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[goski]

I noticed the rifle hanging on the wall there. No wonder there aren't any bad comments about the place

[sceadugenga]

Had a good meal at the first Thai restaurant on the river going East from the Super Highway bridge last night.
Was curious when I saw the Yunan Chinese place further down, anybody recommend it?

[Paul888]

Would be nice for an update on this thread. Most of the places mention are closed by the end of the thread!

I will start the ball rolling with a few places I have eaten in the last week or so that I would eat at again.

Please feel free to expland on my "locations":

1. Cabbages and condoms - not as beautiful a location as its Pattaya namesake, but nevertheless Thai food was tasty and very reasonably priced. Menu seemed short though. [the road that becomes "walking street" market]

2. Da Vincis - I have eaten Pizza there 3 times. First time was perfect, Second and third were OK. I guess it depends on time of day/who is making it. My wife twice enjoyed a braised pork rib and said the pasta was good also. [main road near Night Bazaar]

3. Ayes. VERY nice tender leg of lamb, plus when one of my daughters was heard moaning that they would rather eat pizza, they gave us a Di vinci's menu  Nice idea, and only about 40 baht service charge for it. [main road near Night Bazaar]

4. The big Thai restuarant in front of St Mary's School in Rimkok (sorry dont know name).... nice mix of Thai food, and sea food. Reasonably priced, playground toys to entertain the kids, and some very ugly fish to amuse simple minded adults

Any additional suggestions recommendations of places that are still open and likely to stay open?

[sceadugenga]

A good idea. Unfortunately these pinned topics tend to be neglected by regular contributors.

The meal I had on the river front last week was good but I thought it expensive, 1300B for three, sharing 7 courses and drinking jugs of draft Heineken. The service was good, the waitresses very cute and the band woeful.

[kandahar]

Okay.  I'll have a go at this.

I visited Don's a couple of days ago for an evening meal.  It was my first time there.  Our group of four were the only customers there and it is a good thing as there is no parking available except in the small yard, on the sidewalk.  A sign by the road proclaims a small area to be the parking lot for Don's but that area was closed off.  Take down the sign, Don.  While we were eating, another group arrived and  parked behind us, blocking our car in.  They realized they would have to move their vehicle when we left, so they chose to back out and find another place where they could eat in peace.

I have heard a lot about Don's over the years and have avoided the place because the reviews seem to run about fifty/fifty concerning pros and cons.  But this night, it was the decision of my companions that lead us to eat there.

There was one employee working and I felt pity for her, as she was overtaxed with performing all of the duties involved in greeting, taking orders, cooking, serving and cleaning.  I will avoid the place for that reason alone until they get more help.  A person shouldn't have to feel guilty about being a burden to the staff.  One person in a small noodle stall in town is sufficient because all of the food is prepared beforehand.  But in a restaurant that prepares each order from scratch, one person manning the whole place is asking too much of that one person.

I'll comment only on the food I ordered because I didn't ask the others what they thought of their selections and none of them offered ANY comments.  I had several Mexican offerings and was disappointed.  The chimichanga was stuffed with ground beef that had absolutely no seasonings mixed with it.  There was nothing Mexican about it; just ground beef and a fried wrapping.  The enchilada had some taste to it but not at all the Mexican flavor that one would expect.  The burrito/soft taco (I couldn't tell, as it didn't have enough of the qualifying characteristics of either) was pretty sad as well, having none of the normal tastes that are associated with that entree.

Maybe they were out of the proper ingredients.  Maybe this and maybe that.  Maybes aside, in my opinion, a place should provide the proper food that they advertise and if they can't, they should just say so up front.  Why risk alienating customers and generating bad publicity?  If your place is going to be a pinned topic on this forum, you probably ought to busting your butt to make it a good experience for anyone willing to open their wallet in your establishment.  If not, then the place ought to be closed until you can meet the minimum expectations of prospective customers.  At this point, I can't see why it is a pinned topic but I can see why so few people bother to make entries in that thread.

There were several other negatives from my night at Don's but I'll stop with the previous entries.  On a hopeful note, Don says he is going to be here to operate this place full-time soon and maybe the place will become a worthwhile site for an evening meal.  If that occurs, I'm sure I'll read about here and I will give it another try.  In the meantime, "taking your chances" has been a common theme in the reports I have received from friends who do occasionally dine at Don's.   There are just too many other places with good food and good reputations for me to bother with "taking my chances" on Don's place.

Edited by kandahar, 2010-03-03 09:55:38.

[sceadugenga]

I've supported Don's Cafe both in person and on the forum for several years now.
Unfortunately, most of what you say is justified although I have eaten better food there . He needs to do some serious work if he intends to make this a popular eating spot.

[Will27]

I have to agree.

I only get take away, but the poor lady
there always seems run off her feet.

The take away menu need serious updating.
Well over 50% of the things I wanted were unavailable.

The driveway is a nightmare for cyclists although Don
is trying to get this rectified.

It really needs some TLC.

Having said that, I love the English breakfast sausages.

Regards

Will

[Limbo]

kandahar, on 2010-03-03 09:51:03, said:

If your place is going to be a pinned topic on this forum, you probably ought to busting your butt to make it a good experience for anyone willing to open their wallet in your establishment.  If not, then the place ought to be closed until you can meet the minimum expectations of prospective customers.

In all honesty we must admit that Don can't be blamed for pinning a topic about his place.
Only moderators can pin topics and in this case it was cowboy who for reasons only known
to him found it necessary to do so.

What amazes me is that Don in an earlier posting wrote the following words:
"It may be possible to improve the quality of food at various restaurants if we are not satisfied
and would speak to the owner. I still find it difficult to eat in Chiang Rai City as my standards are
higher than the average food quality".

OK, Don stopped opening new threads all the time (about wifi, free beers and similar secondary enjoyments
available at his restaurant), but why didn't he listen, being an owner of a restaurant himself, to the criticism
brought forward in this forum?
Why does he think that other restaurant owners would do so if he doesn't want to do it himself?

And if his personal standards are too high for Chiang Rai restaurant owners to meet, why doesn't he try to
realize them at Don's Place?
Could his personal adagio be be something like : "The last place I would like to eat is my own restaurant!"

Come on Don, enlighten us about your thoughts on your kitchen ideology.

Limbo  

[kandahar]

I'm not blaming Don for the topic being pinned.  I'm not blaming anyone.  If cowboy wanted that, then that is that.  I would guess that at the time the topic was pinned, Don's was something that it isn't now.  To have it pinned now seems a little strange.  There are other Falang restaurants here, that have been here for a long time and still make the effort every day to draw and maintain customers.  Using that logic, I just don't see why the place is a pinned topic.  I can guess as to why it was originally, but not now.  I'm not saying it should be removed, either.  Just because I can't see the justification doesn't mean that it isn't important to lots of other people and I'm not the type to try to convince the masses that my thinking is the best thinking.

I do hope that he makes the changes needed at his cafe and has great success.  At the same time, I think it is wrong to continue to keep the place open and disappoint the few who take the time to go there and give it a try.  I realize this is Thailand and nothing is the way we expect it to be, based on our experiences from our home countries.  Re-calibrating our brains to accept the differences we find here is an everyday occurance for lots of us.  But my understanding of the premise behind Don's place is that it was to be an oasis of the western experience, a comfortable, satisfying experience to be enjoyed by those of us who have the urge to reconnect with some of the pleasures and standards of our pasts, without having to leave Thailand.  At the moment, the standards at that cafe do not even meet the standards of some of the smaller Thai places I visit.  It is pretty much just a dive that gets a lot of publicity.  That is why I have trouble understanding why it is currently a pinned topic.  But again, my not understanding it isn't a push to get it removed.  The aforementioned argument is just clarification of my thinking out loud, so to speak.

My intention wasn't to beat up on Don personally, as a fellow man, either.  I have never met Don but I happen to know, from other experiences, that he holds some incredibly compassionate personal characteristics and I admire him for that.  That restaurant is just a small portion of what represents his time here on earth and I recognize that.  He's many other good things to many other people, as a few that I have met will testify.

Edited by kandahar, 2010-03-04 09:55:20.

[sceadugenga]

You'se guys better get cowboy's name right, you're meddling with powers you can't possibly comprehend.  

[kandahar]

I've never heard of him.  But I don't spend any time going through the back-issues either.  If he is a "you'se" guys kind of fellow, then he's probably from my original home area.  If there's any trouble, I'll blame Limbo.  Limbo wrote it first.

[wileycoyote]

Limbo, on 2010-02-24 10:50:25, said:

chmike, on 2010-02-23 09:09:20, said:

Songkorngluang is SOUTH of Songkorngnoi road. Other than that, terrific advice and recommendations...

The only thing I want to mention is that the owner is one of the staffmembers who help the young
hilltribe gentlemen of WEAHRADIO in Maechan and correctly.

Limbo

. . . . . . . . . .

Please advise the location of this good restaurant

Thank You

Edited by wileycoyote, 2010-03-04 20:06:40.

[dindong]

To the best of my knowledge, if you follow my directions you will not be far away.
Take the PaoKhun Rd,the 1232 opposite Meng Rai statue and travel about 1 km, it's beside the badminton court shown on the google map, on the left hand side.

[cmjantje]

I know Don in person and I build a restaurant around his products like advertised by his site especially the Angus beef.

The first order was perfect! After that it was one big disaster. The wrong meat, the wrong sausages, order not complete etc.
He visited me and told me he tenderized the meat and in this case (T-bone steaks) his staff forgot. He called them.

Anyway.. I visited his shop/restaurant here in CR a few months ago and besides some old meat (dark blood) there was nothing really beautiful I wanted and he promotes. I think Don is getting old and needs to retire.

I have nothing against the man or his restaurant but don't advertise things you cannot deliver. And also.. if you want to have customers establish somewhere were we can reach the place, take care of your staff and be honest about your products.

I happened to be a big restaurant owner myself in Holland and I know the problems.

Sorry Don, cannot say something different.

Edited by cmjantje, 2010-03-04 21:15:53.

[kandahar]

Has anyone tried Blue Sky Pizza since Limbo first posted about it?  Are the hours still the same (open after 18:00 on Fri. and Sat.)?  Thinking about giving them a try this weekend.

[skybluestu]

Turn off the superhighway at King Mengrai and after about 200mtrs on your right side, directly opposite TOT, there is arguably the best duck/roast pork place in town.

[kandahar]

We gave Blue Sky a try this weekend.  Arrived at 5:25, looked like the place was open, went in, ordered and received the order before 6:00.  Quick service.  Ordered two styles so we could sample the differences offered, found both on the lower side of mediocre.   The wife weighed in with her opinion first and that was "We won't eat here again".  The outer edge of the crust is really good but things go downhill after that.  Found the toppings to be pretty sparse on both pizzas.

The place was busy enough.  Lots of farang live within walking distance of the place and that is a plus for the customers and the shop.  Nice to not have to get in the car to find food sometimes, so I think the place will be open for a while.

150 baht per pizza.

Tree House has better pizza for my money but maybe the type and style that Blue Sky has is just what some people like.  One of the Blue Sky pizzas even reminded me a little bit of Corleone's pizza and Corleone's was a definite one time deal for me.

[kandahar]

I had the cheesy cheeseburger at "Nice Kitchen" yesterday.  For my money, they do the best cheeseburger in CR.  The burger is about the closest in CR that I have found to the kind of burger I grew up enjoying.  I usually order two and they bring one for me to start on and then deliver the second one about five minutes later.  They don't skimp on anything when they build the burger.  The burger is a nice step up from the tot-sized burgers that most other cafes in town serve.  The fries aren't bad, either.  They do serve Thai dishes as well, which the wife always orders and they are very good but I go there for the burgers.

The American breakfast at Nice Kitchen is typical of the CR American breakfast except perhaps it is larger than most.  Of course, the American breakfast doesn't include any fried potatoes or any of the sausages that one finds for breakfast in the U. S.  Nice Kitchen serves, as do all others that I have found in CR, hot-dog style sausages.  So, the American breakfast is about as American as the french fries in the U.S. are French.  I think the lunch burger makes up for the mistakes they make with the breakfast.

I do know about the burger at the golf course by the old airport.  When it is good, it is good but they aren't consistent.  Sometimes it is great, sometimes it is a big disappointment.  I hate taking chances on burgers.  When I'm ready for a burger, I don't like disappointment.  Nice Kitchen never varies on their burger, probably because the owner is the cook; there is no turnover of kitchen staff at the Nice Kitchen.  Same quality, same service, every time.  "Chance" doesn't enter into the deal at Nice Kitchen.

The cafe is on the pinned Google map.  The location is Jedyod Road.

[svenivan]

sceadugenga, on 2010-02-26 17:56:45, said:

Had a good meal at the first Thai restaurant on the river going East from the Super Highway bridge last night.
Was curious when I saw the Yunan Chinese place further down, anybody recommend it?

I have been to that Yunnan place but 6-7 years ago. Dirty, very lazy and I must say stupid people serving. The food was hardly eatable and the bill was very, very expensive.  

So then you know why I have not been back!

It is the absolute worst place I have been to in the province!

    

Edit: Reading the post I must change: The people was not dirty, it was the restaurant, the tables and the tablecloths that were dirty! But the people serving was lazy, not at all interested and had problem to understand. I was there with a thai lady so it was not just a stupid farang noone could understand.

Edited by svenivan, 2010-04-06 11:44:18.

[sceadugenga]

Thanks Sven, I enjoyed the meal at the Thai place, great ambience by the river and seriously cute waitresses but on the expensive side, 1300B? for three with draft Heineken.
Had a mix of Farang and Thai customers, upper middle class, no backpackers.  

[kandahar]

I recently tried the food at Coconuts on Jedyod road.  The place is located between the Cat Bar and the Siam corner restaurant.  My companions ordered different items from the varied menu.  Quite a few western style items are available.  I had the fish and chips, as well as the ceasar salad.  The fish was a large breaded fish-steak.  It is the best piece of fish I have had in Thailand.  The chips were surprisingly good; not the usual tiny french fries that are offered at so many CR restaurants/cafes.  My companions were pleased with their selections.  The prices are fair, in my opinion.  Our visit occurred in the early evening, prior to "party time" on Jedyod Rd.  The only detractor I found in my visit was blaring music from the sound system that seemed intent on informing passer-bys that a huge party was in progress inside.  There was no party; only a few people enjoying a meal but having to communicate in loud voices in order to be heard over the sound system.

I will give it another try sometime.  The food was too good to not give it another chance.  If the music is being played at that volume level again, that will be my last visit.  Maybe I should mention to the owner that the music is too loud but a person shouldn't have to tell an owner something like that.  The ambience should be well thought out and planned.  With that supposition in mind, I think the owner must prefer to allow that style of atmosphere to define his establishment.  Those choices will define his clientèle as well.

Edited by kandahar, 2010-05-02 11:33:46.

[sceadugenga]

Do they do lunch? What do you call a reasonable price? Explain yourself man....
The noise wouldn't bother me I'm deaf any way.

[kandahar]

sceadugenga, on 2010-05-02 12:11:48, said:

Do they do lunch? What do you call a reasonable price? Explain yourself man....
The noise wouldn't bother me I'm deaf any way.

Sooooo, you return from your little trip and you're just full of questions.  Well, let me try to help you out here.

I have no idea whether or not they serve lunch.  But I am hoping that you will find out that answer and post it here.

I used the word "fair" when referring to the prices.  Basically, for the quality and the size of the serving, it was a fair price.  But I don't recall the prices.  The wife says the fish and chips was 150 baht, the ceasar salad was 80 baht and the bangers and mash was 120 baht.  She has a pretty good memory for baht-related things.  I have to actually make a mental note to remember such things if I want to and my mental notebook didn't have any blank pages that night.

If you can get past the loud noise, or if it is a quieter time when you visit, I think you may well add the place to your list of favourites.  I would like to add it to my list but I really believe that the owner thinks that loud music contributes to the experience.  It may well do that for some.  I'm old and irritable and I don't need to be shouting to enjoy a conversation.  I was so impressed with the fish that I will be sorely disappointed if the loud music is standard fare there at that time of evening.  Later, it would make sense.  A bar full of people perhaps justifies turning up the volume.  A few quiet people enjoying an early evening meal doesn't qualify for such treatment.

As for how the place is decorated and laid out, it is pretty standard for that type of establishment in CR.  And don't go to asking me to expound on that.  I'm trying to do nothing today.

You know the parking situation on that street.  But we take the Phantom when we are going to areas like that.  A guy can always find a place to park a motorcycle.

Now, what did I leave out?  Oh, yeah.  Jubby's in-laws were nowhere to be seen.

Edited by kandahar, 2010-05-02 12:48:07.

[sceadugenga]

Back tomorrow.
Park at the Wang Come, 20 baht.

[lannaman]

kandahar, on 2010-05-02 11:31:45, said:

I recently tried the food at Coconuts on Jedyod road. The place is located between the Cat Bar and the Siam corner restaurant. My companions ordered different items from the varied menu. Quite a few western style items are available. I had the fish and chips, as well as the ceasar salad. The fish was a large breaded fish-steak. It is the best piece of fish I have had in Thailand. The chips were surprisingly good; not the usual tiny french fries that are offered at so many CR restaurants/cafes. My companions were pleased with their selections. The prices are fair, in my opinion. Our visit occurred in the early evening, prior to "party time" on Jedyod Rd. The only detractor I found in my visit was blaring music from the sound system that seemed intent on informing passer-bys that a huge party was in progress inside. There was no party; only a few people enjoying a meal but having to communicate in loud voices in order to be heard over the sound system.

I will give it another try sometime. The food was too good to not give it another chance. If the music is being played at that volume level again, that will be my last visit. Maybe I should mention to the owner that the music is too loud but a person shouldn't have to tell an owner something like that. The ambience should be well thought out and planned. With that supposition in mind, I think the owner must prefer to allow that style of atmosphere to define his establishment. Those choices will define his clientèle as well.

I don't usually frequent bars or eat farang food as I love Thai food too much, but I do go to that bar sometimes to watch sport, and I know from regulars that loud music is not the norm there.
Welcome back Scea, must have that coffee sometime.