A new full-format Tops Daily has opened between Zen Beach and Haad Yao — with a bakery, wine cellar, and kebab kiosk
On the west coast, by Haad Yao beach, a new full-format 24-hour Tops Daily has opened its doors. Now there is no need to head into town in the middle of the night whenever a craving strikes for a steak with wine or some French cheese. Tops is essentially the specialty grocer of the Thai supermarket scene: prices are higher on average than elsewhere (well, 7-Eleven might be comparable), but you can actually find imported delicacies here. Size-wise it is slightly smaller than the central branch in Thong Sala, but it features something of a bakery (more like an oven to bake off frozen pastries), a Tops Wine Cellar section, outdoor seating under the awning, and handy amenities right outside, like currency exchange booths and spots to grab a bite (though those are on every corner anyway).
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Mini croissants run 15–30 baht, baguettes and ciabatta are 30–35 baht (with a 2-for-50-baht promotion), filled pastries are 40–55 baht, and large muffins are 55 baht each or two for 90 baht.
Right there you can grab a coffee: an americano, latte, or cappuccino costs 50–80 baht, with a morning promo offering two cups for 100 baht. Next to it stands a soft-serve machine dispensing a vanilla "pseudo-ice cream" dessert for 12 baht a cone (personally I'm not a fan — proper dairy ice cream is incomparably better).
Along the wall, a four-door refrigerated display holds the shelves many on the island love Tops for: camembert, brie, cheddar, feta, Philadelphia cream cheese, large tubs of Greek yogurt, and high-protein milk for 27–33 baht.
Right on the parking lot in front of the entrance, a King Kebab kiosk has popped up: chicken shawarma starts at 139 baht (an XL is 189 baht), vegan kebab from 159 baht, falafel from 169 baht, and beef from 189 baht. There are burgers (149–299 baht), combo meals with fries and Coke for 219–299 baht, and Indian curries for 189 baht.
I haven't tried it yet, but I often see four bored staff standing around a solitary spit. I'll definitely give it a try and report back on what they know about shawarma.
To the right under the same canopy stand a yellow Chai Si Bamee Kiao street stall (serving #4 wonton and roast pork egg noodles) and a currency exchange window.
