Thread: Looking for reliable staff.

Screw-tops for wines aren't the same level as you find on a bottle of Coke - they are properly-engineered.

Corks are still used for expensive wines because the people who pay a high price expect a ceromony when opening a bottle, simply because they are snobby, when the reality is if they knew a thing about wine - other than how to waffle about it - they should be insisting on screw-tops.

You are definitely right about the practicality and effectiveness of the screwtop, but I still enjoy the ceremony. To me, finding that one bottle thats just been waiting for me for some odd years, deserves some ritual. It adds to the occasion, and it upholds a tradition that has been finely tuned for ages.

Filipinos.

Originally Posted by Timber

deserves some ritual. It adds to the occasion and it upholds a tradition that has been finely tuned for ages

I see your point, but personally I think all that's old fashioned.

Filipinos.

True that!

I always wondered how Greg at Sunrise Tacos gets his workers work permits - to wait tables!!

Originally Posted by DrAndy

the cork smells so nice

I've busted tables as a wine waiter in some classy joints & smelt some fantastic corks that I normally wouldn't get a chance to go near & appreciate what your saying.

it is not a ceremony, more a tradition

It's a traditional ceremony.

as for the level of engineering, I would have thought coke needs a better screw top as it is bottled under pressure

Far from it. When you're bottling £1000 worth of liquid rather than 10p worth the engineering that has gone into that cap is immense.

The Stelvin Closure is the standard in screw top these days.

It is much better, and much cheaper, and much more convenient than aging Cork bark.

Another good Aussie invention, like the wine cask.

You've really got to hand it to the Aussies for their actions in the wine industry. I've always been a fan of Australian wine. Its what I started off drinking as a teenager b/c of its affordability, and later using in my cooking as a chef for the same reason. I wish they weren't so marked up here in LOS. I can't really complain though as I buy Italian table wines for my dishes here @ 5 ltr/800bht. One of the few gems from the selection at Villa on Sukhumvit. I'll admit I've had a few glasses of it too, the stuff is great for what it is.

I thought the Aussie stuff was going to get cheaper in a short while because of the FTA?

This is not something I'm aware of but sounds like good news to me. Please elaborate.

^^ Yeh, so did I.
So far, Spanish and Chilean wines offer better value over here.

Originally Posted by Timber

Please elaborate.

You'd probably be better off getting the info from William, as I usually talk out of my arse.

Originally Posted by chitown

Filipinos.

True that!

I always wondered how Greg at Sunrise Tacos gets his workers work permits - to wait tables!!

Indeed! Hey Timber, I might work for you if you get me a work permit so I don't have to do visa runs!

Well, how about I just pay you a few hundred baht a month, you claim that I work for you, and I'll stop in every so often to eat to make my presence there legit.

Besides, I'd much rather come to your place and eat than to go to Cambodia or Laos!

Great Steaks > Listening to Filipinos for 10+ hours on a bus

Yum!

GD as much as I'd like to help you out, by my knowledge of Thai Labor Law an establishment must have atleast 4 full time Thai employees and registered capital in the neighborhood of 1 mil bht, before being eligible to provide Farang work permits. I may be wrong about this, as it seems I get different answers from every person even at the gov. offices. I'm not quite to this point yet, hopefully I'll be there soon.

Originally Posted by Timber

GD as much as I'd like to help you out, by my knowledge of Thai Labor Law an establishment must have atleast 4 full time Thai employees and registered capital in the neighborhood of 1 mil bht, before being eligible to provide Farang work permits. I may be wrong about this, as it seems I get different answers from every person even at the gov. offices. I'm not quite to this point yet, hopefully I'll be there soon.

Instead of your very polite answer Timber, i would of told him to feck off!

where is your bistro/bisto?

Originally Posted by Timber

Anybody know any unemployed gay waiters?

MeMock said he is minding the site for DD as he is away at the moment in Chicago - but he may be a prospect.

Chitown - I may still do the school to get my Thai better (and I might bring PB&J's for lunch, too!)

Timber - Thanks for the extremely polite answer, but it was all in jest. I still plan on dropping by for a steak. The menu looks great and the prices quite reasonable!

Originally Posted by DrAndy

Screwcaps are seen as mainly for the cheap end of the market

plastic "corks" are often used in the new world wineries, for their low and middle range wines

Using a real cork does have the advantage of helping mature the wine in the bottle, as their is minimal leakage of oxygen over time

Thus real corks are used almost always for the higher quality wines. The maturing and sense of tradition are difficult to replace by modern "corks"

Actually a german wine-grower told me that artifial corks (not screw-cap) are as good as natural corks without the risk of a corked wine. The natural type is still used only for being cheaper.

Originally Posted by DrAndy

Screwcaps are seen as mainly for the cheap end of the market..

Certainly was in the past. Four years ago when I left Australia I would have been horrified if I discovered I had ordered a screwtop bottle of wine in a restaurant.

Not anymore.

I'd say 80%-90% of wines in Australia are now screwtop, and that includes wines up to $50 in a bottle shop. Penfolds, regarded as one of the best winemakers in Australia now only have corks in their absolute premium range (more than $100 in a bottle shop).

Being a traditionalist, and only having been back in Australia six months, I still find it strange...but I certainly couldn't say it has any negative impact on the wine.

I manage out here, looking for staff at mo; can't see a chance this side of Songkhran. Nobody's gonna be looking for jobs now, too much fun to be had first. It cost me 12k to advertise in the Thai paper and a bad response. When I hire experience is a must, english is a must. No matter how sincere an individual is they work in groups so don't trust nobody; always be on their tail like a pack of bloodthirsty hounds and bite their fookin heads off if they decieve you. Lead by example, thats the only way to get respect - they might like you but if they don't respect you it makes life difficult, put the fear of life into 'em.

I feel ya, I actually have found what I think will be good staff since posting this thread. I got a guy w/a motorcycle that shows up on time and stays busy. I stole him from KFC delivery, the hell with KFC. I just gave him manual bs for the 1st week to see if he could hang and he did. I started using him as practice on my cooking classes this week and he's been doing wonderfully. He can make the stocks and set my plas just how I like it. He doesn't speak much English but he takes interest in whats going and he has a 3 digit iq. After seeing some potential in him I offered him full time at his current rate for 3 mo, If he doesn't suck by then I'll give him a raise of some sort based on performance. He accepted and so far so good. I picked up another one, she's older, one of the ladies you see slinging noodles at the speed of light. Her stand got shut down b/c of new building, I got her on PT doing prep, she can wield a knife, and other general duties. If you check out the nature of my shop (see my other threads) you'll see how 2 people like this can be very useful. I also hired her 15yr old son to go bombard the public with my brochures for 20b an hour while his moms at work. So far this hasn't bit me in the ass, hopefully it won't. Thanks for the response.