New Makro store in Hua Hin

[sateeb]

Point being is that if you wish to do your grocery shopping in conjunction with other activities at MV, you will pay extra for the privilege of having your car bake in the sun.

All parking is underground at the moment.

[JAFO]

I will say if you live here getting to know the local vendors is critical IMHO. You patronize them consistently and they return the favor with quality product. We have found this to be the case with pork, chicken, fish(which we eat the most) and vegetables. I like seeing the fish alive when I buy VS packaged or sitting dead on ice in the supermarkets. Plus its nice to socialize and talk with folks.

I would think Phetchburi is a different kettle of fish JAFO. HH is oh so hi so priced!

Jimmy,
I cannot argue that point. It may be very true. Everywhere I have lived in Thailand I have always searched out local markets and made friends. I clearly stay away from most foreigner areas as I know there is a "Farang" fee.

[easyas]

Point being is that if you wish to do your grocery shopping in conjunction with other activities at MV, you will pay extra for the privilege of having your car bake in the sun.

You abviously haven't been to MV for a while as there's no above ground car parking at all there at present. In any event leaving grocery shopping till last would seem smart move!

Is this Makro thread or slagging off at MV thread?

[hhfarang]

A couple of posters have mentioned that Makro is like Costco. The only resemblance is that they are both warehouse stores with aisles of metal racks and a lot of items are sold in large quantity instead of single items. The similarity stops there. Makro is stocked full of Thai/Asian items the same as you'll find in other stores here like Tesco. I wish they had the same stock as Costco! When they get packs of that great Costco turkey jerky or giant jars of great pretzels or fresh salmon fillets, blueberrys, or strawberries please let me know. Costco had a better stock of fresh meats, fish, vegetables, and fruit that any supermarket as well as a frozen (prepared foods) section like I've never seen anywhere else. We were able to do all of our monthly household shopping with one visit to Costco and all else we ever had to do was run to the local store once in a while for things like milk, eggs, and bread. Even Costco's wine, beer and liquor section rivaled any liquor store I've ever seen and everything in the place was priced lower than supermarkets and better quality. I even bought most of my clothing at Costco. In fact the quality of name brand clothing they sold at near give away prices was so good I'm still wearing much of what I bought there before I came here eight years ago. Makro is Costco in concept only, trust me.

[easyas]

A couple of posters have mentioned that Makro is like Costco. The only resemblance is that they are both warehouse stores with aisles of metal racks and a lot of items are sold in large quantity instead of single items. The similarity stops there. Makro is stocked full of Thai/Asian items the same as you'll find in other stores here like Tesco. I wish they had the same stock as Costco! When they get packs of that great Costco turkey jerky or giant jars of great pretzels or fresh salmon fillets, blueberrys, or strawberries please let me know. Costco had a better stock of fresh meats, fish, vegetables, and fruit that any supermarket as well as a frozen (prepared foods) section like I've never seen anywhere else. We were able to do all of our monthly household shopping with one visit to Costco and all else we ever had to do was run to the local store once in a while for things like milk, eggs, and bread. Even Costco's wine, beer and liquor section rivaled any liquor store I've ever seen and everything in the place was priced lower than supermarkets and better quality. I even bought most of my clothing at Costco. In fact the quality of name brand clothing they sold at near give away prices was so good I'm still wearing much of what I bought there before I came here eight years ago. Makro is Costco in concept only, trust me.

Don't you have to pay a membership fee to shop at Costco?

Now, I'm the Great Makro Disbeliever - but as I was driving past anyway and I wanted a stockpot which I had noticed Makro stocked on my one and only previous visit I thought "What the hell" and pulled in.
A few seconds later, another "What the hell" and I pulled out again.

I absolutely refuse to pay a 50% higher price for a simple 32cm stockpot than a similar item would cost in Australia! I did spend the time to check the items out and, yes, they were made in Thailand - one manufacturer's stamp being Siam Makro or the other way round Makro Siam - I forget which.
I've since been told that although these and many items are indeed made in Thailand they are first exported and then imported back in - attracting a hefty import duty levy.
The only people who would appear to gain from that, if true, would be the Government - oh, and, of course, the exporters and importers. Consumers count for nothing!

In the end I bought a very similar 32cm stockpot (doubtless Chinese) from a local store in the Chomsin Road area for 10% of Makro's price.
Yes, just ten percent!

[Takiap]

Ahh........but your Chinese pot will only last for a week, and that only if you don't try to use it.....lol.


When you say crock-pot, are you referring to the black cast iron pots you can suspend over a fire? If so, how much did your Chinese one cost? I can't recall seeing these in Thailand and at one stageI was considering buying one from abroad.


HHF


Makro does sell Blueberries and they sell turkey as well, so just make your own jerky. Alternatively, move away from the inferior stuff (jerky) and sink your teeth into some biltong instead.....the world's original treat, and the finest thing you'll ever taste.

I make my own biltong often, but I don't often get to eat much of it since Mrs Takiap eats it as fast as what I can make it. Even if I hide a few pieces away she finds them.....lol.

Oh yes, they sell salmon at Makro as well.....lol.

[hhfarang]

Haven't seen blueberries at the Makro in Pranburi. Are they fresh or frozen and how many thousands of baht are they here for a few? I haven't been able to locate a dehydrator here to make jerky with and am curious about this biltong as I've never heard of it. Easy to make? Also I was talking about fresh Salmon fillets (at Costco) that were each about 40cm long and 3 to 4 centimeters thick in the middle. The Salmon I saw at Makro was frozen steaks (bone in) cut across the body of the fish.

I want to know more about this biltong... ... sounds good!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biltong

Oh, and yes for someone that asked earlier, you have to have a paid membership to shop at Costco; was 15 dollars a year when I was a member years ago, probably $25 now, but I saved more than that on each monthly visit by shopping there. They were literally a one stop shop, groceries, fresh market, bakery, liquor cleaning supplies, furniture, appliances, office supplies, electronics, jewelry, tools, clothing, sporting goods, toys, auto parts such as tires and batteries, etc., even a gas (petrol) station in the parking lot with the cheapest gasoline in town. It's the thing I miss the most here.

[easyas]

Haven't seen blueberries at the Makro in Pranburi. Are they fresh or frozen and how many thousands of baht are they here for a few? I haven't been able to locate a dehydrator here to make jerky with and am curious about this biltong as I've never heard of it. Easy to make? Also I was talking about fresh Salmon fillets (at Costco) that were each about 40cm long and 3 to 4 centimeters thick in the middle. The Salmon I saw at Makro was frozen steaks (bone in) cut across the body of the fish.

I want to know more about this biltong... ... sounds good!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biltong

Oh, and yes for someone that asked earlier, you have to have a paid membership to shop at Costco; was 15 dollars a year when I was a member years ago, probably $25 now, but I saved more than that on each monthly visit by shopping there. They were literally a one stop shop, groceries, fresh market, bakery, liquor cleaning supplies, furniture, appliances, office supplies, electronics, jewelry, tools, clothing, sporting goods, toys, auto parts such as tires and batteries, etc., even a gas (petrol) station in the parking lot with the cheapest gasoline in town. It's the thing I miss the most here.

Costco's a lot more expensive now US$55 plus per year!

And Takiab I didn't say crock pot - a stockpot is just a metal pot you can put on the stove!

Even if it does last less time than the Makro rip-off then I can buy ten of them for the same price as in Makro!

[Takiap]

HHF

Since you posted a link regarding biltong, I take it you've read a bit about it by now. As a kid, they would serve thinly sliced biltong as a free snack when you ordered a beer or whatever, in much the same way as they serve peanuts these days. Unfortunately, with meat prices always going up, those days have long since come to an end.

Biltong really is what ALL South Africans miss most if they leave the country, and in places where there are a lot of South Africans, such as in the UK and Australia, there are many places that sell it now.

Everyone that makes it has their own secret recipe, but in reality, it's dead simple to make id weather conditions are right, and in Thailand they are. In the UK it was a bit of a challenge and I had to make a simple biltong box featuring a light and a fan, but here in LOS it's dead easy. The hardest part is getting a piece or two for myself to enjoy....lol.


Having eaten jerky myself, I would imagine it's even easier to make, and probably requires less time since the slices are so much thinner.


In SA, biltong is made either from beef (your cheapest), various types of deer meat (springbok, impala, kudu, gemsbok, and etc), and ostrich. Ostrich biltong is quite popular but it's very dry due to the lack of any fat. The different types of game biltong are also popular, but have become very expensive. I personally like beef biltong the most since the fat gives it a nice flavor, although I don't actually eat the fat itself.

In it's simplest form (and also its best), beef biltong is dead easy to make. all you need is some fresh coriander, fresh black pepper, vinegar, and salt. You also need a fan to maintain air circulation, and a mosquito net to keep flies off. After the strips of meat have been prepared and hung, they become impenetrable after about 24 hours, although I still keep mine under netting. With a fan, combined with the weather in Thailand, the process takes about four or five days. Depending on how dry you like it, you can leave it longer. In fact, after four or five days, you can literally keep it for ages.


A lot of foreigners are hesitant to try it because they see it as being raw meat, but I assure you, it is 100% impossible to get sick from eating biltong. South Africans have been eating it for hundreds of years, and many, myself included, give it to babies when they're teething.

If you want, I can always let you have a piece to try the next time I make some, or if you want, I'll be happy to show you how to make your own.

[hhfarang]

Thanks Takiap, sounds like a plan. I'm sure I would love the stuff. The reason I liked Costco turkey jerky so much is because it was more tender than most jerkys and didn't pull your teeth out trying to eat it. Sounds like biltong would even be more tender and tastier with the spices used.

I hate what passes for jerky here because the Thais put that sugar glaze on it making it way too sweet.

[PeteC]

......If you want, I can always let you have a piece to try the next time I make some, or if you want, I'll be happy to show you how to make your own.

Maybe think about making some and taking down to JW's for Kendo's March get together. You never know, you may find yourself in a profitable bar snack business. Pete

[Dannie Boy]

Macro may not be the answer to all our dreams, but for me it has much more to offer than Tesco at MV, so whilst we would no doubt all like to see a Costco or Carrefour in HH, unless and until we do, we have to make the most of what we have!!

[easyas]

Macro may not be the answer to all our dreams, but for me it has much more to offer than Tesco at MV, so whilst we would no doubt all like to see a Costco or Carrefour in HH, unless and until we do, we have to make the most of what we have!!

Leaving Tesco and MV out of the equation there was already more in HH than Makro offers!
Shop around a little!

[Dannie Boy]

Macro may not be the answer to all our dreams, but for me it has much more to offer than Tesco at MV, so whilst we would no doubt all like to see a Costco or Carrefour in HH, unless and until we do, we have to make the most of what we have!!

Leaving Tesco and MV out of the equation there was already more in HH than Makro offers!
Shop around a little!

I do shop around, no doubt like most of the HH residents, all I was saying was that in my opinion, Makro has more to offer than Tesco does, but certainly not a one-stop solution.

[hhfarang]

Maybe Makro is better now. Admittedly, I haven't been there in a while. I do the basis of our household shopping at the old Hua Hin Shopping Mall as they have a wider rang of imported stock than Tesco. Then I have to go to Tesco for items that the Shopping Mall doesn't have, then to Villa Market for the few things the other two don't have. I would just like to be able to go to one place to get everything we use.