Asian Supermarket in KC

[moosnsqrl]

The City Market has long had a collection of Asian markets, many offering dizzying arrays of products - fresh, canned and frozen. But there's a relatively new kid in town and I finally managed to stop in yesterday after several months of driving by when I didn't have time to stop.

The Chinatown Market is the most comprehensive and closest thing to an Asian "supermarket" we have here. They have rows and rows of the usual fare, including some Hispanic and Indian products and a fair amount of cookware, serving pieces, gifts and other miscellany. What really sets them apart, though, is the variety of fish, meats and produce they offer. I was enroute to another event (which probably merits its own post, if I can summon the courage to relive it) so I couldn't take advantage of the cornucopia, but I'll definitely go back.

They have a full butcher counter (featuring trotters, heads and various cuts not easily found here), a wide variety of fresh fish on ice (mostly clear-eyed and appealing, from what I saw) and some live tanks with eels, crabs, lobsters. They had a selection of sizes and varieties of head-on shrimp that I've not seen here before, fresh squid and other delicacies that we typically see only in the freezer case.

The produce aisle features many of the usual suspects, but they also have a nice variety of melons, tubers, herbs, 6 kinds of bananas, frozen whole durian, and on and on.

Near the check-out is the most extensive counter of medicinal herbs I've seen in the metro as well.

[chileheadmike]

This isn't where the Arabia used to be is it. Dang I gotta get down there. Last year at this time there were lots of fresh peas and morells.

Thanks for the heads up.

[moosnsqrl]

This isn't where the Arabia used to be is it. Dang I gotta get down there. Last year at this time there were lots of fresh peas and morells.

Thanks for the heads up.

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No, it's not where the Arabia was and, if fact, isn't truly in the City Market. It's set-back off of Forth & Grand and they have large yellow letters that stand out well against the brick, so it's hard to miss.

Thanks for asking - that post was disrupted by actual work ( ) several times and I hastened to add it before the pagelet timed out, but an address or more specific location would have made a nice addition to the info.

[chileheadmike]

Thanks. I'm getting down there tomorrow if I can get the kids out of bed.

[Zeemanb]

Met up w/Chileheadmike down at the Farmer's Market this morning and we did make it over to the new Asian megamart. Hoooooly crap that's a great store. I'll be stopping by there whenever I'm in the area just to get their huge head-on fresh shrimp for $6.99/lb. Sensory overload though, there's just too much stuff in there to try and take in all at once.

BTW, we really do have a great city market. And today couldn't have been more beautiful for it. I was surprised at how much good looking produce is already down there. Did manage to find some morels. They were decent looking, but I just couldn't drop $30 for a pound of them, considering how proud I was to get green beans, potatoes, garlic and six bags of various spices for ten bucks. Does anyone know if the $1/per scoop spice guy has a brick and mortar store?

Spring is here! I'd keep on rambling, but I'm a-headin' down to the Parkville Micro-brewfest (1pm to 6pm today if anyone happens to read this before then)........

[moosnsqrl]

We must've just missed you guys - sounds like made the same rounds. We ended up going to the Brookside Market as well, and hit Bella Napoli for some supplies. We brought home a pound of the same shrimp but were pretty restrained since I brought home all I could carry and store on Thursday.

I don't know about the dollar part but they do sell a wide variety of spices by the scoop in the Habashi Market, which has grown two-fold and has an incredible selection of products, including the best pistachios around.

It's a great time to be a food lover in these parts, no doubt.

[Zeemanb]

Well the Parkville brewfest ended up kind of sucking. I should have known by the great parking space we found. It was kind of hard to find to find the party, off in the corner of a parking lot behind the Mexican restaurant in the train car. Before we bought our tickets to get in I spied a couple of guys doing the chicken dance to some bluegrass that was playing in the festival tent, so we went ahead and skipped the whole thing. There's just no way that could have ended well. We did go to the Powerplant Brewery, then to Red-X for liquor, and came back to my house and plowed through a couple of bottles of decent rum. Yeah seriously, the chicken dance. And nobody had a gun to their head or anything. Something like that will really take the wind out of your sails. BUT ANYHOO..... fresh green beans and potatoes cooked with a nice ham hock at some point tomorrow.

[moosnsqrl]

a couple of guys doing the chicken dance to some bluegrass that was playing in the festival tent. . . . There's just no way that could have ended well.  Yeah seriously, the chicken dance.  And nobody had a gun to their head or anything.  Something like that will really take the wind out of your sails.

I hope you never find yourself at a wedding in central KS.

[mywhitedevil]

a couple of guys doing the chicken dance to some bluegrass that was playing in the festival tent. . . . There's just no way that could have ended well.  Yeah seriously, the chicken dance.  And nobody had a gun to their head or anything.  Something like that will really take the wind out of your sails.

I hope you never find yourself at a wedding in central KS.

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I don't suppose anyone noticed if it had any chinese cleavers/veg knifes? I'm looking for a specific brand that isn't readily available online (CCK) but is often found at better asian markets.

[moosnsqrl]

I don't suppose anyone noticed if it had any chinese cleavers/veg knifes?  I'm looking for a specific brand that isn't readily available online (CCK) but is often found at better asian markets.

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I didn't notice but my office is only a few blocks from there so I can take a look.

[mywhitedevil]

I don't suppose anyone noticed if it had any chinese cleavers/veg knifes?  I'm looking for a specific brand that isn't readily available online (CCK) but is often found at better asian markets.

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I didn't notice but my office is only a few blocks from there so I can take a look.

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Judy, that would be great if you have a free moment. Specifically the brand is Chan Chee Kee, and they're usually carbon steel wrapped in brown paper with red writing. I haven't had as much free time this spring to get to the city as often as I am used to.

Edited April 23, 2006 by mywhitedevil (log)

[moosnsqrl]

I don't suppose anyone noticed if it had any chinese cleavers/veg knifes?  I'm looking for a specific brand that isn't readily available online (CCK) but is often found at better asian markets.

Alas, they do not carry that line. Now that I know you're looking for them I'll try to remember to check other places. I love a good challenge (and a good knife).