Hawaii's 'Teddy's Bigger Burgers' expanding to Thailand

[laurentbkk]

that's exactly what Thailand needs , more American junk food .... thought they wanted to fight obesity in Thailand ?

[tfc]

I've had them. They are in the Waikiki Beach area and anyone around there probably knows about them as they are meant to be a local "icon."

Ultimately it's going to depend on personal taste, in Waikiki they only cook the burger's "medium" which can vary. They are actually strict on that and it's on their menu from the website too.

I'm uncertain how successful they will be replicating what they do in Waikiki if they use local beef.

For what it's worth, the few I had in Waikiki were not to my preferred burgers. It would be funny and ironic to me if the ones here are though. I'll give them a try that's for sure.

[rebeli]

that's exactly what Thailand needs , more American junk food .... thought they wanted to fight obesity in Thailand ?

Thailand should put a tax of 100% of the selling price on that filled with fat and calories junk food.

that will fight the obesity problem. Every year you see more and more kids walking the streets like pigs so fat.

[waynethor]

that's exactly what Thailand needs , more American junk food .... thought they wanted to fight obesity in Thailand ?

Come on guys, just admit that you're jealous of all the American junk food available here but no Brit has opened a Chip Butty shop. I mean what could be more exciting than deep-fried potatoes stuffed between two pieces of white bread? (NOTE: this post is just a bit of sarcasm meant to be funny. Please don't anybody take offence.)

[Duvidl]

I imagine they're going to be using Thai beef, which will means they won't taste anything like the Hawaii version.

[daoyai]

Any resemblance between the advertising photos and the delivered product is purely coincidental.

If they're the advertising photos, Lord help everybody. They make me feel like puking.

Agree the stuff looks absolutely revolting.

I'm still trying to work it out: Onions sliced to nano-millimetre thickness, beef that's black (and way over cooked, or even burnt), the cheapest lettuce one can find (and not chilled, iceberg lettuce), and as for what those chips (french-fries) with burnt, crappy ends are supposed to be I have no idea. Bland, and cheap materials, plus awful cooking and as for that bun (bread) - cold and yeasty looking - well it just doesn't add up. Then again, it does, fast junk food - full of too many calories and no succulence. Oh! I forgot - and the over yellowed cheese, resembling a bike puncture kit). I won't be visiting to even attempt such garbage (rubbish ).

Such a strong rebuke based on a photo, I have never tried this product but just on the photo, the high contast will make the beef darker, onions are sliced thin but so what there are plenty, the fries seem to be made from unpealed spuds , hence the dark ends, the buns may be toasted, Ice berg lettuce is seen as "low-brow" in the states these days, this looks like better lettuce. Yea, americans use annato to color cheddar... so normal on a more costly burger. What I find questionable are the pink fried cylanders in the lower right, are those deep fried hot dog chunks? nasty.

[impulse]

What I find questionable are the pink fried cylanders in the lower right, are those deep fried hot dog chunks? nasty.

If you're referring to the cheese drenched tater tots (upper right), you don't know what you're missing!

Looking forward to trying them, but unless they have a very strong QA and corporate consistency culture, I'm forecasting they'll be just another faux American dump like dozens already here. (That's not to diss the few great American food joints in BKK, but they are in the minority. A small minority).

Edited September 9, 2014 by impulse

[daoyai]

^^^ they're tater tots? thats a different story, at one time they were a vital component of my morning after regemen.

[schweizer]

The name puts me in mind of this

[hansnl]

May I prefer Wendy's?

[Pib]

I expect to see Teddy's Bigger Burger to break into "The Top 10 Biggest Chain of Fast Food Restaurants in the World" with this expansion into Thailand.

[WhizBang]

I have never heard of them. Are they a mid class restaurant, like say Outback, or more of a McDonalds?

Not that Thailand needs more american food chains here. Thais are already on the fast track to obesity and diabetes. I just cannot believe how many donut and such junk food shops I pass by on a daily basis now.

[hansnl]

What I find questionable are the pink fried cylanders in the lower right, are those deep fried hot dog chunks? nasty.

If you're referring to the cheese drenched tater tots (upper right), you don't know what you're missing!

Looking forward to trying them, but unless they have a very strong QA and corporate consistency culture, I'm forecasting they'll be just another faux American dump like dozens already here. (That's not to diss the few great American food joints in BKK, but they are in the minority. A small minority).

Real cheese is absolutely not suitable for drenching anything due to it's texture..

Processed "cheese", on the other hand is very much suitable for drenching.

Most of all your tastebuds with a mixture of meltingsalt and taste enhancers.

I prefer Gouda cheese from .....Gouda, The Netherlands.

Which is the only real and tasty Gouda cheese.

Anything else labeled with Gouda is tasteless imitation.

Yes, I was born in Gouda and lived there for many years.

Edited September 9, 2014 by hansnl

[tomyummer]

These look pretty good.

Has anyone ever tasted a Teddy's Bigger Burger?

Any resemblance between the advertising photos and the delivered product is purely coincidental.

I've had it for years. Awesome burgers. Yes. It is like in the pictures. I believe the original Teddy's was on Diamond Head in Honolulu. Another island favorite which will probably come is called KuaAina.

These types of places are more like bistro burgers, not to be compared with McD's, BK, or Carl Jr's.

Edited September 9, 2014 by tomyummer

[Cuchulainn]

More rubbish for the obese here to throw down their necks while playing online games!!

[Baerboxer]

How much Spam do they have in them?

I can't help but think of that old Monty Python song.......spam spam spam spam....

And just why the he!! is Spam so popular in Hawaii?

Very popular in Korea as well.

Had some spam fries with truffle oil a couple weeks ago. Saw them on the appetizers menu ,worlds cheapest meat paired with most expensive oil, had to try them. They were suprisingly good

Did you never get spam fitters as a lad?

Spam fritters with chips (fries for the Americans, not crisps) and baked beans, or with mash and oxo gravy?

In sandwiches, with beetroot, sauce or pickle?

Wonderful stuff.

[tomyummer]

How much Spam do they have in them?

I can't help but think of that old Monty Python song.......spam spam spam spam....

And just why the he!! is Spam so popular in Hawaii?

"According to the SPAM website, the island's love affair with Spam began in World War II, when GIs were served the salty luncheon meat because it didn't require refrigeration and had a long shelf life. The Hormel Corporation, which manufactures Spam, provided 15 million cans to Allied troops every week. Between 1941 and 1945, Hormel had shipped over 100 million pounds overseas."

Thanks. I haven't had Spam in decades but I can sort of remember enjoying it fried but finding disgusting right out of that can.

If your taste buds are twitching you can find it in Tops Supermarkets, Spam, Spam Lite and Hickory Smoked Spam !

Still waiting for Chang flavoured to tempt the local market.

SPAM is at $1.79 per can in the US whereas it is about 179 baht in Thailand. Go figure, it costs more than a small steak from the market.

[mikemac]

If their advertising machine is anything like McD-----s, the photos of their burgers are probably more tasty than the burgers themselves. Also the burgers always seem to a lot smaller than they look in the advertising speil.

[Pattaya Pat]

Expected repsonses by the holier than thou tv brigage. I've seriously never come across so many perfect people all in one place in my whole life.

I sincerely hope I never meet any of you.

[ratcatcher]

Teddy's Bigger Burgers.

Helping American expansion everywhere. Coming to an up market mall near you.

The bottom line is customer satisfaction.

And if you can eat all this, you deserve seconds.

[srowndedbyh2o]

Wow. I've lived in Hawaii for over 17 years and this is the first time I've ever heard of the place!

[tomyummer]

I imagine they're going to be using Thai beef, which will means they won't taste anything like the Hawaii version.

This is very true. Thai beef sucks big time.

[Thakkar]

These look pretty good.

Has anyone ever tasted a Teddy's Bigger Burger?

I could eat that. But then I'd have to kill myself.

T

[ratcatcher]

These look pretty good.

Has anyone ever tasted a Teddy's Bigger Burger?

I could eat that. But then I'd have to kill myself.

T

Frankly I think you'd achieve your end by merely eating it.

[mike324]

Wow am I the only one who wants one of these burgers? They look good. A good burger is heaven and in Thailand there is only Carls Jr that do anything resembling a good burger. So it will be nice to have an alternative

Have you tried 25 Degrees burger? Definitely worth a try, one of the better burgers in town. Escape Burgers & Shakes has been getting thumbs up by foodies around Bangkok, I have personally not try this place out yet but worth a shot.

The rest such as Bangkok Burger co. is good but not great, but still better than the average burger at some thai / western restaurant.

[Pib]

Since these burgers come with plenty of cholesterol, Thais will on need to sprinkle some sugar on them to make them appealing to Thai taste buds.

[wilgoster]

The posters who who dispatched Teddy's of Thailand with a dismissive 'Rubbage' or 'Garbish' were justified. But wait, what I crave is White Castle - bag a' ten a buck! Now that's some burgers. Jonesing In 'n Out no-extra-charge animal, too - could be big here. And where's the hot dog franchise when you need one. One killer hot dog, well garnished, well presented, and well promoted, could change 7-11 forever, but they'd have to add a splash of mustard yellow to the faded red, white and green logo. They'd probably also have to have a separate cart in or in front of the store to give perceptual separation from a hum-drum Seven. Heaven if they offered fries fried in pig fat - everything wrapped in a sheet of The Bankok Post. Great food that gives power to the prayer, "Be Still, My Heart!"

[Tomtomtom69]

Since they are serving American food at American prices, will they be paying the staff in Thailand American wages? just curious

No, they'll exploit them. They'll only be paying enough wages for the staff to afford 1 or 2 meals, based on their daily wages. So they have to slave away a whole day at wages of likely somewhere around 400-500 Baht per day in my estimation, to afford a meal or two if they're lucky, which will cost something like 200-300 Baht (or perhaps even more, no idea about their proposed pricing for Thailand yet). Of course the staff are unlikely to even go near the food they are making outside of working hours and apart from the likelihood of getting a staff discount, it's quite clear that the prices of the food they are selling will be very much outside of their financial reach, except on the rare occasion a worker might be OK with making an impulse buy.

Because, who in their right mind would want to spend half or all of their entire days wages just on a meal or two? Nobody can afford to do that. Just as another example, even though US fast food workers remain quite poorly paid (although there is a campaign to raise minimum wages), at say $8 an hour it would take only half an hour to an hour for a US fast food worker to afford a meal at say McDonalds, or this same Teddy fast food restaurant. In Thailand as stated, half a day's wages (4-5 hours?) are likely necessary for a Thai worker based at the same restaurants to be able to afford a similar meal here.

[ramrod711]

I don't expect Thais to eat them, or any of the holier than thou brigade for that matter. I would try one, if it's crap I won't go back, if I like it I will. Why everyone get's their panties in a knot over a hamburger I can't fathom. It isn't like you won't be able to eat rice or noodles when ever you want.

[Kooweerup]

American food is disgusting and they try to push it on the world. Give me Asian food any day American food should be banned world wide or everyone will end up looking like yanks