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Deep File
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I'm doubtless too hard on the guy... it just seems like the place could be quite a bit better without a lot of effort. Case in point is the wine list, which sucks... there are plenty of lower end Oz labels in the market, but TL doesn't carry any of them. Last week I ordered the Margaret River Red, but they were "out of stock". I then ordered the cheap shiraz, which was also "out of stock". At that point I walked to Villa for two bottles, and we drank my BYOB.
With so much highly visible "management" around the place, I would expect the wine list to be better chosen... in my view the "steakhouse" approach demands a decent list with some depth. I would also expect that someone would monitor inventory and reorder before stocks are depleted... with such a limited list, this cannot be a big challenge.
The cocktails are also lousy... despite changing bartenders, this part of the operation has never been right. I realize most customers don't order cocktails, but a place calling itself a "Bar & Grill" should be able to turn out a drinkable margarita...
I like the location... I like the owner... and I like the idea of the place. But every time I visit, there are ragged patches that don't need to be there...
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 9:53 pm on June 23, 2006
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jonstroud2001
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Quote: from jack attack on 12:24 pm on June 9, 2006
I suspect if you were a cattle farmer with good butchering skills etc. it would be better to do everything yourself, but is it too much to ask to ask an expat butcher in one of the upmarket stores in town for a good cut of meat? Follow up by buying some fresh potatoes and vegetables. Choose a good wine (choices are improving at most Bangkok stores) or beer or whatever you happen to like.
I agree there's no point in going to all this trouble if you are not a good cook or have no facilities, but if you can cook, the result should be very rewarding. It must beat the alternative.
There are no good steakhouses in Bangkok. Period. Not only can't they cut and cook the steak well, but they cut far too many corners with the potatoes. And while the wine lists may offer a large number of choices, invariably they will nearly all be mediocre because the predominantly Chinese-Thai clientelle don't know the difference between good wine and plonk.
You have a choice: dine out at an overpriced joint in town that offers a piece of defrosted, imported meat with a ghastly aftertaste and a side dish that was taken out of a catering supplier's plastic bag and either deep fried or microwaved...
or you can do the job properly at home, getting the portions and everything just the way you like it for a fraction of the cost and a lot more satisfaction.
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Bangkok Women : Meet Sensual Bangkok Women
Posted on: 1:52 am on June 29, 2006
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jack attack
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I guess good taste is in the mouth of the beholder. Some pretty grand generalisations of certain groups. Strange, but I have met many that hold substantial private stocks of French, Italian, US and Oz wines of very high caliber.
I am curious to learn tho; isn't all imported beef frozen? And if so, what does this mean or what affect will it have when you buy it, bag it and burn it yourself?
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 4:15 am on June 29, 2006
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Deep File
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I am reluctant to take issue with a poster that plainly has strong convictions... but steakhouses and home barbeque are apples and oranges. I do both with some frequency, and enjoy both approaches. A fresh Thai-French steak from a retailer like Villa Market, when grilled to personal taste and married with sides of choice, is a spendid meal... though there will always be some individual variance in each steak, depending on where exactly it came from on the animal, how long it has been in package, etc.
Many Bangkok restaurants that do not pretend to be "Steakhouses" serve this same Thai-French beef (often sourced at Villa) and the results are often very satisfactory. Several Bangkok restaurants that define themselves as "Steakhouses" also serve this beef, with equally satisfactory results. In my view there are situations (both business and personal) where the home bbq is simply not an option.... but I would not argue that this is budget dependent.
The quality of the raw material is critical, of course... the origin of the meat, the treatment of the animal before slaughter and how it is preserved between slaughter and market as well as between market and preparation. There is a great deal of variability in these factors, so that results may not be consistent even if one is working exclusively with beef that originates in the same place.
Origin: beef is available in Bangkok (mainly) from Thailand, Japan, the U.S, Argentina and Australia. I personally have found that origin is less important than other factors... although genuine Kobe beef is clearly in a class of its own.
Treatment: the product can be fresh, frozen, air dried, chilled... or combinations of these. All imported beef is definitely not frozen... several venues feature air-cured meat that arrives via air cargo without exposure to a freezer, or chilled beef that arrives packaged with dry ice but unfrozen.
The product can also be aged.... arguably this has the most dramatic impact on flavor and tenderness... but it is essential that this process be correctly controlled... temperature and humidity, time, and final trimming of the aged beef before serving are all critical. In general the French are more likely to understand this process, and they do not suffer from any cultural taboos related to a bit of green rind on a cut of beef that must be trimmed. (Excellent local examples are Indigo on Convent and Philippe on Suk 39). This approach can also be employed at home, with a bit of extra trouble... and is well worth it (at least to my taste).
Bottom line.... home bbq is an excellent option (particularly if one ages the meat) but I have not found that "defrosted, imported meat with a ghastly aftertaste and a side dish that was taken out of a catering supplier's plastic bag and either deep fried or microwaved... " is the only other option in Bangkok.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Sexy Bangkok Girls
Posted on: 9:27 am on July 6, 2006
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jack attack
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DF,
Thanks for the details and as always, you are a gentleman and a scholar not to mention an arbiter of good taste and decorum. 
This goes a long way in explaing why the US steaks presented at Neil's Tavern have stickers on the frozen meat from Albertson's!!! 
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 9:05 pm on July 6, 2006
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Deep File
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Another venue I would like to be able to recommend is Amapola, which opened on a sidesoi off Suk 49 recently. It's a villa with a great layout, an appealing front garden with overhead trellis, teak chais, and latin music in the evening. In back of the villa is a bar with sofa lounges near a small pool. The place has classy vibes, teak floors, good table spacing, (marble topped with no tablecloth), cotton napkins, clean stainless flatwear, split bamboo placemats, couth stemware, and chairs that are too straight with no arms but at least have cushioned seats. The owners/managers are Japanese... Yasutoshi Sakai is the GM's name. But I have reservations about the place... if you want to know why, read on.
The bread basket was average, the menu limited but showing good items.. pasta, salmon, salads, steaks (Kobe, U.S. and local). The wine list is small but workable... a bit spendy... Oxford Landing cab/shiraz goes for b1,600. The caesar salad was small, in a cramped bowl, and was constructed of iceberg lettuce with hard bacon bits, parma ham, and a soupy white dressing... edible but not remotely close to an authentic caesar.
The U.S. ribeye was thin and very large (a sure sign that it was one of the standard frozen imports that are available at Villa), but surprisingly good... cooked correctly, with some pink still showing despite the thickness problem, very tender and quite tasty... except that too much pepper had been applied during cooking... with a roast potato side and crinkle cut (frozen commercial) veggies.
The spicy sliced smoked salmon salad was very refreshing, with a flash of lemongrass, and the green spinach fettucini with pesto sauce was excellent... the house tiramisu was also very good.
Unfortunately a later visit did not confirm some of the first food impressions... the Thai French steak was tough (making its claimed identity suspect) and badly overcooked. Moreover it was coated with cracked black pepper (a la pepper steak), which was not mentioned on the menu. The house "Amapola salad" was an uninspired melange of sweet peppers, onion and tomato that can only be described as mediocre. The music on the PA system was far too loud for a venue pretending to be classy... and after the waitress turned it down for me, the manager turned it back up.
The place was utterly abandoned on a Saturday night, which bodes ill for their survival. Parking sucks... the tiny soi can only accomodate about two cars, so it's best to access by taxi. Another place I would like to like... but food quality is always the bottom line, and this venue does not deliver with enough consistency.
http://www.amapolabkk.com
11am-3pm & 6pm-11pm Daily
Tel: 2258-7077
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Bangkok Women : Meet Beautiful Thai Girls
Posted on: 2:15 am on July 9, 2006
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cris4700
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Wow, what a post on a thumbs down.... I went back to Tenderlions on suk 33 today for the all u can eat 295 baht barbq. No brainer every Sunday. Steak, chicken,pork chops sausages, salad etc.. I saw someone order the biggest darn burger I have seen since coming to Asia (235 baht) I;ll have to try that. I previously stated, the steaks I have ordered have been good value and tasty there when I am ordering on the menu.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 3:40 am on July 9, 2006
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jonstroud2001
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As duly noted by DF, not all imported beef is shipped to Thailand in a frozen state. You pay a premium for steaks that have been shipped chilled, especially if they have been aged properly.
Bearing that in mind mind, it's an absolute disgrace that establishments which charge top dollar for their steaks can't get it right. Even a defrosted steak shouldn't taste bad. Something has gone wrong at least once in the supply chain from abbatoir to diner's plate.
BTW, while barbecued steak can be an excellent meal, it is not the only option for someone who has given up on finding a decent steakhouse in town and would rather cook at home. You have at least as many options as any restaurant, imagination permitting.
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Thai Girls : Meet Active Thai Girls
Posted on: 11:27 pm on July 9, 2006
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Deep File
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Yes, it is confirmed... TL offers up the largest burger this side of North America. Those who equate large with good will have a difficult time doing better anywhere in Thailand. It's even edible... though nothing to walk across town for.
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 9:21 am on July 10, 2006
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jonstroud2001
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I wonder if the TL burger is as big as the one that used to be served by the White Rabbit/Woodstock. That monster consisted of a home-made bun that weighed about a pound, a beef patty that weighed at least as much, four sausages, a few rashers of bacon, a few slices of cheese, three or four fried eggs (can't remember which) and the usual salad. Chips/french fries served too. The whole thing weighed about four pounds - 1.8 kg.
I actually managed to finish one the last weekend the restaurant was open in NEP. Took me over two hours and I didn't have to eat again that day.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 2:54 am on July 11, 2006
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