Jumbo Shrimp: Best Grocery store (best quality / Lowest Cost?

[WaveHunter]

Want to find lowest price & best quality for LARGE shrimp.  I bought a kilo of frozen shrimp at Foodland, and half of the weight was water.  Once it was defrosted, I had around 500 grams of shrimp, but it was priced for a kilo!

 

I'm in Jomtien.

Edited May 27, 2021 by WaveHunter

[Kerryd]

Buy it fresh from the Lan Pho market. They usually sort them in small, medium and large sizes. Prices are way better than the frozen stuff you get at the stores.

https://www.google.co.th/maps/place/Lan+Po+Naklua+Market/@12.9693379,100.9088497,15.21z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x3102be6ebef4be31:0x8a93fc3ef02ca31c!8m2!3d12.9733735!4d100.9064265?hl=en

[1FinickyOne]

Where are you from?

 

Is there a place where the best quality is the lowest price? 

 

I want to visit there, but I wouldn't want to do business there. 

[bkk6060]

Sodium Triplyphosphate, also known as pentasodium triphosphate or STPP, is a versatile chemical, used in cleaning products, detergents, soaps, paints, ceramics and food products. It is often used as a preservative in seafood like shrimp and scallops to "help retain tenderness and moisture during storage and transport." STPP can also improve the physical appearance of seafood and retain water to increase the weight, and therefore cost, of the product.

 

Thus your weight issues. Also, in my opinion frozen Shrimp has a bad taste and chemical smell of Formaldehyde I would never buy and consume such a product.  

Check out Makro or a fresh market. 

 

 

[OneMoreFarang]

Why would anybody who lives at the sea in Thailand buy frozen seafood in a supermarket?

Just go to a fresh market and buy them fresh - and for a good price.

 

[CLW]

Chilled, fresh shrimp at CP fresh mart are the best. They are marketed under the brand "CP Pacific Shrimp" and delivered daily to CP fresh mart.

There is a dedicated fridge with ice where those are kept. I don't know if CP fresh markets in Pattaya offer those but in BKK most of them have it.

Forget about those water ice soaked shrimps you can find at most markets and outlets, even Makro can't compete with those.

 

https://www.cpfworldwide.com/en/media-center/corporate-1425

 

https://www.facebook.com/cppacific/

 

In case someone doesn't have or want to use facebook, here's a quote

 

Apart from good prawns, if you want good quality prawns, start with perfect nurture!

Raising shrimp as a ′′ closed system farm ′′ will help make shrimps grow completely because the shepherd can control everything to meet the needs of shrimp.

Water temperature and ideal environment

acidity condition.

Food

Cleanliness

Safety of shrimp and shepherd

Shrimp ′′ CP Pacific ′′ Raise the farm system, closed system, so that every shrimps are strong shrimps. Full of fresh, sweet, and clean, safe for consumers.

Available today at CP Fresh Mart, Makro, Lotus's, Max Valu, Foodland (except Korat branch and Bangna branch) and the leading market in general.

 

[WaveHunter]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Why would anybody who lives at the sea in Thailand buy frozen seafood in a supermarket?

Just go to a fresh market and buy them fresh - and for a good price.

 

LOL!  You make a good point!  I guess Covid paranoia is making me think stupid lately about just getting out there in the real world.

Edited May 27, 2021 by WaveHunter

[WaveHunter]

Thanks everybody for the helpful replies; most appreciated!

[WaveHunter]

3 hours ago, Kerryd said:

Buy it fresh from the Lan Pho market. They usually sort them in small, medium and large sizes. Prices are way better than the frozen stuff you get at the stores.

https://www.google.co.th/maps/place/Lan+Po+Naklua+Market/@12.9693379,100.9088497,15.21z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x3102be6ebef4be31:0x8a93fc3ef02ca31c!8m2!3d12.9733735!4d100.9064265?hl=en

Thanks for including the Google Map link.  Just read all the positive feedback, and the pictures of the market are great.  I will head over there tomorrow.  Just what I was hoping to find.  Thanks big time!

 

Edited May 27, 2021 by WaveHunter

[Kerryd]

9 hours ago, WaveHunter said:

Thanks for including the Google Map link.  Just read all the positive feedback, and the pictures of the market are great.  I will head over there tomorrow.  Just what I was hoping to find.  Thanks big time!

 

I generally buy the live shrimp, as you never know how long the "dead" stuff has been dead. (I suspect the dead stuff stays there until it's sold, no matter how long that is.)

If it's for me (in Pattaya) I'll take the bag(s) of shrimp and throw them in the freezer for a couple hours, then shell them (get rid of the legs/head/tail shell), rinse, sort into zip locks and what I don't need right away goes back in the freezer. (A couple hours in the freezer, then rinse them in cold water and usually the tails will pop out of the shell with little effort and I never have to "de-vein" them.)

If I'm taking a load "up country", I usually have a cooler half full of ice and throw the shrimp (and whatever else) in it before heading up country. (My friends usually throw the whole shrimp/crab/squid straight onto the grill and the pluck the meat out later.)

Talk a walk through the Lan Pho market before buying, as there are numerous stalls selling various sea food scattered throughout. Note the prices for the different sizes of shrimps (and note that the "dead" stuff is usually cheaper but again, you never know how long it's been dead).

Also, wear flip flops and either roll up your pant legs or wear pants with shorter legs, otherwise your shoes/socks/pants will get splashed with skank water (overflow from the live tanks and splashing animals and melted ice water mostly).

I generally go early in the morning (6ish) as I'm either travelling or just trying to avoid the crowds. The walkways between the stalls are narrow so expect some bumping and jostling.
Don't get upset if you can't move quickly/easily. Instead, take the opportunity to glance at the stalls around you as you wait for a gap in the traffic that you can slip into. Generally the traffic moves slowly and you don't get stalled for more than a few seconds.

Some shops have styro coolers and ice and will pack your purchase(s) for an additional fee (for the cooler and the ice).
There are shops near the "entrance" that will grill your purchases (for a fee of course) if you don't want to cook them yourself. (You give them what you want cooked, they give you a tag, you go back in 10-15 minutes, depending how busy it is, give them the tag and they give you a bag with your grilled seafood in it. I think they give you some Thai seafood dipping sauce as well.)

The biggest hassle at Lan Pho is parking. Limited car parking and later in the day it can be a hassle. Scooters are much easier as there is a dedicated parking area (costs 10 baht) that is never full. And much easier to get through the traffic of course !

[Peterw42]

OP, if you are in Jontiem, there is no reason to treck to naklua, go to Mae La Or market in Soi  Watboon, they sell heaps of fresh seafood, live in tanks etc. Or if you want to get up early, you can buy straight from the boats along the beach just south of soi chaiapuk, every morning

Edited May 28, 2021 by Peterw42

[WaveHunter]

3 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

OP, if you are in Jontiem, there is no reason to treck to naklua, go to Mae La Or market in Soi  Watboon, they sell heaps of fresh seafood, live in tanks etc. Or if you want to get up early, you can buy straight from the boats along the beach just south of soi chaiapuk, every morning

Is this the market you are talking about?

 

 

[WaveHunter]

3 hours ago, Kerryd said:

I generally buy the live shrimp, as you never know how long the "dead" stuff has been dead. (I suspect the dead stuff stays there until it's sold, no matter how long that is.)

If it's for me (in Pattaya) I'll take the bag(s) of shrimp and throw them in the freezer for a couple hours, then shell them (get rid of the legs/head/tail shell), rinse, sort into zip locks and what I do...

Wow!  Thanks for all of your very useful advice!  I've never really gone beyond just buying what ever is in the local grocery store before, so your thoughtful advice is certainly welcomed.  That market is kind of far from where I live, and I'd prefer to find a more local market, which another TVF member has offered (Mae La Or market in Soi  Watboon) which is just a short walk from my home.  If the quality and price is good, I'll probably make that my market of choice, but your advice is still very welcomed so thanks for taking the time to share ????

 

[Peterw42]

5 minutes ago, WaveHunter said:

Is this the market you are talking about?

 

 

Yes, thats the one. 3-4 seafood vendors with shrimp, fish, squid etc. a couple of them will also cook it as well.

 

[WaveHunter]

1 minute ago, Peterw42 said:

Yes, thats the one. 3-4 seafood vendors with shrimp, fish, squid etc. a couple of them will also cook it as well.

 

Most appreciated; Thanks! ????

 

[Kerryd]

6 minutes ago, WaveHunter said:

Wow!  Thanks for all of your very useful advice!  I've never really gone beyond just buying what ever is in the local grocery store before, so your thoughtful advice is certainly welcomed.  That market is kind of far from where I live, and I'd prefer to find a more local market, which another TVF member has offered (Mae La Or market in Soi  Watboon) which is just a short walk from my home.  If the quality and price is good, I'll probably make that my market of choice, but your advice is still very welcomed so thanks for taking the time to share ????

 

Yeah, it's a bit far for me too (I live on soi Khao Noi so it's about 8 1/2 kms from me) otherwise I'd go more often.

If you find the selection at the market close to you to be a bit sparse, the Lan Pho market is about 11 kms away. Probably a hundred vendors there all told. Bit far to walk of course, or even take a moto taxi.

The other market Peterw42 mentioned is shown on Google as the Fishery (not an "official" site). It's about 3 kms from the Day Market. I haven't shopped there myself so I can't say anything about it.

https://www.google.co.th/maps/dir/FISHERY/10+Day+market+Mae+La-Or+Market,+5+ถนน+Bun+Kanchana+Alley,+Muang+Pattaya,+Bang+Lamung+District,+Chon+Buri+20150/@12.880007,100.8863142,14.96z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x31029729b6fb4a8f:0x59e2ca9f3fee2f52!2m2!1d100.8877663!2d12.8734804!1m5!1m1!1s0x31029590f9050637:0xc4cb533b90c99d86!2m2!1d100.8869443!2d12.8901399!3e0?hl=en

[WaveHunter]

1 minute ago, Kerryd said:

Yeah, it's a bit far for me too (I live on soi Khao Noi so it's about 8 1/2 kms from me) otherwise I'd go more often.

If you find the selection at the market close to you to be a bit sparse, the Lan Pho market is about 11 kms away. Probably a hundred vendors there all told. Bit far to walk of course, or even take a moto taxi.

The other market Peterw42 mentioned is shown on Google as the Fishery (not an "official" site). It's about 3 kms from the Day Market. I haven't shopped there myself so I can't say anything about it.

https://www.google.co.th/maps/dir/FISHERY/10+Day+market+Mae+La-Or+Market,+5+ถนน+Bun+Kanchana+Alley,+Muang+Pattaya,+Bang+Lamung+District,+Chon+Buri+20150/@12.880007,100.8863142,14.96z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x31029729b6fb4a8f:0x59e2ca9f3fee2f52!2m2!1d100.8877663!2d12.8734804!1m5!1m1!1s0x31029590f9050637:0xc4cb533b90c99d86!2m2!1d100.8869443!2d12.8901399!3e0?hl=en

All good options; I'll post feedback after I visit Mae La Or, but very nice to have other options from folks like you and others who've shared their suggestions.  TVF can be such a great resource for things like this!

[Guderian]

If you look around you can find langoustines in the markets at the same price as the larger prawns. They're a bit more difficult to shell, but the meat is sweeter and they make a nice change. Fresh prawns are one of the great food bargains here, I've never understood why the frozen ones are so expensive.

[WaveHunter]

12 minutes ago, Guderian said:

If you look around you can find langoustines in the markets at the same price as the larger prawns. They're a bit more difficult to shell, but the meat is sweeter and they make a nice change. Fresh prawns are one of the great food bargains here, I've never understood why the frozen ones are so expensive.

I had langoustines once when I was in Costa Rica and they were delicious (and cheap).  They reminded me more of lobster than shrimp...SO GOOD!

 

I was initially only looking for shrimp but prawns and langoustines would be terrific.  I'll be looking for both when I visit the markets mentioned in this thread in the next couple of days.  After my unhappy experience at Foodland I will never buy frozen seafood here again!

 

Do you have a particular place in mind to buy good langoustines here in Pattaya, preferably near Jomtien?

Edited May 28, 2021 by WaveHunter