Food for man and his beast

[hhfarang]

Yes, that business is hard, but what I've noticed at a lot of restaurants over the last six months is that the prices have gone up in a lot of my favorite places by from 5 to 20% and/or the portion sizes have gone down by those same percentages. As always, it's getting more and more expensive, and closer to home country prices to live and eat here in Hua Hin.

No names, but my favorite dish at one long time European and Thai restaurant went from 90 baht to 130 baht overnight a couple of months ago. A favorite dish at another place went up minimally on the prices of some dishes, but cut the amount of the more expensive imported ingredients in other dishes by half making them no longer have the same taste and not worth ordering. I'd rather they have left the dish alone and gone up in price in this instance. Yet another place simply downsized one of the meals I liked the most by about 15% reducing all ingredients and the size of the container it is served in. Another of my long time favorites increased the price of my favorite meal there from 299 baht to 335 baht between our last two visits.

I guess they think most people don't notice these things but I pick where I eat by judging value for money and I suspect others do as well. I understand that over time inflation causes restaurants to have to raise their prices but sudden jumps by 12 to 20% between visits shock a bit.

These are all pre-flood price increases by the way.

[dtaai-maai]

I guess they think most people don't notice these things but I pick where I eat by judging value for money and I suspect others do as well.

Nope, hhf, I just read your posts and follow you around!

[GLCQuantum]

^^



Gave me a giggle thanks for that!

[dtaai-maai]

You're most welcome.

Although the above is not the whole truth (I don't want hhf to start looking over his shoulder as he drives up soi 94), we have been 'lunching' much more frequently in the last few months, and this forum has been an invaluable guide.

HHF - did you start this thread? Man and his beast?

[margaretcarnes]

Hi Farang - I'm having trouble getting my bearings on that map, because I thought Soi 88 ran east to west? Or is the Soi 88 ext a right turn off the main Soi? So just to get things straight - is Soi 94 best accessed by hopping a motorbike from town and going along the railway road?

[dtaai-maai]

Soi 88 does run east to west, margaret, though it wiggles a lot!

Soi 88 is a right turn off Petchkasem well before the Catholic school. Once you cross over the railway line it swings 90 degrees right (past the Minifarm shop and restaurant) then left again up to Naab Thong.
Farang's map seems to show soi 88 'extension', so presumably when it turns right after the railway line, a soi 88(a) goes left towards 94.

At the moment the best way to soi 94 from town is south past the railway station, right across the track, then left onto soi 88(a?), as I think the only u-turn is now under the flyover.

Does that help...?

[moja]

Once over the railway crossing Soi 88 splits one half going to the right and past Mini Farm the other half going straight ahead and this part eventually joins Soi 94. I think the place HHF is referring to is on the part of Soi 88 that goes straight ahead. I believe this road was the original Soi 88 and the part that goes off to the right was for access to Chom Dong Villa and after that it was just a dirt road - things have changed somewhat over the last few years.

[Farang]

Mags, I'm sorry for the original, unclear map. In it, for the want of any other name, I called the street soi 88 extension for the want of better name. Here's the map in a bit larger scale:

[margaretcarnes]

Yes thats great Farang thanks - I see the problem with Soi 88 now! Doesn't help either that I'd mistaken Petkasem for the railway on map 1.....women and maps eh?

[Homer]

I would add the Indian place, I think S&S, (near the W on the map!) very good Indian food, and are very friendly staff.

India has 28 states and their immigrants have spread around the world. I don't know what 'Indian food' is, just what it is called in a few countries that are not India.

Just returned from Malaysia and Singapore which the guide books say have mostly southern Indian food. Except for the bread, the food at S&S bore little resemblance to the Indian food in Malaysia or S'pore. Ditto for Indian food in America. Compared to both those, the Indian food at S&S is nothing more than a sauce for dipping naan. Is it safe to say that S&S serves what non Indian people from England call Indian food?

[dtaai-maai]

The same could be said of Chinese, Thai, Mexican and umpteen other national cuisines that have a number of regional specialities. Of course it's an Indian restaurant, but you can give it a regional sub-category if you like, as many Indian restaurants do themselves. The 'Thank you' restaurant in the new mall does this (northern?) , and I think S&S might, though not sure.

[STEVE G]

Is it safe to say that S&S serves what non Indian people from England call Indian food?

It's much different I'm afraid; English "Indian" food is a fiery mix invented somewhere between Pakistan and Birmingham that blows your head off and was invented to give people something to eat late at night in the days when pubs closed at 23.00 and tastebuds were already dulled by the heavy consumption of the nasty keg bitter that they used to sell in those times.

[sateeb]

I have now taken 2 British Indian food lovers to S&S and both have said that it's the best Indian food they have had here by a mile.

By the way,the place next door sells some great bread at knockout prices.

I have no business interests or friendship with either establishment.


English "Indian" food is a fiery mix invented somewhere between Pakistan and Birmingham that blows your head off and was invented to give people something to eat late at night in the days when pubs closed at 23.00

Steve G...That could be said about Indian food 30 years ago..A bit unfair to maintain the stereotypical image of folk only going for a "Ruby Murray" after a night on the piss,something I did many many many times,when you had to show off that you could stomach a fiery Vindaloo. I think we've moved on since those " A Flock of Seagulls" big hair days.

[STEVE G]

Steve G...That could be said about Indian food 30 years ago..A bit unfair to maintain the stereotypical image of folk only going for a "Ruby Murray" after a night on the piss,something I did many many many times,when you had to show off that you could stomach a fiery Vindaloo.

Yes, some twenty years ago in England I was a big fan of "Indian" food but I rarely eat it now as I've found that what they sell as "Indian" in many parts of the world is rather bland in comparison. I think it does obviously depend a lot on where the people running the restaurant come from. The vast majority of restaurants I used to use around Nottingham were Pakistani whereas here in Luxembourg they're generally Nepalese. I don't know where the people running "Indian" restaurants in Hua Hin originate from although I know that many of the tailors are Nepalese.
I like a curry to be quite dry with a lot of vegetables in it but I find in most places it consists of justs lumps of meat in a runny sauce.

[sateeb]

The lady at S&S is indeed Nepalese