Chips, French Fries, Fried Potatoes, etc.

[huahin4ever]

I've often expressed my disgust with Thai chefs who can spend hours carving vegetables, fruit etc., but when it comes to chips or French fries, their culinary skill is so often limited to opening a frozen pack from Makro.

Making a chip isn't hard, even I can do it. Why do top chefs not have the ability to peel and slice a potato? Is it laziness, or are they just incapable.

When ordering food here in Thailand, fortunately many menus have photographs, and the chef's potato preparation skills can be determined before any order is made. If a chip looks as if it may be frozen, I'll find something else on the menu. Don't get me wrong, some frozen chips may be an acceptable substitute, but many a good meal is ruined in Thailand because chefs are just too lazy to peel a spud.

Why am I ranting about this now? Well, I've just come back from a meal where I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. I saw Potato Wedges on the menu, and chose them. OK, some people can't stomach the potato skin, but this was the best sliced potato offering that I've ever had in Hua Hin. Best bit, it a a big portion for only 60฿. They were Gert Lush. Of all places to find this offering from heaven, it was Ga Hanoi.

Prior to that, I'd always considered the best offering of fried potato in Hua Hin to be served with breakfast at Pat's Place, and Meow at T&M's Café does a very good real chip, although you have to request it.

What other recommendations do you guys have for a decent portion of real potato, served as a chip, wedges or just fried potato. I've been at a few decent restaurants in Thailand, where a really good meal has been accompanied by frozen chips - even the half decent versions degrade the meal.

Are they on the menu? I cannot remember. And when you finally find the perfect potato wedges you forgot the photo

YNWA!

[huahin4ever]

From the Google Maps pictures their fries looks like this

https://maps.app.goo.gl/miDLX4Pg46yNFiKE7?g_st=ac

YNWA!

[Big Boy]

I won't touch any of their meals with chips/French fries. For my personal taste buds, they are quite disgusting.

Believe it or not, I was so excited when I'd at last found a decent offering of wedges, that I'd scoffed the lot before I even thought of a photo. If nobody beats me to it, I'll post a photo next time .

I found them listed under side orders.

[caller]

Could be a cost issue, everyone is trying to skimp and save money with food price inflation still rampant. Is it cheaper to buy frozen than decent spuds?

I don't think so. If you're going to buy frozen, you need to buy a freezer as well, plus the constant electricity. I don't think its anything less than laziness.

I don't agree with that. I doubt there's a restaurant kitchen in Hua Hin that doesn't have a freezer! Why else would so many offer frozen chips?

I've had proper chips cooked in Hua Hin, albeit ages ago, and I didn't care for them. Just because someone can prepare a chip doesn't mean they can cook 'em! Overcooked chips are not a nice experience.

I go back to what an English owner of a fish and chip shop in Bkk told me, 2-3 years ago now, when I first visited his restaurant, and it has already been mentioned above. He couldn't guarantee the bulk nor regular supply of the right type of spuds needed to make proper fish and chip standard chips. So he didn't bother.

[Big Boy]

I've had proper chips cooked in Hua Hin, albeit ages ago, and I didn't care for them. Just because someone can prepare a chip doesn't mean they can cook 'em! Overcooked chips are not a nice experience.

I go back to what an English owner of a fish and chip shop in Bkk told me, 2-3 years ago now, when I first visited his restaurant, and it has already been mentioned above. He couldn't guarantee the bulk nor regular supply of the right type of spuds needed to make proper fish and chip standard chips. So he didn't bother.

Both good points, but a decent cook/chef should be able to prepare a half decent chip, and not blame his tools. I'm specifically thinking steak or battered fish establishments. If they can cook/sell an expensive steak, the ability to cook a decent chip should not be beyond the realms of possibility. As I've said already, my son's ex could cook a pretty mean chip. No, it wasn't peel, slice, fry; but if she could do it, I am sure a fully qualified chef should be able to manage it. It would greatly enhance their end product. Anybody can throw a few frozen chips into a fryer - why bother going to a restaurant?

I am sure if the chip shop owner was properly trained, he too could have manage with a lesser spud. The end product would have made a big difference.

My son's ex was actually trained by an Englishman here in Hua Hin how to prepare/cook chips. He used to have his own successful place (sorry, but forget the name).

[STEVE G]

To add another layer of complexity, I’ve just been reading that some restaurants that make their own fries from potatoes fry them once and then freeze them to fry them again before serving.
This is to save time and reduce wastage.
I must admit that I hadn’t realised how time consuming a process it can be with peeling, soaking, chipping, frying once at low heat, cooling and then frying again. For a restaurant to do all that for every order would mean waiting an hour or so for your chips!

[Big Boy]

Yes, as I've already said, it isn't just peel, slice and fry. However, the process doesn't have to take too long.

I understand why they take the lazy option, but they obviously have no pride in their work.

[Dannie Boy]

To add another layer of complexity, I’ve just been reading that some restaurants that make their own fries from potatoes fry them once and then freeze them to fry them again before serving.
This is to save time and reduce wastage.
I must admit that I hadn’t realised how time consuming a process it can be with peeling, soaking, chipping, frying once at low heat, cooling and then frying again. For a restaurant to do all that for every order would mean waiting an hour or so for your chips!

Exactly - for a restaurant that specialises in meals with chips they can batch cook, but in most Thai restaurants where the demand is relatively low, preparing bespoke chips to order is a non-starter!!

[Big Boy]

Ga Hanoi (OK Vietnamese) did a pretty good job last night. 2 portions - 1 for me and one for my son. A touch slow coming, but I was only half way through my main course, as was my son. It was worth the wait. I've had longer delays there waiting for them to fry me an egg.

[caller]

I am sure if the chip shop owner was properly trained, he too could have manage with a lesser spud. The end product would have made a big difference.

And how many of those are there, really? And the experts disagree with you. The best chips are made from floury potato's. Happy to be corrected, but that's not my experience of the spuds here. I can make a decent roast spud, but I have never been able to get the inside as I would like and as I could do in the UK, where I bought a double oven, specifally to roast souds at the higher heat needed, whereas the roast was coooking at a lower heat in the main oven.

As for the prep time in producing a chip ready for frying, many UK fish and chip shops order spuds where that part of the process has already been done.

And you mention you ordered wedges. I thought they were oven baked?

[dtaai-maai]

I am sure if the chip shop owner was properly trained, he too could have manage with a lesser spud. The end product would have made a big difference.

And how many of those are there, really? And the experts disagree with you. The best chips are made from floury potato's. Happy to be corrected, but that's not my experience of the spuds here.

I have to agree. I tried making my own chips in Thailand, in the days when I could actually swallow such delights, following all the recommendations: double frying, refrigerating/freezing and then refrying, etc. Nah, the potatoes are too moist.

A deep fat fryer and some decent spuds were soon purchased after my return to the UK, and then I was a happy man.

[404cameljockey]

I've always made decent chips here on the rare occasions I've tried. Cut into small odd-shaped pieces as my dad used to, and fried in a pan with refined coconut oil or canola oil (refined oils are best for frying). Only as many chips as fit comfortably in the pan, no heaping, made with love .
I only make chips when my adult kids visit as they remember grandad's chips. Leave the chips standing in cold (or better in a hot country, iced) water with a bit of salt for 30 minutes before frying, drying them in a tea towel before cooking.

Makro usually have some decent sized local potatoes if you search the bins. I even have some luck making baked (jacket) potatoes sometimes but it's hard to get a really crispy skin, Very slow, with 'foil on then foil off', I'm hit and miss.

My wife taught me to bake 1" skin-on potato chunks sealed tightly in foil (leave space for air inside the foil too) with butter and seasoning. Not chips and not crunchy but very nice, and lovely the next day fried up, with maybe eggs and bacon.

[Big Boy]

And how many of those are there, really? And the experts disagree with you. The best chips are made from floury potato's. Happy to be corrected, but that's not my experience of the spuds here. I can make a decent roast spud, but I have never been able to get the inside as I would like and as I could do in the UK, where I bought a double oven, specifally to roast souds at the higher heat needed, whereas the roast was coooking at a lower heat in the main oven.

As for the prep time in producing a chip ready for frying, many UK fish and chip shops order spuds where that part of the process has already been done.

And you mention you ordered wedges. I thought they were oven baked?

I don't disagree, of course the floury potatoes are better, but we don't have floury potatoes. That doesn't mean we should scrap Thailand's 2nd potato in preference of frozen chips. I still say, even with a 2nd rate potato, it is far better than frozen.

Of course many UK chip shops order their chips with much of the preparation work done. They have a much higher turnover, so it makes it economically feasible to actually have central preparation plant. They are still real spuds though.

I've no idea how to cook wedges. However they were prepared, they looked like real chips (with skins still attached), and tasted fantastic. Certainly the best I've had in Thailand. Gert Lush.

[Big Boy]

They were so good, I had to go back again. Firstly the menu item. I'm not doubting what you said about wedges are generally baked (I'm no chef, so I take people's word for it. My son also confirms they should be baked).

462550220_959526262865750_7526277562153804529_n.jpg (45.1 KiB) Viewed 3007 times

And here they are. Gert Lush

462572101_1905333999876514_607191104152240973_n.jpg (74.33 KiB) Viewed 3007 times

[Edit] It may not look a lot, but I couldn't finish them. My son had to eat the last one for me. They are huge.

[STEVE G]

. And you mention you ordered wedges. I thought they were oven baked?

After reading this, I tried it at home and even with my limited cooking skills, I ended up with something very similar to the picture above. I just cut some smallish potatoes into quarters lengthwise, soaked them in water for an hour, dried them, coated them in olive oil and baked them on a tray in a small table top oven for 25 minutes.