Eating Anything Other Than Thai Food In BKK A Disappointment?

[TheSpade]

I would murder a good curry. Last one I had was OK but very small portions and not quite as good as I'd hoped. Was lamb rogan josh and filled with bones, lots of fatty bits of the meat and not much eating really. With rice, nan and soft drink was about 650B.

Overpriced for what it was. This was in an area with a lot of Indian tourists too so I'd hoped it would be pretty good but not impressed really. Service was excellent compared to your typical Thai place though.

Young Burmese waitress who was super attentive and on the ball.

[smokie36]

I would murder a good curry. Last one I had was OK but very small portions and not quite as good as I'd hoped. Was lamb rogan josh and filled with bones, lots of fatty bits of the meat and not much eating really. With rice, nan and soft drink was about 650B. 

 

Overpriced for what it was. This was in an area with a lot of Indian tourists too so I'd hoped it would be pretty good but not impressed really. Service was excellent compared to your typical Thai place though.

 

Young Burmese waitress who was super attentive and on the ball.

Rang Mahal at the Rembrandt usually has Rogan Josh on the Sunday buffet. Definitely no bones!

[Ajaan]

Don't know about "British Indian," but REAL Indian food can be found at Royal India in Pahurat (Google it); reasonable prices too and quite excellent. Dosa Hut on Sukhumvit 7/1 has good South Indian vegetarian.

[MrHammer]

Beirut btw is pretty average for the prices imho.

Yep, don't get the love for that place. If you're from northern continental europe, these kind of kebab places are a dime a dozen.

Have to agree that it is difficult to find good foreign food in Bangkok. There are some decent establishments around Thong Lor. The German Bier Bar (or what it's called) has a wide variety of sausages and the like which are quite good and import beer. Hideously expensive though. Next to it is Wine Connection (maybe a different name), they do pretty decent pastas. Soi 13 (or is it 15?) with Fat N' Gutz has a lot of restaurants including some sushi bars. Mainly Japanese people in that area and they are quite discerning, so would give that a shot. None of this is cheap though.

[hanno]

Had a great Chinese meal at the Dusit last night; the Beijing duck was probably the best I have had (and I lived in Beijing for 2 years). Not cheap though.

[Curt1591]

Which restaurant, and what did it cost?

[crazyguyinthailand]

If you like steaks back home you will like this cuisine 110% a KLONG LOAD NIGHT MARKET walking distance from Khoasan Road. Best Steak I tried so so far. All the food is great. I'm so chocked eating at this place 2nd the and time and its always full.

So you go there order what you want, then goes for a walk in the market for 15-20 min and after there is a free table and you get your food. I'm not sure if the Thai owner lived abroad learning how do do, studied, or just got the best cooking book in the world. but I tell you its delicious. and not costly 110 baht for the pork steak, 80 baht for the cheese spinach pie, 50 Bah for the gigantic salad,110 baht for the pork chop dish.10 baht for water

Open every night from 6PM-10PM. just one thing is minus - you don't wan to eat and look at your side if you hate the small black smelly rivers inside Bangkok.

[Curt1591]

The steaks I eat back home never require a sauce.

[IMA_FARANG]

Anybody unimpressed by Beirut, has absolutely no taste in cuisine. Not surprising that it is far and away the most popular choice on the Food By Phone menu.

Sherazad,suk 3? Has some of the best byriani and bbq I have ever had anywhere . Every time I visit I go at least once.

Also been taken to some really high quality Italian restos.

-------------------

I haven't been to Scherazad in years, I'm not sure it even exists any more.

Best Arabian/Lebanese/ and Indian food I ever ate though.

But that was years ago when the owner was an Iranian, no alcohol was allowed or served in the restaurant, there was a Moslem prayer room upstairs, and the (Thai) waitresses all wore headscarves.

That last sentence probably turned off at least two thirds of the readers of this post.

But then that was really the best food of that type anywhere in Bangkok, and probably Thailand.

They you to roast large Green peppers outside the restaurant .... I guess they don't do that anymore.

Best Lamb Kebobs I've ever eaten, and I worked in the middle east for 5 years.

[Kilgore Trout]

If your taste goes to burgers, fish and chips or English food you are not qualified to comment on good restaurants

Well la tee dah; see you for caviar and champagne with Chad and Muffy at the country club

[dominique355]

Indian food- Indus soi 26 excellent and has 500 baht all you can eat lunches at weekends.

Steaks- Marriott's New York steak house- great steaks (a bit pricey- dinner for 2 will set you back 15,000 baht (and that does not include desserts :-P

Buffets- four seasons, sheraton grande- both great.

15,000 Baht????? I like to spend money on my food but that is a little over the top.

I was surprised a bit myself- more expensive than any meal i paid while living for several years in Manhattan!

NY at JW Marriott is probably my favorite steak joint in BKK but like you say can be a bit pricey. I do really like El Gouchos on Soi 19 too, very good quality steaks and a lot cheaper than the Marriott, bill normally comes in around 3-4k for two. I tried Dallas Steakhouse the other week which has recently opened on the corner of Suk 33 (used to be Coyotes), not as good as Gouchos or JW Mariott but very reasonably priced at around 900baht for a decent steak.

An equally good steak can be found at the Italian restaurant "Rossano" at Asoke Soi 3. As far as I know Rossano has the same meat supplier as New York in J.W. Marriott, but his prices are substantially lower, while the quality is at least the same.

[arunsakda]

uttertosh.

[smokie36]

No Idea for lamb shank or steak....La Monita for tacos....Marriott buffet for fois gras.....Intercon for seafood buffet.

Only disappointment is pizza really and Pala is OK for a lunchtime snack or two I suppose.

[Briggsy]

You need to find out who is doing the cooking. For Italian food, find a restaurant with an Italian cook, etc.

[leggo]

I entirely agree with this posting - have eaten French overpriced, no taste at "Le Normandie" to appalling Italian at "Zanotti' and had the toughest steak ever at "Tony Romas". Most of the time the chefs cook in ordinary cooking oil, instead of olive oil or butter and 9/10 the chefs are not foreign trained. Of course there are odd exceptions but to be honest I have been coming to Bangkok for 30 years and whenever I get an urge now to eat european or American I resist and go to a Thai where I come out well fed and satisfied. Over the years people have told me I should eat at the Londoners for good English grub. To be honest I'm a Londoner myself and I thought I would go and have 'bangers and mash' - big mistake ! etc etc etc Think that after years of living in Pays Basque, the Var (mediteranean food) Andalucia,California,Indian Ocean , the West Indes and Italy; I have experienced enough regional 'cuisines' to have developed a good sense of taste -Bangkok= great Thai food but that's it!

[leggo]

I entirely agree with this posting - have eaten French overpriced, no taste at "Le Normandie" to appalling Italian at "Zanotti' and had the toughest steak ever at "Tony Romas". Most of the time the chefs cook in ordinary cooking oil, instead of olive oil or butter and 9/10 the chefs are not foreign trained. Of course there are odd exceptions but to be honest I have been coming to Bangkok for 30 years and whenever I get an urge now to eat european or American I resist and go to a Thai where I come out well fed and satisfied. Over the years people have told me I should eat at the Londoners for good English grub. To be honest I'm a Londoner myself and I thought I would go and have 'bangers and mash' - big mistake ! etc etc etc Think that after years of living in Pays Basque, the Var (mediteranean food) Andalucia,California,Indian Ocean , the West Indes and Italy; I have experienced enough regional 'cuisines' to have developed a good sense of taste -Bangkok= great Thai food but that's it!

[p_brownstone]

I entirely agree with this posting - have eaten French overpriced, no taste at "Le Normandie" to appalling Italian at "Zanotti' and had the toughest steak ever at "Tony Romas". Most of the time the chefs cook in ordinary cooking oil, instead of olive oil or butter and 9/10 the chefs are not foreign trained. Of course there are odd exceptions but to be honest I have been coming to Bangkok for 30 years and whenever I get an urge now to eat european or American I resist and go to a Thai where I come out well fed and satisfied. Over the years people have told me I should eat at the Londoners for good English grub. To be honest I'm a Londoner myself and I thought I would go and have 'bangers and mash' - big mistake ! etc etc etc Think that after years of living in Pays Basque, the Var (mediteranean food) Andalucia,California,Indian Ocean , the West Indes and Italy; I have experienced enough regional 'cuisines' to have developed a good sense of taste -Bangkok= great Thai food but that's it!

Seriously?

Anyone who, in the same sentence, compares Le Normandie with Tony Romas ....

Words fail me - sorry!

Patrick

[Ulysses G.]

Anyone who, in the same sentence, compares Le Normandie with Tony Romas ....

I think his point is that they both suck compared to similar restaurants in a big Western city.

[greytown]

The Japanese curry place Coco Ishibanya serve some very tasty curry. Simple menu but very good.

[gandalf12]

Hi TheSpade

Totally agree with you. However your comment also applies to Thai food in other countries.

I have never had good Thai food in England. Some on TV will disagree for sure but this is my opinion. I think the problem is they make the food to suit the local taste not the original taste

[wooloomooloo]

When in LOS we eat Thai food and when in UK we eat Thai-style at home and English out. Hardly ever eat at Thai restaurants in UK due to continual disappointment.

[leggo]

@Patrick I wasn't comparing le Normandie to Tony Romas - you can't be that dumb - I was trying to show the readers a diversity of different types of western cooking! and @ greytown Coco Ishibanya is not my idea of a good curry unless you like precooked processed curry sauces!

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 2 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Thai at Heart]

I would murder a good curry. Last one I had was OK but very small portions and not quite as good as I'd hoped. Was lamb rogan josh and filled with bones, lots of fatty bits of the meat and not much eating really. With rice, nan and soft drink was about 650B.

Overpriced for what it was. This was in an area with a lot of Indian tourists too so I'd hoped it would be pretty good but not impressed really. Service was excellent compared to your typical Thai place though.

Young Burmese waitress who was super attentive and on the ball.

Rang Mahal at the Rembrandt usually has Rogan Josh on the Sunday buffet. Definitely no bones!

Best Indian in bangkok and a great view.

[Thai at Heart]

I can't believe people consider places like the Londoner food. Its pub food, nothing special.

[greytown]

Coco Ishibanya is not my idea of a good curry unless you like precooked processed curry sauces!

Yea, and everywhere else they prepare the curry sauce fresh from scratch at your table...

[leggo]

Not as glutinous as their's though!

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 2 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[roamer]

Hi TheSpade

Totally agree with you. However your comment also applies to Thai food in other countries.

I have never had good Thai food in England. Some on TV will disagree for sure but this is my opinion. I think the problem is they make the food to suit the local taste not the original taste

Remember a food critic saying that if you westernise Thai food it loses it's soul. Couldn't agree more. Also the Thai guys I see in Asian cash and carries in the UK loading up their trolleys with industrial sized tubs of mediocre "Thai" curry pastes an't taking it home to cook dinner. You would be hard pushed to find the stuff in LOS as Thai's won't eat it, big export market worldwide though.

[Ulysses G.]

Remember a food critic saying that if you westernise Thai food it loses it's soul.

I don't like it very much here or in the West. However, I eat it because it is cheap, convenient and certain dishes have lots of vegetables. I much rather be eating Chinese, Vietnamese or Japanese though, but you can't have everything.

Edited April 21, 2014 by Ulysses G.

[BugJackBaron]

I tend to agree that the quality of Western food has gone down in the last ten years. I blame greedy landlords

and monotonous chains that grab up shopping space.

Walking through Siam Paragon last week I couldn't believe the phony, crappy choices for Western dining

A recent renovation seemed to have jacked up the prices too. Places that started out well seemed to have slipped . Burger King really was the best choice there.

Chok La Dee in Foodland is hit and miss but for the money gives an OK salmon steak dinner and no need to reach for the Tums.

Landmark hotel had edible sandwiches which were a good deal especially after 7pm when they went for half price. Anyways they were better than anything in Pattaya.

I hope that the couple of Italian places I remember from 5 years ago that were just a station or two away from Siam Paragon still offer reasonable quality.

Edited April 21, 2014 by BugJackBaron

[Mark79]

I do tend to agree that the quality of Western food in BKK has slipped over the last 10 years but I am still pleasantly surprised by some restaurants. There are some good high end restaurants in BKK, but finding good value decent quality pub grub that is consistent in quality is very hard to come by.

I have ate at Giusto on Sukhumvit Soi 23 quite a few times lately and have been really impressed by the food and service.....Decent value in my opinion too for the quality, the bill usually rolls in around the 3k mark for 2 mains, shared mussels starter and a bottle of red .

I have had some good meals at Napa on 26 lately too but it's a little more pricey there, their pork loin and pork belly is lovely though! I did their 5 course chefs surprise meal with wine paring too, which although a bit of a sting in the wallet was still a good evening and the food was excellent......even the Thai Missus enjoyed it, and she normally complains about overpriced food!

I still enjoy El Gauchos for a decent steak on suk 19 too, or New York at JW Marriott if I feel like spending a bit more.