Bite Me Bistro--Best New Place in Town

[expatdude]

Creative business planning, Ewan ..

 

Ewan is not at Bite Me anymore.

[brutox]

Ewan is not at Bite Me anymore.

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Egg on face .. edited out .. thanks.

 

Maybe not a surprise .. his LinkedIn entries followed the seasons and the winds .. a young man with no roots .. former mining camp chef .. Princess Cruise Lines chef .. chef on a number of yachts and a few super yachts .. got too much sea water in his veins I suppose.

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[fpv]

Had a excellent meal last night

Highly recommend the lamb fell off the bone

[fpv]

Nice meal

[Taa_Saparot]

Ewan is not at Bite Me anymore.

 

I think Ewan is working at Blue Olive now ?

[expatdude]

I think Ewan is working at Blue Olive now ?

 

That's my understanding as well.

[Pheat]

That's my understanding as well.

I thought he was one of the owners of Bite me?

Or was he just a worker on a salary?

[expatdude]

I thought he was one of the owners of Bite me?

Or was he just a worker on a salary?

 

I thought so too, but now I just have no idea.

[Ah dinnae ken]

The new chef is great & a fun guy to boot. He arranged Lamb Shanks for me before it came back on the menu & was just great. I love this place, just wish I could eat & not drink but I'm a weak bastard

[Pheat]

I thought so too, but now I just have no idea.

If he was a part owner

You would have thought would have stuck around seeing how the business is doing so well

But if you are just making coin for the owner

Time to move on to more profitable pastures with your skill sets

[Taa_Saparot]

The new chef is great & a fun guy to boot. He arranged Lamb Shanks for me before it came back on the menu & was just great. I love this place, just wish I could eat & not drink but I'm a weak bastard

 

Who is cooking at Bite Me Bistro now ?

 

I thought it was Gerry that used to be at Steak & Co.

[Taa_Saparot]

I thought he was one of the owners of Bite me?

Or was he just a worker on a salary?

 

I was never given the impression that he was anything other than the Chef.

[Ah dinnae ken]

Who is cooking at Bite Me Bistro now ?

 

I thought it was Gerry that used to be at Steak & Co.

I forget, probably the drinking thing, sorry

[TWD]

Creative business planning .. that you are differentiating yourself in the market, not just by your quality, menu, and service, but your product distribution .. in-restaurant dining, home delivery (ready to eat), home delivery (vacuum packed) .. now, maybe outsourced commercial kitchen.

Your vacuum packed capability makes for an interesting potential extension to your market reach, and the outsourced commercial kitchen play would be cool if you can find reliable local customers with whom to work:

• Maybe outsource meals to tour organizers that are not set-up for catering for their higher-end special excursions .. you could probably come up with a menu that would serve-up well on the daylong dive trips .. maybe something for the sailboat/yacht excursions .. unsure just how deep that market is in the Pattaya trade area, but your meals could give them a point of differentiation they would see as a competitive advantage for their businesses;
• Maybe arrange a food stall concession at the water parks, where their food courts cater to a variety of tastes and are not inexpensive;
• Maybe offer late night room service to hotels, for after their kitchens close .. delivered to the hotel, vacuum packed and ready to heat .. minimal staff;
• The Marriott Hua Hin has in each room a late night order out menu listing several reputable local restaurants .. pizza delivery, etc. .. ordered by the guest directly from the restaurant and delivered directly to the room .. difficult for smaller hotels to justify keeping the kitchens open beyond mid-evening;
• Wedding organizers mostly use the catering at the hotels where they host weddings .. some, however, host weddings at non-hotel venues, where you could arrange to semi-cater .. better than anyone, you probably know that wedding catering is seldom better than a controlled crash (especially organized by Thais in an outdoor venue .. I get this from my daughter, who owns a wedding boutique and has been involved in some of these productions), but organizers look for ways to shave costs .. you provide the food only (the high value-added element), and the organizer provides their own service staff and equipment (the low value-added element);
• Higher-end holiday rental condos with kitchens/galleys would seem a potential market for you .. place a laminated copy of your offer in their kitchens .. AirBnB lists approximately 300 units in Pattaya priced at THB 2,500+ per night, the guests in which would seem to roughly correspond to your buyer profile .. maybe collaborate with a handful of carefully selected restaurants, with clearly differentiated/complimentary offers, to distribute these to the AirBnB listings; or,
• Maybe place your vacuum packed meals on the shelves at Villa Market, which caters specifically to local farang and international-oriented Thais with higher budgets .. probably low margin, but if there is enough volume, they now have about 20 stores (most in BKK, one in Pattaya), some of which are in local farang-rich trade areas.

Marketing these options is more work than putting up a sandwich board on the sidewalk, but at some point the added gross revenues become worth the effort .. +10%? .. +20%? .. +30%? .. more? .. you've a fixed asset that goes idle at 22.00 .. you can extend its operating hours (profitably, hopefully) by serving breakfasts (I am guessing low-margin, low-volume) .. or, maybe outsourcing to extend the machine's operating hours, as you are considering.

I like where you are going with it .. curious to see if your outsourced commercial kitchen option will generate meaningful deal flow for you .. good luck with it, young man.

Meanwhile, I read on Trip Advisor that your Bite Me Bistro mothership cracked the top 5% of all Pattaya restaurants (of 825 listings) .. pretty good results for less than 6 months work, chef .. I love to watch great little businesses as yours break out and rise above the pack.

I am jazzed about your place, and I haven't even dined there yet! .. but, I look for these places, still in their formative stage, but with great 'bones' .. Pattaya has lost its lustre for me, so it seems a long drive from BKK nowadays .. but .. I will get down there someday and do look forward to enjoying dinner there one evening .. maybe hear your story.

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Thanks Brutox great advice and very much the way we are thinking - are you bored and looking for something to keep yourself busy in Pattaya ;)

[TWD]

If he was a part owner

You would have thought would have stuck around seeing how the business is doing so well

But if you are just making coin for the owner

Time to move on to more profitable pastures with your skill sets

Ewan had an excellent profit share agreement and was an equal partner in operational decision-making with the two investors (who owned the business 100% from the start). However things did not progress as all parties would have liked, so we parted company.

 

We were fortunate to have some other excellent chefs on board who have built on our great start and have quickly taken the business on to the level where we are now doing deliveries, both takeaway and chilled/frozen vac-packs, and will soon be able to do outside catering. As well as keeping up quality standards at the Bistro.

 

As mentioned before our private dining room with attached bathroom is available for small private functions - up to 10 people. 50" TV.

 

We need a couple of extra staff, but as soon as we find them we shall be opening Sundays, as well as mornings for breakfast.

[TWD]

Bite Me Monday Special!

 

Ras El Hanout Pork in a Puff Pastry Basket with Mushroom, Asparagus & Red Pepper Puree - 250 baht

 

From 1pm to 10pm at Bite Me Bistro, 3rd Road (near corner soi Lengkee). https://FB.com/BitePattaya

 

Private dining room with private bathroom and 50" TV for sports events etc now available for groups of 4-10 people.

 

Groups may book outside normal opening hours if they want to watch the game and eat great food - just call and book on 09-23456-385 or 08-3192-8223

 

And don't forget our great vac-packed quality dining dishes - check the Bite Me FB page for the full list and call us - we can deliver.

 

[Kreggerz]

What is Ras el Hanout?

 

http://www.thekitchn.com/what-is-ras-el-hanout-ingredient-spotlight-60960

[buckowski]

The photography of the food on this thread is outstanding, real professional standard.

I've only been once here, had a great set menu only let down by slight seasoning issues, but easily a 9/10 meal when factored in with the very reasonable price, think it was 490bt for a mountain of food.

I thought the portions were a bit on the large side, almost felt a little guilty being given that much food for so little.

Ewan came across as a good chef, very knowledgeable and it's a shame he's gone but I guess that's the catering trade, always changing.

Very much looking forward to returning here in August!

[Kreggerz]

Interesting you mentioned seasoning. I like the food a lot but I think there is a problem there somewhat often with under-seasoning though a recent special was way over salted. But usually the problem is under seasoning.

 

The waitresses ask how the food is but most people are polite and don't want to say anything if there isn't a major problem.

 

Very easy to fix but perhaps they need more honest feedback. I mentioned it to Ewan on a dish while he was there and he seemed to respond that it was intentional and that's what the salt and pepper on the table were for. I think I recall he even mentioned something about people who were on restricted diets.  I don't think that was a good response. Salt and pepper on the table isn't the same as cooking seasoning in the food. The idea that some of the dishes are intentionally made bland for people with health restrictions doesn't seem to fit  a general market restaurant. 

 

I think a place that gets almost all positive comments and rightfully so as they deliver such interesting dishes for such friendly prices can handle a little constructive criticism once in a while. 

[buckowski]

As a chef, seasoning is the hardest thing to perfect, it takes years unless you're a natural. Feedback is your best friend here and perhaps the response you got was not the right one lol.

Really, if a dish is seasoned correctly there's no need for S n P on the table. The starter I had was nice, but definitely under seasoned too.

The main included an apple jus, or gravy where I'm from, it was clearly sour/sharp, it just needed a touch of brown sugar to balance it.

No big deal though, it really was an excellent meal, finished off with a faultless chocolate fondant.

[Kreggerz]

I didn't make the comment casually. I've noticed a pattern of underseasoning on a number of dishes there, with different chefs. Definitely not a one off.

 

Have others noticed this?

 

Of course if you go one time and got the seemingly accidental very over salted dish I recently had, you might come to a different conclusion. 

[TWD]

Thanks for the feedback Kreggerz, much appreciated. As you rightly say getting the seasoning at a balanced level is not the easiest of tasks, but one thing's for sure.... You can guarantee that what is under-seasoned for one person will be over-seasoned for another! Nice to find the happy medium sometimes

[TWD]

Tuesday 195B special is Home-made 'Toulouse' Pork Sausages with Caramelised Onion & a Lentil Ragout, Jus

 

Call us on 09-23456-385 or 08-3192-8223 to book or if you would like a delivery of either menu dishes or the vacuum-packed meals

 

Bite Me Bistro is located on 3rd Road Central Pattaya, a few metres from the top of Soi Lengkee

[Kreggerz]

Thanks for the feedback Kreggerz, much appreciated. As you rightly say getting the seasoning at a balanced level is not the easiest of tasks, but one thing's for sure.... You can guarantee that what is under-seasoned for one person will be over-seasoned for another! Nice to find the happy medium sometimes

That's great. I appreciate there is a subjective aspect to everything about food. But still I would suggest looking into this, tasting the dishes more often, and digging deeper for honest feedback. Bite Me is a great place but there is always room for improvement. 

[TWD]

That's great. I appreciate there is a subjective aspect to everything about food. But still I would suggest looking into this, tasting the dishes more often, and digging deeper for honest feedback. Bite Me is a great place but there is always room for improvement.

 

Really appreciate honest feedback. We ask a lot of people what they think, and the seasoning hadn't been mentioned before, but the chef's been informed. The fixed menu has changed a fair bit recently, and it would be good to hear what people think about it now.

 

Different restaurants different approaches - yes it is true that we get more requests for low sodium dishes that you might imagine, and that we emphasise more other herbs and spices to add flavour than the standard salt. It was deliberate in the early days. But within the limitations of a small bistro we try to keep everyone happy as much as possible!