Come to the best breakfast buffet in town, 1st & 3rd Friday mornings of the month

[NancyL]

I thought I should start a new thread, so people won't get the wrong idea when they see the title of the previous thread, started when the owners of River Market restaurant had decided not to continue to host the Friday morning breakfast gatherings for CM Expats Club and the club's board had given notice to the members to pay attention to their newsletter and Facebook for upcoming news of a change in venue/event/timing.

After a week of emotional outpouring of the importance of the event, everything has been resolved and the event will continue. Please join in the Friday, July 1, 9:30 am - 11:30 am at River Market Restaurant for the best breakfast in town, shared with the friendliest people.

Here are some photos from recent breakfasts: http://www.chiangmaicitylife.com/social-pics/cec-breakfast-club-river-market-7-2/

http://www.chiangmaicitylife.com/social-pics/cec-breakfast-club-river-market-7/

http://www.chiangmaicitylife.com/social-pics/breakfast-club-river-market-10/

[2020]

Certainly the most talked about anyway.....

[worgeordie]

Is this U-Turn, the result of a referendum ?

regards Worgeordie

[daoyai]

The Buffexit

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Good idea to post a fresh and updated topic.

And more evidence that any publicity is good publicity: I had no idea this event existed but apparently it's been going for years..!

Just that the timing of a Friday morning seems to guarantee it remains exclusive to retired septuagenarians.. Anyway I would go and inject some youth, but I'm on Thaivisa posting duty those hours.

Edited June 28, 2016 by WinnieTheKhwai

[Thailand]

Is this U-Turn, the result of a referendum ?

regards Worgeordie

Article 44?

[Phrafarang]

Looked at the pictures

300 baht is unbelievable value for what is served up!

I will be one of the newcomers on Friday

[Thailand]

Looked at the pictures

300 baht is unbelievable value for what is served up!

I will be one of the newcomers on Friday

C

Does sound good value, can we get take away? (-:

[jobin]

WIll Jimmy Dean's, or Sausage Kings, products be on offer?

[moe666]

Ithought this subject needed to wait until the next meeting for discussion, o well break the rules no problem

[worgeordie]

Cannot wait for the Expats,complaining on here about

the No carry out,rule if there is one, maybe a sign of

a man with a backpack and red line through it.

regards worgeordie

[Trujillo]

Why was the event temporarily stopped?

From the website: "The Expats club meets: 2nd Friday of every month 10 a.m. -12 at River Market restaurant (next to Iron Bridge, Charoen Prathet Road)."

So it's the following Friday, not this one. Or is this something different at the same place?

[NancyL]

Why was the event temporarily stopped?

From the website: "The Expats club meets: 2nd Friday of every month 10 a.m. -12 at River Market restaurant (next to Iron Bridge, Charoen Prathet Road)."

So it's the following Friday, not this one. Or is this something different at the same place?

I don't know where you're getting the above "website" quote. Breakfast Club was changed from once-a-month to twice-a-month over a year ago. Here is what's on the current website. CEC Breakfast Club meets on the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month, 9:30 am – 11:30 am. Hosted by Chiang Mai Expats Club Sponsor The River Market restaurant, at the foot of the Iron Bridge on the west side of the Ping River.

It's on this page http://www.chiangmaiexpatsclub.com/meetings/

[CharlieH]

Just a polite reminder.

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9) You will not post inflammatory messages on the forum, or attempt to disrupt discussions to upset its participants, or trolling. Trolling can be defined as the act of purposefully antagonizing other people on the internet by posting controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.

[Phrafarang]

Why was the event temporarily stopped?

From the website: "The Expats club meets: 2nd Friday of every month 10 a.m. -12 at River Market restaurant (next to Iron Bridge, Charoen Prathet Road)."

So it's the following Friday, not this one. Or is this something different at the same place?

As June has 30 days this Friday will be the 1st of the month!

[CharlieH]

Why was the event temporarily stopped?

From the website: "The Expats club meets: 2nd Friday of every month 10 a.m. -12 at River Market restaurant (next to Iron Bridge, Charoen Prathet Road)."

So it's the following Friday, not this one. Or is this something different at the same place?

As June has 30 days this Friday will be the 1st of the month!

It states 2nd Friday of every month, NOT Friday the 2nd.

[TerryLH]

Do they have the same type buffet other days as well?

Terry

[NancyL]

Why was the event temporarily stopped?

From the website: "The Expats club meets: 2nd Friday of every month 10 a.m. -12 at River Market restaurant (next to Iron Bridge, Charoen Prathet Road)."

So it's the following Friday, not this one. Or is this something different at the same place?

As June has 30 days this Friday will be the 1st of the month!

It states 2nd Friday of every month, NOT Friday the 2nd.

Charlie, you're replying to incorrect info about the meeting date. We changed from 2nd Friday over a year ago and now it's the 1st and 3rd Friday.

[NancyL]

Do they have the same type buffet other days as well?

Terry

No, just 1st and 3rd Fridays

[anon467848]

Looked at the pictures

300 baht is unbelievable value for what is served up!

I will be one of the newcomers on Friday

The OP or links do not mention a price. I thought that the previous buffet was 250 baht?

[Diplomatico]

Looked at the pictures

300 baht is unbelievable value for what is served up!

I will be one of the newcomers on Friday

The OP or links do not mention a price. I thought that the previous buffet was 250 baht?

250 thb for CEC members, 300 thb for non-members.

[TerryLH]

Thanks Nancy

[Trujillo]

By the way, The Prestige Hot Pot restaurant in Central Festival charges 50 baht for leftover food of 300 grams. That's the weight equivalent to 6 and 1/2 golf balls. Under that and they consider it wastage.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Why was the event temporarily stopped?

From the website: "The Expats club meets: 2nd Friday of every month 10 a.m. -12 at River Market restaurant (next to Iron Bridge, Charoen Prathet Road)."

So it's the following Friday, not this one. Or is this something different at the same place?

As June has 30 days this Friday will be the 1st of the month!

It states 2nd Friday of every month, NOT Friday the 2nd.

Charlie, you're replying to incorrect info about the meeting date. We changed from 2nd Friday over a year ago and now it's the 1st and 3rd Friday.

The 3rd is a Sunday though, not Friday.

Edited June 30, 2016 by WinnieTheKhwai

[fcgprg]

The 3rd Friday in July is the 15th

[Trujillo]

Well, I went to the breakfast meeting but did not break my fast.

I had an unexpected thing come up this morning but was finished in time to make it at 11am. Mistakenly, (my fault, I was confusing the River Market meeting with the River Market Breakfast meeting) I thought the event was from 10am to 12 noon. The actual time is from 9:30am to 11:30am.

So I saunter up at (looking at the time) 11:03am and the woman at the front desk looks at me like I'm a minor ghost and says, "I hope you're not here for the breakfast."

I'm thinking, "Damn, spotted so quickly! How did she know?"

But then she says, "It's all over now; they've taken all the plates away and people are just waiting to pay."

I look over the venue and sure enough, all the folks there are sitting around chatting with nothing on the tables. "Waiting to pay?" I think. Pay after you finish eating? Never heard of that system. So I said I will just have a look around then.

I looked at some steam trays with food names on the front. I lifted the lid on the one marked, "Bacon" and there were still a few lonely strips in there. "Damn," I thought, "I knew I should have brought that Ziplock bag!"

I wandered around a bit more, feeling like an older version of a spring chicken what with all the "mature" folks around. I did see one not-too-old Thai woman clearly hitting up on some elderly gentleman. I thought, "Nice. This is what I like to see."

Still, I was a bit miffed since I was still within the timeframe of the "Breakfast" and didn't get any closer to food than the leftover muffins and soggy bacon.

So a word to the wise; if you want to go to one of these things, get there early. I don't know what sort of feeding frenzy happens then (elbows swinging at the sausage tray, false teeth flying across the room), but clearly everything (and I mean everything,except maybe paying) is done and dusted by 11am, probably before.

[daoyai]

Arriving 27 minutes before a buffet closes? ok, never been to a pay after eating resto ? .... i am beginning to feel sorry for you, and not just because you missed brekkie.

[Paul Catton]

Your reply could have been somewhat abridged without an all knowingly " I really knew better" condescengly attitude sublimed in your post.

However, you raise some valid points that do need to be addressed.

If a time is advertised for a function between x and y, and you arrive shortly before y being its closure time, should you be allowed to fill your plate, extend beyond a morsel of consumption, and presumably then zip lock bags for takeaway for a later meal.

Else why would one arrive at the function.

I am of the opinion that a buffet is advertised between certain hours for its duration only and would have been impractical for the honesty of the establishment and integrity toward the guest for a non chalant off the street guest to arrive and expect full provisions

Perhaps CEC in conjunction with their venue and caterer needs to provide a slightly informed dynamic of operation.

Should I have been in country and wanted to avail myself of what appears to the "most contentious breakfast in world history" I would have adopted the adage, early bird catches the worm or first up, best dressed.

Perhaps if you are a member of the CEC you could address any concern directly.

As a non member myself, I would also like to see clarification, however I realise doggy bag extractions would for the most part be frowned upon.

Edited July 1, 2016 by Paul Catton

[NancyL]

I don't quite understand the part about "people are just waiting to pay" at 11:03 am. The way this buffet works is that you pay when you enter and one of the lovely ladies who work at River Market puts a colored paper band on your wrist to denote if you're entitled to the full buffet or if you opted just for coffee/tea. Also,there was enough food at 11:03 am to scrap together a meal, but not of every item. I don't dig into the potato salad until then -- kind of my second wind, so to speak. It's on ice on the salad bar, so it's a nice early lunch with a slice of ham from the carvery station. Plenty of cheese biscuits and cinnamon rolls left today. They would have whipped up an omelette for you. (real, western-style omelette) But yes, the breakfast meat were probably a little sad by 11:03 am.

The time to arrive is around 9:20 am to join the hoards eagerly waiting for the staff to get all the steam trays filled and give the signal that it's time to lift the lids promptly at 9:30 am and reveal the day's creations. You can start with coffee while you're waiting.

[Trujillo]

I am just relaying what the lady at the desk said to me. My hearing is still okay....

No table I saw at 11am had any plates or silverware or anything on them. I could have asked to eat from the leftovers, but I opted not to go that route and since I would have been the only person with anything on their table, and eating, that seemed weird to me.

I would have come earlier if I could have.