English Breakfast Part #2

[PeteC]

The original thread got locked, so resurrecting this one.

Have things improved over there in HH since we talked about this last year? Any new ventures and recommendations?

Quite a few over here have failed over the past year, for one reason or another, mostly associated with divorce, low season blues or bad location.

Some bars here now serve an English breakfast all day and night long and that is it for food. Other than that, they are a "bar". Maybe an interesting idea for bar owners. With one of those things under your belt, one can drink beer all day and night long. Pete

[chelsea]

Have not seen the original post, but was in HH last week and had breakfast twice at Crawfords (they do 3 different sizes of breakfasts) all with proper sausages and decent bacon.
The larger of the 3 sizes has Cornflakes, Fruit Juice, Coffee (as much as you want), Eggs, Bacon, Sasuages, Fried Bread Toast, Black & White Pudding, Beans, Tomatoes & I think was priced at 225baht. The other ones are not so large and a bit cheaper in price.
One warning, do not attempt the largest of the choice unless you are starving as the portions are huge, but very very tasty.

[PeteC]

Have not seen the original post, but was in HH last week and had breakfast twice at Crawfords (they do 3 different sizes of breakfasts) all with proper sausages and decent bacon.
The larger of the 3 sizes has Cornflakes, Fruit Juice, Coffee (as much as you want), Eggs, Bacon, Sasuages, Fried Bread Toast, Black & White Pudding, Beans, Tomatoes & I think was priced at 225baht. The other ones are not so large and a bit cheaper in price.
One warning, do not attempt the largest of the choice unless you are starving as the portions are huge, but very very tasty.

That does seem to be a change for the better. If I recall last year's thread correctly, everyone was complaining that they could not find a good EB in HH. No good sausage, no Heinz beans, no black pudding etc. Pete

[chelsea]

Last year at this time, that particular bar was still under construction, but the guy who owns it also has another bar of the same name in Chan Am, which does eaqually good food.
I was also recommended another place called the Victoria which I never managed to find.

[DawnHRD]

I think the Victoria is on Petchkasem Rd, nearer to central Hua Hin than the Hot Pot. It's next door to another English bar. Never been to either, but have seen the English Breakfasts advertised on a chalkboard outside.

[Guess]

Last year at this time, that particular bar was still under construction, but the guy who owns it also has another bar of the same name in Chan Am, which does eaqually good food.
I was also recommended another place called the Victoria which I never managed to find.

Both the Crawford's have common ownership but the guy running the one in Hua Hin (Ken) only has the Hua Hin one to look after. That's enough work for one man I Think. It is indeed excellent like everyhing else he does.

The other one you mentioned Victoria is a friend of mine (Barry). He, like Ken takes great care to ensure that his produce is of the best standard available. It is where Dawn said up on Petchkasem south of the Satukurn Lights.

I think you met him briefly when you were here.

The trouble with doing breakfasts is that items needed are costly in Hua Hin. You need to use many suppliers as there is no single one that does the best of everything.

Then you have the problem of training staff. They have fried eggs in Thailand but cook them completely diffferently and keep reverting to the Thai way as a force of habit. You just can not get English style Heinz Beans although there are good alternatives but they are generally expensive.

After you have crossed all those hurdles you have to sell it all at competetive prices leaving you virtually no profit margin.

It is not surprising really that there are very few people doing it.

[chelsea]

Sorry Guess, I was under the impression that Ken run both of the bars.

Somebody else tried to explain to me where the Victoria was, but never had any luck finding it, will try harder to find it next time that I am over.

I can imagine that it is difficult to get the quality of products to produce a good english breakfast, but must admit that they must have found a good supplier as there was nothing wrong with the quality of what I had there.

To get a breakfast here in Perth of the same quality as the one I had in Crawfords, I would be paying two or three times the price I paid there.
It is not something that you would want to eat every day, but is a perfect cure for a hard night on the drink.

[JW]

I enjoy breakfasts at both Crawfords and Victoria, both really good, Victoria edges it on value, but Crawfords is a nicer place so its down to the individual. Unfortunaetly off the english breakfasts for a month as i have had to go out a notch on the old belt!

[Gutte]

Guess I'm swearing in church, but I just had a horrible thought: What if the reason it is difficult to find a Good English Breakfast is that it is actually a contradiction-in-terms?

[Kraka's Dad]

Guess I'm swearing in church, but I just had a horrible thought: What if the reason it is difficult to find a Good English Breakfast is that it is actually a contradiction-in-terms?

You are talking through your rear end Gutte!
A G E B is the best !!
So what would you call a good breakfast Gutte ??

[PeteC]

Guess I'm swearing in church, but I just had a horrible thought: What if the reason it is difficult to find a Good English Breakfast is that it is actually a contradiction-in-terms?

You are talking through your rear end Gutte!
A G E B is the best !!
So what would you call a good breakfast Gutte ??:cheers:

I have to agree. Even being a Yank, the things they call American breakfasts (worldwide) are crap. I think it's just the cheapest thing hotels/restaurants can offer, so they offer it to make Western tourists feel at home.

There are some things you can get in the States at places like Denny's which in size, is comparable to an EB, but not in content. Something like 3 eggs, sausage, bacon, pancakes, fruit...all on the same plate so your pancake syrup runs all over everything. They are good though but not the same as an EB.

The first EB I had in my life was at the Hilton Mews in London years ago. It was small though and "proper" for that hotel. The best has been here at a place called the Elephant Bar/Restaurant, and their 300 Baht version is indeed huge and hard to finish, even if you haven't eaten the day before.

Very satisfying though given the different components, and I think that is the key. An EB would be my choice for the best Western style breakfast on the planet. Pete

PS: They also give you tea but I've never asked which is not a real tea bag with string, but a very large bag that floats/sinks in the cup. It's good tea, I have to ask. Pete

[hollygolightly1]

Guess I'm swearing in church, but I just had a horrible thought: What if the reason it is difficult to find a Good English Breakfast is that it is actually a contradiction-in-terms?

You are talking through your rear end Gutte!
A G E B is the best !!
So what would you call a good breakfast Gutte ??

I think the best breakfast is the one that is brought to you in bed... a big stack of American pancakes with blueberries and maple syrup or scrambled eggs and smoked salmon on toast... toast with marmalade..pain au chocolat, croissants... pot of tea (not bloody Liptons) and never before ten o'clock in the morning!

[Jaime]

I agree with Pete but must add that MEAT is the key to the satisfying nature of the Great British Breakfast. Nothing can beat the rush of a dead animal passing over one's gullet. The better the quality of the meat, the better the breakfast. I like proper sausages (i.e. not made of pigs lips or arseholes) and I like my black pudding fried so it's crispy - like a three day old scab on the knee. Egg must be runny, topped with white pepper and salt and on toast but on the same plate as the rest. Beans and fried tomatoes are great with fried bread. Sauce must be brown - HP or Daddies - for the bacon and black pud. Tomato ketchup is for small children and shandy drinkers. Occasionally I find that mustard is required for the sausages but it must be English - again, any other type of mustard is for shandy drinkers. Any fat, sauce, juice or egg yolk left on the plate must be mopped up with fried bread. If you have eaten all your bread you must ask for some bread and butter for 'dips.' If they won't make you any bread and butter it's not a proper breakfast caf but you may lick the plate to ensure that nothing is wasted. Tea must be in a mug and strong. If there is too much milk it won't cut through the fat on your tongue and teeth. The fat must be diluted by tea so as not to affect the enjoyment of the beer to follow.

And Pete, there are also regional variations on the breakfast but I doubt you can get them in LoS. The Welsh version adds fried cockles and laverbread (a sticky seaweed mush somewhat like chopped spinach but thicker) which is rolled in oatmeal and fried into crisp patties. The cockles and patties must be fried in proper bacon fat. They go great with the bacon. I am sure some Scots or Irish members will be able to enlighten us on their local version.

[caller]

Or even the English - with bubble & squeak! Or sadly, chips!!

[Jaime]

Ah yes, how could I forget? Bubble and squeak is one of my favourites. The ultimate bubble and squeak is of course made from the left over Christmas dinner, including bits of stuffing and scraps of meat etc. Again brown sauce is the perfect condiment for bubble and squeak. However, I don't think re-using leftovers is a distinctly English feature of cooking, although the rhyming slang term for Greeks named after it obviously is!