Best selection of miso in Pattaya?

[World Traveller]

I will tell you what I find. In meyroplises with large East Asian populations, such as Bangkok and Vancouver, choices for home- Japanese cooking are very good. How about in Pattaya?

When I say 'miso' I mean top quality local or imported specialty misos like barley miso, low-salt, vegetarian (no fish flakes), whatever.

I don't expect Osaka, but something better than Odessa. After all, Japanese have been coming to Pattaya for quite some time. There are several Japanese grocers and high-end supermarkets here. Just trying to save time but learning which are the top three.

[World Traveller]

Big C Pattaya 3

I don't read Japanese or Thai so I have no idea of ingredients other than the usual rice and koji. Two helpful staff tell me no bonito (tuna?) flakes - for those who care about such things.

Hikaru (famous brand) is much more costly than Sakura brand

In addition, Sokuseki wakame (seaweed) miso is also sold in small ppackets

I would calculate the price per gm but as a math retard I don't know the elementary school formula (400/86 or 86/400?)

Edited November 19, 2021 by World Traveller
clarity

[World Traveller]

Friendship Supermarket

Selection: X7 two brands (Tago & Mike)

Plus usual Korean small tubs.

No refrigerated miso (not that real miso should require, it is so salted - never understood why it gets refrigerated in Canada)

Not a Nipponophile shopper's paradise (unless want a very fast comfort food). I generally prefer serious miso soup more or less from scratch.

[World Traveller]

Makro (Sattahip)

More very limited selection

Edited November 20, 2021 by World Traveller
add photo

[World Traveller]

Central Food Hall (Tops?) @ Central Festival

Best selection so far (X13). Did not take photo because swarming with staff at opening hour.

Upside: many to choose from, several high quality ones (e.g. Hatcho brand) but apparently all are rice miso. Due to my inability to read Thai or Japanese if there was any barley miso, I am ignorant of this .

Downside: no Thai brands, all imported (therefore costly).

Where is Japanese grocery central in Pattaya?

[World Traveller]

OK, so clearly forum members do not consist of Japanese cuisine fans (or they go elsewhere to discuss) And clearly, there are also not a lot of Japanese participating in this forum. So, last post...

After 36 hours of no refrigeration the name brand miso has lost its flavour, even though I stored and transported it in a mostly air-free container. However the cheaper brand (and 25% less salt even) in prepackaged little pouches tastes fine. This is going to make having my daily probiotic soup a problem.

Tried miso soup among other dishes at SUSHI EXPRESS today on Rama IV's Lotus in Bangkok. Salmon in it. WTF is this obsession with salmon in all the Japanese restaurants in Thailand? Isn't there a better value local fish that goes well in Japanese dishes? The salmon was low grade (fatty) and certainly farmed. The miso soup had floating oil, probably from the salmon. I think it was not a good combination. I added clams from the conveyor belt of sushi.

Thai Japanese restaurants, even FUJI don't add enough or sometimes even any seaweed. Doesn't have to be kelp. I add cheap Chinese dulse. And the miso is weak. I can do better at home.

I have the same problem with Korean food in Philippines. No seaweed in bibimbap. And mayonnaise on sushi in Thailand. Sacrelige!