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All the salads are the same


attrayant

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Here I sit picking the mushy taro (bleah) out of yet another Thai version of a western salad and wondering why, no matter where I buy my salad, the ingredients are always the same:

 

  • Two or three whole lettuce leaves, too large to eat and impossible to cut without a knife
  • half a hard-boiled egg
  • shredded carrot
  • a handful of kidney beans
  • cooked barley
  • one or two chunks of taro
  • one or two chunks of pumpkin
  • exactly two cherry tomatoes
  • corn

 

With the exception of the lettuce leaves, this looks more like the ingredients for a hearty soup rather than a salad.  But I'm not here to complain about the bizarre combination of ingredients.  The thing that puzzles me is, no matter how many salad vendors I pass on the street, they all seem to have agreed upon the exact same set of ingredients along with that sickeningly sweet mayonnaise, which is supposed to be the dressing, I guess.

 

There are no caesar salads, no shrimp salads, no cobb salads, no pasta salad or potato salad.  No coleslaw or macaroni salad.  And you can forget about intensely flavorful greens such as romaine and arugula.  There is only one generic salad, which gets photocopied and passed around as the guide for making the quintessential salad; the salad recipe that all must adhere to.

 

Why are all the salads the same?

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You are eating at the wrong places.

 

Lots of great salad restaurants around here in Chiang Mai (don't know where you are as you did not say).  

 

Most places you can choose all the ingredients yourself on a list.. or choose of the menu for different themed salads... and lost of different dressings.  

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This is Thailand :smile:

 

My best guess it that a long time ago, 'Falang No 1' arrived here and set the standards for Western food for the whole country.

 

Just visit some restaurants operated by Thai in a tourist area and you will find out that:

 

- we eat only hamburgers, spaghetti Bolognaise, cordon blue (or schnitzel) and steak

 

Spaghetti sauce mostly comes out of a can, steak is very thin and very soft (someone has been beating it for hours with a hammer) and the cheese on the burger and cordon blue are these horrible pre-packed slices of cheddar. Salads are as you  describe.

 

My best guess it that 'Falang No 1' was British. How can you otherwise explain that some 'restaurants' still serve a hamburger with Lay Chips instead of French Fries? Oh yeah, stupid me - never heard about 'fish and chips'... Guess we are lucky the waiter doesn't ask "Intel or AMD chips, Sir?"

 

And that is a pity. These days, good ingredients are easily available and decent recipes you can find on the internet.

 

But it is hard to change old habits... 

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I remember the first time I ordered a steak in Thailand and got a pork chop instead. :sad:

 

I wonder if I opened a salad bar business, if it would take off.  Imagine the puzzled look on the Thai's faces wondering why the salads haven't been assembled and pre-bagged for them.

 

However, as somebody mentioned, the salad bar at sizzler does seem to be quite busy.  Maybe this calls for a market survey.

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11 hours ago, attrayant said:

I wonder if I opened a salad bar business, if it would take off.  Imagine the puzzled look on the Thai's faces wondering why the salads haven't been assembled and pre-bagged for them.

 

However, as somebody mentioned, the salad bar at sizzler does seem to be quite busy.  Maybe this calls for a market survey.

 

As much as I wish someone would open up a salad/soup/sandwich bar style restaurant near me, I'm predicting it would be very busy and still flop financially.

 

Back home, people choose their salad bar makings based on what they enjoy because they can pretty much afford any food at any time.  I've seen Asians skip over all the tasty but cheap makings in favor of a heaping plateful of the most expensive stuff on the salad bar, because that's the only time they'll generally get to eat, for example, smoked salmon.  Imagine what you'd have to charge per head if you had half your customers eating heaping plates of smoked salmon, then going back for seconds...  It'd be kind of like the salad bars in college towns back home.  I've seen a lot of them go bust, or at least change their model.

 

But post back if you open a place near Asoke.  I'll be there...  And I'll take it easy on the smoked salmon.

 

Edit:  I should also add that I go for the salad bar in the Gourmet Market at T21 at least once or twice a week, and take it back to eat at my desk.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I’m sorry, but there are more varieties of salads for sale in Thailand but packaged. Bigger chances to find at tops and villa market they for sure sell Caesar salad dressing. At the local markets I’ve seen 3 different kinds so far.

 

Of course I love to make salad and make my own salad dressing. I’ve been checking yer topic again to make sure, I see you meant potato, pasta, fish salad, shrimp salad...I’ve not seen them either.

 

To understand why is probably thai don’t buy salad neither eat them...yes they eat Thai vegetables raw with soup or other dishes. So how many farrang buys the salad? They won’t make profit if sold way less. I understand your confusion about the salad, even I like those salad. If I want them then I make my own salads and own dressings.

 

bytheway...I have seen tuna salad in cans...check out at the canned fish section. I’ve seen them at 7/11, Tesco, Big-C...etc. I haven’t tried them.

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On 9/27/2017 at 5:38 PM, impulse said:

 

As much as I wish someone would open up a salad/soup/sandwich bar style restaurant near me, I'm predicting it would be very busy and still flop financially.

 

 

This salad restaurant - the original location - was one of the most popular restaurants in Chiang Mai and most of the customers were Thai. I'm not sure how it is doing now.

 

http://www.thesaladconcept.com/menu.php

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if by 'salad' ye mean fresh vegetables with a dressing there are plenty of ingredients around...there just ain't a lot of 'western' salad ingredients like abundant leafy greens, avocados, etc...

 

go down to yer local market and have a look around and then use yer imagination...plenty of recipes on google and for dressings as well...cucumbers, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, etc...I've always got something on the go in the fridge as I start to feel weird if not...

 

make yer own unsweetened yogurt to replace the horrible sweet local mayonnaise or make yer own mayo...dijon mustard and red wine vinegar fer dressings available at makro...it don't take much once you got the basic ingredients sussed and located...

 

tonight, soup and salad; curried cauli soup liquidised with potatoes and cabbage salad with yogurt/garlic dressing...got some homade bread that was a flop but good enough to wallop in the soup...

 

don't let the bastids beat ye...

 

back in the middle east where I useta work there were wonderful salad ingredients always on hand; fresh, crunchy romaine, lovely tomatoes and cukes, cheap and plentiful local sheep's cheese and a million types of olives from the supermarket deli section...with a piece of arabic bread that would do me fer supper when I got home from work...

 

and then I'd come home to Thailand on leave and think: 'oh shit...' and pack my bag with cans of prepared hummous and baba ganoush, arabic bread and fresh lemons so I wouldn't starve to death...but since I've retired and learned to be creative with the local ingredients I have no fear...

 

and they thought that they were gonna give me a whippin' but I fooled 'em...

 

 

 

 

 

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I'm not saying there are no places to get real salads.  Making one is no problem (although I'd love to find arugula somewhere) and making dressings is also easy.  I'm just wondering how it's possible that all the sidewalk salad-in-a-bag vendors seem to have the exact same idea about what a salad is.  It's almost like a franchise where they all have to follow the same recipe.

 

On 10/15/2017 at 5:40 AM, Ulysses G. said:

This salad restaurant - the original location - was one of the most popular restaurants in Chiang Mai and most of the customers were Thai. I'm not sure how it is doing now.

 

Still there as of late last year, which is the last time Google street view drove by:

 

 413600832.jpg

 

Not exactly hopping but lots of chairs out front making it appear that customers might need to wait during rush hour.

 

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On 10/18/2017 at 12:09 AM, attrayant said:

I'm not saying there are no places to get real salads.  Making one is no problem (although I'd love to find arugula somewhere) and making dressings is also easy.  I'm just wondering how it's possible that all the sidewalk salad-in-a-bag vendors seem to have the exact same idea about what a salad is.  It's almost like a franchise where they all have to follow the same recipe.

 

 

Still there as of late last year, which is the last time Google street view drove by:

 

 413600832.jpg

 

Not exactly hopping but lots of chairs out front making it appear that customers might need to wait during rush hour.

 

 

Quite simply... I think they copy from each other. Maybe it has a lot to do with price as well. They want to sell at the same prices, so they use the same ingredients.

 

Haven't you noticed that when vendors serve food ( say precooked Lad Na) that they all use the same "jerky" movements. Also pick up a little piece of pork, then drop it back, pick up another piece, drop that, stir and find the original piece of pork and put it on your plate. I love watching them do that instead of sticking the spoon in and dishing up.

 

Anyway, back to salads. There are some vendors that make bigger boxes of salad.

 

Most (if not all) sell a terribly sweet dressing with their salad.

I go to Foodland, Tops  or other places and mix myself.

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I've always loved salads, and eat them several times a week. For me, salads are only as good as the dressing you put on them. I make batches of these 3 favorites regularly- hope you like them:

 

Dijon Vinaigrette

¼ cup red wine vinegar

1/8 cup white vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp regular salt

½ tsp. black pepper

Dash of chili flakes

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

½ cup vegetable oil

1 tsp. oregano

1-2 tsp. minced cilantro

Anchovies, minced

Optional: 1 tsp. minced basil, 1 tsp. minced scallions

 

Russian Dressing, Amped-up

2 cups ketchup

2 cups mayo  

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1-2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. Sesame oil

Salt … to taste

White pepper… to taste

Chili flakes, Chili sauce or Chili Paste… to taste

Optional: 1 tsp. minced basil, 1 tsp. minced scallions, 1 tsp. minced cilantro

 

Blue Cheese Dressing

4 ounces blue cheese  

1-2 teaspoons red wine vinegar  

3 tablespoons whole milk  

1 small container sour cream

¼ cup mayonnaise

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon minced garlic

Salt and ground black pepper  

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce  

1 tablespoon minced scallion or shallot

1 pinch of celery seeds  

 

 

 

 

 

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I make a quick and easy "Russian" using similar ingredients. But, instead of ketchup and chili sauce, I use "EasySqueeze" tomato/chili sauce and a dab of mustard. Easy Squeeze is available at Big Cs.

And always, Best Foods Real Mayonnaise! 

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On 9/27/2017 at 3:19 PM, Sam Lin said:

Or go to the salad bar in Gourmet Market (Paragon, T21, Emporium) - fantastic selection of ingredients and dressings, pay by weight.

 

Sam

 

Funny that the same gourmet market at the mall Bangkapi costs at least 50% less than at emporium....and unlike emporium you can add bbq chicken to your salad.

 

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yogurt dressing

 

half a head of garlic smashed up (mortar and pestle)

 

8oz plain unsweetened yogurt (make it yerself, easy)

 

olive oil, red wine vinegar (at makro), salt and pepper

 

mix together, let sit fer awhile and then pour over veges...chill in the fridge...

 

I use this fer cukes and for cabbage...always turns out quite nice...

 

 

and then there is the broccoli salad with a dressing all its own:

 

heat 1/2 cup of olive oil and throw in half a head of mashed garlic and 2 tsp of ground cumin and stir fer a minute or two,

 

take off heat and add a tsp of dried red chile flakes and 1/4 cup of sesame oil and stir,

 

pour over 1lb broccoli florets that have been sitting in a mixture of vinegar (either plain white distilled or red wine or a mixture, about 3/4 cup) and salt for a couple of hours and mix thoroughly,

 

chill and enjoy...it's addictive...

 

 

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and then the other day at the local tescos I found "Veggie Haus Seasonal Salad' 'triple washed!' 'ready to eat!' total rip off at 50g for 35baht but I peered thru the plastic bag and saw some western salad greens that I hadn't seen in months and  thought 'must have!' and succumbed...

 

at home sliced up a coupla thai tomatoes and prepared a dijon vinaigrette and not half bad with 2 bags of greens and some 'Haitai' saltine crackers...had a half loaf of homade bread in the fridge but am saving that to wallop in the broccoli and potato soup later on tonight...

 

oh, sometimes stumblin'

fallin' down

almost level wid de ground

lawd I done the best I can now I want my crown...

 

 

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I do enjoy salads especially in hot summers but I refrain from eating here in Thailand after having two lots of stomach sickness after eating a salad possibly caused by poor hygiene at the restaurants . I am also a bit concerned with washing the salad in my house water supply as I have been told not to drink it .  Does anyone take precautions with salad preparation at home and are you comfortable eating salads in a restaurant ? 

    Finally I know some folks who never take ice with their drinks in Thailand to eliminate water hygiene problems .

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13 minutes ago, superal said:

I do enjoy salads especially in hot summers but I refrain from eating here in Thailand after having two lots of stomach sickness after eating a salad possibly caused by poor hygiene at the restaurants . I am also a bit concerned with washing the salad in my house water supply as I have been told not to drink it .  Does anyone take precautions with salad preparation at home and are you comfortable eating salads in a restaurant ? 

    Finally I know some folks who never take ice with their drinks in Thailand to eliminate water hygiene problems .

I have never had problems with any of this stuff, but maybe have a superior immune system?

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2 hours ago, Ulysses G. said:

I have never had problems with any of this stuff, but maybe have a superior immune system?

 

You probably just have a normal immune system, but superal might have some susceptibility.

 

I've not had a problem that I can attribute to the water. I had a few instances of intestinal distress in the first few years of living here, which could have easily been from food (that often sits at room temperature hours before it's eaten), surface contamination or a well-timed nearby sneeze.  But those problems have waned and I don't recall having any serious digestive problems the past couple of years or so.

 

It could also be a location issue.  Bangkok municipal water supply is supposed to be potable, however the pipes that bring the water to our homes can be a bit sketchy.  Tiny cracks in pipes combined with low mains pressure can allow ground contaminants to leak in.  I wish the water here were a bit more chlorinated.

 

You could rinse off veggies in a bucket of water that has been previously boiled and/or chlorinated.  I sometimes use a bowl of ice water because I don't want my lettuce to wilt in the warm tap water.

 

How to disinfect drinking water

 

 

 

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4 minutes ago, attrayant said:

 

You probably just have a normal immune system, but superal might have some susceptibility.

 

I've not had a problem that I can attribute to the water. I had a few instances of intestinal distress in the first few years of living here, which could have easily been from food (that often sits at room temperature hours before it's eaten), surface contamination or a well-timed nearby sneeze.  But those problems have waned and I don't recall having any serious digestive problems the past couple of years or so.

 

It could also be a location issue.  Bangkok municipal water supply is supposed to be potable, however the pipes that bring the water to our homes can be a bit sketchy.  Tiny cracks in pipes combined with low mains pressure can allow ground contaminants to leak in.  I wish the water here were a bit more chlorinated.

 

You could rinse off veggies in a bucket of water that has been previously boiled and/or chlorinated.  I sometimes use a bowl of ice water because I don't want my lettuce to wilt in the warm tap water.

 

How to disinfect drinking water

 

 

 

You probably just have a normal immune system, but superal might have some susceptibility.

       I think you may be right as I was told recently that I could be more susceptible to dodgy tummy as I take an anti re-flux tablet every morning and so there is not so much stomach acid to burn off the germs .  This year i had a stomach problem that was caused here by a water borne  bacteria but it all started on my return to the UK . I lost 7 kilo within 2 weeks .

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  • 3 weeks later...
15 hours ago, lou62 said:

Stomach problems aside, the dressing on a Salad is very important and either makes the salad or not. I find a lot of them here rather tasteless due to a lack of a decent dressing. 

 

Ps. I'm certainly no Salad expert.

 

there's loads of salad dressing recipes on the internet and yer only limited by the available ingredients...when at makro up at the provincial capital I'll load up on dijon, red wine vinegar, etc that aren't available in the little town where I live, etc...little things like that can really make a difference...

 

 

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