Stravaiger wrote: ↑Thu Mar 21, 2024 9:55 am

Doc67 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 21, 2024 8:36 am
I was drinking white (not a great pairing with a BB). The viognier was truly vile, it was rejected at the tasting, and then it just jumped to $6 for a run- of-the-mill Sauv Blanc, and I know I can buy wine like that for ~$8. They wanted $30 a bottle. All the reds started at about $6 iirc, and I have no clue about French wine, Chateau Blah Blah means nothing to me. What I do know is at $6 a glass, it will be very ordinary in there, judging by the white I had. And the servings are tiny. I have seen this a lot at different places, there is no set measure for wine and many are free-poured to a point on the glass, and no more. I reckon the measure was about 100-125ml. That's fucking stingy. I saw them pour a glass of sparkling wine ($6) in a flute glass and it barely went above the halfway point. It looked half drunk.

There is a lot of cheap wine floating about in PP chasing a buyer, Big C have had some good deals on some at the cheaper end, and trade discounts at Wine Warehouse starts at 30%, so a very decent bottle of Argentinian Malbec from the Mendoza valley comes in at around $10 a bottle. Oskar, for example, want $36 for it, and this type of mark up is commonplace. Metro are the same in this regard, and then it gets the ++ treatment.

I sympathise. See my comment about taking wine to restos with no corkage - this used to be fairly common.

At one time Bouchon had quite a good reputation for its wine selection and pricing - Kuroneko ?

I don't think 125ml is stingy provided the price is right, but from your description it sounds like very poor value. I had a glass of white Macon Lugny there that was partially spoiled (storage/heat) so that may have been the problem with the viognier.

I agree about Kiwi / Mini Big C - it has been the place for the best deals for a while. And significantly better than The Warehouse in the $10-20 range even with a 30% discount.

This is a good resource for world price comparisons

https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/de+p ... rt_order=p

Things went south about ten years ago when I started hearing diners saying But it's cheaper than Thailand ! The restaurateurs must have heard them too. I think Oskars is part of a Thai chain, and they helped to introduce Thai prices. Pepe Bistro were selling $5 glasses that retailed at $8 /bottle.

I like Bouchon's Bourguignon but mine is just as good, with ingredients no more than $4 or 5 pp. So compare two plates and a shared bottle, $56 there or $20 with much better wine at home.

armchairlawyer wrote: ↑Tue Mar 19, 2024 11:00 am Every bar on street 136.

Stravaiger wrote: ↑Thu Mar 21, 2024 9:55 am

Doc67 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 21, 2024 8:36 am
I was drinking white (not a great pairing with a BB). The viognier was truly vile, it was rejected at the tasting, and then it just jumped to $6 for a run- of-the-mill Sauv Blanc, and I know I can buy wine like that for ~$8. They wanted $30 a bottle. All the reds started at about $6 iirc, and I have no clue about French wine, Chateau Blah Blah means nothing to me. What I do know is at $6 a glass, it will be very ordinary in there, judging by the white I had. And the servings are tiny. I have seen this a lot at different places, there is no set measure for wine and many are free-poured to a point on the glass, and no more. I reckon the measure was about 100-125ml. That's fucking stingy. I saw them pour a glass of sparkling wine ($6) in a flute glass and it barely went above the halfway point. It looked half drunk.

I ve been at Bouchons a couple of times for X-mas and Newyears dinner, its a fancy place and for my standards overpriced, but if for special occasions friends go there i join them and dont complain. If something what costs 20 dollar, they sell for 56, thats 2.8 compared whats not really bad for such a fancy place i would say. Do the numbers: a can of Anchor at 2500 R x2.8 is 7000 R or exactly the price from an Anchor at Harrys, and thats not really a fancy place, not ?? At Larrys I believe its the same price. If you dont want to pay x2.8, very easy: cook home, not ??

There is a lot of cheap wine floating about in PP chasing a buyer, Big C have had some good deals on some at the cheaper end, and trade discounts at Wine Warehouse starts at 30%, so a very decent bottle of Argentinian Malbec from the Mendoza valley comes in at around $10 a bottle. Oskar, for example, want $36 for it, and this type of mark up is commonplace. Metro are the same in this regard, and then it gets the ++ treatment.

I sympathise. See my comment about taking wine to restos with no corkage - this used to be fairly common.

At one time Bouchon had quite a good reputation for its wine selection and pricing - Kuroneko ?

I don't think 125ml is stingy provided the price is right, but from your description it sounds like very poor value. I had a glass of white Macon Lugny there that was partially spoiled (storage/heat) so that may have been the problem with the viognier.

I agree about Kiwi / Mini Big C - it has been the place for the best deals for a while. And significantly better than The Warehouse in the $10-20 range even with a 30% discount.

This is a good resource for world price comparisons

https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/de+p ... rt_order=p

Things went south about ten years ago when I started hearing diners saying But it's cheaper than Thailand ! The restaurateurs must have heard them too. I think Oskars is part of a Thai chain, and they helped to introduce Thai prices. Pepe Bistro were selling $5 glasses that retailed at $8 /bottle.

I like Bouchon's Bourguignon but mine is just as good, with ingredients no more than $4 or 5 pp. So compare two plates and a shared bottle, $56 there or $20 with much better wine at home.

Spigzy wrote: ↑Thu Mar 21, 2024 6:11 pm How are we on page 5 and Topaz didn't get a mention yet?

Service is continually dismal, food bang average - except for the deserts which are superb, and all for a large multiple of dollars versus better service & food elsewhere. If Topaz was priced at La Croisette/Metro levels, I could accept it, but otherwise it is a big no go for me. Sadly I rub shoulders with folks who love it, I dread it whenever one of them suggests to go there. Lots of VIP customers, not a lot of VIP service.

I tend to agree with there being some oddity in the Riverside Metro, can't put a finger on it - but fact is the other Metro location staff are trained at such a level they put 5-star hotels to shame, and Topaz staff look like a bunch of trainees straight from a bar.


Similarly, how has Ballsack Lane escaped unscathed? Come on, it is dire and I don't even need to name establishments individually. A cesspit of wannabe influencers. There I said it.

I might be getting old, has anyone got a cloud I can shout at?