When Picking a Place to Eat

[TotallyOz]

Many of us eat out every day at least once. Some eat out for every meal. I am going to cook a home cooked dinner for a friend in Pattaya who always cooks me great food. It got me to thinking that the BF and I really eat out 3 meals every day when I am in Thailand. I can't even think of the last time I cooked a real meal. I am a good cook. I just prefer the option to eat out often.

 

When you eat out, what are the important factors that you consider when in Land of Smiles?

[Moses]

There are 2 "cost" in poll

[Guest luvthai]

I am not a breakfast person so tea and toast is enough to carry me to lunch time. I usually eat fast food for lunch as I am out and about but If I am at the beach then a selection of fruits (and not the two legged kind) will do. For dinner I eat out 3 or 4 times a week but will fix a meal at home for the other days. A nice steak with vegetables and rolls is nice.

The tea and toast also may end up being a mid night snack as well or if walking by the hamburger ladies stand on the way home a hamburger might find its way back to the room.

I do not eat thai food at all.

[Guest lvdkeyes]

For me the purpose of going out to a restaurant is to get good food, so, naturally, I voted for cuisine. I also take cost into consideration, but it really is all about the food.

[Guest beachlover]

Totally depends what kind of meal it is.

 

1. Takeaway or grabbing a bite to eat - Cuisine and cost

 

2. Sitting down to a meal, and perhaps going to spend some time reading or doing stuff on the laptop - Atmosphere is probably the most important. That and a decent sized table so there's room to put stuff. Not too noisy and nice view is also nice.

 

3. Bite with friends - Cuisine and cost

 

4. Taking someone out and want to them to have a great time - Cuisine and atmosphere.

 

I'm a breakfast person so a delicious, filling breakfast is important to me.

[Guest fountainhall]

I have not voted, only because, like others, there is rarely one determining factor. Generally I will opt firstly for cuisine, then in joint second location and atmosphere. There's no point having to troll out to the edge of the city just for atmosphere when there are probably dozens of restaurants closer at hand that will be virtually as good.

 

The only time I have gone for cuisine above all else was a couple of lunches at the Normandie when the Oriental, as it then was, had guest chefs from European restaurants with 3 Michelin stars. Dinner cost an arm and a leg, but the fixed price lunches were wonderful and affordable (at least they were about 5 years ago). And at the Normandie you know the location and atmosphere are stunning.

[Gaybutton]

When you eat out, what are the important factors that you consider when in Land of Smiles?

Whether the restaurant is open . . .

[Guest Astrrro]

For me it is value defined as the the numerator being the overall experince and the denominator the cost.

 

Overall experience includes the food, ambiance, and how easy it is to get there. Great ambiance is not the same as fancy but rather comfort, freindliness of staff, and some X factor I can't explain.

[Guest fountainhall]

Whether the restaurant is open . . .

Ha! On the topic of preferences, that reminds me of a time when I was standing in line to buy tickets at the lovely old theatre in my home town. Ahead of me was a little old lady who had clearly not been to a theatre before. Telling the ticket clerk which show she'd like to see, the clerk asked his usual question: "Which part of the theatre would you like?" This clearly confused the old dear who took some time whilst she thought about it. Finally, she leaned across and said: "I'd like the inside, please!"

 

Sorry, this is slightly off thread, but I think not of sufficient substance to open a new one.

[Guest travelerjim]

 

Sorry, this is slightly off thread, but I think not

of sufficient substance to open a new one.

 

fh,

 

That's ONE strike! OFF TOPIC

get TWO strikes in a day and you are banished to

YaYa's for 24 hours...NO posting, NO reading,

Just getting remedial therapy from the Staff Doctor and Nurse.

 

tj

[PattayaMale]

I like to try different places, ONCE. If the experience has been good, meaning food quality, service, atmosphere (like in no smoking?), I usually go back and will suggest it to friends.

 

If the quality is not so good and the price high for the quality, I could care less about how many crystal glasses, or dancing "Brazilian" girls they have. If my experience is not good, I won't go back.

[Guest Patexpat]

The one option I find missing that would sum it up for me is VFM - Value For Money. I don't mind paying a couple of thousand baht IF the cuisine, ambiance and service warrants it (Casa Pascal is my favourite in this bracket). Equally I enjoy excellent fish and chips at The Village Chippy, or traditional roast at The Ritz for a couple of hundred baht or so. VFM - that's what's important to me!

[Guest fountainhall]

fh,

That's ONE strike! OFF TOPIC

get TWO strikes in a day and you are banished to

YaYa's for 24 hours...NO posting, NO reading,

Just getting remedial therapy from the Staff Doctor and Nurse.

tj

If that's a promise, then I'm going off topic on every post

 

Since YaYa's doctors and nurses will clearly have succumbed to my irresistible charms, will you come and rescue me after, say, a month? I'll be ready for some real icu treatment after that

 

I don't mind paying a couple of thousand baht IF the cuisine, ambiance and service warrants it . . . VFM - that's what's important to me!

Same with me, and I find the more expensive a meal, the more difficult it is to find VFM - unless you have prior experience of the restaurant. I have had some fine expensive meals destroyed by overloud amplified music. It's one of the things I check before I make a reservation. Loud music - cross it off the list.

[ChristianPFC]

I either ask my Thai friend where he wants to go eating or we go to a place where I've been before or we eat at the next place that crosses our way.

[Guest GaySacGuy]

When I go out to eat it is generally about the food. There are of course special dinners where the location and such would be more important, but it is normally about the food. Price would only really be a consideration as to how often you could afford to eat thereis the price was very high.