If You Just Can't Eat Thai Food...

[Phil Conners]

Learn to cook?

[PeaceBlondie]

Yeah, I'm going to start learning to cook, this week. I move into my new 'digs' tomorrow, with a double gas burner, kitchen sink, counter space, cabinets to store stuff - all of which I've been without. I'll buy some basic cooking gear, nothing elaborate. Bird flu or not, I need to start eating eggs very easy sunny side up. I'll try that stir fry - my Thai friends can probably show me how. And chicken breasts, and fresh veggies and fresh fruit.

The other night we went to the market and I tried a fruit salad with no sauces at all. The purple cabbage had been soaked in something nasty! It was more like shredded radishes. Next time I'll just get fruits, no veggies. But the breaded, fried chicken breast was fine.

In other words, if I can get food in Thailand that doesn't resemble Thai food, I'm fine. Thanks, y'all.

[Boon Mee]

If I did not have an affinity for Thai food I'd set up residence near a Subway.

Excellent food from them.

[Nickerelastic]

Yeah, I'm going to start learning to cook, this week. I move into my new 'digs' tomorrow, with a double gas burner, kitchen sink, counter space, cabinets to store stuff - all of which I've been without. I'll buy some basic cooking gear, nothing elaborate. Bird flu or not, I need to start eating eggs very easy sunny side up. I'll try that stir fry - my Thai friends can probably show me how. And chicken breasts, and fresh veggies and fresh fruit.

The other night we went to the market and I tried a fruit salad with no sauces at all. The purple cabbage had been soaked in something nasty! It was more like shredded radishes. Next time I'll just get fruits, no veggies. But the breaded, fried chicken breast was fine.

In other words, if I can get food in Thailand that doesn't resemble Thai food, I'm fine. Thanks, y'all.

Good luck in the "new digs".

[The Dan Sai Kid]

If I did not have an affinity for Thai food I'd set up residence near a Subway.

Excellent food from them.

Subway's good, but IMHO it's very overpriced.

[PeaceBlondie]

I moved into my new "pad" early, yesterday morning. So at noon I headed into town to buy a teflon frying pan, plastic flat spatula, and a plastic salad bowl. The only teflon frying pans started at 1085 baht and went higher. No plastic spatulas. For my wok, I bought a Thai spatula that's stainless steel and shaped like a shallow shovel. "Now, class, for today's tongue twister, quickly say "Sasapaporn's shiny, stainless steel, shallow, shovel-shaped spatula."

And the gas cylinder's not turned on for the gas burners! I made American microwave popcorn and dumped it into my new plastic salad bowl. Slow start. Maybe I'll go back to Burger King tonight.

[suegha]

I had no problem saying "Sasapaporn's shiny, stainless steel, shallow, shovel-shaped spatula."

Please don't go back to burger king! Have fun in the kitchen, try a few simple things as suggested and enjoy...

[Nickerelastic]

I moved into my new "pad" early, yesterday morning. So at noon I headed into town to buy a teflon frying pan, plastic flat spatula, and a plastic salad bowl. The only teflon frying pans started at 1085 baht and went higher. No plastic spatulas. For my wok, I bought a Thai spatula that's stainless steel and shaped like a shallow shovel. "Now, class, for today's tongue twister, quickly say "Sasapaporn's shiny, stainless steel, shallow, shovel-shaped spatula."

And the gas cylinder's not turned on for the gas burners! I made American microwave popcorn and dumped it into my new plastic salad bowl. Slow start. Maybe I'll go back to Burger King tonight.

PB, You have to season your wok. To do this wash...scrub the wok. Heat the dry wok to a very high temperature, add a glug of cooking oil to the hot wok.

Now be very carefull whilst doing this, swirl the oil around the wok only do when sober.

I learned through experience not to wash a wok in soapy water.

The high temperatures used when using a wok will kill those bugs which cause tummy upsets.

Good luck in your new "hobby"

[tutsiwarrior]

I moved into my new "pad" early, yesterday morning. So at noon I headed into town to buy a teflon frying pan, plastic flat spatula, and a plastic salad bowl. The only teflon frying pans started at 1085 baht and went higher. No plastic spatulas. For my wok, I bought a Thai spatula that's stainless steel and shaped like a shallow shovel. "Now, class, for today's tongue twister, quickly say "Sasapaporn's shiny, stainless steel, shallow, shovel-shaped spatula."

And the gas cylinder's not turned on for the gas burners! I made American microwave popcorn and dumped it into my new plastic salad bowl. Slow start. Maybe I'll go back to Burger King tonight.

you really need to buy a colander...it's the cheapest item on the shelf and absolutely indispensible...

[suegha]

Well if we are giving advice as to 'must haves' in the kitchen.

1 or 2 knives, good quality, sharp, 1 six inch or less, 1 8-9 inch. Although I have several sets of knives, I only use one or two!

A good chopping board, fairly large and use both sides. I prefer good old fashioned wooden boards, if you get a good one it will last a life time.

Wooden spoons and things to stir and serve with, again wooden are my favorite.

I'm sure there's more but that's enough to be getting on with - good luck.

[The Dan Sai Kid]

I moved into my new "pad" early, yesterday morning. So at noon I headed into town to buy a teflon frying pan, plastic flat spatula, and a plastic salad bowl. The only teflon frying pans started at 1085 baht and went higher. No plastic spatulas. For my wok, I bought a Thai spatula that's stainless steel and shaped like a shallow shovel. "Now, class, for today's tongue twister, quickly say "Sasapaporn's shiny, stainless steel, shallow, shovel-shaped spatula."

And the gas cylinder's not turned on for the gas burners! I made American microwave popcorn and dumped it into my new plastic salad bowl. Slow start. Maybe I'll go back to Burger King tonight.

PB, do you know not to use anything metal with Teflon? It's very easily scratched. Always use wood or plastic.

Also, if the Teflon starts to peel off then chuck it out - Teflon is carinogenic.

[bluezephyr]

I went into a burger king in Hua Hin,was on the last night and hadnt had a burger for a few weeks,not proud of it but it was convenient to where we were,it was well presented and tasted quite nice,on my drive home from the airport i stopped at a local Bk,was the foulest snot i have ever tasted,usually one for finding a bin to put rubbish in,but chucked the half eaten <deleted> out in the carpark to let the ######wits clean up the mess theyd served me.

I found it quite annoying theres shops out there selling food what Thai people just cant afford to eat.i mean starbucks,expensive here but to a thai person what a disgrace,would be like an icelandic company selling food in the uk at icelandic prices.not affordable

In Surat Thani we had to wait for a bus in a sort of backpackers reststop,we had a look about,judging by the looks we got people dont seem to venture too far round here,we found a small cafe selling very nice cakes and coffee,we would have gone into a more thai food place but there wasnt really anything about that was welcoming.

we asked if there was a mc donalds or burger king about,they had no idea what we were talking about,this was fantastic to know that big western chains hadnt infested this part of thailand

[suegha]

bluezephyr wrote "we asked if there was a mc donalds or burger king about,they had no idea what we were talking about,this was fantastic to know that big western chains hadnt infested this part of thailand"

Hear, hear! Posionous food, should be banned for public consumption!!!

Edited January 29, 2006 by suegha

[Ulysses G.]

we asked if there was a mc donalds or burger king about,they had no idea what we were talking about,this was fantastic to know that big western chains hadnt infested this part of thailand

You wanted to eat at a Western fast food restaurant, but it is "fantastic" that there aren't any?

Politically correct "wisdom" at its finest.

Edited January 30, 2006 by Ulysses G.

[Phil Conners]

I went into a burger king in Hua Hin,was on the last night and hadnt had a burger for a few weeks,not proud of it but it was convenient to where we were,it was well presented and tasted quite nice,on my drive home from the airport i stopped at a local Bk,was the foulest snot i have ever tasted,usually one for finding a bin to put rubbish in,but chucked the half eaten <deleted> out in the carpark to let the ######wits clean up the mess theyd served me.

Odd. In Royal Garden Pattaya it's the exact opposite. BK is clean, MD is a dump.

[PeaceBlondie]

I'm such a regular at Hua Hin Burger King that I just walk in the door and any of the staff say, "Double cheeseburger no onion!" I think the poster said the Thai BK store was fine, but when leving his hometown airport and going home, the hometown BK was trashy.

New Subway store in Hua Hin. Great grub! And today, I dined at the American barbecue ribs place upstairs, and had decent hamburger and tortilla chips. I showed the waitress by Texas driving license, but I don't think she understood. Neat b&w photos of Texas BBQ places and photos of Lyndon Johnson with "Jake" Pickle of Austin. The beef wasn't anything to write home about (just to write to ThaiVisa about).

[Ulysses G.]

The hot biscuits and New Orleans style rice at Popeye’s Fried Chicken were bites of fast-food heaven!

[britmaveric]

Lao food isnt have bad - might give that a try. Basically had white rice and pork, beef, or chicken for 20bht. (not spicey but tastey - straight from the Cart)

[FlyingDutchman]

Thanks, so far. No, I'm not going home. No, I don't cook. No, I divorced my wife after she proved for 20 years that she couldn't cook well. My live-in Thai boyfriend was amazed that I was totally intolerant to chiles, and stopped trying to cook more than steamed rice and veggies.

Sweet suegha wrote, "What is it you dislike? I presume the spices, if this is the case a lot of dishes can be prepared without spices." Sorry, suegha, but the Thai waitresses and cooks I've run into don't speak "mai pet." They are incapable of leaving out the chiles, sooner or later, usually sooner. I've given up trying.

So, I guess I'll keep eating at Western tourist restaurants.

P.S.: food isn't important to me. I only eat to stay alive. My mother also was a very plain cook. Mai bpen rai. To me, Thais are obsessed with food.

... Who's upset with food ?

... ...

Luckely my mother was a great cook. French, Italian, Chinese, Middle- and South-American, Spanish, 'Eastern-Block' and she learned me to cook (I am a male, for good order). Therefor I like anything, I can handle myself and don't need a wife to prepare a superb meal ! I have friends that also don't like the spicy food, but they always manage to pick some recipies that maintain little spices and request the cook/waiter to be 'more fair' with them. Just check it out, I guess.

[Ulysses G.]

Lao food isnt have bad - might give that a try. Basically had white rice and pork, beef, or chicken for 20bht. (not spicey but tastey - straight from the Cart)

Brit, please do not polute our "Western food" thread with anything resembling Thai food!

[travlling]

oh, and wasabe is as hot as any tom yum anyday...

man, I love wasabe

[The Dan Sai Kid]

PB, have you managed to cook anything yet, or are dead of malnutrition?

[Pakboong]

I couldnt agree more Thai food is the worst thing about thailand because of it i have to spend 10000 bhat per month on food and iam not happy and cook at home everyday or eat in western resturants.

PeaceBlondie stated:

Thai food is not one of the best things about living in Thailand. In fact, in my mind, Thai food is the worst thing about Thailand.

I think everyone will find that there are many people who live and work in thailand who canot stand thai food.

more cheap suggestions on where to buy western food and the like espcially in areas like nonthaburi

I also hate Thai food.

[PeaceBlondie]

PB, have you managed to cook anything yet, or are dead of malnutrition?

Grant, thanks for asking. I missed your post.

I moved into my new place on 17 January, bought a few utensils like a new Teflon frying pan, and made a few simple meals for myself. Then my Thai boyfriend came back around 6 March, and he knows how to cook for me. We still frequent Burger King and S&P (only club sandwiches and zapalote pan), American Ribs, Sizzler, etc. He cooks me burnt bacon and runny sunny-funny eggs and toasted wheat bread and marmalade almost every morning. I still skip with the extra crunchy peanut butter, deplete the supply of Pepsi Max at our new Tesco, and eat poopcorn. Ooops, I mean "popcorn." Twice I cooked spaghetti - once with minced pork, once with minced beef.

My partner cooks fried rice, noodles, chicken, a little pork, veggies, etc. - all without the slightest whiff of burning chilies. It can be done.

[bkkjosh]

PB, have you managed to cook anything yet, or are dead of malnutrition?

Grant, thanks for asking. I missed your post.

I moved into my new place on 17 January, bought a few utensils like a new Teflon frying pan, and made a few simple meals for myself. Then my Thai boyfriend came back around 6 March, and he knows how to cook for me. We still frequent Burger King and S&P (only club sandwiches and zapalote pan), American Ribs, Sizzler, etc. He cooks me burnt bacon and runny sunny-funny eggs and toasted wheat bread and marmalade almost every morning. I still skip with the extra crunchy peanut butter, deplete the supply of Pepsi Max at our new Tesco, and eat poopcorn. Ooops, I mean "popcorn." Twice I cooked spaghetti - once with minced pork, once with minced beef.

My partner cooks fried rice, noodles, chicken, a little pork, veggies, etc. - all without the slightest whiff of burning chilies. It can be done.

I feel your pain. After living here for 3yrs I still can't eat spicy food (I wasn't brought up with it at all). I often wish I could eat spicy food... because it makes life in thailand so much more simple.

In hua hin I often like to eat satay and those huge roasted chickens they have at the roadside...

As far as cooking for yourself goes... To make things more interesting, next time your in bangkok you may want to look in the oriental shop... I often buy handmade pasta there which is 85 baht/box and, if cooked properly, is fantastic. If you ever get to go to singapore you can also buy some nice mild indian curries as stir-through sauces. Not spicy at all and certainly is nice to eat something different from time to time.

Most of the larger supermarkets now have different grades of beef, which makes it easy to make a good spag bol. Not sure about hua hin though with the exception of that new tesco's you mentioned... I stayed at "baan bayan" last time I was down there and it was within easy walking distance.

Last option available to you is to purchase a marriott gold thailand card (I have one and I use it quite frequently). When dining with your partner (2 people) you get 50% off your total food bill. They have a great italian restaurant on the beach, an above average buffet and an average steak house at the hua hin marriott. Depending on where you eat the bill would usually come to between 1000-2000 baht for 2 including a couple of beers/wines. So its a worthwhile investment for a once a week/fortnight/month treat... whatever takes your fancy.

Hope this helps a little

Edited June 6, 2006 by bkkjosh

[thaigene2]

PeaceBlondie

I've actually found more and more places popping up, but I agree it's a bit of a struggle.

Have you tried BKK Steak? There is a chain of these places with almost all Thais eating in them. They are usually in middle-class thai areas of Bangkok. There is also one on Paholyothin Soi 1 next to the Tops supermarket. Has steaks burgers fish and chips etc..prices are thai-style but if you want foreign meat you pay more like everywhere. Steaks go for 99 baht up to around 200 baht for a cheaper foreign cut - like a US ribeye.

Also try Steak One - two locations one in Soi Nana and the other in Soi Convent next to Himali Cha Cha in the lane opposite the Irish pub. It's very good

Prices there have been climbing though..a local steak (but good like a filet) is around 250 baht.

My other favorite for western food is Bus Stop the prices are quite reasonable. Fish and Chips - best in bangkok - are around 180 baht I think but worth every satang. Big piece of fish.

Finally, if you want cheap, cheap western also try the lunch counters at Took Lai Dee. They are in Foodland on Suk Soi 5 across from Amari and they have other locations in some but not all Foodlands.

bon apetit..would be grateful for others too..

[The Dan Sai Kid]

PeaceBlondie

I've actually found more and more places popping up, but I agree it's a bit of a struggle.

Have you tried BKK Steak? There is a chain of these places with almost all Thais eating in them. They are usually in middle-class thai areas of Bangkok. There is also one on Paholyothin Soi 1 next to the Tops supermarket. Has steaks burgers fish and chips etc..prices are thai-style but if you want foreign meat you pay more like everywhere. Steaks go for 99 baht up to around 200 baht for a cheaper foreign cut - like a US ribeye.

Also try Steak One - two locations one in Soi Nana and the other in Soi Convent next to Himali Cha Cha in the lane opposite the Irish pub. It's very good

Prices there have been climbing though..a local steak (but good like a filet) is around 250 baht.

My other favorite for western food is Bus Stop the prices are quite reasonable. Fish and Chips - best in bangkok - are around 180 baht I think but worth every satang. Big piece of fish.

Finally, if you want cheap, cheap western also try the lunch counters at Took Lai Dee. They are in Foodland on Suk Soi 5 across from Amari and they have other locations in some but not all Foodlands.

bon apetit..would be grateful for others too..

There's a BKK steak in Chiang Mai - at the back of CMU. I have never been, but it seems quite popular.

[OxfordWill]

You mentioned food not being important to you beyond sustenance - im the same although I enjoy tasty food. I was raised vegetarian and over here I use the word 'jay' more often than 'man-sawee-lat' and my typical day of food is like this: Fried rice with egg and veggies, pad thai with egg and tofu, etc. Because of the word 'jay' they are unlikely to add chilli, although you could say 'mai sai prik' instead of 'mai pet' as the latter actually implies you want SOME spice, but not too much.