Within a four hour drive would be ok, nice bike ride.

I have tried Joses's Cantina in Nong Kia, not bad but more Carribean then Mexican.

Any ideas?

Ray.

The best Mexican I have found in Bangkok is in the Mexican section at the Tops on the bottom of the mall at the Sala Daeng SkyTrain station.

They've got all the basics freshly prepared and it's definitely better than that ripoff joint right at the corner of Soi Patpong.

Thanks I'll give that a try, but I would like to find one close to Udon, sorry in my brillance left that out.

Ray.

Just looking at the thread. You had this posted on the Issan Forum and I knew exactly where you were comin from. Do you like enchilatas,tamales,pico de gallo,flautas etc. Well your in luck when I get back to Thailand my friend here in Texas would have taught me how to open a restaurant in the Ban Thaen Area. The only problem is getting the masa harina and mataeha. Can make from scratch however. Chok Dee with the restaurante!!!

Senor Rays Cantina sounds ok to me

Ok, I'm headed for Pattaya again next week to get the goodies for mexican food again. The flour Tortillas are Ok here it's the corn where things go bad. I got some goodies from the states for corn tortillas and had a had tortilla press made here. They were Ok but I'm not happy with them yet. I got some standard corn meal and will try that, again from the states. So far I have only been able to find corn flour here and that will not work.

I made up some burritos for a friend who has a Pub here, a I had been promisng for months. He immediatley ordered 45. That didn't happen, I don't want a food business.

There probably is a very good burrito business here for the right guy, frozen and placed in the frozen food section of the farrang markets. That copuld be marketed all ove Thialand, for someone who wants serious business. I started a thread on the general discussion group and it just went on forever.

So the fella who is starting the Mexican resurant let me know I assure you I will come for dinner.

For us Udon Nong Kai folks the closest thin that I know of is Joses's Cantina in Nong Kia, more carribean food, but a nice change and the ownere is a great guy.

Ozzie you want some Tex Mex food I guess your just going to have to come back to Udon and Ray will open his Cantina, for a preview LAUGHTER. Good home made food and the price is right, show up. Me Casa Es Su Casa ( my home is your home)

Thanks Ray,will certainly take you up on that, will be back at the farm soon to get the boys putting the fence up on the new block, by the way, did you see the house and 3 rai on farangconnection website ,looks neat for 900,000 bt
cheers ozzy

No Hadn't but I have seen it now, your right that looked like just the ticket. I sent an inquiry to see if it was still avilable. Thanks.

Ray.there's got to be enough Farang ex-pats in Nong Khai and visitors and those on visa runs to Laos to make a mexican in Nong Khai a good proposition.No real choice at the moment.I also think Thais might like a hot mexican.

or ozzie or septic or even a soapie

Your absolutley right, it would be a great business, for someone who knows about resturants. I don't, I thought about it, Researched a lot of locations for sources of product. The one thing that hit me was this is going to be a lot of work, HMMMM work and retirement jsut don't sound the same. The other thing is to be succesful, you are difently going to have to have booze. I don't have the patience for those who have gotten drunk these days. So it would be a bad way for me to go.

In the process the froozen food thing finally sunk in, that where the real money is. In the states every supermarket has mexican food in the frozen food section. Not as good as fresh but OK for a quicky in the microwave. That could be marketed at any of the farrang markets and would make the market place huge. Beginning to sound like work again Huh LOL

Work,what's that?

Sourcing the ingredients would be hassle but Nong Khai Provice is overflowing with cheap Laos labour,something you might want to consider for your cattle business idea if that is labour intensive.

True but I see a lot less headcahes in cattle, not much labor at all.

Noticed the guy up the road has a few goats so may pop along and get myself one or two to keep the garden in some sort of order.

Last night mentioned Mexican cuisine to a few semi-rural Thais and they all had knowledge of it for some reason and were keen to try the hot stuff so someone with a bit of get up and go would be laughing.

I have given some to nieghbor thye loved it but with what you would have to charge for the food, I don't think they would be lined up for it.

don't you have a missus ?

Yep,but she has a full time job.There is always the evenings i suppose.

Finally ate at The Big Chili in Korat last night. I had chicken fajitas and an extra bowl of refried beans. My GF had a couple of tacos. Although the flavors were not totally authentic, it was pretty good and close enough for an occasional meal.

It's not inexpensive though. Dinner for the two of us plus a jug of beer came to just under 500 baht.

Just got a email from a mate in Udon who picked it up on another forum, there is, apparently, a Mexican due to open pretty soon in the area...

Yep one of the VFW guys is biting the bullet and starting one, should work out well, he has had resturarnts in Thailand in the past and has other businesses as well. So he should be able to make a go of it. I will try to be first in line.

Well as you know the guy is great guy, and his wife is not lony very beautiful but sharp as a tack as well.

Well the resturant is open and I had my first try today, it was excellent, the best I have had in Thailand and it is right here in Udon in't that good thing at aleast for me. They were either not happy with thier mMargaritas yet or maybe to happy thye kept trying receipes LOL

Glad to hear it Ray, wish them luck from me and tell them I'll be paying them a visit next time i'm in town .

As for the Margaritas, practise makes perfect I guess

Sorry Ray, but I dont suppose you have their address by any chance do you?

Another one for my little black book

The location is listed above along with the phone number, definetly worth a try. Of course I'm not sure yet, so I think I will have to go back many many times to make sure I am right LOL I was looking for an e-mail for Mooney and don't have one, but the phone number should work OK. The wife speaks great english this is not thier first time doing this they owned a Mexican resturant in Phucket. They did mention they would be closed Monday's and may stop operations for a feew hours in the afternoon for Siesta, so a call might not be a bad idea. They had a few problems to work out in the service arena, but it was only the second day. When they get thier routine down they will be awesome, not a fast food place, but the food is excelent quailty.