Food/Cooking thread

[GreekStein]

Favourite restaurant- Hakkasan Hanway Place/Alize Las Vegas

Favourite chain restaurant- Hakkasan (don't think its what you were after but nvm)

Favourite cuisine- Asian (what a cop out)

Favourite friday night takeaway- Indian

Favourite lunchtime fast food- Nandos

Guilty Pleasure- Also Nandos

Death row order- Would take about a year to comeup with the answer, good thing you get about 15 on DR

Never been to Nandos, is it nice? Not a lover of chicken myself.

its terrible

[TightEnd]

Favourite restaurant- St John EC1. Haven't been for ages though, much missed corporate account lol
Favourite chain restaurant- kids like Frankie and Bennys. Never been to Nandos ;-)
Favourite cuisine- this changes. currently Chinese
Favourite friday night takeaway- Indian or Chinese, it varies
Favourite lunchtime fast food- Footlong steak and cheese subway.
Guilty Pleasure- Most of what I eat, sadly.
Death row order- Chateaubriand, rare, with bernaise sauce new potatoes and green beans

[mulhuzz]

Favourite restaurant- La Pampa, steak restaurant in La Linea, where the best steak that's ever been eaten by mouths is made. Bonus answer: Bar Nudo in Newcastle, excellent Asian fusion on a budget.
Favourite chain restaurant- Errm, prolly Wagamama's, I guess.
Favourite cuisine- If I'm cooking, Indian, if I'm eating, chinese. Bonus round, Iranian food is pretty nutted, too.
Favourite friday night takeaway- Dominos
Favourite lunchtime fast food- Marks and Spencers Sarnies/Salads
Guilty Pleasure- Dominos Cookies
Death row order- Steak prepared by La Pampa, with provoletta and the spanish egg dish I cannot fucking think of the name of any more (something like heuvos revueltos, but it's not scrambled egg, it's a tapas dish) to start, topped of by banoffee cheesecake, and a long glass of Havana 7 and cola to finish.

great thread btw.

[Woodsey]

Have asked for some live pics from a Thai who is out looking for dinner right now in a night market in the back of beyond in Thailand, let's see what they come back with, could be any random body part fried up 

[GreekStein]

I would bet that 95% of people who come to Thailand for a holiday don't really ever understand Thai food culture. It's hard to because the tourist areas and restaurants within those locations are catering for the falang (foreigner) market who just want to eat Pad Thais, chicken satays and Green Curries and go home thinking they've seen all there is to see in terms of Thai food.

Food is definitely one of the greatest things about living here. It's almost as cheap to eat out or buy food to take home as it is to buy stuff and make it yourself.

I guess there's also so many things that are grown and produced locally that make the food here great. Unless you want to spend an arm and a leg to buy some special poncey pack of organic this and that in the UK, pretty much everything here has so much more flavour. Tomatoes etc are just incomparable to the ones you can buy in the UK in terms of how much nicer and more full of flavour they are.

The fruits here are awesome too - again very very cheap, sold everywhere and very tasty. I really wish my girlfriend didn't like bloody durian so much though!

That shizzle stinks and lingers!

Click to see full-size image.

The thing I love is the overrall food culture. Thailand is still mostly a country of relatively poor people and something that has lived on from even poorer times is their attitude towards food. They don't waste food and portion sizes are very modest. They believe that a person shouldnt eat a portion much bigger than the size of their fist. That's another reason why you don't see too many overweight Thais. Egg is incorporated into a lot of the food because it was the most common source of protein before people could more readily afford meat. You'll often see a fried egg on top of a lot of things that Thais eat.

Sharing!



Thai people love eating together and their culture isn't so much about each person having their own dish etc, they just share from a main dish or two. It surprised me a little at first just how ready they are to share things they are eating. For example I've been sat at home while my girlfriend and my housemate's girlfriend are eating together and friends come round. In England, I guess protocol would be to offer someone to join you and them politely decline (though on occasion someone will join I guess) but if you go to someone's house while they're eating I think it's kinda standard to think you've arrived at a slightly inconvenient time. Here the Thai's instantly make space for others to sit with them and it's usually more of an order than an invite.

Khun heeu kao mai? = Are you hungry?

That's what almost every Thai will ask you if you enter their home. It means are you hungry but it's literal translation is 'Have you eaten rice?', again from poorer times when people may have not eaten and others would offer to share their rice.

When tourists come to Thailand, they visit places like Pattaya, Bangkok, Phuket or the Islands. Most of the Thais that are living and working in these places have their families and parents that live in more rural regions of Thailand. Places like Isaan where the food culture was built around rice farms and rice was the staple. The other foods that they eat are pretty awesome.

I consider myself lucky that I will try anything and nothing food wise makes me squeamish. I eat everything my girlfriend eats so I will start trying to post pics of individual thai dishes and explain what they are, where they are from etc. If anyone wants a recipe please tell me and I'll get the burd to ask the chefs.

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[GreekStein]

I recently asked a Thai friend why they eat such spicy food when they already live in such a hot climate. Most Thais need a fair amount of spice with almost everything they eat. If my girlfriend comes with me to eat foreign food somewhere, she wont two days in a row!

My friend told me that it was believed chili was initially added to foods for two main reasons, to make them smell nice (or make them not smell bad) and because it was/is believed that chili can help keep the body strong and not be sick if something that might make someone sick is eaten.

[Woodsey]

Have asked for some live pics from a Thai who is out looking for dinner right now in a night market in the back of beyond in Thailand, let's see what they come back with, could be any random body part fried up 

Couple of things that were eaten. Some squid and prawn rice thing, don't know what the sauce is (cooked in something something apparently  ). However we got a classic dessert, mango with sticky rice and coconut milk which is simple to make and really delish, probably my fav dessert there in fact.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

[nirvana]

I quite often make lamb koftes. They're pretty good but not good enough. I'd like to see Dubai's best recipe method for the best lamb kofte please

[redarmi]

Favourite restaurant- La Pampa, steak restaurant in La Linea, where the best steak that's ever been eaten by mouths is made.

La Linea is probably the place in the world most responsible for my appreciation of good food.  For somewhere that is a pretty down at heel and poor Spanish town it has some amazing places to eat.  You could go out and eat every night there for a month and never have a bad meal.  Not sure if it is still there or not bt there used to be a tiny tapas place called Jimmy's where you would pick your food raw and they would cook it for you.  It was incredible and cost next to nothing.  La Pampa is good but for my money it isn't even the best steak restaurant there.  That honour would go to Patagonia.

[mulhuzz]

Favourite restaurant- La Pampa, steak restaurant in La Linea, where the best steak that's ever been eaten by mouths is made.

La Linea is probably the place in the world most responsible for my appreciation of good food.  For somewhere that is a pretty down at heel and poor Spanish town it has some amazing places to eat.  You could go out and eat every night there for a month and never have a bad meal.  Not sure if it is still there or not bt there used to be a tiny tapas place called Jimmy's where you would pick your food raw and they would cook it for you.  It was incredible and cost next to nothing.  La Pampa is good but for my money it isn't even the best steak restaurant there.  That honour would go to Patagonia.

[/b]

Patagonia or Patagonica (either of them) are both very good, but first time I had Steak in La Linea it was there and it set the tone for me.

Jimmy's vv g as well.

[FUN4FRASER]

Favourite restaurant-  London...... Oxo Tower ....  Always good food with a great view looking over The Thames especially when the sun sets
                                Sheffield..... Antibos.........  High Ceiling and Open Kitchen makes for  great smells & atmosphere  , never a dull moment or a bad meal

Favourite chain restaurant...Generally dont like chains however both Pizza Express and Gustos have a great independent feel to them and the food has always been very good.

Favourite cuisine- Anything spicy. When abroad I  Love to try what the locals eat especially Italian food in Italy....The local Thai food Cos is eating sounds & looks amazing too

Favourite Friday night takeaway- Indian /Thai

Favourite lunchtime fast food- If I can find it.... Proper Home cooked style Meat & Potato Pie with gravy of course (Northerners love their gravy)

Guilty Pleasure-  Chili/Orange Chocolate

Death row order- Any Fresh Meat /Fish/Prawns grilled on a charcoal BBQ with fresh chili salsa on the side, Potato salad, Fresh Crusty Bread ,Big Bowl of Feta and Olive Salad , Washed down with some Very Cold Bottles of Beer...if possible accompanied by some Chilled Music and Hot Sunshine .

Great thread....Really hungry after writing this   

[mulhuzz]

(Northerners love their gravy)

he's right mind....

[Kev B]

Favourite restaurant................. Blue Chili Thai in Newcastle under Lyme
Favourite chain restaurant........ Not keen on many, prob Subway if I had to choose one. Edit;  just realised Wagamama is a chain.
Favourite cuisine..................... Thai and Moroccan
Favourite friday night takeaway..Chinese
Favourite lunchtime fast food.....Tapas in Spain with plenty of wine.
Guilty Pleasure........................ Anything with huge amounts of clotted cream
Death row order........................ Fillet steak from La Favorita in Newcastle or Cod with chorizo.



Looking forward to more posts from Greeky.

[The Camel]

Favourite restaurant-  London...... Oxo Tower ....  Always good food with a great view looking over The Thames especially when the sun sets
                                Sheffield..... Antibos.........  High Ceiling and Open Kitchen makes for  great smells & atmosphere  , never a dull moment or a bad meal

Favourite chain restaurant...Generally dont like chains however both Pizza Express and Gustos have a great independent feel to them and the food has always been very good.

Favourite cuisine- Anything spicy. When abroad I  Love to try what the locals eat especially Italian food in Italy....The local Thai food Cos is eating sounds & looks amazing too

Favourite Friday night takeaway- Indian /Thai

Favourite lunchtime fast food- If I can find it.... Proper Home cooked style Meat & Potato Pie with gravy of course (Northerners love their gravy)

Guilty Pleasure-  Chili/Orange Chocolate

Death row order- Any Fresh Meat /Fish/Prawns grilled on a charcoal BBQ with fresh chili salsa on the side, Potato salad, Fresh Crusty Bread ,Big Bowl of Feta and Olive Salad , Washed down with some Very Cold Bottles of Beer...if possible accompanied by some Chilled Music and Hot Sunshine .

Great thread....Really hungry after writing this  

Doubt you'll find much chilled music or sunshine on death row mate.

[Sweetman]

I quite often make lamb koftes. They're pretty good but not good enough. I'd like to see Dubai's best recipe method for the best lamb kofte please

The ingredients I use are listed below:

pine nuts
cumin
ground coriander
garam masala
salt
black pepper
fresh coriander
fresh mint
minced lamb
red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
garlic clove, peeled and crushed
beaten egg
lemon juice

once you have the mixture, add some breadcrumbs if the mixture is a bit too wet.