Buying Produce from Ethnic Markets

haha said:
I start most days with a walk over to Trader Joe's. Free coffee, a chance to do any shopping I need to do before it is crowded, and a two mile walk through a nice neighborhood before breakfast. I buy 80% of my groceries there.

Ha
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Good to know - thanks, Ha, about Trader Joe's - although I think I'll drive. It's a long walk uphill part of the way in both directions (with a dip in the middle, I'm serious). And I have a bad back - I'd have to use a rolling cart for the groceries. Getting old is not for sissies... :D

I have quickly figured out that shopping between 11 am and 1:30 pm is a really bad idea. Too many shoppers. It calms down a little mid-afternoon. I try to hit Costco when it opens if possible. I'm getting into this retired lifestyle...
 
Dimsumkid said:
MichaelB,
I think we shop in the same general area...are you in the north side/suburbs of Chicago? Try these places too: Jerry's Produce (Niles), Village Marketplace(Skokie), Oakton Produce (Skokie), Fresh Farms (Niles), then these are stock up stores: Butera, Shop n Save (Niles), Tony's Finer Food (Chicago), Meijer (Niles) and Food4Less(Evanston). We tend to target sale shop these stores depending on our driving path between Chicago and N. burbs.
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Dimsumkid, thanks for this info. We spend part of the year in the northshore 'burbs and are still looking for options for fresh produce, meat and fish.

Cheers!
 
We buy almost all our produce at the local Persian market. Most if it is pretty good quality and the deals are very good. We also supplement by going to Sprouts and the farmers market (some stalls have very good deals).

The meat at the Persian market is excellent too, probably because it is processed to be halal. Not that halal is better quality by itself but a farm that certifies meat to be halal/kosher is inspected more than a reg farm.
 
I'd been searching long and hard for a retailer that sells 1 gallon jug of Marukan Rice Vinegar, this is used to flavor sushi. Amazon (3rd party) sells it for $41 ($17+24 shipping). Used to buy at a small Asian mom and pop store, but they closed down 1-2 years ago in Chicago. I finally found one locally, it's called Assi Plaza and reg. price is only 10.49, about the same as the last place I bought from. They carry bigger size staple items than other chains, gal. vinegar, 50-70oz cans of sesame oil, 100 ct. sushi wraps, 5lb oyster and hoisin sauces, etc. Apparently they're located in MD,VA,NY,PA, GA, IL and CA now. Seems like they've stolen a lot of business from Super H Mart here anyway. Lots of fresh fish and fruits and veggies too. Here's a link for their website </title> <style type="text/css"> </style> <link href="../css/style.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> <style type="text/css"> </style> <script type="text/JavaScript"> </script> <SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript"> </script> </head> <body> <div id="La
 
Dimsumkid said:
I'd been searching long and hard for a retailer that sells 1 gallon jug of Marukan Rice Vinegar, this is used to flavor sushi. Amazon (3rd party) sells it for $41 ($17+24 shipping). Used to buy at a small Asian mom and pop store, but they closed down 1-2 years ago in Chicago. I finally found one locally, it's called Assi Plaza and reg. price is only 10.49, about the same as the last place I bought from. They carry bigger size staple items than other chains, gal. vinegar, 50-70oz cans of sesame oil, 100 ct. sushi wraps, 5lb oyster and hoisin sauces, etc. Apparently they're located in MD,VA,NY,PA, GA, IL and CA now. Seems like they've stolen a lot of business from Super H Mart here anyway. Lots of fresh fish and fruits and veggies too. Here's a link for their website </title> <style type="text/css"> </style> <link href="../css/style.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> <style type="text/css"> </style> <script type="text/JavaScript"> </script> <SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript"> </script> </head> <body> <div id="La
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Do you operate an Asian restaurant? I can't imagine a homeowner using quantities like you post. 5# oyster sauce?

Ha
 
haha said:
Do you operate an Asian restaurant? I can't imagine a homeowner using quantities like you post. 5# oyster sauce?

Ha
Click to expand...

No restaurant here, when we get oyster sauce, we split it w/in laws (they're retired restaurant owners). MIL still loves to cook food for us whenever we stop by and it will last the rest of the week. MIL still buys 100lb bags of rice when I come over (so I can be the mule) and the in laws are 81 and 87 yrs old! We get 5# hoisin sauce for asian wraps and make sushi a lot. Vinegar doesn't go bad and hoisin is refrigerated.
 
Dimsumkid said:
No restaurant here, when we get oyster sauce, we split it w/in laws (they're retired restaurant owners). MIL still loves to cook food for us whenever we stop by and it will last the rest of the week. MIL still buys 100lb bags of rice when I come over (so I can be the mule) and the in laws are 81 and 87 yrs old! We get 5# hoisin sauce for asian wraps and make sushi a lot. Vinegar doesn't go bad and hoisin is refrigerated.
Click to expand...

My in-laws buy rice a quarter ton at a time. Big, extended family always stopping by to eat. They also buy meat by the animal or half animal (cow, pig). But man, 5 lb of hoison sauce and a gal of vinegar? That is a lot! :D
 
FUEGO said:
My in-laws buy rice a quarter ton at a time. Big, extended family always stopping by to eat. They also buy meat by the animal or half animal (cow, pig). But man, 5 lb of hoison sauce and a gal of vinegar? That is a lot! :D
Click to expand...

Wow! 500 lbs of rice puts me to shame! Now that's an awful lot of rice, most we personally get is 50 lbs. 5 lb of hoisin is only a little more than 1/2 gal. We've always been able to use it. Besides the cost is equal to 2 smaller bottles/cans, so it's like getting 100% more for free.
 
Count me in on the Hoisin sauce fetish, I usually have 3 or 4 bottles with 12 oz or so.

Lunch is usually 5-6 Shumai pork and shrimp dumplings and 5-6 Wei-chuen pork-veggie-seafood dumplings. Steam those babies and have bowls of Hoisin, Shriracha, and Soy for dipping.

Place I shop has a dozen or so huge pallet loads of 100lb bags of rice. I'd guess 10 tons of rice, easy.
 
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