I love exploring the various ethnic markets that Memphis has to offer. And Asiana Market doesn't fail to be a treasure trove of Asian cooking and cultural delights. And, this is the place to go, as you'll pay way less than you would in a normal U.S. market, as it's not considered a specialty store. Bonus.
It's in a strip mall, and the store isn't huge, but they fit a lot in. I was literally like a kid in a candy store, poring over their candy section when you first walk in -- all sorts of colorful items, blueberry lozenges, Lotte Ginger gum (I picked up a pack for 79 cents), vitamin C drops, jelly candies, and more.
If you love Korean BBQ, you're in luck, they have an excellent selection of Korean BBQ sauces, as well as the popular Thai hot sauce, sriracha. You can get a big, squeezable container for around four bucks. I asked the nice woman behind the counter if they had rice noodles, and indeed they do, a whole aisle's worth of various clear noodles, some made from rice, some from sweet potato starch (I picked up a big package of that, otherwise known as 'Korean vermicelli' for only $1.99), and some from green bean, pea, and corn starch. Perfect for you folks with food allergies, and those who love Pho. Also spotted, was a big selection of dried beans, including mung, dried wasabi peas along with jars of wasabi. If you want to munch, there's a huge aisle of munchies, including trail mix, corn chips, and shrimp flavored crunchy snacks.
I wandered to the coolers and spotted shredded, dried coddle fish and jellyfish, frozen sea squirts, and good, frozen fish of various varieties, all shipped from Asia. Everything looked to be of good quality. You can also find Korean soup starter, rice milk, water chestnuts, canned Enokitake mushrooms (the long, skinny white mushrooms), and huge bags of dried red pepper.
If you're looking for Asian beauty items you'll find a small selection of cosmetics and hair dyes, as well as some videos, and cooking utensils. read more