Oyori restaurant

[jonwilly]

Had a good meal at the Orori restaurant, located on Sirimangkalajarn soi 11, Orori is sign posted at entrance of soi from both directions . Sirimangkalarn runs parallel to Nimhan, moat side and can be entered via either Huay Kaeo Rd or Suthep Rd. Orori is located in the Plaza about 800 metres down the soi and a large parking area is available just before on right hand side.

Three of us visited and 2 had the Lamb Chops while our third member tried the Roast Duck.

All three had soup of the day which was most enjoyable and two of us had a salad from the Salad Bar, which was half price when taken with a main meal.

We finished with apple pie very nice indeed.

We all enjoyed our food which was well priced, wine and beer was available. Staff where pleasant and attentive.

john

Usual disclaimers from a man who enjoys good food.

[junglechef]

Had lunch there yesterday for first time (and didn't plan on posting so please excuse lack of prices and other details incl. pics). Nice room and concept. Ordered a new appetizer of Brown Rice risotto with mushrooms to share. I explained the waitress, who was professional looking and well spoken, that as we were very hungry and I asked 5 times if she would please put the order in while we decided on what else we would be having and she kept saying yes but wouldn't as she tried to control the situation by asking what else we wanted to eat or drink etc. Every time I would politely repeat that that I would like them to start my first course she would say "sure" but not do it. We were the only people in the restaurant and when she finally complied she didn't come back to take the rest of the order. Once I got her attention, we were sitting outside and there is glass window and doors so it is easy to see in between, we ordered the entrees and drinks.

The risotto came out a bit more than 20 min later (as I expected and why I wanted it started). It was quite good but the mushrooms where so big and tough one had to cut them with the steak knife provided.

The drinks (a sprite, water and flavored soda water) came out at least 15 min after we ordered them.

Immediately after came the Ceasar salad with farm chicken (don't know what other kind there is and they couldn't explain what it meant either). So after telling her five times we wanted to have our appetizer first the entree came out with-in two minuets of it. The salad was good but it was dressed too much so that the lettuce got soggy once it sat for a bit. Not much chicken for the price which had dirty oil on it. One could just look and see that it needed to be blotted with a towel so it didn't discolor the lettuce it was resting on. If your making one item at a time these things should easily be noticed and rectified.

Followed was the burger, cooked PERFECTLY to medium as ordered. Very large hand formed patty (they made a big deal that they make them themselves which is always a huge source of amusement for me that a restaurant makes a big deal out of the fact that they actually make food!). Fries were good too! Winner of a dish and up there as one of the best burgers in town.

Tuna Sandwich was big but too much bread (and too little tuna) and everything kind of fell out of the long roll, that was cut lengthwise and in half and detached so it didn't hold the fillings inside. Also some more binder (mayo?) for the canned fish would have helped this. Also in a nice place like that they should cut it in half vertically as one cannot with any dignity eat it as such. But it tasted good, was another generous portioned dish and again good fries. So once again the making of the dear sandwich is underestimated.

Finally the "farm" chicken and corn. The meat was again cooked wonderfully. The large breast was moist with a golden and crispy skin. Though I'm not sure what farm it came from it obviously didn't come from one the the mass produced chicken factories which I'm sure is what they mean, but it would be nice if they knew the products name or the style in which the birds were raised if they are going to put it on the menu. It was on top of undercooked baby corn, pea pods and carrots which were all on top of a overly sweet yellow mush. I was told it was mashed potato, colored with saffron and seasoned with sugar but just made everything under the meat an inedible mess that didn't do the excellent chicken any justice. On top of the breast and around the outside of the plate was a very salty brown sauce (oyster sauce thickened with a slurry). So the combined normal overy salty oyster sauce and sweet mush just made the dish so unbalanced and took away from what could have been something good if it was made by someone with a touch for flavoring, a must for a Chef and this was Chef driven menu. I'm still amazed how the meat cooking techniques were excellent, the hardest thing to do right which one rarely finds done right here and how the rest of the food production were in comparison. Another failed attempt at fusion food I'm sorry to say.

Once we all had finished, a good 25 min and 15 min. after some of my group had left I finally had to go inside to ask the one of the two staff to bring a check. My waitress blamed the other girl, which was the last thing I wanted to hear, who was obviously new, but neither of them payed us any attention once they auctioned off the food at our table (asking who had what). Maybe I expect a bit too much in service but when everyone but myself has food in front of themselves and some are almost finished and other well into their meals and they just stand there with the last meal and keep asking who is it for (I sat there with my hands open showing the space I cleared for them) it even made the 8 yr old at the table start giggling!

So over all the food was fine but for 910 bht I expect a bit better but the service was unacceptable. If a server doesn't listen to what the customer wants I can't see them being able to do their job which I feel should include at least anticipating some of our basic needs (i.e. check bin please!) of course taking into account on the place your in. Our waitress, who said she had waiting experience in Korea (she's from there if I recall correctly), said she was the "Director" not Manager (turns out the director of the Thai language outlets but being that this was the only outlet in Thailand not sure what that means). But to give her credit she had a good attitude and asked how the dishes were and how things could be improved and really seems interested.

Would I recommend it, no not for what else 4 people could get here for an almost 1000 bht lunch (with no alcohol, desserts or even a coffee or even a beverage each). But does it have potential? Most defiantly. Would I bet on it? Luckily I'm not a betting man.

[CMKiwi]

Well JC, you certainly covered all bases on that report.... I just hope they lift their game and listen to your comments. Good to see they know how to cook the protein (meat) correctly and if they can just combine it with the right sauces and side dishes then they should be onto a winner.

In the few Asian places that Ive been to, its nigh impossible to get great front of house staff. And as you rightly mentioned you really do have to point out what you want first or you will find everything arriving within a minute or 2 of each other. I know I can eat fast (Thanks to past military service) but geez.... I now like to enjoy my main course before the dessert or sweet is brought to the table.

Keep up the good reporting, it gives me ideas on places to eat and ones to avoid!

[Awk]

Immediately after came the Ceasar salad with farm chicken (don't know what other kind there is and they couldn't explain what it meant either).

As I understand Mrs. Awk, this is usually interpreted to be a more or less free-roaming chicken, raised as a naive child might imagine most chickens are raised; on a pretty farm, with an old woman walking between the chickens and throwing them nice food in the sunshine. She is also of the impression that these type of chickens receive less medication and whatever other crap factory chicken are force-feed to stay alive long enough to reach the weight they can be sold at.

How much truth there is in this I do not know, and Mrs. Awk suspects things aren't all that good for the farm-chicken either, but it does taste distinguishly different from the standard factory-produced chicken, with the meat of the farm-chicken being quite a bit tougher/harder and with less fat. Since farm-chicken here is, according to Mrs. Awk, cheaper than factory-chicken (unlike what is the case in my own western country, where farm-chicken costs 3-5 times as much, but is then often marked as "organic" also), Mrs. Awk has been asked to buy farm-chicken whenever she can. We are then both crossing our fingers, hoping there is any truth in the "less medication" story.