and say, make me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and they say they can't (probably ingredients not in stock) and agree yes that's an authentic American dish which I make at home but it's not on our RESTAURANT menu, would that be funny?

I think not.

[David48]

The post below is worth reading again.

He owns and runs a Thai Restaurant in Australia and explains the reasons why there is a limited selection of food on offer.

If we served authentic Thai food in our restaurant here in Australia we wouldn't make any money. Unfortunately it's not what customers want. In fact, we're about to remove larp and Thai salads from our menu because nobody ever buys them.
We could still do 75% of our current turnover by selling cashew chicken, padthai and spring rolls only.
This is what has happened over a couple of decades here - Thai food is becoming as much Thai as Chinese is Chinese.

.

[Jingthing]

The post below is worth reading again.

He owns and runs a Thai Restaurant in Australia and explains the reasons why there is a limited selection of food on offer.

If we served authentic Thai food in our restaurant here in Australia we wouldn't make any money. Unfortunately it's not what customers want. In fact, we're about to remove larp and Thai salads from our menu because nobody ever buys them.

We could still do 75% of our current turnover by selling cashew chicken, padthai and spring rolls only.

This is what has happened over a couple of decades here - Thai food is becoming as much Thai as Chinese is Chinese.

.

I lived in cosmopolitan areas in the U.S. The Thai restaurants I went to weren't like that AT ALL. In some cases the food was better than Thailand because they have all the spices and ingredients but some of the local ingredients are better, especially the BEEF.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

It really wasn't a very funny thing.

There are a few restaurants where I live in Thailand that serve relatively authentic American style food.

So if I go there and say, make me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and they say they can't (probably ingredients not in stock) and agree yes that's an authentic American dish which I make at home but it's not on our RESTAURANT menu, would that be funny?

I think not.

I can do that for ya Jing.

Smooth or crunchy peanut butter?

What flavor jelly?

White, wheat or Rye?

[Jingthing]

It really wasn't a very funny thing.

There are a few restaurants where I live in Thailand that serve relatively authentic American style food.

So if I go there and say, make me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and they say they can't (probably ingredients not in stock) and agree yes that's an authentic American dish which I make at home but it's not on our RESTAURANT menu, would that be funny?

I think not.

I can do that for ya Jing.

Smooth or crunchy peanut butter?

What flavor jelly?

White, wheat or Rye?

No need. I'm stocked at home.

Crunchy 100 percent peanuts.

French berry jam.

Local grainy bread.

[kikoman]

Thai restaurants in the US cater to the American consumer, real Thai food would not be in demand by most because of its spiciness and must be watered down for the American accepted taste..I have eaten at Thai restaurants in Tucson Arizona same general taste of American Chinese food.

In the Food section of this forum the same arguments goes on about the Authenticate Mexican food sold in the US or Thailand. Cal Mex and Tex Mex food are American food and not Mexican food!

Cheers:

[Jingthing]

Maybe most of you lived in unsophisticated areas of the U.S. In our great cities, there is totally authentic Thai food on offer and it is VERY popular.

[mjsansai]

Just to note that in the 1970's when I lived in New York City there was a style of restaurant know as Comidas Chinas -- A restaurant serving American, Puerto Rican & Cantonese-style Chinese food all cooked by Chinese chefs in those days solely from Taiwan or Hong Kong.

I used to say that when Sichuan and Hunan-style Chinese food started to become popular in USA that it was being cooked by Chinese chefs who had never been to Sichuan, Hunan or mainland China at all Th

These Chinas restaurant are Cuban Chinese restaurant in NYC The Chinese were in Cuba building the Railroad in the 1860's, they emmigrated to the USA in NY during the 1950"s and brought their Chinese food and also their Cuban and Puerto Rican dishes, They are all Chinese 100%

[Songhua]

The post below is worth reading again.

He owns and runs a Thai Restaurant in Australia and explains the reasons why there is a limited selection of food on offer.

If we served authentic Thai food in our restaurant here in Australia we wouldn't make any money. Unfortunately it's not what customers want. In fact, we're about to remove larp and Thai salads from our menu because nobody ever buys them.

We could still do 75% of our current turnover by selling cashew chicken, padthai and spring rolls only.

This is what has happened over a couple of decades here - Thai food is becoming as much Thai as Chinese is Chinese.

.

I lived in cosmopolitan areas in the U.S. The Thai restaurants I went to weren't like that AT ALL. In some cases the food was better than Thailand because they have all the spices and ingredients but some of the local ingredients are better, especially the BEEF.

I do agree with this JT and you've touched on something missing from the discussion so far - demographics.

Quite often my wife and I head to an authentic Isaan restaurant on our day off. She has an Isaan style pigs intestine soup and I have a pat krapow.

Our own larp, for example, is every bit as authentic and tasty as theirs is and costs less yet their restaurant is always packed with city workers on lunchbreak and Asians.

The thing is, we travel a two hundred km round trip to a capitol city for that meal. Our own customers would never consider eating it because what they've gradually become conditioned to eating since the 70's is toned down, watered down, westernised fare using western vegetables and ingredients.

I don't think one can wholly blame the restaurants for that - every Thai dreaming of opening their own new restaurant believes they are going to be the first and only one in town selling authentic Thai food. Then reality hits - nine out of ten customers don't believe it's Thai and won't buy it.

Nine years ago, we were the very people with that same dream but we very quickly hit a very steep learning curve and where we've ended up is, if that's all they'll buy because that's what they think it's supposed to be, sell it that way. We're not there to make a loss.

It's very disheartening for a Thai cook/restaurateur when they come to understand that their customers don't want to eat a Thai dish the way it's intended.

If restaurants had a choice they wouldn't be making it 'incorrectly' ... but it's the customers themselves who create the demand and a trend, and it's they who a business must keep happy.

[Jingthing]

There is the issue of the local Thai population. The places I lived mostly had significant Thai populations so I just went to the places they went ... sorted. One city I lived in had didn't have a critical mass of Thais and that city was much less wonderful for Thai food (to the point where I didn't bother with restaurant Thai food there).

[David48]

Changed my mind

Carry on... .

.

[Dancealot]

The best way for me to enjoy Thai food abroad is do it yourself..

And yes, It takes years of practise. And years more to come. It's a great hobby/passtime.