The Great Cm Nosebag Poll

[thebear]

With all of the verbal ping pong going on lately it's about time we had an unbiased poll of what are the general opinions of Farang eating places in Chiang Mai without all the rhetoric. A few points to note:

The establishment names are generally derived from forum topics of Euro/US eateries.

Thai food establishments such as Goodview etc., are excluded as are Japanese, Vietnam, Korean etc.

Hotels/up scale eating places are excluded as this poll applies to the budget conscious

If location/establishment name is incorrect apologies, post corrections through the poll

If you think other establishments should have been included, post details through the poll

[chuchok]

What do you call a Thai food establishment?The Secret Garden serves mainly Thai food and is owned by a farang and Thai?.

[Ajarn]

What do you call a Thai food establishment?The Secret Garden serves mainly Thai food and is owned by a farang and Thai?.

In the end, no direct connections can be made, it seems to me. I still feel one can learn more from an individual poster, rather than the group, as a whole.

[thebear]

What do you call a Thai food establishment?The Secret Garden serves mainly Thai food and is owned by a farang and Thai?.

In the end, no direct connections can be made, it seems to me. I still feel one can learn more from an individual poster, rather than the group, as a whole.

The Secret Garden was included because of the raves about his BBQ AND THAI menu...

Why a poll? - just run a search on food or a named food establishment and you will will see this forum has been dominated with such subjects of late. As for your comment "I still feel one can learn more from an individual poster, rather than the group, as a whole" how can that be when the thread usually degenerates into claims, counter claims and general abuse.

I try to respect other peoples opinions at all times but this subject is still warm and you are being negative already - why not give it a chance?

[Ajarn]

how can that be when the thread usually degenerates into claims, counter claims and general abuse

Easy to ignore those types of posting, and the posters... Most posters give themselves away, as to their credibility, pretty quickly, in my experience.

The credible posters are an easy read, I feel.

I try to respect other peoples opinions at all times but this subject is still warm and you are being negative already - why not give it a chance?

Not being negative, maybe just not positive enough for you, it seems

[chanchao]

Why is the Hofbrauhaus not included? And McDonalds?

Seriously, thanks for the extensive poll!! Only problem with it is not your fault, but indeed there's no connection between the results of the three questions, so the results of question 2 and 3 does not relate back to any particular place, just perhaps to 'Farang eateries in Chiang Mai in general', which I guess is okay too.

CHeers,

Chanchao

[chanchao]

Another 'problem' (well, not on an 'end of the world' scale of things but hey) is that it lists both cheapo fast-food places, and really nice up-market choices. I still managed to find one that I think stands out, but my choice is not for an everyday bite to eat.

[1bigeater56]

My most favorite foreign 2 restaurants in Chiang Mai are The Fuji and Zen.

[Ulysses G.]

I'm not sure if the restaurant recommendation police will allow me to mention it here in peace, but there are other great foreign places like Zen in Airport Plaza for sushi and Japanese food and supposedly a Korean place in the same building that's really good too.

It would be nice to do a poll on these to get an idea of the quality if one hasn't been there.

Personally, I like almost everything but Thai food which I can eat, but, after many years of eating it because it is cheap, am indifferent to.

[Maejo Man]

So far we have .....

How would you rank your choice in terms of Food Quality?

Not fit for the dog [ 1 ] [11.11%]

Excellent [ 5 ] [55.56%]

Question???? Which ones were excellent? Which one served the dog food?

[earlofwindermere]

I'm surprised that Sojo's (behind Pantip Plaza) is not on the list. It's always full of expats (mainly families) and the food is excellent.

[thebear]

Why is the Hofbrauhaus not included? And McDonalds?

Seriously, thanks for the extensive poll!! Only problem with it is not your fault, but indeed there's no connection between the results of the three questions, so the results of question 2 and 3 does not relate back to any particular place, just perhaps to 'Farang eateries in Chiang Mai in general', which I guess is okay too.

CHeers,

Chanchao

That was bugging me when I did it too but having never tried the poll before I thought I would give it a go. Three polls sseemed a bit stupid but I suppose the questions to 2 & 3 could have been posted with the main poll?

[chanchao]

Nah, that's tough too. If there's a limited number of combinations then you can include them all, for example "Do you live in chiang mai" and "is it the best place for food", then you get 1 poll question with answers like

'Yes live here - food sucks

'Yes live here - food's great

No just visiting - food sucks

No just visiting - food's great

But when theres many more options then obviously you get 1000 possible answers.

Polls are just a gimmick really. A fun one, but chances are they wouldn't impress a statistics / survey professional.

[Ulysses G.]

Just thought that I might mention that The Duke's is winning.

[Ulysses G.]

I tried the fish and chips at the Queen Vic English Pub last night.

Not bad, but a small portion for 260. On top of that, they have FRENCH FRIES, not chips.

I prefer the Laughing Leprechan with REAL chips and a simular piece of cod. IMHO it is cheaper and a little more tasty.

[thebear]

Just thought that I might mention that The Duke's is winning.

Hmmm 4 out of 15 votes cast! Given all the noise on this topic recently I thought we had an army of food critics out there.

Questions 2 & 3 are interesting though, the majority seem to think that we generally get quality nosebag in CM at budget prices!

[lamphun]

You're not getting many replies because the way you've set up the poll sucks. As mentioned before there is no way to relate the three entries to one another. The middle poll for price has no choices for poor value for money, rip off etc apparently all restaurants are wonderfully priced.

The final poll has the choice "Not fit for a dog" yet someone is claiming the Dukes is the most popular. Perhaps they were chosen because of that final catagory.

I understand what you're trying to do but proably the only way to achieve this is to run a single thread per restaurant. This might not go down well with the owners. Restaurant wars.

[Ulysses G.]

The final poll has the choice "Not fit for a dog"

We are discussing food here, not the quality of lamphun's posts.

[lamphun]

As UG seems to eat a huge western style meal every day perhaps he should be regarded as our galloping gourmet. That's if he can stop trying to push his "friends" places.

[Ulysses G.]

I don't consider myself to be a gourmet, as - other than Thai food - a true gourmet would starve to death around here, but I do know good food. I used to recommend restaurants in San Francisco - one of the world's leading restaurant towns - when I was younger and working as a concierge and I enjoy good places to eat.

I have lost 15 lbs in the last few weeks so I don't "eat a huge western style meal every day", but I do when I can and those are the places that I usually mention instead of the cheap little Chinese vegetarian holes in the wall where one on a diet goes.

By the way, I don't waste my money eating in lousy places - whether they are run by friends, or not - so that is not an issue.

[Sansai Sam]

I can't help but wonder if "thebear" is the owner of both The Bears Den and Farang Cafe?

[Ulysses G.]

Don't be so suspicious. His "wife" owns one of them!

[sabaijai]

My most favorite foreign 2 restaurants in Chiang Mai are The Fuji and Zen.

The poll is rating farang (Europen-descendant) restaurant, not foreign restaurants. Farang doesn't mean foreign.

However it might as well since I don't see how you can compare, say, an Italian restaurant like Da Giorgio with Duke's, an American restaurant. They are as different as Thai and Chinese.

Another thing, I imagine very few posting here - probably no one, in fact - has eaten at every restaurant on this list. Many who vote will not have eaten at all of them, that's for sure! Better to ask an open-ended question: What's your favorite farang restaurant in Chiang Ma, and why?

Miguel's Mexican is nowhere near Nimanhemin Rd.

Might want to check your spellings and wordings too ... .

[Ajarn]

Questions 2 & 3 are interesting though, the majority seem to think that we generally get quality nosebag in CM at budget prices!

Yeah, at their favorite restaurant, of course...

[thebear]

I can't help but wonder if "thebear" is the owner of both The Bears Den and Farang Cafe?

All above board here!

The Bear's Den - Yes, had an interest but not for much longer

Ulysses G. Posted Today, 2006-04-10 11:05:04

Don't be so suspicious. His "wife" owns one of them! tongue.gif

As already stated in another post - no secrets!

DISCLAIMER - Owned and operated entirely by the wife, and in which I have NO managerial, operational or financial interest! - Honest Guv!

I will admit to a passing curiosity about why IMHO what once was a fairly healthy, socially vibrant community seven years ago has changed so much. I recently posted a topic on whether Chiang Mai had lost it's charm. In reviewing the threads I think my own personal observations were correct - for me it has for many reasons but Ajarn was right when he said it is all relative, and there are aa few who are happy with their lot.

I've just posted a new topic about Meechok Plaza, and about businesses failing. It's no coincidence that the Farang Cafe is located there but my wife is now asking the same questions as I have for some time now, and she has a number of CM business residents amongst her clientele who are seeing the same decline in business and wondering why - the Thai owner of the Rimping is amongst them.

For budget conscious retirees and residents getting the benefit of a nice environnment (outside of the city), enjoying budget prices, good luck to you but in the bigger picture the local economy needs the stimulus of solid (tourist) revenue to create jobs, and attract new businesses which can make a fair profit and prosper. When businesses prosper so does the community.

Visa released a very interesting report in October 2005 which whilst based upon 2004 perhaps does give some indications of trends -

"Besides Bangkok, the five provinces attracting the highest international Visa card spend in 2004 were Phuket (14 percent), Chonburi (Pattya)(6.7 percent), Chiang Mai (3.9 percent), Surat Thani (3.5 percent), Prachuap Khiri Khan (1.4 percent), while the next five provinces Krabi, Songkhla, Phang-Nga, Pathumthani and Nonthaburi made up 2.8 percent of total purchase volume.

Clearly, the main attractions of Thailand for international visitors remain concentrated in resort holiday destinations such as Phuket, Pattaya (Chonburi province), Koh Samui (Surat Thani province) and Hua Hin (Prachuap Khiri Khan province)."

If you want to put this into context the following from the same report qualifies the figures given -

"Key points:

In 2004 11.7 million visitors arrived in Thailand compared with 10.1 million in 2003, an increase of 16 percent.

In 2003, overseas visitors spent Baht 309 billion (US$7.45 billion) in Thailand, according to Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) data.

International Visa cardholders spent Baht 99.1 billion (US$2.46 billion) in Thailand in 2004, a 26 percent increase over 2003 and equivalent to around 26 percent of total visitor spend.

The largest Visa spenders in Thailand in 2004 were cardholders from the US, the UK, Japan, Australia and Sweden.

In 2004, 69 percent of Visa spend in Thailand was transacted by cardholders from outside the Asia Pacific region. Thailand is one of the tourism economies in Asia Pacific with the highest proportion of international card spend by long-haul visitors.

The most popular Visa spend categories were general retail and trade (23 percent of total Visa spend), accommodation (17 percent) and transport (9 percent).

The total number of transactions made by international Visa cardholders in Thailand has increased by 83 percent between 1999 and 2004.

Average spend per transaction in 2004 was Baht 7,148 (US$178). Visa cardholders from Norway, Sweden and Switzerland spent more per transaction than any other nationality."

Bear in mind that the spend figuure attributed to CM is only what was spent in CM. How much of revenues which should be attributable to the CM economy has been sucked out already by Bangkok based travel agents taking their cut?

I personally love CM but when the Thai's worry about the economy in CM then I want to listen and understand what the problems are. I welcome any serious perspectives, negative viewpoints and cynisism contributes nothing.

[Ulysses G.]

I personally love CM but when the Thai's worry about the economy in CM then I want to listen and understand what the problems are.

People always worry about the economy.

If it is bad, they try to figure out how to make it good. If it is good they try to keep it that way.

ALL of the successful businesses that I know of are doing as well or better than ever, and the new ones that have something better or different to offer - The Duke's, The Laughing Leprechaun - are doing well too.

New businesses that offer the same old cr*p and are just copies of existing ones are the ones that are having a hard time.

Som nom na.

[sabaijai]

I will admit to a passing curiosity about why IMHO what once was a fairly healthy, socially vibrant community seven years ago has changed so much. I recently posted a topic on whether Chiang Mai had lost it's charm. In reviewing the threads I think my own personal observations were correct - for me it has for many reasons but Ajarn was right when he said it is all relative, and there are aa few who are happy with their lot.

I've just posted a new topic about Meechok Plaza, and about businesses failing. It's no coincidence that the Farang Cafe is located there but my wife is now asking the same questions as I have for some time now, and she has a number of CM business residents amongst her clientele who are seeing the same decline in business and wondering why - the Thai owner of the Rimping is amongst them.

For budget conscious retirees and residents getting the benefit of a nice environnment (outside of the city), enjoying budget prices, good luck to you but in the bigger picture the local economy needs the stimulus of solid (tourist) revenue to create jobs, and attract new businesses which can make a fair profit and prosper. When businesses prosper so does the community.

Visa released a very interesting report in October 2005 which whilst based upon 2004 perhaps does give some indications of trends -

"Besides Bangkok, the five provinces attracting the highest international Visa card spend in 2004 were Phuket (14 percent), Chonburi (Pattya)(6.7 percent), Chiang Mai (3.9 percent), Surat Thani (3.5 percent), Prachuap Khiri Khan (1.4 percent), while the next five provinces Krabi, Songkhla, Phang-Nga, Pathumthani and Nonthaburi made up 2.8 percent of total purchase volume.

Clearly, the main attractions of Thailand for international visitors remain concentrated in resort holiday destinations such as Phuket, Pattaya (Chonburi province), Koh Samui (Surat Thani province) and Hua Hin (Prachuap Khiri Khan province)."

If you want to put this into context the following from the same report qualifies the figures given -

"Key points:

In 2004 11.7 million visitors arrived in Thailand compared with 10.1 million in 2003, an increase of 16 percent.

In 2003, overseas visitors spent Baht 309 billion (US$7.45 billion) in Thailand, according to Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) data.

International Visa cardholders spent Baht 99.1 billion (US$2.46 billion) in Thailand in 2004, a 26 percent increase over 2003 and equivalent to around 26 percent of total visitor spend.

The largest Visa spenders in Thailand in 2004 were cardholders from the US, the UK, Japan, Australia and Sweden.

In 2004, 69 percent of Visa spend in Thailand was transacted by cardholders from outside the Asia Pacific region. Thailand is one of the tourism economies in Asia Pacific with the highest proportion of international card spend by long-haul visitors.

The most popular Visa spend categories were general retail and trade (23 percent of total Visa spend), accommodation (17 percent) and transport (9 percent).

The total number of transactions made by international Visa cardholders in Thailand has increased by 83 percent between 1999 and 2004.

Average spend per transaction in 2004 was Baht 7,148 (US$178). Visa cardholders from Norway, Sweden and Switzerland spent more per transaction than any other nationality."

Bear in mind that the spend figuure attributed to CM is only what was spent in CM. How much of revenues which should be attributable to the CM economy has been sucked out already by Bangkok based travel agents taking their cut?

I personally love CM but when the Thai's worry about the economy in CM then I want to listen and understand what the problems are. I welcome any serious perspectives, negative viewpoints and cynisism contributes nothing.

I don't see how any of this is related to your poll.

[groo]

you guys eat outside a lot don't u?

[Ajarn]

In my case, once or twice a week. Not much, I'd say.

[thebear]

I don't see how any of this is related to your poll.

No you're right, I guess I got side tracked there!