One-Stop Foodie Shopping... Where?!?

[lazygourmet]

Due to the recent flooding, I didn't venture to inner city for at least the last two months.

So I don't have any clue regarding shops' supplies..

Tomorrow morning, I will go for a bit of gourmet shopping spree... But time will not be on my side!

Which one will be my best bet: Emporium, Gourmet Chidlom or Villa Ploenchit?

[RedNIvar]

None of the stores you mentioned were effected by the floods, so they should be just as how you saw them two months back. I personally prefer to go to the Emporium.

[bkkjames]

Paragon or Emporium.

[p_brownstone]

Siam Paragon, Central Chidlom and the Emporium are good - but being so central they have rather limited space.

For me the best laid out Market is Villa in Paradise Park on Srinakarin Road.

Patrick

[dominique355]

I do like the supermarket at Central Chidlom, although it could be a bit cramped, but it has a great choice of high quality products. I avoid shopping on weekends anyway.

But any of these are good: Paragon, Central World, Emporium and Central Chidlom.

In terms of convenience I prefer Central World, because I can drive up to the 7th floor and park practically on front of the entrance to the supermarket.

Paragon is nice but a real nuisance to get out of the parking after 3 PM.

[tutsiwarrior]

Villa at the Ploenchit center never impressed me as being a foodie sort of place...mediocre selection...

try the arab food restaurant near the entrance...the mezze is not bad but no arabic bread...lotsa babushkas...

[bonobo]

The Villa near Emporium has a much better selection than Villa Ploenchit. Sometimes, I shift my workouts from Pin Klao to Asoke just so I have an excuse to go to Villa there (there is also a Villa near Pin Klao, but the selection is not nearly as good.) The tomatoes there have been particularly good lately, so I have been going heavy on salads, pastas, and gazpacho. I also love flank steak, and that Villa is the only place in Bangkok I can find them (and the price is quite reasonable.)

As an aside, I love the advent of the word "foodie," as you use in the thread title. I always thought it was pretentious to refer to oneself as a "gourmet" just because you liked good quality food and enjoyed the food scene. "Foodie" is a much better term as it connotates appreciation rather than all encompassing skill or knowledge.

(oops, just remembered your username--no insult is intended! Adding the word "lazy" as well as your avatar show you are not using it in pretentious way! )

[bkkjames]

The foodland on soi 16 is good too, big, organized, no dodging all the riff raff associated with the now gone soi 5 one.

[lazygourmet]

The Villa near Emporium has a much better selection than Villa Ploenchit. Sometimes, I shift my workouts from Pin Klao to Asoke just so I have an excuse to go to Villa there (there is also a Villa near Pin Klao, but the selection is not nearly as good.) The tomatoes there have been particularly good lately, so I have been going heavy on salads, pastas, and gazpacho. I also love flank steak, and that Villa is the only place in Bangkok I can find them (and the price is quite reasonable.)

As an aside, I love the advent of the word "foodie," as you use in the thread title. I always thought it was pretentious to refer to oneself as a "gourmet" just because you liked good quality food and enjoyed the food scene. "Foodie" is a much better term as it connotates appreciation rather than all encompassing skill or knowledge.

(oops, just remembered your username--no insult is intended! Adding the word "lazy" as well as your avatar show you are not using it in pretentious way! )

Cheers I am off to Asoke area then...

Edited December 24, 2011 by lazygourmet

[jybkk]

From my experience, you don't always find all the things you're looking in just one stop. Each have their downside.

However, I like Centeal Chidlom because they have a great selection of fruits, meat, cheese and spices.

[keemapoot]

The Villa near Emporium has a much better selection than Villa Ploenchit. Sometimes, I shift my workouts from Pin Klao to Asoke just so I have an excuse to go to Villa there (there is also a Villa near Pin Klao, but the selection is not nearly as good.) The tomatoes there have been particularly good lately, so I have been going heavy on salads, pastas, and gazpacho. I also love flank steak, and that Villa is the only place in Bangkok I can find them (and the price is quite reasonable.)

As an aside, I love the advent of the word "foodie," as you use in the thread title. I always thought it was pretentious to refer to oneself as a "gourmet" just because you liked good quality food and enjoyed the food scene. "Foodie" is a much better term as it connotates appreciation rather than all encompassing skill or knowledge.

(oops, just remembered your username--no insult is intended! Adding the word "lazy" as well as your avatar show you are not using it in pretentious way! )

Cheers I am off to Asoke area then...

I agree - the Villa across the Emporium is the best, and also have validated free parking just to the right side of the building, so if you drive, it's the most convenient of any of the "foodie" places.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

There is no such thing as "one stop" foodie shopping here.... usually wasn't before the floods, and certainly isn't now....after the floods.... Because a lot of the stores -- even the various gourmet markets the OP mentions -- still don't have various things....

Between the markets at Emporium and Siam Paragon, which are sister stores, the Paragon location is bigger and has a broader selection. They've also done a pretty good job of restocking...within limits.

Central Chidlom used to be one of my favorites...but for a long time lately, their stocking situation has been especially dire.... I haven't been there in a couple weeks now.... but for whatever reason, the Central and Tops markets, which are part of the same group, seem to have suffered greater supply disruptions.

As for Villa, either the stores at Soi 31 or at Soi 11 have been pretty well stocked, and usually have a better selection than the Ploenchit store.... Though the Villa at the outlying Paradise Park also usually has a good selection.

The OP didn't specify what exact kinds of things he was looking to buy.... Unfortunately, it's unlikely that a farang with a foodie shopping list is going to be able to go to any one of the locations above and find everything on their list.

It really depends on the things on one's list. For example, the Villas tend to have a better stock of a lot of western things, like cereals and wines. Central Chidlom has the best fresh bakery in terms of both range of items and quality, far better than the others. Paragon market probably has the broadest selection of pre-prepared food items to take-out.

Oddly, one of the things that's been virtually absent from the store shelves around BKK lately is soda pop drinks like Coke, Pepsi, Sprite, etc. The Paragon market used to have most of a row devoted to soda, but it's been totally empty for weeks. Villa and some other places have had Coke from time to time but little else. My wife likes to drink Sprite, but I haven't seen any anywhere for weeks....save an odd bottle here and there at 7/11s.

[bkkjames]

John, coke zero is back in 7 so probably diet sprite as well.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Thanks James... I guess it depends on the location... BTW, I know regular Sprite, but I don't think I've ever seen a 7 with diet Sprite???

I checked a couple times this week at the 7s on my soi, and they had no Sprite still... I have seen them with regular Coke sometimes...but lately, I've seen some Thai brand variety like "BigCola" or something like that.

But my main purpose was simply to illustrate, even in areas of BKK that were never flooded, the stores even now are missing items they regularly stock.... Another such item is Kleenex brand tissue, which has largely disappeared. It's kind of a hit and miss situation.

[tutsiwarrior]

up here in southern Suphanburi Sprite has appeared on the shelves as well as regular Coke (in large bottles only) and orange and grape Fanta but no A&W root beer or diet cola that they useta have before the floods...

although I expected it to be excessively sweet I hadta get me some grape soda...hadn't had any since childhood in Tennessee...

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

The stores around here in BKK seem to be awash in strawberry Fanta, Tutsi....

BTW, does grape Fanta qualify as grape soda???

Just to make you jealous, Tutsi, I had a mug of semi-frosty A&W root beer with my lunch the other day at the A&W outlet at soon to be closed for renovation Silom Complex shopping center.

In retrospect... it tasted and seemed a bit flat, like they'd poured it out of a pitcher or something like that... Not the usual fizz and foam you'd get from a freshly opened bottle/can. I want my foam, dang it!!!!

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Speaking of foodie type items, the Villa markets in BKK used to do a pretty good job of stocking some varieties of Dr. Pepper.... sometimes from the U.S., sometimes a foreign version.

But amid the general shortage of sodas around here in recent weeks, I haven't thought to check and see if the Drs. are still on the shelves... I could envision that they might be faring better, because they're imported as opposed to locally produced like the other mass market sodas...

BTW, I haven't really seen any explanation for why the availability of sodas in recent weeks has totally gone downhill... I'm presuming it's because the bottling plants have been enlisted to produce more bottled water, which was in desperately short supply for a long time... But now lately, at least that shortage seems to have passed. Even saw Singh and Nestle bottles back on the shelves lately.

[tutsiwarrior]

The stores around here in BKK seem to be awash in strawberry Fanta, Tutsi....

BTW, does grape Fanta qualify as grape soda???

Just to make you jealous, Tutsi, I had a mug of semi-frosty A&W root beer with my lunch the other day at the A&W outlet at soon to be closed for renovation Silom Complex shopping center.

In retrospect... it tasted and seemed a bit flat, like they'd poured it out of a pitcher or something like that... Not the usual fizz and foam you'd get from a freshly opened bottle/can. I want my foam, dang it!!!!

dunno...the classic grape soda of course is Nehi in the long tall boddle...

loadsa Singha soda water on the shelves today at the small local tescos...just strain the disgusting pulp outta the local Tipco fruit juice and add to soda and ice for a nice drink...

also there's been a lot of imported V8 vegetable juice around and I like a long cold draught in the morning to wash down the diabetes and blood pressure meds...you get the illusion that you are getting healthy rather than dying...

also real Sunsweet pure prune juice (not from concentrate)...no more constipation worries...

Edited December 25, 2011 by tutsiwarrior

[bonobo]

also there's been a lot of imported V8 vegetable juice around and I like a long cold draught in the morning to wash down the diabetes and blood pressure meds...you get the illusion that you are getting healthy rather than dying...

I've noticed that, too. With the imported tomato juice in shorter supply, I have started using the V8 as a base for my gazpacho, and it really works well. Fewer calories than the straight tomato juice as well, so that is a plus.

I realize that Spanish purists are freaking that I use a canned juice as a base, but I rather like it, and the time savings is significant. I can make a pitcher of gazpacho in about 5 minutes (which I do a couple of times a week.)

[tutsiwarrior]

I've always wondered about the comparative nutritional value of gazpacho vs ratatouille; if you can get the fresh ingredients for one you should also be able to make the other...when I was in VN every week I'd take stock of available ingredients and make a ratatouille every week, eat for 3 days with half a baguette for supper at home and not bad...gazpacho you can have for breakfast...

nice local packaged tomato juice and other juices in VN, 'V-fresh' better than anything that Thailand has got, useta have a large glass for breakfast with my coffee in the morning then make a sandwich at my desk at around 9am...nice ham and pork liver pate available...

[smokie36]

The foodland on soi 16 is good too, big, organized, no dodging all the riff raff associated with the now gone soi 5 one.

You're wrong James....I've found the new one already!

[smokie36]

I've always wondered about the comparative nutritional value of gazpacho vs ratatouille; if you can get the fresh ingredients for one you should also be able to make the other...when I was in VN every week I'd take stock of available ingredients and make a ratatouille every week, eat for 3 days with half a baguette for supper at home and not bad...gazpacho you can have for breakfast...

nice local packaged tomato juice and other juices in VN, 'V-fresh' better than anything that Thailand has got, useta have a large glass for breakfast with my coffee in the morning then make a sandwich at my desk at around 9am...nice ham and pork liver pate available...

I've taken to making my Bloody Mary's with chopped tomato and fresh chilli. Tasty!

[smokie36]

also there's been a lot of imported V8 vegetable juice around and I like a long cold draught in the morning to wash down the diabetes and blood pressure meds...you get the illusion that you are getting healthy rather than dying...

I've noticed that, too. With the imported tomato juice in shorter supply, I have started using the V8 as a base for my gazpacho, and it really works well. Fewer calories than the straight tomato juice as well, so that is a plus.

I realize that Spanish purists are freaking that I use a canned juice as a base, but I rather like it, and the time savings is significant. I can make a pitcher of gazpacho in about 5 minutes (which I do a couple of times a week.)

Peeling tomatoes is a drag...if anyone knows a quick and easy way to do a couple of dozen...!

[metisdead]

Some off topic posts have been removed.

[bkkjames]

Apparently smokes, foodland has a very open policy regarding the less fortunate spurs types.

[tutsiwarrior]

also there's been a lot of imported V8 vegetable juice around and I like a long cold draught in the morning to wash down the diabetes and blood pressure meds...you get the illusion that you are getting healthy rather than dying...

I've noticed that, too. With the imported tomato juice in shorter supply, I have started using the V8 as a base for my gazpacho, and it really works well. Fewer calories than the straight tomato juice as well, so that is a plus.

I realize that Spanish purists are freaking that I use a canned juice as a base, but I rather like it, and the time savings is significant. I can make a pitcher of gazpacho in about 5 minutes (which I do a couple of times a week.)

Peeling tomatoes is a drag...if anyone knows a quick and easy way to do a couple of dozen...!

I read somewhere that the skins come off easily if you drop in boiling water...I don't bother as the skins go right thru ye; sorta like a scouring mechanism fer yer bowels and helps to prevent cancer...

[smokie36]

Apparently smokes, foodland has a very open policy regarding the less fortunate spurs types.

You mean the ones who have never been to the Lane James?

[smokie36]

I read somewhere that the skins come off easily if you drop in boiling water...I don't bother as the skins go right thru ye; sorta like a scouring mechanism fer yer bowels and helps to prevent cancer...

I'm of the same mind but some recipes need the skin off. Following on from your comment just make an X with a knife at one end first etc...

Was looking for something simpler...I guess I'll just have to find me a wife....]

[bonobo]

also there's been a lot of imported V8 vegetable juice around and I like a long cold draught in the morning to wash down the diabetes and blood pressure meds...you get the illusion that you are getting healthy rather than dying...

I've noticed that, too. With the imported tomato juice in shorter supply, I have started using the V8 as a base for my gazpacho, and it really works well. Fewer calories than the straight tomato juice as well, so that is a plus.

I realize that Spanish purists are freaking that I use a canned juice as a base, but I rather like it, and the time savings is significant. I can make a pitcher of gazpacho in about 5 minutes (which I do a couple of times a week.)

Peeling tomatoes is a drag...if anyone knows a quick and easy way to do a couple of dozen...!

I read somewhere that the skins come off easily if you drop in boiling water...I don't bother as the skins go right thru ye; sorta like a scouring mechanism fer yer bowels and helps to prevent cancer...

Peeling tomatoes is easy by dropping them in boiling water for a minute, but like you, I leave them on. Like most fruits, a good deal of the nutrients of a tomato are in the skin (especially flavonols and carotenoids.)

[nocturn]

also there's been a lot of imported V8 vegetable juice around and I like a long cold draught in the morning to wash down the diabetes and blood pressure meds...you get the illusion that you are getting healthy rather than dying...

I've noticed that, too. With the imported tomato juice in shorter supply, I have started using the V8 as a base for my gazpacho, and it really works well. Fewer calories than the straight tomato juice as well, so that is a plus.

I realize that Spanish purists are freaking that I use a canned juice as a base, but I rather like it, and the time savings is significant. I can make a pitcher of gazpacho in about 5 minutes (which I do a couple of times a week.)

Peeling tomatoes is a drag...if anyone knows a quick and easy way to do a couple of dozen...!

yes, blanche em. drop in boilin water take out immediately, drop in ice water, peel