Post #490049 by arriano on Sat, Oct 24, 2009 7:26 PM

We have a Vietnamese supermarket very close to us – actually closer to us than any of the big grocery chain stores. Admittedly, I don’t go to it very often, but it’s always an enjoyable adventure when I do. Not long ago we had a big party and I wanted to make a big batch of mai tais beforehand. However, I refused to pay the five bucks for the small container of mint that Ralphs was selling. At the Vietnamese grocery I got a big mound of it for 69 cents! The other day I was at Ralphs and wanted to get limes, but they’re currently out of season and cost a dollar each. So I went to the Vietnamese store today and limes were 10 for a buck. Woo hoo!

I really don’t take advantage of the store as much as I should. Going down the aisles there were all sorts of coconut products, huge Asian pears, strange roots that I couldn’t identify, tanks of live fish and other sealife, a wide variety of juices of exotic fruit. They had big cans of sugar cane sticks. In some ways it’s overwhelming – whole aisles dedicated to rice and noodles. If there’s one thing that’s disappointing about the market it’s the booze selection. It has a variety of high end American spirits, but no Mehkong Whiskey or palm sap beer, etc. If you live near a big Asian supermarket and haven’t visited it, you really need to experience the fun in finding “sauce for broiled eel,” "duck with missing parts," “pork rinds in vinegar” and 75 kinds of green tea.