The Book House Coffee Shop & Restaurant

Thanks for that Bob,
Hard vegitables seem to be the norm in Udon, but for what reason I can't think, i suppose some smart ass will say its to keep the nutrients in ? but it dosent quiet get my vote. any way the steaks look very good and salad will do for me...


R

I found the brocoli hard but the other 3 vegs were French soft, 55555

Ray,

To each their own taste, I prefer my veggies blanched, just lightly cooked and yes a bit hard. I grew up thinking veggies were supposed to be cooked the crap out of as this is the way my mother served them. After eating in different countries and now in nice restaurants in Dublin, all of the places Ive visited serve them slightly hard. Its a fact that there are more nutrients in anything that is uncooked rather than cooked.(Not being a ass, sorry)

Its just down to taste and to each his own, imho!

since i'm a regular sunday roast diner, allow me to inject my opinion again..........

i seemed to be addicted to the turkey, as the beef and pork i do at home, had the lamb, guess i'm not a lamb fan, that's not a negative or positive, just not for me. ah yes, the veggies, prefer mine, chewable / hard, so in that respect, they are fairly perfect, and considering were are going from broccoli to cabbage, that's quite a task.

if not wanting a little gravy everywhere, yes, you will need a gravy boat, and I'm sure they are out buying them as we speak...........unless i'm allowed unlimited butter for my potatoes, the gravy adds a nice flavor, as i think thai potatoes have absolutely no flavor. it / gravy, tasty, but doesn't overpower anything else, so i make no special request, well, except, no pudding please, again, not a positive or a negative, it simply doesn't do anything for me, and has to be forced down, or left to waste if making it to the plate. would rather a nice wheat roll and butter, but not necessary, as i am stuffed by the time the meal is over. my major complaint with all their offerings, I have a hard time finishing.......but i manage, real servings for real appetites. no need to munch on something at the house an hour after getting home, as with most local restaurants / food court / thai vendors.

best value in town for a pig out.........IMHO.

Darn it! I'd been looking forward to having the chef's salad all week over my Saturday game of chess, but I had to go in there yesterday for a bacon butty and they were serving up some fantastic looking and smelling pizza!

Now I don't know what to have!

Make up a list with the different delicacies you want to have and then start from the top next time you are in the Bookhouse. Just a suggestion.

The subs are very good, went in there last night, had a Steak and Cheese Sub with home made chips washed down with a couple of bottles of Heineken. Jeremy and Nok always make me feel welcome, good luck to them they have a fine place.

ahhh , Prenders88 .. i can now put a face to a board name ! i just asked Mrs L who ate a sub and drank heineken last night

in fact , lots of people came last night for the 1st Saturday of the month , expat meetup .. a great opportunity to put names to faces and meet new friends .. Mrs L counted 43 customers in here at one point ( a mix of our regular customers and ones here specifically for the meetup )

its Sunday - which means Mrs L has got up early and is preparing our traditional Sunday Roast Dinner - ( cant wait for mine - starving ! ) still probably the best value in Udon for a meal prepared with the freshest vegetables and the finest cuts of meat including a FREE DRINK @ just 195baht !

i guess our customers prefer Big Bottled Beers as sales of big bottles have outstripped smaller bottle sales since we introduced them just a few days ago .
we have increased our Spirit range to now about 50 types ! with about 40 more planned !! when we are fully stocked with all the spirits we will introduce our cocktails as well as offering about 20 types of Vodka ! and about 15 tequilas .( the tequila range in readiness for the launch of our coming very soon Mexican Nights ! )

we are also planning to carry about 50 , broad cost range , bottled wines , which can be purchased by the glass or bottle for those that enjoy a glass with their meal .

see you all soon

Librarian

well , today was exciting !

3 hours and 15 minutes we have already served 44 roast dinners
and had to ban , what is probably the most horrible man i have yet met , in Udon

last week i had to ban a customer who was so rude and arrogant to our lovely new member of staff , it reduced her to tears - i confronted him about his actions and he didnt even realise the impact his bad behaviour had on the staff concerned ..

today was something special though -
about 30 people were sat on various tables outside . a gentleman of about 50-60 called over to me and asked if i was Jeremy , to which i replied yes
he said .. stop your Brit ****
i replied , excuse me , what did you say-
he said - you heard me
i said - i,m not sure i did
he said - stop your Brit ****
i said - i,m not sure what you mean?
he said - yes you do
i said - if i knew what you were talking about , i wouldnt ask you what you mean
he said - paying these Thai people 100 baht a day while you get fat and rich

i said well , for 2 things - i dont pay them that much
and two , its got absolutely nothing to do with you how i run my business
i went on further to tell him , as this is the first time we,ve met , if he thinks he can come into my business , sit on my furniture , and insult me in front of 30 other customers and friends , he is sadly mistaken , and when he has finished his food , he can leave never to return .

he finished his food , said the place was a **** hole , left 5 baht tip to help my poor underpaid workers and left .. with his finger in the air at the table of 8 customers sat behind him , who were laughing and joking but who Mr Grumpy thought were mocking him -

but the plot thickens - Mr Grumpy was sat with his Thai Lady and a thai man .. the thai lady while this was going on was looking most embarrassed and the Thai Man got up and spoke with Mrs L .. telling her not to worry as this was normal behaviour for Mr Grumpy when he goes out to eat in Foriegn owned businesses .

turns out , according to Mrs L , Mr Grumpy came in before and complained about how poor the dollar is doing against the baht and when the baht strengthens , Mrs L,s baht is going to be worth .. nothing ..
he also said he was a VFW and he came and founded Udon about 40 years ago and the Thais havent improved Udon since then .. trying to rile Mrs L , but Mrs L probably not understanding his meaning .

i gotta admit , this guy got me fuming , but now i have typed this out , i dont feel anger , i feel pity on what is a probably sad , angry old man with a very big chip on his shoulder

who would have thought being a Librarian , could be so stressful !
on a side note , although the 2 customers banned from the bookhouse come from the same country - i believe its not about where you come from , but who you are as a person ,
and in my book , there is no excuse for bad manners

Librarian

Good on Ya for standing your ground, and even more so for being so understanding I can assure you some Friends of mine from the same Country as him would not have been so understanding

Mr Librarian

Sounds like u need to extend the list of banned behaviour etc to include obnoxious people, as well as Pets , No singlets, smokers etc..

Once again , Im sure the vast majority of people present there saw straight thru him and ignored him, or choose to subject him to a urine specimen.

Its a shame that a well patronised eating place has to dish out " Red Cards " on its busiest day of the week.

What a sad story but well handled.

I'm focusing on the 44 dinners served already............speaks volumes, well done

The Udon Chess Club are pleased to rate the quality and value of the chef's salad in there.

I'm out of town next Saturday but will be trying one of the pizzas when I'm back!

44 dinners?

I saw the guy stand at the entrace, then stop to make the finger sign.
Then continued to tuck to my roast beef lunch.

Could not have been a Brit as we use the two fingered salute, and he seemed to have a chip on his shoulder about the British.

Enjoyed ourselves at todays Sunday Lunch, my wife met Nok and Jeremy, and my Grandson enjoyed his Pizza and Ice Cream.

Pity that guy ruined your day, but laugh as your doing so well in Udon.