WHERE is the BEST Asian market in Richmond?

[OnlyTheBest]

I am off to Richmond tomorrow and i am dying to go to one of those HUGH Asian markets that has EVERYTHING ! You know... a great kitchen in the back... great selection of all things bottled and canned and all kinds of produce.

If you have ANY suggestions tell me becuase i know there are LOTS of markets but i dont have alot of time to search out the best one.

Thanks so much for your help.

[chocomoo]

I would go to Osaka, at Yaohan Centre on No. 3 Road. The produce is nice & clean, & not too expensive. And plus there are lots of Japanese snacks The products are mostly East Asian though, so you might not find specific Vietnamese or Filipino products. And plus the kitchen in the back seems pretty clean - they just renovated the kitchen area a few months ago, actually. It's cleaner than the T&T kitchen (and apparently way cleaner than the downtown T&T, inside sources pinpoint that one as the dirtiest ). They have more northern Chinese items in the kitchen now, such as "man tou" (those Chinese white buns with no filling) and soup dumplings. I think they have the best "jai", that sweet & sour fried glutinous...thing. Only the one you get from the display case though (it's not always available), not the kind from the plastic boxes on the display table (squelches oil & is white in the middle).

[OnlyTheBest]

I would go to Osaka, at Yaohan Centre on No. 3 Road.  The produce is nice & clean, & not too expensive.  And plus there are lots of Japanese snacks    The products are mostly East Asian though, so you might not find specific Vietnamese or Filipino products.  And plus the kitchen in the back seems pretty clean - they just renovated the kitchen area a few months ago, actually.  It's cleaner than the T&T kitchen (and apparently way cleaner than the downtown T&T, inside sources pinpoint that one as the dirtiest    ).  They have more northern Chinese items in the kitchen now, such as "man tou" (those Chinese white buns with no filling) and soup dumplings.  I think they have the best "jai", that sweet & sour fried glutinous...thing.  Only the one you get from the display case though (it's not always available), not the kind from the plastic boxes on the display table (squelches oil & is white in the middle).

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Thanks for your suggestion... i would love to also find a place that has Thai and Vietamese as well all things Chinese..... any other suggestions ? i will definitely stop in to Osaka today!

[fud]

^ I found T&T to be really solid with thai chillies and vietnamese ingredients like star anise and noodles. Man I was so taken when I bought a bag of star anise at granville island for $3.99 and my friend bought a bag 4 times as big at T&T for less than a buck!

[chocomoo]

I don't know if you've left on your shopping expedition yet, but you can always pop in to T&T while you're at Yaohan, as it's only the next mall over.

[Ling]

I think they have the best "jai", that sweet & sour fried glutinous...thing.  Only the one you get from the display case though (it's not always available), not the kind from the plastic boxes on the display table (squelches oil & is white in the middle).

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YUM! "Jai lo mei" a.k.a. "fried gluten" (not the most drool-inducing name) is one of my favourites! I would choose Yaohan over T&T b/c I find the quality of the hot foods to be better, and it does look cleaner to me. I particularly like the steamed buns filled with meat at Yaohan.

[OnlyTheBest]

WOW! thanks alot for all your input. i did go to richmond today but just drove around looking at everything.... i was in total heaven. I stumbled on china world at garden city and westminster. it was REALLY cheap so i got some things there.

I was looking for Vogue but couldnt find it....is that even in richmond?

I did see all the malls you mentioned and T and T as well. i just didnt have time to go into everything. it was GREAT fun! i passed shangi wind too but... it was closed. If i can manage it i might go over again thurs.

Thanks for your help...but WHERE is vogue?

[~cayenne~]

WOW!  thanks alot for all your input.  i did go to richmond today but just drove around looking at everything.... i was in total heaven.  I stumbled on china world at garden city and westminster.  it was REALLY cheap so i got some things there.

I was looking for Vogue but couldnt find it....is that even in richmond?

I did see all the malls you mentioned and T and T as well.  i just didnt have time to go into everything.  it was GREAT fun! i passed shangi wind too but... it was closed.  If i can manage it i might go over again thurs.

Thanks for your help...but WHERE is vogue?

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Well, China World is actually more at Garden City and Cambie, being well past Alderbridge Way on the north-west side. If you had turned left on Cambie from G.C., and continued to the next street on the right, you would have seen another mall with a TD Bank at the corner of Sexsmith and Cambie. Within that mall I think you would have found Vogue. Basically just about 3 or so blocks away from Rice/China World. That is an interesting store, reminds me of an Asian themed Costco.

[chocomoo]

My mom & auntie were at China World last week (Thursday?) and they said the stuff there is quite cheap, & apparently they have a large produce section. Surprisingly, a lot of the products are made in Taiwan. We try to avoid buying food products that are made in China, because they have no food regulations over there. Mmm, soy sauce made with hair! I'm not kidding, it was in the news - both the Ming Pao & Vancouver Sun reported it. Apparently they were using the hair as a protein substitute. Obviously we don't get stuff that's as bad here, but you know, the products might contain high levels of chemicals that're bad for you, etc.

I think Yaohan actually has a really good kitchen - their cold marinated items are really good, like the soy-sauce marinated beef brisket, tofu "noodles", and as mentioned before, "jai lo mei". There are even periwinkles sometimes! I don't like snails & their related cousins, so I haven't tried it, but they looked pretty good. There are usually about 10 things to choose from. They have a Japanese section as well, with sushi, sashimi, teriyaki chicken (it's not good - there's hardly any teriyaki sauce on it & the chicken is roasted), and yummy Japanese side dishes like those tiny fish, marinated shredded kelp, and Japanese pickles. The sushi goes on sale at night-time - everybody makes a dash for it And no, I'm not one of the dashers

[OnlyTheBest]

My mom & auntie were at China World last week (Thursday?) and they said the stuff there is quite cheap, & apparently they have a large produce section.  Surprisingly, a lot of the products are made in Taiwan.  We try to avoid buying food products that are made in China, because they have no food regulations over there.  Mmm, soy sauce made with hair!  I'm not kidding, it was in the news - both the Ming Pao & Vancouver Sun reported it.  Apparently they were using the hair as a protein substitute.    Obviously we don't get stuff that's as bad here, but you know, the products might contain high levels of chemicals that're bad for you, etc.

I think Yaohan actually has a really good kitchen - their cold marinated items are really good, like the soy-sauce marinated beef brisket, tofu "noodles", and as mentioned before, "jai lo mei".  There are even periwinkles sometimes!  I don't like snails & their related cousins, so I haven't tried it, but they looked pretty good.  There are usually about 10 things to choose from.  They have a Japanese section as well, with sushi, sashimi, teriyaki chicken (it's not good - there's hardly any teriyaki sauce on it & the chicken is roasted), and yummy Japanese side dishes like those tiny fish, marinated shredded kelp, and Japanese pickles.  The sushi goes on sale at night-time - everybody makes a dash for it    And no, I'm not one of the dashers 

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WOW!!!! i didnt think about THAT! thaks for telling me ! hair in soy sauce !

oh dear!!! now i am going to check the labels !

[chocomoo]

You're welcome! So did you end up making a 2nd trip to Richmond last week? There's a supermarket that's in the same mall (Continental Centre) as Vogue that has some pretty good deals on produce sometimes. It's quite a small store, though. I think it's called Hong Kong supermarket.

We also frequent the supermarket that's across from the Save-On mall. The produce section is relatively big (though not especially cheap), and their meat section has (in our opinion) quality beef. Sometimes they have really good deals on their beef (I don't remember what cut - flank steak, I think?), but I don't remember the price. If anyone wants to know, I can find out. There's a bakery inside too - the Boss Bakery, I think it's called (it'e related to Maxim's - I think the owner is either the son or son-in-law of the Maxim's guy (Mr. Lai)). I tried a kalamansi lime soft drink that was pretty good (a Filipino brand). I can't remember the supermarket's name in English right now, but the Cantonese name is "Sing Dat".

Edited December 12, 2005 by chocomoo (log)

[fud]

WOW!!!!  i didnt think about THAT!  thaks for telling me !  hair in soy sauce !

oh dear!!! now i am going to check the labels !

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yeah I read that article as well. We bought some dried fruit from China a while back and brought them home to make a soup. When the fruit went into the soup a bunch of spider carcasses came out. Yumm.

Lordy.

[Mooshmouse]

I tried a kalamansi lime soft drink that was pretty good (a Filipino brand).  I can't remember the name in English right now, but the Cantonese name is "Sing Dat".

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This is probably the soda that you're referring to: Zesto Calamansi. It's one of my favourite Asian pops ever. Dirt cheap, especially when they go on sale at T&T for $0.69/can.

As noted on the website description, calamansi has a flavour that's similar to a cross between a lemon and a lime except less tart. I'll take Zesto Calamansi over 7-Up or Sprite any day.

[chocomoo]

^ Yep, that's the one! It was pretty good - maybe I'll buy a couple next time they're on sale. I don't really drink pop that often, but I agree, I'd take this over Sprite & 7-Up any day!