The new festival tops market keeps getting better

[ericpasansai]

Items that are getting scarce in rim ping are in abundance in festival market. The bakery is superb, the seafood is great and I seem to be earning spot points whatever that is


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[jko]

It's good to know that at least there is a positive side to what must be the ugliest architectural eyesore in Northern Thailand.

 

I have to look away every time I pass by, particularly the montrous side view with that horrendous concrete car park fully exposed.

 

I will continue shopping at Rimping thanks ...

[Phrafarang]

Yes the market in the Festival Mall is excellent, a joint venture between Tops and UK supermarket Waitrose it has a huge selection of European goods. I shopped at Rimping for years but the Festival Market has a better selection and it is also significantly cheaper, especially for cheese, and they even have Kellogs Crunchy Nut Cornflakes.

[Genericnic]

Definitely worth a look. Maybe they have some of the things I can't find elsewhere.

 

David

 

[Oscar2]

It's good to know that at least there is a positive side to what must be the ugliest architectural eyesore in Northern Thailand.

 

I have to look away every time I pass by, particularly the montrous side view with that horrendous concrete car park fully exposed.

 

I will continue shopping at Rimping thanks ...

 

i agree and if Tops Festival Market wasn't in there, I would never go there. i haven't found one restaurant i like there and the boutique shops are not my thing. for cheese Festival Tops can't be beat. but that is about all i buy there; sometimes some bread but recently i noticed that the taste of the bread has changed since it first opened. it is now much sweeter, no doubt not enough was being consumed by Thais so the recipes changed.
 

[PostmanPat]

It's good to know that at least there is a positive side to what must be the ugliest architectural eyesore in Northern Thailand.

 

I have to look away every time I pass by, particularly the montrous side view with that horrendous concrete car park fully exposed.

 

I will continue shopping at Rimping thanks ...

 

Right. Yes, sure, Chiang Mai is so perfect for local architecture isnt it? all those long lines of "shophouse" type connected buildings all over the City are SO pretty, and all those stores you see around painted various lurid colours, like the orange painted furniture store on Hangdong Road, also SO pretty. As long as theyre not within the old City, give me a Promenada or Festival type building providing as they do up to date shopping facilities any time!!
 

[NancyL]

You know, I must admit, I've never been to Central Festival mall. A couple weeks ago Hubby did a major research project and got their mini-bus (i.e. jazzed-up song thaew) schedule and happily reported it was indeed possible to go from point Nancy to point Fesival.

Yeah, sure, if you wanted to spend 1.5 hours sitting in the back of a truck painted lurid colors.

OK, we do have a special, cozy, one-of-a-kind, just-like-family relationship with a tuk-tuk driver who can help here (doesn't everyone who has lived in CM for at least 36 minutes?). Thanks to our history of excessive tipping he was among the first in Chiang Mai to acquire one of those new,long wheelbase, very quiet, new tuk tuks. Maybe I'll just phone him, knowing there's room in the tuk tuk for a month of groceries from the new Tops Central Festival.

[cloudhopper]

None of them approach what a Villa supermarket has on offer; hope they open one up north some day.

[quidnunc]

Yes the market in the Festival Mall is excellent, a joint venture between Tops and UK supermarket Waitrose it has a huge selection of European goods. I shopped at Rimping for years but the Festival Market has a better selection and it is also significantly cheaper, especially for cheese, and they even have Kellogs Crunchy Nut Cornflakes.

All the Tops markets I have been to carry a lot of Waitrose products. I don't think this one is any different in that regard.  As for cheeses, my impression is that the prices in Tops are higher than the prices in Rim Ping.

[dave2]

re

 

All the Tops markets I have been to carry a lot of Waitrose products.

 

do they stock ambrosia creamed rice ?

 

coz ive got a craving for it :(

 

dave2

[Ulysses G.]

You know, I must admit, I've never been to Central Festival mall.

I haven't been to any of the new malls, although I did hit the one near the bus station on my way back into town. None of the big ones though. I'm afraid that they will have a Mrs Fields Cookies or Cold Stone Creamery and I won't be able to resist. 

[worgeordie]

re

 

All the Tops markets I have been to carry a lot of Waitrose products.

 

do they stock ambrosia creamed rice ?

 

coz ive got a craving for it

 

dave2

Hi Dave,RimPing Meechok have it so maybe others,plus they have Ambrosia semolina.

regards Worgeordie

[beb]

Is this increased inventory only with the Tops at that location or with the others as well?  Anything in particular to mention?  I'm always interested in finding things I may not even know I'm looking for.

 

Thanks!

 

[anto]

What floor is Tops on in the New Central Festival ? Central have their own food shop at basement level ,is it near that ?Went there yesterday and could not find Tops ?

[dave2]

re

 

Hi Dave,RimPing Meechok have it so maybe others,plus they have Ambrosia semolina.

 

wow .. thanks for that news :)

 

im going to d tac in maya today so ill look in the rimping there

 

and semolina as well !

 

hot creamed rice or semolina with a big dollop of strawberry jam and stirred well ... 7th heaven :)

 

dave2s going to be a fat little ###### tonight ... but happy

 

 

[Trujillo]

They used to carry Brazilian red wine sausages....the most amazing sausages I think I ever tried, and then they took all them (and the few other interesting kinds) out and replaced them all with imported Oscar Mayer hotdogs! (at laughable prices)

I asked the "manager" about this, but she didn't know what products they had, where they might have gone or anything else. ("Oh, whatever it is you're talking about is in the frozen section now....oh...okay, then we don't have them...but we will get more...I don't know when." (= I know nothing)).

 

The best thing about that place is the cheeses that are about to go past expiry which are about 50% off. That brings them down to prices normal humans can afford, and you can try some flavors you haven't had the budget to purchase in the past. 

 

I am also waiting for someone to re-stock the flavored oils. There is a receptacle for "lemon oil" which I'd like to try but it's been sitting empty for over two months. Maybe I should check the frozen section....

[Oscar2]

 

Yes the market in the Festival Mall is excellent, a joint venture between Tops and UK supermarket Waitrose it has a huge selection of European goods. I shopped at Rimping for years but the Festival Market has a better selection and it is also significantly cheaper, especially for cheese, and they even have Kellogs Crunchy Nut Cornflakes.

All the Tops markets I have been to carry a lot of Waitrose products. I don't think this one is any different in that regard.  As for cheeses, my impression is that the prices in Tops are higher than the prices in Rim Ping.

 

 

the cheeses are cheaper at Festival Tops only. that is because they buy in such large quantity and have weekly promotions. in all other Tops, yes cheese is more expensive than Rimping.
 

[Oscar2]

Is this increased inventory only with the Tops at that location or with the others as well?  Anything in particular to mention?  I'm always interested in finding things I may not even know I'm looking for.

 

Thanks!

 

 

only at Tops at that location - probably due to the large amount of floor space available. cheeses, deli meats like salami, ham, etc. - a very large inventory and lots of variety and somewhat fair pricing.
 

[Oscar2]

What floor is Tops on in the New Central Festival ? Central have their own food shop at basement level ,is it near that ?Went there yesterday and could not find Tops ?

 

basement level. although the Tops brand is not visible it is the "Central" supermarket and is actually Tops.
 

[anonymouse]

It's good to know that at least there is a positive side to what must be the ugliest architectural eyesore in Northern Thailand.

 

I have to look away every time I pass by, particularly the montrous side view with that horrendous concrete car park fully exposed.

 

I will continue shopping at Rimping thanks ...

 

Yes certainly spoils what was a famous beauty spot no more idyllic picnics watching the traffic on the superhighway thunder past.

[metisdead]

Troll posts have been removed.

[villagefarang]

 

You know, I must admit, I've never been to Central Festival mall.

I haven't been to any of the new malls, although I did hit the one near the bus station on my way back into town. None of the big ones though. I'm afraid that they will have a Mrs Fields Cookies or Cold Stone Creamery and I won't be able to resist. 

 

Come on guys, I live in Chiang Rai and I have been to Central Festival.  Those Mrs Fields Cookies are pure evil, however, and no matter how hard I tried I was unable to escape without an assortment of fudge and cookies for the drive home.

[jjczap]

 

You know, I must admit, I've never been to Central Festival mall.

I haven't been to any of the new malls, although I did hit the one near the bus station on my way back into town. None of the big ones though. I'm afraid that they will have a Mrs Fields Cookies or Cold Stone Creamery and I won't be able to resist. 

 

 

Festival indeed has a Cold Stone Creamery  --  I think across from Star Bucks on the 1st floor

[dave2]

Wey hey ... i found them

thanks wg

dave2

[PostmanPat]

Wey hey ... i found them

thanks wg

dave2

 

£1.05 on the tin price in UK, but 165 baht ( £3) here!! Rice puds one of the easiest things to make ever.

 

Rice, Carnation type milk, Sugar,  mix em all up, in the oven at about 200 degrees for about three hours......a fraction of the price, and you get that lovely skin on top!! You can even freeze portions for whenever you feel like some.

 

Try it, seriously, its really easy.  

[Duvidl]

 

You know, I must admit, I've never been to Central Festival mall.

I haven't been to any of the new malls, although I did hit the one near the bus station on my way back into town. None of the big ones though. I'm afraid that they will have a Mrs Fields Cookies or Cold Stone Creamery and I won't be able to resist. 

 

Yeah, Central Festival has ColdStone Creamery - and boy is it expensive! I can't believe it when I see all the Thai kids lining-up to pay those prices for an ice cream.

[villagefarang]

You guys do realize not all Thais are peasants, don’t you?

[MESmith]

You guys do realize not all Thais are peasants, don’t you?

 

You mean some of them are faking it?

Edited July 24, 2014 by MESmith

[jko]

 

It's good to know that at least there is a positive side to what must be the ugliest architectural eyesore in Northern Thailand.

 

I have to look away every time I pass by, particularly the montrous side view with that horrendous concrete car park fully exposed.

 

I will continue shopping at Rimping thanks ...

 

Right. Yes, sure, Chiang Mai is so perfect for local architecture isnt it? all those long lines of "shophouse" type connected buildings all over the City are SO pretty, and all those stores you see around painted various lurid colours, like the orange painted furniture store on Hangdong Road, also SO pretty. As long as theyre not within the old City, give me a Promenada or Festival type building providing as they do up to date shopping facilities any time!!
 

 

 

You are correct, except that we are not talking about shophouses or Chinese-run businesses. This is probably now the largest shopping complex in Northern Thailand, managed by a respected company. We might therefore have reasonably expected something a little more compatible with our aspiration to be a "Creative City" and a place of culture - on which our tourism industry long-term and our quality of life will ultimately depend.  

 

 

[northernjohn]

 

 

It's good to know that at least there is a positive side to what must be the ugliest architectural eyesore in Northern Thailand.

 

I have to look away every time I pass by, particularly the montrous side view with that horrendous concrete car park fully exposed.

 

I will continue shopping at Rimping thanks ...

 

Right. Yes, sure, Chiang Mai is so perfect for local architecture isnt it? all those long lines of "shophouse" type connected buildings all over the City are SO pretty, and all those stores you see around painted various lurid colours, like the orange painted furniture store on Hangdong Road, also SO pretty. As long as theyre not within the old City, give me a Promenada or Festival type building providing as they do up to date shopping facilities any time!!
 

 

 

You are correct, except that we are not talking about shophouses or Chinese-run businesses. This is probably now the largest shopping complex in Northern Thailand, managed by a respected company. We might therefore have reasonably expected something a little more compatible with our aspiration to be a "Creative City" and a place of culture - on which our tourism industry long-term and our quality of life will ultimately depend.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are you proposing that

 

Creative City" and a place of culture - on which our tourism industry long-term and our quality of life will ultimately depend.

 

  found in  Shopping Malls is what the tourism will be based on in the future?