Ventured into my first asian grocery store today

[SVT Cobra]

I go to get fruit cheap.

 

[TecHNooB]

There's an asian food market in Fort Lee, NJ called Mizua or something like that. The bread there is fantastic. They also have their own food court which serves awesome asian food (noodles, sushi, etc).

 

[Eos]

Botan Rice Candy...

 

[Mo0o]

A majority of them stink, because they do a lot of the butchering onsite without being in an enclosed area. If you want fresh fish, theres no better place than an Asian market where they'll kill and gut the fish for you right there, same with shellfish.

Plus a lot of chinese herbs and spices are incredibly pungent and the smell bleed through its packaging.

i dont tihnk anyone is trying to argue that chinese supermarkets is cleaner than a Safeway but you're not going to get food poisoning either. I've been eating groceries purchased from asian supermakrets for over 18 years and i've never had food poisoning

 

[0roo0roo]

hm...get those gelitan candies that choke people

quality of asian markets varies.

there are the ultra cheap low rent places that dont' bother upgrading or remodeling the places they move into and are basically competing on price so its kinda scrubby, and the slightly nicer ones like 99 ranch which is a chain and so has nicer stores. there are a lotta ranch 99 markets here in cali.

 

[Gibson486]

Originally posted by: bigrash
As someone who lives in an asian community and gone to tons of asian supermarkets, I have to say that they all stink bad and are really dirty. The only people who will deny that (including in this thread) are asian people

I'm asian, and yes....asian markets do smell horrible and tehy look clean. Even the ones that are american owned smell bad and look bad. where else can you get chinese broccoli though?

 

[Inspector Jihad]

indian stores are dirty but not as smelly. we try to maintain that India Shopping Experience?

 

[JM Aggie08]

exciting new update!

 

[Yongsta]

Try to go to a Super H Mart (if you live in a state with it). It's a huge korean grocery store chain the size of Super WalMarts, and all are new & clean. http://www.hmart.com/ The older non Super H Mart's in the northeast aren't as new or big.

Illinois Flickr Picture
Another Flickr Picture

I've been to H Mart's in Jersey (older one), and Super H Mart's in Virginia/Georgia. The stores in Virginia & Georgia were recent openings and they were clean / huge. The Georgia store was in the suburbs and there were a lot of whites that day (almost as many as asians) shopping there.

 

[0roo0roo]

well the other thing is the asian market actually tends to have a large fish section. the fish are actually fresh, on display and butchered on the spot unlike in american markets where they tend to be shrink wrapped and of dubious freshness since product turnover seems pretty low. the best is when the fish are in a tank and live till you buy it. fish just needs to be fresh as possible. the american market probably smells great because the rotting fish is under saran wrap

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: Yongsta
Try to go to a Super H Mart (if you live in a state with it). It's a huge korean grocery store chain the size of Super WalMarts, and all are new & clean. http://www.hmart.com/ The older non Super H Mart's in the northeast aren't as new or big.

Illinois Flickr Picture
Another Flickr Picture

I've been to H Mart's in Jersey (older one), and Super H Mart's in Virginia/Georgia. The stores in Virginia & Georgia were recent openings and they were clean / huge. The Georgia store was in the suburbs and there were a lot of whites that day (almost as many as asians) shopping there.

neat

 

[lavagirl669]

And was it all that you hoped it would be?

 

[dyn2nvu]

You should be looking at the hot asian chicks, not the floor.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: dyn2nvu
You should be looking at the hot asian chicks, not the floor.

IME, there are few attractive women in Oriental supermarkets.

 

[0roo0roo]

heh the attractive ones don't cook, why would they go to the asian market? probably white washed as well

 

[JM Aggie08]

No, i did not see said hot asian women.

But, i did see an entire 12FT. long shelf of Vietnamese talent shows and concerts! Was tempted to purchase one as well, up until i realized i wouldnt be able to understand what the hot chicks were saying on the dvd.

Meh, could have watched it with the sound off i suppose.

 

[NoShangriLa]

Most of the Chinese grocery stores have rotten fish smells, and there are some that seems to have less customer than the stinky/dirty stores are very clean & doesn't smell so bad.

The Korean, Japanese, Malaysian, and Philippine grocery stores that I have been to doesn't smell any where as bad as Chinese.

The worst markets that I have been to are over sea Vietnamese, Chinese, and Malaysian.

 

[NoShangriLa]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
heh the attractive ones don't cook, why would they go to the asian market? probably white washed as well

LOL, so true. My mom & siblings doesn't cook, and same as my GF & her family.

<-- Viet with Chinese GF.

 

[Coquito]

Originally posted by: bigrash
As someone who lives in an asian community and gone to tons of asian supermarkets, I have to say that they all stink bad and are really dirty. The only people who will deny that (including in this thread) are asian people

There are three on Broadway(by me). One doesn't smell. I'll let you guess.

 

[Juno]

well, did you buy some bacchus-f energy drinks?

 

[AlgaeEater]

Besides 99 Ranch Stores and Japanese / Korean stores, I agree. Nothing like buying vegetables and jewelry at the same time.

+1 on the Walmart joke, soon you should be able to find all Asian goods at Walmart.

 

[Ricemarine]

Ahh yes, Vietnamese/chinese supermarkets, smelly with mosquitoes and flies flying around, but cheap food ... Hau Hau Supermarket fits the bill in Seattle.

Of course uhh, H-Market, or Hop Thanh that just opened up here should be clean???. Not sure since I've never been inside there. Uwajimaya on the other hand since it's a major tourist attraction, very clean...

 

[dighn]

we got some very nice and clean asian super markets here. they invariably smell fishy due to the large seafood sections. but they are nice.

 

[dennilfloss]

Originally posted by: poopaskoopa
You'll have to put up with the smell if you want to buy some goat penis.

That's why I stick to Haw Flakes and dried plums.

 

[Juno]

what about han ah reum supermarkets in nj/nyc area?