MARCH 2013
DEALS ON WHEELS F O O D B Y P H O N E ’ S M O N T H LY N E W S L E T T E R
SPECIAL PROMOTIONS BOURBON STREET
CHICKEN T
BOURBON STREET
Get a FREE Georgia Pecan Pie with every order of Baked Rack of Lamb (non cumulative with other promotions)
Get a FREE Rage of Chicken BBQ SpringRolls wth every order over 699 THB
Get a FREE portion of Mozzarella Sticks with every order over 599 THB
JASMIN
LE LAPIN GOLD
Order over 699 THB and get a FREE Shrimp Wonton Soup
Order over 399 THB and get a FREE Potato Salad
OMUTO TOMATO
MILLION SIRLOIN
INDIAN HOST
Get a FREE Omuto Green Salad with every order over 499 THB
Order any Beef Dish over 499 THB and get a FREE portion of Shrimp Spring Rolls
Get a FREE portion of Bombay Aloo Masa with every order over 499 THB
FEATURED RESTAURANT Although controversy reigns over who
BANGKOK BURGER COMPANY Burgers, hamburgers, a hamburger sandwich – whatever you want to call it – there is no denying that this ubiquitous sandwich made with a patty of ground or minced beef and served between two pieces of bread is probably the world’s most popular snack. To give an indication of its popular‑ ity, as of 2010 McDonald’s had served 245 billion of them and the travelchannel.com estimates over 35 million burgers are consumed each day.
invented the first hamburger sandwich, there is no denying its popularity with Americans, who, according to The Economist, consume an average of three per‑person every week. Although Americans consider the burger a part of their culinary heritage, Bangkok Burg‑ er Co. (BBC) regards it as a food style without na‑ tionality and is determined to prove its culinary diversity by showing the world what a gourmet burger is capable of achieving. BBC surveyed the local market in the hopes of finding the burger
JAMESON
Get either a FREE Garlic Bread or Chicken Tenders with every order over 499 THB
MONTHLY COMPETITION
2 winners will receive complimentary voucher at Bangkok Burger Company worth 500 THB each! Just go to foodbyphone.com and answer a few simple questions.
S LAST MONTH’S WINNER , tepin William Meyer, Wannapat Pong Ajay Kumar Pawa & Cara Morrison Mrs. won a complimentary voucher from each! THB 500 h wort nt aura Rest Balbir’s
Like us on
Facebook facebook.com/foodbyphone
preferences of both Thais and westerners. Initial results showed Thai customers preferred their burgers cooked on a flat griddle fast food style. twitter.com/foodbyphonebkk
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 >>
Subscribe on
You Tube
youtube.com/user/foodbyphone
FEATURED RESTAURANT BANGKOK BURGER COMPANY
But BBC soon realized they had incorrectly read the market. Thai customers, like their in‑ ternational counterparts, enjoy those charred crunchy bits that give burgers taste and texture so the company changed to flame grilling over charcoal. The next question to be addressed was what meat to include in the patty. While us‑ ing the best meat was a priority, a burger needs the right level of fat for taste and to keep the meat moist. To be 100% sure of what went into
Thinking that they had the gourmet burger
the patty, the meat had to be ground in house.
they wanted in August 2011, the company
They chose a blend of Australian rib-eye for fat
opened their first branch on Soi Thonglor at
content and aged Wagyu sirloin for body and
Soi 10. “This was an experiment to develop a
texture. In addition, in keeping with Thai taste,
brand,” says Jim Moroney, Operations Director of
they season the meat with herbs and spices.
Graze Concepts, a team of former hoteliers man‑ aging the brand. “Our objective from the start has
Having decided on meat preference, BBC
been to create Bangkok’s first gourmet burger.”
next decided to go upscale on its bun se-
Bangkok Burger Company Opus Building, 139 Soi 10 Thonglor, Wattana Bangkok , 10110 Thailand Phone: + 66 27159407 www.bangkokburgercompany.com www.facebook.com/bangkokburgercompany
Open Everyday
11.00am.- 10.30pm.
Credit cards
All major cards
lections. Their buns are baked according to
As we sat down at the table, Chaiyun Na-
customized recipes by the same baker who sup‑
thomtong the company’s Training Manager
plies Villa and Gourmet Market. There are three
explains to us, “The concept of starters and
selections, all baked with organic flour: focac‑
main courses would confuse the service. We serve
cia. the classic toasted sesame bun, and a whole
Thai style. The food comes to the table when its
wheat bun containing flaked oats.
cooked; our customers are hungry and want to share.”
The fries are imported frozen from McCain and cut from whole russet potatoes. The choices include unpeeled chunky home style Steakhouse fries or curly fries prepared with a blend of seasonings reminiscent of spicing pop‑ ular in the southern part of the United States.
Price per person without drinks THB 450 FBP partner since
2013
FEATURED RESTAURANT BANGKOK BURGER COMPANY The first item to arrive at our table was an
let with a reduced menu of 10 burgers. In addi‑
order of Buffalo chicken wings, an improb‑
tion in Bangkok we have a mobile catering unit
able, but wildly popular combination of spicy BBQ
we affectionately call the burger bus for outside
chicken wings served with blue cheese dressing
catering for concerts and sports events. We will
and celery. “We toned down the cheese in the
soon have a second burger bus in Phuket.”
dressing a bit and shredded the celery for our Thai customers,” Chaiyun explains.
“We grind our meats and make all of our sauces fresh daily,” Chaiyun gushes. “Our
Then came our first burger, The NYC, a beef
monthly meat consumption has now reached two
patty with a massive stack of crispy bacon,
tons. Our burgers are delivered in three styles to
spicy guacamole, sun-dried tomatoes, mayo
residents near our various outlets. Our prices are
and rocket salad. Possibly too tall to squeeze be‑
net, with no additional vat or service charges.”
tween finger and thumb, it was best eaten with knife and fork, which some may scorn as ‘non-
As you can see, Bangkok Burger Co. is serious
American activity’ – but whatever. The meat was
about their burgers. Try one to discover why; they
perfectly cooked, still juicy with plenty of texture
are seriously delicious.
and a lingering touch of spice in the aftertaste. “We have spiced up the guacamole with chili, shallots and coriander for a touch of Thai flavor,” Chaiyun reveals. The Big Boss arrived next, proudly flying the Thai flag, with crispy bacon, cheddar cheese, a jumbo onion ring and home made BBQ sauce accompanying the beef patty. This burg‑ er, I decided, had every right to a gourmet prefix. The flavoring was complex, but each ingredient could be clearly identified. My burger trilogy was completed by La Lucha Libre, a combination of beef patty, crispy bacon, spicy guacamole, jalapeños, nacho chips, cheddar cheese and sour cream with a salsa side order. “This burger is very popular with Thai customers as we fine tuned it to their taste,” says Chaiyun. “Since opening the Thonglor branch,” Chaiyun continues, “we have opened in Mega Bangna and very recently in Saladaeng and at Laguna Phuket where we now have mini out
personality of the month
Kulahan Charoensupkul
“I came into the restaurant business through an indirect route,” says Kulaphan Charoensupkul. “Before being assigned to Olivie Cafe, I was General Manager of The Commercial Company of Siam Ltd, we had just celebrated the company’s 150th anniversary and managed the Ayam brand of tinned fish products. We also supplied supermarkets and leading hotels and restaurants with foods from the Mediterranean region of Europe through out Eurofood division. “Our CEO had the vision of expanding into the retail food sector,” she continues, “It was a logical step as we had access to the food ingredients. The challenge for me was to move out of my comfort zone and take on a new challenge. If the company had the confidence in me, I decided I was up to the task. Although I came into the restaurant business with no previous experience, I knew what good food was all about. I got support from the chefs I had previously supplied, but it was not to appear to be a direct competitor. I was also fortunate to get support from kitchen suppliers and hygiene services with whom I had worked with previously.” “We opened our first branch at CentralWorld five years ago, but had to close when the building became a victim of social unrest,” she explains. “When that branch was involuntarily closed, we opened a second branch at Paradise Park and then in 2011 we opened an outlet in Terminal 21. We were lucky to get the Terminal 21 site. A tenant pulled out just before the mall opened and we were able to move into a prime location. “In the early days managing the operations team, which was something new to me, was my biggest challenge,” she says. “How to make them stick to the agreed recipes and not add additional ingredients just because they thought its would make the dish more delicious was a big problem. The solution was repetitive training, monitoring and using a quality control system with check and balances similar to what we used in our factory was the answer. When we convinced cooks there was nothing for them to worry about provided they followed instructions, things started to improve. I am pleased to say that responsibility has now passed to my project manager and the head chef who manages his team.” “As a rookie in the restaurant business,” she says, “I quickly learned that is a lot more to the restaurant business than just serving delicious food. There are the issues of purchasing, cost control, marketing and how to attract new business.” “We are neither a fine dining nor a destination restaurant,” she adds. “Our concept is to serve food in malls and at dining plazas at places where people shop. We have an hour from 9-10am for set up and delivery of fresh supplies before the plaza opens at 10am. In practice most customers arrive starting at 11am. Location and the day of the week determines when we are busy. At Paradise Park on a Saturday our customers come at 10am sharp, having dropped the kids off for extra studies. While at Terminal 21, the customer flow is more consistent. Friday night is our peak, Saturday is the busiest day over all and Sunday is good for couples and friends to come and eat together.” “When we were planning the opening our first thought was to be Mediterranean,” she says. “Our European management knew exactly what it meant, but as a concept it was too complicated and confusing for Thai customers. So we went with Italian, something they were more familiar with. Although Thais were initially introduced to mass marketed American-style pizza, we find the younger generation, who are more affluent and eager to try something new, are looking to upgrade their dining experience towards something more authentically Italian.” “Our best selling items are Spaghetti with black squid ink, Olivie pizza with mascarpone cheese and Parma ham and the Vegetarian gnocchi with a mushroom cream sauce,” she says.
Managing Direcor, OlIvie Cafe
RECOMMENDED DISHES TRY SOMETHING NEW TODAY
178-42 Alla Carbonra Bacon, Egg and Parmesan Cheese
181-41 Pizza Seafood & Mushroom
Grilled Pork knuckle with mashed potatoes and sauerkraut Schwein shaxe vom Grill mit Karoffel puree and
Sauerkraut
67-122
510 THB
161-18 Kobeba Meat (Kebbet Laham) Meatballs stuffed with wheat and cooked fried
210 THB
166-15 Lemongrass clam chowder soup 220 THB
Pizza Bourbon St. Special Packed with pepperoni, ham, ground beef,onions, mushrooms, green peppers and black olivers
415 THB
Ham - Chicken - Pepperoni - Eggs Pickles - Veggies - Mustard Mayonnaise
265 THB
33-31 “Coyote“ Barbecue Burger Chargrilled prime US smoked ground beef with jalapeno peppers, onions and lettuce on a toasted bun. Ancho chili roast potatoes, smoky beans and a honey Dijon ‘slaw on the side.
490 THB
Tendered Chicken Satay 95 THB
280 THB
395 THB
170-93
180-2
95-30
Kashmiri Rogan Josh An Indus signature dish. Tender mutton curry delicately simmered with a rich blend of Kashmiri spices 590 THB
156-23 NZ Fish Burger with Chips
375 THB
106-30 Pizza Prosciutto e Funghi Tomato, Mozzarella Cheese, Cooked Ham, 320 THB Mushroom.
What to do in Bangkok When? 9th March, 2pm & 6 pm
What? Berryz Kobo Concert Tour 2013 Tickets THB 2,000 - 4,000
Description
More info?
A full concert by Japan’s leading 7-idols girl band group Berryz Kobo. lead by Shimizu Saki, who is a captain of the group, Sadou Massa, Nattsuyaki Miyabi, Kumai Yurina, Sugaya Risako, Tsugunaga Momoko and Tokunaga Chinami.
Siampavalai Theatre, 5th fl Siam Paragon Shopping Centre, 991 Rama 1 Rd Tel + 66 2610-8011 www.berryzkoboliveinbang‑ kok.com
9th March
The St David’s Society’s Annual Ball
This year the organisers are pleased to welcome back the Hong Kong Welsh Male Voice Choir and Lloyd Davies (Comedian). Entertainment also includes UNICORN GIRLS from Bangkok, supported by DJ Paul Jackson.
J.W. Marriott Bangkok, Sukhumvit Soi 2 For more details contact Heather Powell, heather.wyn@gmail.com, mobile 083-293-2169
11th March
Annual Dinner with The Prime Minister
The FCCT will host H.E. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to the customary annual dinner with keynote speech and Q & A session.
The Foreign Correspon‑ dence Club, Penthouse, Maneya Centre Building, Chidlom Tel 0-2553-0580 Email info@fccthai.com
4th WLEC - Women’s Leadership and Empowerment Conference 2013
Women’s Leadership and Empowerment Conference 2013 is a three-day program, which consists of three components: study session “women’s leadership and empowerment of disadvantaged groups”, presentations of submitted papers and open discus‑ sions.
Royal Benja Hotel http://www.tomorrowpeople. org/wlc-call-for-papers.html Contact person: Jovana Savic
22-24 March
BFW World Tour – Bangkok All 18 fashion shows, 3 after parties and unlimited drinks US$220
Bangalore Fashion Week show cases the Indian Fashion Industry. As part of its world tour in Bangkok it will attract the elite of the fashion industry and the most high net worth individuals from Thailand and India.
Central Live @ Central World www.bfwworldtour.com
25 March 7 April, 12pm-10pm
The 34th Bangkok International Motor Show
The show features the latest concept and production cars and motorcycles and is also is the perfect opportunity to take a look at the models that qualify for the THB 70,000 excise tax rebate under the government’s First Car Buyer Scheme. This is a government initiative to help the industry recover from the effect of last year’s flooding. If the buyer sells the car within 5 years of purchase the rebate has to be repaid. Do check that model that catches your eye qualifies for the rebate before buying.
28-30 March
Midsummer Night’s Dream
Britten’s opera-comedy has been modified to appeal to Thai tastes. Rural England is replaced with a magic forest some‑ where in Southeast Asia replete with gods and spirits.
Aksra Theatre, King Power Complex, Soi Rangnam, Vic‑ tory Monument Tel 0-2652-0888 echopera1@googlemail.com www.grandopera-thailand.org
5th April
The Sugar Ray Leonard Charity Dinner Tickets THB 3,500 available only from Thai Ticket Major www.thaiticketmajor.com
Boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard will come to Thailand for the first time in April 2013. He will be a special celebrity ambas‑ sador for a series of black tie and sport charity events, includ‑ ing grand gala dinners and golf tournaments in Bangkok and Pattaya.
Plaza Athenee Bangkok, A Royal Meridien Hotel, Wireless Road
13-15 March
Impact Exhibition & Con‑ vention Centre www.grandprixgroup.com/ motorshow
PPi
Professional Portfolio International
P P I s t ri v e s to help each client gr o w, p r o t e c t & e n j o y t h e i r we a l t h i n t h e i r o w n w a y & a c h i e v e f i nancial f reedom. De l i v eri ng the highest level of f in a n c i a l p l a n n i n g a n d we a l t h m a n a g e m e n t s e r v i c e s to c l i e n ts around t he globe.
Pro ducts / S o l ut i o ns Alternative Investment Strategies Education Fees Planning International Banking Life Insurance Medical Insurance
Innovative
Pension Transfers (QROPS/ SIPPS)
Wealth Management
Portfolio Management Property Investments Retirement Planning Trusts
For more information please contact:
Jason Marsh Senior Adviser
+6681 278 9425 j a s o n . m a r s h @ p p i - a d v i s o r y. c o m Professional
Portfolio International (PPI)
209/1 K Tower, Tower B, 19th Fl. Unit 4, Sukhumvit 21 Rd.(Asoke) Klongtoey Nua Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand
w w w.p p i -a d v i s o ry.c o m