Asian Supermarkets

[hjshorter]

Inspired by this article in last Wednesday's Food section of the Washington Post, we decided to take a family trip to two of the Asian supermarkets mentioned. We visited the Grand Mart in Germantown, and the Grand Mart in Gaithersburg. The Germantown location was just OK. The Gaithersburg location was better: a huge variety of Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Latino and Indian condiments, spices, and frozen food; ordinary and specialty produce; live fish; a diverse kimchee selection; housewares; and all the regular western grocery items. The prices were excellent.

On the whole, nice for destination shopping, especially if you want to get curry leaves, Skippy peanut butter, and frozen octopus without going to more than one store.

[coastcat]

The Gaithersburg one is in the same shopping plaza as Sushi Chalet, right?

I envy those who live in western Montgomery - the Grand Marts, Lotte, and Kam Sam (and A&J, Joe's Noodle House, New Fortune, etc). I'm in the eastern part of the county, near the Wheaton branch of Han Ah Reum. I'm not impressed with it. The produce section is good, but the last couple bags of baby bok choy I bought there have been extra-gritty and loaded with an amazing number of insects (previous purchases were far superior). I went there looking for dried shrimp, dried cloud ears, lemongrass, and shirataki. No, no, no, and no. The store inventory is heavily weighted towards Korean, Vietmanese, and Hispanic items, and I have a hard time finding my Japanese foods. Good fish section, though, and a terrific variety of kimchee. The store is pretty cramped during weekdays - it's hellish on the weekends. So I drive a little further to Korean Korner (also mentioned in the article). One of these days, though, I'm going to borrow a big cooler and drive across the bridge to the Super H...

[cjsadler]

I've recently discovered Grand Mart. Living in the grocery wasteland of Kalorama, I am in awe of Grand Mart, something my girlfriend, who lives out there in the MD burbs, does not understand at all.

Her: "What's going on this weekend?"

Me: "I don't know. More importantly, let's go to Grand Mart"

The prices and quality there are incredible. I'm used to getting so-so stuff for ridiculous prices at Whole Wallet on P street or paying almost as much at the extortionate Secret Safeway. I laugh when the cashier tells me the total at Grand Mart as she packs up my loot. You want fresh fish? How about LIVE tilapia for $3.99. Or how about some soft-shells, sea bass, conch or any other of two dozen varieties of seafood for dirt cheap? Wanna cook Thai? Huge bundles of holy basil for $2.00, blocks of tamarind paste for 99 cents, good coconut milk for 79 cents. Hell, they even have durian. And there's plenty of non-Asian produce at similarly decent quality and very low prices as well.

[Al_Dente]

I've recently discovered Grand Mart. Living in the grocery wasteland of Kalorama, I am in awe of Grand Mart, something my girlfriend, who lives out there in the MD burbs, does not understand at all.

Her: "What's going on this weekend?"

Me: "I don't know. More importantly, let's go to Grand Mart"

The prices and quality there are incredible. I'm used to getting so-so stuff for ridiculous prices at Whole Wallet on P street or paying almost as much at the extortionate Secret Safeway. I laugh when the cashier tells me the total at Grand Mart as she packs up my loot. You want fresh fish? How about LIVE tilapia for $3.99. Or how about some soft-shells, sea bass, conch or any other of two dozen varieties of seafood for dirt cheap? Wanna cook Thai? Huge bundles of holy basil for $2.00, blocks of tamarind paste for 99 cents, good coconut milk for 79 cents. Hell, they even have durian. And there's plenty of non-Asian produce at similarly decent quality and very low prices as well.

Where is it?

[clifford]

There is a Grand Mart at the corner of Little River Turnpike and (I believe) Braddock Road in Alexandria, right across the street from Shopper's, Tower Records, Total Beverage.

I go all of the time for the produce, which is plentiful, incredibly varied, and dirt cheap. The crowds, however, are somewhat overwhelming and frequently unruly.

Look carefully at the expiration dates on the meats. The few times I have browsed the meat section, many items were at or PAST their expiration dates.

Edited June 9, 2004 by clifford (log)

[cjsadler]

Where is it?

I go to the one at 12851 Clopper Rd in Germantown (which must have improved since Heather first posted about it). There's also one at 221 Muddy Branch Rd in Gaithersburg.