Sunday Lunch at Papa Davids.

Don't normally go out for lunch but I heard that Papa David's in Jomtien is now doing a 'Sunday Lunch' - English style. So the bf and me decided to go and give it a try. Not bothered with Sunday lunches for ages and this would be something different on an overcast Sunday afternoon.
So, we arrived there at 12.30 and just managed to get the last vacant table. The place was full to the hilt but the staff were coping very well. We were there for about one and a half hours and there was a constant coming and going of customers.
The Sunday Lunch was a choice between roast beef, pork or lamb. I went for the pork. The meal comes with soup to start and two large pieces of bread. After which the roast pork came, it was a very large serving of pork, assorted veg, roast potatoes, mashed potatoes and apple sauce. All that for only 250 Baht. I though this was very reasonable for the price.
After this and having the usual warm greeting and goodbyes from Papa David himself, we went off into the distance again - fully stuffed and satisfied.
Seems that Papa David is doing extremely well in Jomtien. This place, I understand, is very busy for breakfast and throughout the day.

Don't normally go out for lunch but I heard that Papa David's in Jomtien is now doing a 'Sunday Lunch' - English style. So the bf and me decided to go and give it a try. Not bothered with Sunday lunches for ages and this would be something different on an overcast Sunday afternoon.
So, we arrived there at 12.30 and just managed to get the last vacant table. The place was full to the hilt but the staff were coping very well. We were there for about one and a half hours and there was a constant coming and going of customers.
The Sunday Lunch was a choice between roast beef, pork or lamb. I went for the pork. The meal comes with soup to start and two large pieces of bread. After which the roast pork came, it was a very large serving of pork, assorted veg, roast potatoes, mashed potatoes and apple sauce. All that for only 250 Baht. I though this was very reasonable for the price.
After this and having the usual warm greeting and goodbyes from Papa David himself, we went off into the distance again - fully stuffed and satisfied.
Seems that Papa David is doing extremely well in Jomtien. This place, I understand, is very busy for breakfast and throughout the day.

Head waiter was very rude.. after giving me the wrong order which I didn't eat - the Katoey cashier still charged me for it. She finally refunded money after I told her that I would call the police. Not on my list of recommended place to eat! :blackeye:

I have eaten breakfast at this place 2 times and can only say that it was great. Good portions and a smile from the waiter set me up for a day on the beach.

Head waiter was very rude.. after giving me the wrong order which I didn't eat - the Katoey cashier still charged me for it. She finally refunded money after I told her that I would call the police. Not on my list of recommended place to eat! :blackeye:

Had a word with Papa David about this on your behalf. If you call in again, when you are in Pattaya, he would like to know more details. He is shocked by this statement as there are no katoeys working at the restaurant.

Head waiter was very rude.. after giving me the wrong order which I didn't eat - the Katoey cashier still charged me for it. She finally refunded money after I told her that I would call the police. Not on my list of recommended place to eat! :blackeye:

Had a word with Papa David about this on your behalf. If you call in again, when you are in Pattaya, he would like to know more details. He is shocked by this statement as there are no katoeys working at the restaurant.

YES there was a lady boy working as cashier.. this incident was over a year ago and I never came back :-( As a matter of fact I overheard the head waiter who took my order said something in broken English - "It's okay if you never come back!". At the time of this incident, I insisted on speaking to the owner and was told by the Katoey that the owner is in Bali.

Head waiter was very rude.. after giving me the wrong order which I didn't eat - the Katoey cashier still charged me for it. She finally refunded money after I told her that I would call the police. Not on my list of recommended place to eat! :blackeye:

Had a word with Papa David about this on your behalf. If you call in again, when you are in Pattaya, he would like to know more details. He is shocked by this statement as there are no katoeys working at the restaurant.

A fact that was a big surprise to me as well, when reading khorthodkrub's account of his experience. I have always found David to be an exceptionally polite man, as well as one that is always very congenial toward his customers, as in deed are his staff.

This may seem like a silly question on my part khorthodkrub, but are you absolutely certain that it was Poppa David's that you were in? I ask this for a very good reason. That reason being, that there is a restaurant right next door to Poppa David's, almost on top of it in fact, who because it also uses the same terrace on which to place it's tables and chairs, it can easily give the impression to someone looking at the two buildings from the outside, who are not too familiar with them, that it is in fact, one rather large restaurant, instead of being two.

Even being someone as I am, a person that has eaten at Poppa David's on many occasions and for a few years now, I found myself only a week ago making the mistake after having parked my motorcycle, of going to sit at one of the those many tables outside and it wasn't until I was brought a menu by a waiter I was not familiar with, that when I looked at the menu which he had brought me, I realised it was not one of Poppa Davids tables that I was sitting at, but one instead, belonging to the restaurant next door. I was at this time by the way, cold stone sober. You will understand what I mean in saying to you, that this is where the plot thickens even more now, by my revealing to you, that this particular restaurant next door has as it's cashier, someone that just happens to be a Katoey.

Perhaps in concluding this post of mine, it is only fair that I ask you, that as I was stone cold sober as I have said, when I made my mistake, were you in condition resembling simialar to mine, when you encountered that little problem you had, whilst you were at............................. "Poppa David's"? http://img68.imageshack.us/img68/4175/whistlingqd4.gif



Choc Dee,



George.

[dorayme]

If you have a problem at Papa David's speak to Papa David. He really wants his customers to be satisfied. He seems to care.

Perhaps in concluding this post of mine, it is only fair that I ask you, that as I was stone cold sober as I have said, when I made my mistake, were you in condition resembling simialar to mine, when you encountered that little problem you had, whilst you were at............................. "Poppa David's"? http://img68.imageshack.us/img68/4175/whistlingqd4.gif

Choc Dee,

George.

Mrs Bucket and George - Please ask Pappa David if he was in Bali a little over a year ago? If he was then I was not hallucinating and I was in Pappa David's. Here's exactly what happened:

I ordered A Thai dish, then the waiter asked if I wanted to order some rice. When I learned the dish didn't come with rice, I said "Forget get, I will order Chicken Fried Rice instead." When the meal was delivered both the Fried Rice and the Thai Dish were served. I told the waiter that I only wanted the Chicken Fried Rice. He said I ordered both, because I never used the word "CANCEL". Apparently "CANCEL" is the magic word when changing your order! So Obviously it was a communication problem and I was going to pay for both dishes when the bill came even though I didn't even touched the other dish - and I did pay. When the change was returned - I tried to explain to him that I did say FORGET it which also means CANCEL. But it ended up in a little bit of a dispute and I said "Never mind, I just won't be coming back". That's when the waiter said "It's okay, you don't have to come back!!" That's when I stormed back to the cashier and demanded my money back and to speak to the owner and was told he was in Bali. I refused to leave and ask the cashier to call the Tourist police at which point she/he returned my money and I left - never to return. End of Story.

This above is exactly how the situation transpired, I have NOT been back to Pappa David's and I have NOT been spreading this story around - in fact I have told no one until now!. So take it for what it's worth - maybe we were both just having a BAD day. :flower:

[Narakmak]

A trained Thai waiter would have confirmed order by saying TWO, when he thought you had two orders in. At that point, you would have corrected the order. It was the waiter's fault if he did not do this, and no way would I have paid for the extra dish. However, I would have insisted that he take the unwanted dish away immediately after he brought it. By letting it stand, you made your case weaker.

[Impulse]

Unfortunatly,its easy to have communication problems. I think you need to make it clear that you want to cancel your order.By quickly saying forget it they will be confused. I was only there a few weeks and twice I had problems. I ordered my usual tuna cheese melt and beer at the rabbit on jomtien beach,and out came a tuna salad.The waiter returned it,but he was upset.I clearly ordered a tuna melt. Worse was at the bank,I forget what i wanted,either a withdrawel or a form to show I brought money in from overseas and the teller closed my account.I had to wait half an hour and get a new savings book.What a mess!! Look,I cant speak thai,so i respect their having to learn my language.In the future i will try to make it easy for them to understand me and not assume that they do. Oh,and the mama san promised me a boy with a big willy,and I could barely find it,well maybe no communication problem there.

Unfortunatly,its easy to have communication problems. I think you need to make it clear that you want to cancel your order.By quickly saying forget it they will be confused. I was only there a few weeks and twice I had problems. I ordered my usual tuna cheese melt and beer at the rabbit on jomtien beach,and out came a tuna salad.The waiter returned it,but he was upset.I clearly ordered a tuna melt. Worse was at the bank,I forget what i wanted,either a withdrawel or a form to show I brought money in from overseas and the teller closed my account.I had to wait half an hour and get a new savings book.What a mess!! Look,I cant speak thai,so i respect their having to learn my language.In the future i will try to make it easy for them to understand me and not assume that they do. Oh,and the mama san promised me a boy with a big willy,and I could barely find it,well maybe no communication problem there.

I agree it was just a communication problem. That's why when he left both dishes on the table I decided that I was going to pay for both dishes which I did when he gave me the check eventhough I didn't even touch the dish I didn't order. When he came back to give me my change, I tried to explain to him that it was indeed a communication problem and he needs to be careful next time - because other Farang may not be as understanding as me. But he went into offensive and started arguing with me and kept saying that "You didn't say CANCEL!". When he told me "It's okay you don't have to come back" - that's when the shit hit fan!

So again, I understand wholeheartedly that It was indeed a communication problem - it's his ATTITUDE that I had a problem with.

[Impulse]

Well,that was nice of you to pay for the food and try to explain to the waiter the problem.It sounds like he had a bad attitude and I dont blame you for going off on him. What really concerns me is having a medical problem and not being understood. I realise that most doctors speak English but again problems might arise. Im sure some here have stories of medical errors and the like.Here in the U.S many people die from being prescribed the wrong meds. I wish Thai was a bit easier to learn.

I remember a while ago whilst having breakfast at PD's a straight couple came in and ordered breakfast. They were sitting at the next table so I overheard everything. The guy ordered one of the standard breakfasts, but then proceeded to tell the waiter to change this and that from the standard, many changes. He didn't bother checking the guy understood, and of course, when the meal arrived it was not what he ordered.

Much shouting and fuss ensued, with PD arriving to pour oil on troubled waters. As PD himself said it would have been much better to order individual items from the a la carte section, but the guy was not going to make any allowance for the waiters limited english skills when he insisted on rattling off all the changes he wanted.

In this instance though, hats off to PD for his diplomacy and customer service skills

[TrongpaiExpat]

What really concerns me is having a medical problem and not being understood.

Doctors have a lot more education that most waiters. Some waiter don't even know Thai very well and have problems reading Thai.

How hard is it to learn just a few Thai words, so you can order what you want? Still, even speaking fluent Thai does not guarantee you get the correct order.

I am sometimes amazed that some Thais actually understand some of the fringe regional English accents and foreign accents that I hear in Thailand. I have trouble understanding some.

When speaking in English in some restaurants in town, one has to learn, understand and accept; that sometimes it will be a case, of ordering what you want and eating what you get. ;)


George.

When speaking in English in some restaurants in town, one has to learn, understand and accept; that sometimes it will be a case, of ordering what you want and eating what you get. ;)


George.

It's all well and good to accept these mistakes in some off the beaten path locations. Jomtien's stock in trade is tourism. To be served something that is not exactly what one ordered is simply a sign of bad management for which there is no excuse.
It is unrealistic to expect tourists to learn even a few words of Thai, which is not a simple language, and which might lead to even more misunderstanding.
A menu should have no mysteries and should be multilingual. If changes are too difficult for the staff to cope with then the menu should clearly state that no substitutions are permitted.
In most of the restaurants I use the owner is almost always present and alert to what is happening not only in the dining room, but also in the kitchen.

[TrongpaiExpat]

It is unrealistic to expect tourists to learn even a few words of Thai, which is not a simple language, and which might lead to even more misunderstanding.

Very few of the posters here are casual tourists and many who seem to have problems communicating actually live here.

I have found even when speaking English you have to pronounce English like the Thais. Spa-Getty, sa-Leep, See-Lom, Cap-poe-Cheno and my favorate Sa-moke

[Aunty]

When speaking in English in some restaurants in town, one has to learn, understand and accept; that sometimes it will be a case, of ordering what you want and eating what you get. ;)


George.

I'm with you on that 100% George!

When speaking in English in some restaurants in town, one has to learn, understand and accept; that sometimes it will be a case, of ordering what you want and eating what you get. ;)


George.

It is unrealistic to expect tourists to learn even a few words of Thai.

What makes you think that in some restaurants, even if they spoke the Thai language perfectly, the situation would be any different to that which I pointed out above? :glasses8:


George.

It is unrealistic to expect tourists to learn even a few words of Thai, which is not a simple language, and which might lead to even more misunderstanding.

Very few of the posters here are casual tourists and many who seem to have problems communicating actually live here.

I have found even when speaking English you have to pronounce English like the Thais. Spa-Getty, sa-Leep, See-Lom, Cap-poe-Cheno and my favorate Sa-moke

Ah... Are the only people who eat at Papa David's posters here, such as the straight couple mentioned earlier? I seriously doubt that the majority of posters on SGT are full time residents of the Kingdom. Even the esteemed administrator of this board and his faithful moderator are not residents. Someone spending a few months here each year is a casual tourist in my opinion.
A multilingual menu would overcome the inherent problems in making one's order understood. And again, a menu should have no mysteries.
I fully appreciate the problems farang residents have communicating when I consider that many shouldn't even be allowed to cross the street alone much less leave their house unattended.
Using only English, I have never had a problem making myself understood in any Thai Restaurant.

What makes you think that in some restaurants, even if they spoke the Thai language perfectly, the situation would be any different to that which I pointed out above? :glasses8:


George.

Well those would certainly be the places to avoid unless you are a masochist and actually thrive on this kind of abuse.
Do you seriously expect me to believe that people return time and again to a restaurant where the food they receive is not what they ordered or not to their liking? If they do, then they deserve what they get.

Even the esteemed administrator of this board and his faithful moderator are not residents.

That's very true kop sook, I guess we can thank Buddha that there are at least some small mercies besowed upon us in life, hey? :angel9:


A multilingual menu would overcome the inherent problems in making one's order understood.

Are you suggesting that these multilingual menu's that you would like to see, are made available in all restaurants in Thailand, or just the ones in the major tourist cities?


George.

Well Papa Davids does have a bilingual and bisexual menu. The menu has pictures, so there should not be any confusion.
So as this thread had gone away from the original information, I will be back on Sunday for the Sunday Roast.
I will then speak to David about khorthodkrubs problem.

Well Papa Davids does have a bilingual and bisexual menu. The menu has pictures, so there should not be any confusion.

I will need my bifocals to read it :geek:




I will then speak to David about khorthodkrubs problem.

Thank you Mrs B. :flower:

Are you suggesting that these multilingual menu's that you would like to see, are made available in all restaurants in Thailand, or just the ones in the major tourist cities?

George.

George, I am not the one having problems ordering food in Thailand. It should be self-evident to an owner of a restaurant catering to farangs, all the more so when the owner is likewise a farang, to make ordering meals simple, easy and clear for his customers. Whether he does this by having multilingual staff or by being on site himself, or any other way he chooses should be obviously implemented. Multilingual menus are only one of many possibilities. Proper training of staff is another obvious one.

For more than a decade now the intelligence level of the average farang arriving in Thailand has been of the lowest common denominator and still declining. It is to these largely ignorant denizens that the business owner must address himself as best he can. In the case of the overwhelming majority of farangs that I see, it may simply be a hopeless task.

I have my favourite restaurants which serve excellent food and where I have never seen or heard of any problems, and most are rather unpretentious places which may not appeal to our more pompous brethren. But I don't go out to eat hamburgers and pizza, and I have no idea whatsoever what "pulled pork" is. It even sounds disgusting. Sacrebleu!