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Peter
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Some days in Bangkok my personal update
Had nearly every night a delightful dinner in ZANZIBAR Restaurant, Soi 11, good Italian food, also Thai. I can judge la cucina italiana quite well and TGs I took there said, Thai food was also allright (one told her friend on the mobile when we were sitting there: Yes, we are eating out BIG!).
A band plays from 2000 on good music and they have specially selected staff as for looks, standing in sexy outfit at the two entrances from Soi 11 to attract even more people.
Nice to look at and to chat with once you come alone.
Still, did not venture to ask one of these beauties what they were up to after the place closes in the night.
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 8:05 am on May 21, 2006
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PussyLover 69
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Report from Bangkok Post dated Tuesday 23 May 2006 :-
'Pepperoni' to spice up sales at Narai Hotel
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The Narai Hotel, on Silom Road in Bangkok, will spend 12 million baht on refurbishing and rebranding its Pizzeria restaurant with an aim to increase its Italian food revenue by 20% this year.
Narai Pizzeria will be closed for renovation on June 1, and the makeover is expected to be completed by September, a month prior to the high tourism season.
The menu at the rebranded 'Pepperoni' will offer a wider variety of Italian dishes than before, said Pichet Nithivasin, managing director of Narai Hotel.
The hotel decided to renovate the restaurant after hearing from customers that the 30-year-old Pizzeria was a little dated.
Narai was one of Bangkok's first pizzerias, and its popularity prompted the hotel to create a chain of the restaurants. It sold the chain to the J Press Group in 2002, but the hotel continued to run the original Pizzeria.
According to Mr Pichet, the hotel this year would spend a total of 40 million baht to renovate various areas of its 469- room Narai Hotel. It finished renovating the third and 12th floors in January, and for the remainder of the year, besides the restaurant, it will spend another 12 million baht on 46 rooms on the ninth floor.
Mr Pichet said the Pizzeria had contributed satisfying revenue to the hotel for the past year, growing by 16% to more than nine million baht.
Surath Pachoo, the hotel's general manager, said the food and beverage business accounted for 50% of the hotel's revenue.
Narai Hotel Co, which runs two adjacent hotel properties, Narai and Triple Two, operates four key food outlets: Rabiangthong, Laksmi Thai Suki, Triple Two and Pepperoni.
The Rabiangthong restaurant contributes 50% of all F&B revenue, followed by Triple Two at 20%, Laksmi Suki 15% and Pepperoni 15%.
The hotel is considering renovating Rabiangthong next year, Mr Surath said.
The company's revenue last year totalled 400 million baht. With average occupancy of 77%, Mr Pichet said he was expecting 10% revenue growth this year.
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Bangkok Women : Meet Sensual Bangkok Women
Posted on: 10:31 pm on May 22, 2006
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MickTheKick
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Here my two Satang for excellent Italian Dining:
La Villa, Soi Thonglor, Subsoi 9 (new restaurant)
Large stylish restaurant with several in and outdoor areas and perfect original Italian kitchen only, not cheap, but ok value for money, reasonable wine prices and good selection, large parking area. Say hello to owner Roberto...
Antonio's Trattoria, Soi Sawasdee (a subsoi connecting Sukhumvit Soi 23 and 31, right next to the large Silom Village Restaurant)
Quite small but very cozy 2 storey restaurant with perfect original Italian kitchen only, good value for money. Most of the meat and fish imported from Australia and NZ. Say hello to owner Tony...
Specialty: Ravioli filled with Porcini mushroom in a truffle oil cream sauce - something to write home about... 
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 10:50 pm on May 22, 2006
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PussyLover 69
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Report from The Nation dated Tuesday 23 May 2006 :-
The Pizzeria tosses its image, goes Italian
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The Narai Hotel on Silom Road yesterday announced a Bt40-million renovation, including a rebranding and new business model for its in-house pizza restaurant, The Pizzeria, bringing to an end the 30-year-old, pioneering pizza name in Bangkok.
The Pizzeria, which was launched in 1968 and spawned the Narai Pizzeria chain, will soon be known as Peperoni the Italian restaurant.
The Pizzeria's overhaul was spurred by the sale of the Narai Pizzeria chain, including the brand name and recipes, to the J Press Group in 2002. The sales contract mandated that the original pizzeria change its name and culinary bent. The J Press Group runs 16 Narai Pizzerias in prime locations around Bangkok and recently introduced home delivery of Italian food.
The Bt12-million renovation, which includes adding an outdoor terrace, will begin next month, when the restaurant will close, then reopen in September in its new incarnation.
Narai Hotel Co Ltd managing director Pichet Nithivasin said he hoped Peperoni would be able to attract bigger spenders willing to part with Bt230 to Bt350 a person. "We'll modernise our three-star hotel to cope with tougher competition, particularly in the Rama I and Sukhumvit areas, where there are more than 10 hotels," said Pichet. "This year's renovation, which will focus on guestrooms, will modernise the Narai Hotel and move it very close to the four-star level."
The renovation of the 12-floor, 469-room hotel will be conducted gradually floor by floor. Pichet said the upgrades were in response to changing demand by guests, of whom about 70 per cent come from Finland, Germany and the Netherlands. More than Bt40 million will be spent this year on renovations.
Pichet said the 38-year-old Narai Hotel would differentiate itself from its nearby sister hotel, The Triple Two, a four-star 75-room hotel that mostly serves business travellers. The Narai Hotel itself will target visitors coming to Thailand for leisure.
"Along with the renovation, we raised the room price for our the Narai Hotel 10 per cent last November. The current room price is now Bt2,200 per night for a standard room and up to Bt7,000 for the Narai Suite," said Pichet. He added that the hotel ran at 88-per-cent occupancy in the first quarter. The average occupancy throughout the year is about 77 per cent, thanks to its prime location in one of the business centres of Bangkok and its strong base of returning visitors.
The Narai Hotel owns a 120-rai plot of land in Pran Buri district of Prachuap Khiri Khan that the company hopes eventually to develop into a resort hotel complex, at a cost of Bt400 million to Bt1 billion. The hotel, however, has no immediate plans to invest in the Pran Buri project, which will yield returns only in the long term.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Sexy Bangkok Girls
Posted on: 12:01 am on May 23, 2006
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PussyLover 69
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Report from Bangkok Post dated Monday 29 2006 :-
Papa John's targets Bangkok debut
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Papa John's, one of the world's largest pizza companies, is looking to debut in Bangkok as part of a global expansion plan to double its outlet total to 6,000 over the next five years.
The company considers Thailand a strategic location to help accelerate expansion in Asia, according to Mike Stout, director of international business development at Papa John's International Inc.
The company sees huge market potential for the pizza business in Thailand, he said, citing statistics from the United States Commercial Services in Bangkok showing that the franchised food business in Thailand was showing strong growth of about 30% per year.
Sales of Papa John's in Asia also grew by 30% when compared to its average growth of 13% in the international market, and only 6% in the United States.
During his second visit to Thailand last week, Mr Stout met with various restaurant chains and snack manufacturers to discuss the Papa John's master franchise.
Papa John's is also actively pursuing growth opportunities in other Asia-Pacific markets such as Taiwan, Philippines, New Zealand and Australia.
Mr Stout expects to close a business deal with a Thai partner this year and aims to open the first Papa John's restaurant in Bangkok next year.
Papa John's will come in two formats: delivery kiosks and restaurants.
For investors interested in taking on the Papa John's master franchise, the company will charge US$300,000 for a partnership agreement.
The Thai pizza market is very competitive, with two major brands - Yum! restaurants' Pizza Hut, and Minor International Plc's The Pizza Company - dominating the market with a combined 230 outlets nationwide.
The world's second largest pizza chain, Domino's Pizza, withdrew its operations from Thailand several years ago.
Mr Stout believed that there was still market demand for premium-quality pizzas at competitive prices. The company has found that consumers are willing to spend a little more for a great pizza.
He commented that the reason why Domino's terminated its business in Thailand could have been because it could not find the right partner. Also, Domino's only offered delivery service, which did not fit with current consumer demand.
"We have proved in the US and other international markets that we can compete on quality, avoid major discounting and provide an alternative to the competition," he said.
Peerapong Kitiveshpokawat, president of the Franchise and Thai SMEs Business Association, said the pizza business was the fourth most popular fast-food choice for Thai consumers. But there was still potential because the market size was as big as four billion baht per year. Also, the number of franchised fast-food outlets in Thailand doubled to 20,000 last year.
"Apart from food taste and strong distribution channels, teamwork and strong investment are key factors in making a pizza brand stand out in the market in the long term," said Mr Peerapong.
Papa John's expanded its pizza business to Asia two years ago. It now has 39 Asian outlets in total. Of this figure, 30 are in China, eight in South Korea and one in New Deli. It plans to establish 10 new outlets in China, six in South Korea and four in India by the end of this year.
Within the next five years, the total number of Papa John's outlets will rise to 250 in China, 80 in South Korea, 300 in India, 50 in Malaysia, 20 in Singapore and 75 in Thailand.
Sales of Papa John's last year totalled US$2 billion. It expects to have 6,000 outlets worldwide within five years, up from 3,038 as of January this year.
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 8:42 pm on May 28, 2006
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nyc boy
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Just curious what does Papa John's pizza's have to do with Extremely Good Italian???
Papa John's is fast food pizza (yes I do know that their ingredients are fresher -- I have seen the commericals since I was in High School) with a nice garlic dressing/dipping sauce for the crust... and for 300,000 US or around 11 million baht... is quite expensive to bring in a franchise... good luck to them...
but back to topic... I like Calderazzo in Langsuan, even though the owner is australian but his heritage is Italian
excellent food and the ambience of the place is great...
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Bangkok Women : Meet Beautiful Thai Girls
Posted on: 8:59 pm on May 28, 2006
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PussyLover 69
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Report from Bangkok Post dated Friday 13 July 2006 :-
Bangkok goes IThai-lian
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Pizza and pasta prove popular with Thais. 'Easy-going' Italian food is now one of the capital city's favourite foreign cuisines.
With Italian restaurants on almost every corner in Bangkok, the popularity of the Mediterranean country's cuisine among Thais needs no further proof. In fact, food experts say Italian is one of the country's favourite foreign cuisines.
Other favourites include Japanese and Korean cuisines, which have Asian tastes.
But Italian ranks top among western cuisines.
Chanchana Siripanwattana, head of Rajabhat Suan Dusit University's food science and technology programme, said Thais have long been familiar with the tastes of Italian cuisine, particularly dishes that uses lots of tomatoes and herbs.
"For many, spaghetti is just a kind of noodle that we know so well," she said.
Besides, unlike other Western foods which require the use of confusing cutlery, Italian cuisine is attractive for its "easy-going" nature, she said.
"We can eat [food such as pizzas] with our bare hands, for instance. With Italian food, we don't have to remember the eating tools - all those forks and knives - that we are not so accustomed to," she said.
Japanese food, which is also popular, can sometimes be too complicated, particularly dishes made with raw fish which require sharp knives and cutting skills.
Most Italian cuisine is easy to make at home, she said.
"Anyone can make it. Just boil the spaghetti and prepare the sauces, which are mostly uncomplicated," she said.
Ms Chanchana noted that franchise pizza restaurants with delivery services help make Italian food even more familiar to Thais.
Naruemon Nantaragsa, also of Rajabhat Suan Dusit University, said she believes that those who are fond of authentic Italian cuisine are limited basically to people who have been to Italy or abroad to experience this type of food.
"Food is also about learning. Sometimes, we have to learn to like it. Not everybody likes it. Apart from those who are adventurous with food and like to experience new tastes, many people do not like it the first time they have it," she said.
Like other foreign cuisines that are available here, Ms Naruemon said, much Italian food is localised and that makes Thais like it even better.
"Basically, Thais adapt a lot when we have it. We have spaghetti with pla khem, which is the Thai version of anchovy. We use chillies and basil in our kitchens and, of course, less cheese and cream," she said.
Locally-made pizzas are different from authentic Italian ones which have thin crusts, she said, adding that many people stay loyal to franchise pizzas and do not like the original charcoal grilled ones.
More importantly, the lecturer noted that people in different age groups have different tastes.
"It is quite obvious that younger people are attracted more to pizzas while the older ones may like pasta or other dishes," she said.
Ms Chanchana agreed, adding: "It is likely that those who like pizzas when they are young will expand their interest to other dishes when they grow up.'
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 1:28 am on July 13, 2007
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PussyLover 69
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Report from Bangkok Post dated Friday 13 July 2006 :-
Pasta 54 : A Taste of Italy - Small restaurant in Thong Lor area serves up classic Mediterranean dishes in a private, home-like atmosphere where its loyal customers can meet, dine and talk with friends
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The small sign saying ''Pasta 54'', a few minutes' drive into the middle of Soi Thong Lor 25, tells visitors they are on the right way to the Italian restaurant they are looking for. Yet the orange iron gate that is always shut and the sign saying ''Please ring the bell'' gives many the feeling that they are about to enter a private home.
''We want our place to be like those countryside homes in Italy, where the owners live and also run a small food shop for the passers-by. We hope our guests will enjoy this private, home-like atmosphere,'' said Mallika Margherita, the owner of Pasta 54.
Fifty-four is the house number and the place belonged to Ms Mallika's parents _ the late Luigi Margherita, an Italian doctor who came to work in Thailand, and her mother Charavee.
The gate of Pasta 54 with a sign saying "Please ring the bell".
Mallika Margherita: "We want our place to be like those countryside homes in Italy, where the owners live and also run a small food shop for the passers-by."
When Dr Luigi retired four years ago, the family turned the house's two garages into a small restaurant. Ms Mallika's mother kept it open when her husband died.
Ms Mallika took care of the design and decorations. The roof is painted red, white and green _ the colours of the Italian flag. Most decorative items are in bright colours _ yellow, green and orange _ with an Italian touch.
The paintings on the walls as well as the background music all come from Italy.
''The paintings come from my father's collections. Although he was a doctor, he was also an art lover. The Italian songs playing are also from Naples. I buy the CDs when I visit my father's tomb every year,'' said Ms Mallika.
The menu, she said, consists of dishes from the southern part of Italy _ all regularly found on her family's dining table. The original recipes came from her grandmother, a native of Naples in southern Italy.
Two customers enjoy the food in the private, home-like atmosphere.
''In the first year of their marriage, Mum and Dad went and stayed in Italy for six or seven months. During that time, she studied the Italian language and learned Italian cooking from my grandma. Years later, whenever we visited grandma, mum learned more cooking secrets from her,'' said Ms Mallika.
Her mother also passed on the Italian recipes to the two housemaids, Wan Pativej and her older sister, Da, who have been with the family for more than three decades. The two housemaids became the chefs at Pasta 54.
''Pi [Sister] Wan has been with us since I was born. Pi Da came when I was three years old. They've been with us since they were single, and then they got married and had children. Now there are 12 people in our house and we live like a family,'' said Ms Mallika, who works for a private firm.
Ms Wan, 45, gave her madam credit for teaching her the secrets of Italian cooking.
''We followed Madam's instructions at first, and now we can cook on our own,'' she said.
Southern Italian cuisine is rather spicy. It uses a lot of herbs and spices, especially garlic, which is found in every dish in Pasta 54.
The restaurant's signature dishes include spaghetti with garlic, olive oil, chilli and bacon, spaghetti Pasta 54, spaghetti with special tomato sauce, spaghetti vongole, lasagna with meat sauce, lasagna pesto, pork chop, tuna salad, caesar salad, and fried Italian sausages.
The dishes cost around 120 to 160 baht each.
Many customers return after the first visit. What attracts them is not only the taste of the food, but also the restaurant's home-like atmosphere.
''Most of our clients are friends, or friends of friends, who know our place by word of mouth. Celebrities and actresses come sometimes. They like the privacy here,'' said Ms Mallika.
Group customers should make advance orders for certain specialities as walk-in guests will find only basic dishes on the menu.
The specialities, like chicken with black olives, are served for groups of eight to 10. This is because the restaurant only stocks basic ingredients.
The chefs purchase special ingredients only when special orders come in.
Since the restaurant is also a home where the owners live, every guest must ring the bell at the front door before entering.
Most of the time, guests will be left in private after the food is delivered. They ring a remote bell whenever they want to make an additional order.
The restaurant has two small rooms with nine tables, and can accommodate about 24 people. It is open from 11am to 9pm daily.
But not everyone has been able to find the restaurant, as the winding soi and the small signs can be too difficult for those unfamiliar with the route. ''Some got lost in the soi and gave up searching for our place,'' Ms Mallika said.
There is also a delivery service if customers request it. The delivery man is a taxi motorcyclist who was once a driver for Ms Mallika's late father.
''We pay him 60 baht for each trip. The customers pay for the rest, depending on the distance,'' she said.
Some orders are from places as far away as Lat Phrao and Charan Sanitwong on the Thon Buri side of the river.
''As long as they [the customers] agree to pay for the transport, we have no problem delivering the food,'' said Ms Mallika.
Although Pasta 54 is not yet widely known to the general public, Ms Mallika says she is happy.
''The restaurant is not our main source of income, but we're happy doing it because here is a place where friends can meet, dine and talk together,'' she said.
To see photos go to :-
http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/13Jul2007_news30.php
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Thai Girls : Meet Active Thai Girls
Posted on: 1:34 am on July 13, 2007
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ThaidUp
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Things for PussyLover to add to his To Do List....
> Make note to self the year is now 2007 for six months now, make sure my copied newsreport have the correct year.
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 4:21 am on July 13, 2007
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apollo
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Oh PL69 just forgot to post it last year July 13 and had to wait a whole year for the right date. Better late than never!
Cheers!
Ap.-
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 6:50 pm on July 13, 2007
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