Asian groceries, Amen! If you are in need of specific asian ingredients - whether a whole, head-on fish, some fresh udon noodles, or all the key stuff to make your own pho - then this is the place. The produce department has great deals and carry many of the veggies you won't find at your local Harris Teeter. The fish market is big, clean, and organized. They will cut your fish exactly how you want. Or take it home, whole. They also have live fish tanks if you needed a fresh-out-of-the-water striped bass or tilapia. You'll find all manner of asian condiments and sauces as needed. The dry noodle area is vast. Bags upon bags of rice are piled to the ceiling. It's not as big as the Super-G in Greensboro, but it's much better organized and cleaner. This place rocks. 4.5 stars read more

Not a bad grocery store. It's very convenient for asians living in the durham area. I used to drive to grand asia to buy asian stuff. They mainly carry chinese stuff, but they also have some goods from the other asian countries. For me, their greatest asset is their live fish. Being able to cook steamed fish is quite a luxury and that's the number 1 reason that I go there. They also have a large selection of previously-frozen seafood, which is nice. The second best part for me is probably their frozen/refrigerated food section. They stock a large variety of items. I buy dumplings and tofu there pretty often. I also like their selection of asian vegetables and herbs. However, their regular vegetables are not that great and usually more expensive than kroger. The food area - buns, bakery, and hot bar - is pretty good. I've never had the hot bar food but they certainly look good. They only take cash though so be prepared if you want to buy something there. I have had some of the bakery items and the steamed buns and they are pretty good. The prices are ok - not expensive but not as cheap as what I'm used to for asian grocery stores, hence the average rating. For non-asians, this is probably not a grocery store for your everyday needs. Even for me, I tend to go to kroger more often, and just occasionally go here to get the specialty items. Nevertheless I'm happy that they're around. Also check the expiration date. Usually not a problem for the popular stuff, but for some items that have low turnover, they might be close to expiring or already expired. read more

Heard a lot about this place so I finally decided to see it for myself. Size-wise, it's a lot bigger than Grand Asia Market in Raleigh. My trip consisted of three things: getting some Asian grocery, baked goods, and the authentic food. I didn't really pick up any Asian vegetables since most of the vegetables that I cook with can be picked up at your everyday grocery store. I did pick up two containers of what I call doughy balls. Basically, they're little ping pong sized balls which are made up of sticky dough on the outside and can contain either black sesame paste, red bean paste, or peanut butter on the inside. They come frozen and to cook them, you simply boil some water and drop those babies in and take them out once they float to the surface. I also picked up a couple of bags of wafters and some ramen that I can't find at regular grocery store. I was a bit disappointed that I couldn't find the type of seaweed salad that I wanted. Next, I headed over to the food area and ordered a to-go box. It consists of rice with three entrees. I got eggplant, Tang Zu Pai Gu which translates to sugar and vinegar ribs (my favorite) and some Braised Beef. The flavor was definitely on point and authentic. The only flaw was that the braised beef was really dry and overcooked. The portions are generous since I was able to get 2 meals out of that box. Lastly, I hit up the bakery section. Compared to Grand Asia Market, their bakery section is tiny. However, I was still able to find some baked goods that I like which are the pineapple flavored breads. I'm not really a fan of those salty breads with meat in them. I would say that their baked goods are probably on par with the ones from Grand Asia Market. If you're in Durham and looking for an Asian grocery store with a decent bakery and authentic Chinese cuisine, definitely give this place a shot. read more

As a Chinese-American, I have very strict standards when it comes to Chinese food. This grocery store's cafeteria has pretty authentic cuisine. I always get the Ma Po Tofu, the 5-Flower Pork (I just translated that from Chinese..I guess in English it would be Braised Pork Belly?), and the Eggplant in Garlic Sauce. They are all very good, spicy and very well seasoned. The cafeteria has a system where you can buy a meal that comes with 3 side dishes and rice all for $5! It is a great deal and the portions are huge, so I would definitely recommend trying it out. A downside is that the cafeteria only accepts cash (suspicious....) so if you only have a card on you, buy a few groceries and tell the cashiers at check out that you want to buy a meal at the cafeteria. They will charge your card and then all you have to do is bring your receipt over and they'll happily serve you. read more

My wife and I are both very excited that we finally have an Asian market opened so close to our house (3 mins away). Normally we would drive all the way to Raleigh and buy our foods at Grand Asia Market which is around 30+ mins away and we would stocked groceries for 1-2 weeks. We moved here from the west coast (LA) and there are so many Asian markets out there plus great pricings and lots of selections and to finally have an Asian market so close to our home now is just wonderful! No more taking long trips to Raleigh just for groceries. I highly recommend this place for anyone that's looking for a decent Asian market to go to in Durham. read more

This place just had it's grand opening on Thursday. Place seemed to have attracted people from all over. Sunday wasn't super crowded, but it was definite that people knew what it was, and made their way out. It's tucked behind the Toys R Us, in an old Circuit City building. It's very spacious. They have quite a bit of stock, the front aisle with asian products and the back rows a little more mainstream groceries. They have a decent selection of produce on the right side near the entry. There's also hot food that's being served, but they seem like their just starting off their kitchen. A few roast ducks hanging and the basic stirfry items. Three dishes with rice for $5.49, isn't bad of a price. They have fresh seafood tanks in the back and a separate butchers section to the left. It's an impressive place. I see it growing fast. The prices are average, somethings are more than the Grand Asia, somethings are comparable. It definitely wins out with convenience, for all those who live in Durham, it saves that long drive to Cary. FYI they take visa and mastercard, but not other major credit cards. The food place is also cash only. read more

Li Ming's has improved quite a bit since opening, especially in the prepared foods section. They have also increased their stock, but unfortunately introduced problems with expired foods and foods placed in wrong sections as well.I go to Li Ming's every week and I'm glad to have a market like Grand Asia on this side of RTP, but I also know how much room they have to improve. Even with the improved food court over recent months, the quality and diversity in the dishes at Grand Asia is better. The produce can be good, but you have to be careful with what you choose. The tomatoes are inexpensive, but also flavorless and covered in a waxy substance. The rest of the produce on the tables is usually okay if you sort through the bins. The Asian produce is good, and pretty much anything on their hydrated shelf is okay. I plan on revisiting this review in a year or so, hopefully to improve my rating. Overall, I think Li Mings is a great addition to Durham. My only reservation is how it has impacted the business of some of the smaller Asian markets in the area, causing some of them to close their doors. read more

I love going to this international delight of grocery store. It does take patience and time to find the stuff one needs. Once one understand the general layout and classification of their goods, experience makes for a fun one. I like the fact, I do not need to go to various diversity friendly stores in Durham, Raleigh, Cary, etc to get what I need. Lots of variety. It may be helpful, if the store has a customer service person who is conversant in English. It is tough to get someone who can answer questions. read more

I find fresh octopus here. For me it's enough to be a winner in my book. Their produce section is clean, with actual fresh produce and not expensive whatsoever. The selection of grocery items is pretty nice, it's a global market so you'll find a little bit of everything and it's the best one, if not only, of its kind in Durham. I don't come here too often. I usually shop here when I'm looking to make some Italian dish that require meats or seafood that I can't find in regular American grocery stores. (beef tongue, rabbit, tripe, octopus), and I can pretty much always find what I'm looking for and make myself happier and less nostalgic of home. Yes, Grand Asia in Cary is better probably,they have a better fish counter and faster people working at it, but it's also in Cary and it's not as clean as Li Ming's. mhm... I'm craving tiny baby octopuses now.... read more

This market has quite a variety of just about anything you can imagine. I got two types of frozen dumplings. Overall the taste was very good. And it was a good value for money. The bakery items are also very interesting to sample. I also ate at the food court. The braised eggplant was very flavorful and satisfying. read more

I live over in Cary, so it's a bit of a drive to get to Li Ming's...plus there's really no need since Grand Asia Market is so close to me. BUT, I like branching out and seeing what else is out there =] Li Ming is HUGE, it's probably 50% bigger than GAM, but maybe I'm exaggerating. My eyes were too busy trying to look at all the things they had for sale! I was able to find mochi in the refrigerated section, which was nice, because over on my side, I've only been able to find them frozen =/ Overall, it's pretty clean and the prices are competitive. They have a lot more options in the instant noodle section and more rice varieties than GAM. As for their bakery, there is less variety. Granted, there were some buns that I've never seen GAM have and also, I'm sure it depends on what day of the week you're visiting. I went on Sunday, and in my experience, there's usually more selection on the weekends, but still...there were only about 12 different buns. They also sell boba drinks (hot and cold) but I wasn't a fan...then again, I haven't found a boba place in the Triangle area that I've actually been a fan of.... I was too full to try out their entrees, but it smelled quite nice and the prices were cheap. Perhaps next time, I'll give it a shot. All in all, I'll probably stop by Li Ming's if I'm ever in Durham, but it's too much of a drive and it's pretty much the same as Grand Asia. read more

Yes, this is a grocery store, but did you know they also serve a fantastic, hits the spot, warms your stomach, just delicious beef noodle soup? Yeah probably not, and now you do. Please do yourself a favor and go to this Asian grocery store for a meal. Not kidding at all. Honestly the broth in that soup is probably one of the best Asian soup broths around Chapel Hill-Durham without venturing into Raleigh. They don't have good banh baos there anymore though, which is a bummer. As for the grocery aspect, it's not the best Asian market I've ever been to but it's good. Large store, large selection, decent prices. A lot of their produce is cheaper than what you'd find in an American grocery store. If you're looking to up your pantry with some Asian ingredients, this store will do it for you! Also if you like ramen (taking it back to college days) they have an extensive selection. read more

The supermarket is pretty cold, so bring extra layer of clothes. Other than that, it has almost everything you need for Asian dishes. Even exotic stuff such as frog legs. read more

I really like this store. They seem to have absolutely everything you could want as a semi-serious Chinese or Asian foodie/cook - and then some. Not recommended for their Indian selection of products but, like they say, "you don't buy Indian dishes in a Chinese restaurant, and vice versa". But everything else is more than well covered. Super selection of fresh vegetables and tons of sauces, noodles, rices, packaged soups, dried mushrooms - just about everything imaginable, including XO sauce!! The restaurant, despite it's lack of ambiance, has really decent food and as I love to try stuff that I don't always recognize, haven't been disappointed yet! The staff behind the counter won't be much help unless you speak the lingo, and I don't, but it all tastes great to me. My Asian friends speak highly of the food as well, and it's a very reasonably priced takeaway nosh. On the whole the store is definitely up there with H Mart in Cary. Way to go Durham!! read more

To summarize: there's really no competition nearby. The store is large and has a wide variety of foods; it always has what I'm looking for as long as I know where to find it (I often don't, and end up circling through the aisles). Prices are decent -- it's not cheap, but again, there's no other store nearby that offers the same stuff, so they can charge more. The food quality is variable. If possible, I'd avoid buying anything that could be bought at a regular grocery store (i.e. eggs, onions, etc.). Some of the produce don't seem very fresh, and some of the snacks or frozen foods are questionable as well -- many of them don't have dates to tell you when they expire or when they were packaged. I've bought the thousand-year-old-eggs before that turned out to be bad; I've also bought green tea mochi ice cream that tasted like a medicine cabinet. They do have a bakery, but every time I go, most of the selection is gone. They also have a food court area with authentic Asian food. read more

I really waffled between three and four stars for this place, and it's going to be a four just because it's about time the Durham/Chapel Hill area got a large Asian market. They also deserve four stars for their hilarious use of fonts on their store sign/logo- as my friend said, it's a combination of "In case you weren't sure, this name is Asian" and "90s idea of future caps print." Global Mart is interesting- once you're in the dry foods section, one side of the store are American products, and the other side is Asian. I only looked at the Asian side, and the selection is.. interesting. They have an absurd variety of sauces, condiments, and curry bases which is by no means a bad thing because they had some items I didn't find at Grand Asia and Pan Asia. To get really nitpicky, I prefer Grand Asia's noodle selection. However, I daresay I like Global Mart's produce selection a bit more- they have a wide variety of things that are all clearly labeled. Another thing I liked was that the cashier at the front checkouts was very cheerful. I think the biggest critique I had was with the bakery and restaurant- I got a pork bun which was by no means bad, but not as good as Grand Asia. I also spotted the same problem with flies that others have mentioned- one employee was wielding a fly swatter when I came in, and some flies flew out of the basket the buns were in when the cashier opened it up- yum! Luckily, I have a stomach of steel since I have fond memories of Malaysian street food prepared in horrendously unsanitary conditions, so I fearlessly dug into my bao. I think Global Mart can be a winner if they improve their bakery/restaurant. It was very quiet when I went, which was nice compared to the craziness of Grand Asia, and I do hope business picks up for them. read more

As part of a family that frequented Grand Asia Market on a weekly basis, you would think that we would be more than elated with the opening of Li Ming's... However, for some reason, my parents have still been driving over 40 minutes to Grand Asia almost every weekend. The selection of products is pretty extensive, don't get me wrong, but there's something about the place that just rubs me the wrong way. I love getting the hot foods and bakery items at Asian markets, but I'm so scared here because the sanitation score is so low (around 88-89, and considering how lenient the scoring is in NC, that is scary). That being said, it's the only place in the Chapel Hill/Durham area that sells bubble tea now, which I do have strong cravings for on occasion, and Li Ming's hits the spot. The other reviews are absolutely correct in saying the staff is unfriendly... So be prepared to walk in and browse every aisle to look for what you need. It'll save you an awkward conversation. I still do come here for Asian staples throughout the week since it's much closer, but it is not the best shopping experience I've had in an Asian grocery store for sure. read more

Just discovered this store a couple days ago and am so glad I did! I no longer have to drive all the way to Cary for my Asian grocery needs! Compared to GAM in Cary, I feel this store is bigger and cleaner with everything stocked that I've ever had to go to Cary for. I love the fresh egg custard tarts from the bakery with a taro or coconut bubble tea. The 3 dish combo with rice is a fantastic deal for just over $6. Like GAM, the bakery and restaurant side are cash only. read more

I have stepped in Li Ming's Global Mart in S.W Durham a few times to pick up a few items here and there. It is quite large (used to be a Circuit City), and they offer a plethora of different grocery items. This last visit I picked up some chicken thighs, hoisin sauce, and broccoli. Granted, I could have easily found the afore-mentioned at a Food Lion, but I like new adventures and changing things up a bit from time to time. Li Ming's offers a pretty good vegetable and fruit selection and I saw a lot of people in the hot foods/baker section, but I haven't tried anything from that area yet. A lot of the items at Li Ming's are American and can be found anywhere (Bud Light anyone?), but to be fair this is a Global Market and not just Asian, so they offer foods from different cultures including American, Indian and Hispanic in addition to the Asian fare. Li Ming's is pretty cool, a little different than the norm. I won't be doing my regular grocery shopping here, but will stop by every once and a while. I got 99 reviews...and I hope you liked this one! read more

It has everything you will need for Asian grocery. It is larger than most Chinese groceries (H Mart is Korean), and the selection here is good. The price is actually good. I do like the large Asian vegetable selection. In my opinion: large Chinese vegetable selection is the key measure of a good Chinese grocery store. Seafood section looks good but I have never purchased fresh fish here. They have good selection of sauces, even good Thai, Indian, Korean, Japanese, and other Asian products. Also, they do have stinky tofu. read more

I'm a CA transplant. Having this market close to my apartment makes me feel a little less homesick. I stopped by today and they carried a lot of the cookies and snacks I grew up eating as well as a specific brand of gyoza that my mom always makes. The fruit/veggie section at a glance also looked clean and well organized. Looking forward to exploring the store a bit more when I get the chance. Initial impression, though, is a solid 4 stars! read more

From the outside Li Ming's looks like an abandoned Circuit city (which it is). From the inside there almost appears to be too much space for the quantity of goods available. There is a hotbar cafeteria-style to the right serving home-cooked meals but unless you speak Chinese it'll be hard to flag down the server behind the line. Same goes for basically any service in the store though I suppose that speaks for the authenticity of the place. Good amount of produce, 2 aisles of frozen goods, seafood at the rear, and the rest of all your most basic dry good necessities are available (predominantly Chinese but a short aisle for Indian, Japanese/Korean, Mexican, and Southeast Asian also available). The back aisles are almost all American products.. so like I said, don't let the space fool you. Location is prime though, so I frequent LiMing's on a regular basis - it doesn't *wow* but it satisfies. read more

I was so excited to hear that Li Ming's was opening in Durham. Finally, a chance not to have to drive all the way to Cary. Unfortunately, my initial visits have been disappointing. First, the positives. I like the fresh seafood - lots of live wells with a great selection of fish and shellfish. I also like prepared food bar. They are generous with the portions and have a wide selection of dishes. Areas that need Improvement. It looks like they are not ready to open. Half of the shelves are still empty waiting for stock. The layout of the story is also confusing with the random non-Asian items scattered throughout store. I don't really play on buying detergent there, not sure why they are even wasting space with it. Finally, the produce section is completely disappointing. I bought a few yellow mangoes from there and they were completely rotten inside. I have also heard from others that they have found bugs in the bags of greens. I'll continue going back there and I really have hopes it will improve over time. For now, I'm sticking with the food bar, seafood and canned goods. I will upgrade my review if they improve the produce and meat sections. read more

Very very good hot bar serving some authentic home-style cooked chinese food. My favorites are tomatoes and eggs, braised pork belly, and braised pork ribs. They also serve steamed fish to order (quite good), roast duck, a lot of the things you can find in NYC Chinatown. Groceries are also quite adequate, you can find anything you'd expect to find in a chinese supermarket, and its relatively fresh. read more

While the quality of the veg, fruit, food court, and specially the bakery may not be comparable with the Grand Asia in Cary, this place has quite a few other advantages: 1) more choices for stuffs from south east Asia 2) open till 9p instead of 8 or 6p in the Grand Asia 3) if you live at the west side of the Triangle area it is at least 20 miles closer By the way, the price between them are kind of case by case, however I have noticed that the price of moon cakes here were at least couple dollars more than the same one in the Grand Asia last year. One side note, since the arrival of Li-Ming, we have lost quite a few local Asian stores in thus area which have been around with us for a long time if not decades. This kind of remind me the impact of Walmart to the surrounding local business, which is kind of sad. read more

Yes, I'm one of those dastardly Yankee transplants, and I've been despairing about the grocery options in the area. Yes, Harris Teeter is sort of OK, and Fresh Market is great but expensive. And I've been despairing about the produce, which always looks tired no matter what supermarket I go to. When you're driving to Trader Joe's to get produce, things are at a sorry pass indeed. Enter Li Ming's. Now as a NJ transplant, I'm used to Asian groceries with great produce for not much money. Li Ming's is a NJ Asian market on steroids. I don't come here for the cafeteria, which from most accounts is pretty bad. I come here for greens that aren't wilted, apples that are crisp and crunchy, fresh refrigerated noodles, specialty Asian items, and most importantly, ROAST PORK BUNS (!!!!) -- huge, delicious, full of chopped Chinese roast pork, and a bargain at $1.35 each. Stay away from the curry buns, which are marked "beef" but are more like the jelly that beef gravy turns into. But stock on the pork buns, because they are delicious. Bonus points go to Li Ming's for Indian groceries and spices, and the hard-to-find Jamaican canned ackee. Rarely crowded, always fascinating, Li Ming's is now a regular stop for me. read more

Overall review. Restaurant: crappy food prepared for pigs, either slathered with extremely sweet sauce or dry as f***. Bakery: crappy pastries and cakes. Esp. Their stuffed bread and coffee cakes., it smells like a sewer as soon as you open the bag., yuck! And their bubble tea., I don't know how people buy from this place. Honey dew bubble tea don't taste like honeydew at all. Everything in this place taste gross. The only thing I like here is their variety of vegetables, fish, meat and fruits. Other than that don't even dare eat their food here. read more

I've waited a bit to post a review as I felt they opened too soon and the store has been a work-in-progress. They seem to have hit their stride, now (though still not "finished") and I gotta say: If (hrm... when[?]) China takes over the world, this is what all our supermarkets will be like... Li Ming's Global Mart has a layout, departments, and product displays that are similar to other local supermarkets, but is chock-full of products you won't find anywhere else nearby (at least not all in one store.) They stock a surprising number of "American" products in most departments/categories (brand-name packaged cheese, meats, canned veggies and soups, etc,) but mostly those items are amidst a huge variety of Asian products and asian-cuisine-themed goods. Others have written about the bakery and cafe, so I won't, but I agree that both are good and getting even better. Though, I wish the bakery did not require separate payment and one could pay for bakery products at the main checkout. The Produce Department is impressive in its variety and options (Bok Choy alone is available as Baby, Small, Medium, and Full sizes) and I appreciate the variety of leafy greens available. The variety of exotic (to me) fruits is impressive, but 50% of what I've purchased has turned out to be rotting inside. ( I want to believe that's proof they stock organic, not "old"... hrm...) The Seafood Department is AMAZING. I grew up in a family with commercial fishermen, and this seafood department is impressive. They seem to have a great setup, an incredible variety, and *most* of the iced display looks fresh. Lots of live wells, too, all very clean with healthy active inhabitants (lobster, eels, clams, mussels.) They seem to keep in stock *hundreds* of live talapia in the huge tank behind the counter, which seems a bit odd to me, but maybe they have a good finger on the pulse of local consumer demand for fresh-kill talapia for dinner... time will tell. Meat Department has not impressed me and a lot of the fresh cuts have looked "iffy" ... though I do appreciate being able to buy "fresh old hens" to make soup/broth. They also keep in stock some Purdue products (boneless chicken breasts,) usually priced higher than available nearby. The frozen offerings *are* impressive, they have pretty much everything from pig snout to pig uterus, and everything else between, and not just from pigs. The dry-good aisles are a bit hit-or-miss, though you can find almost any Asian spices, marinades, seasonings, noodles, and dried mushrooms that you could possibly need or want. The organization is a bit wanting, especially as you'll find repetitive stocking of certain items throughout aisles, and some items stocked singly amongst seemingly unsimilar products. They also stock cleaning products and toiletries, and there is a smattering of Mexican-sourced/themed foods. Of note, they do also have a growing section (placed against the far side wall) of housewares with (for now) rather generic, though attractively priced, woks, cookware, teapots, utensils, and ceramics (bowls, plates, etc.) And finally, beside the Exit door is a gift/novelty counter that (as of this writing) is still being stocked, but looks fun... so far, a number of oversized "Hello Kitty" and "for good luck" ceramic totems, and similar items, and a growing selection of smaller, packaged items. Overall, I'm really happy this store exists, and especially so that it has opened so close to a thriving retail area. It's odd that the strip-mall it is in, just across the street from Target, has largely failed, but hopefully the resultant lower rents will attract more independently-owned "global-themed" businesses and make this particular shopping area a unique, rejuvenated, and successful retail destination. Beh, that was off-topic, sorry... but as regards Li-Ming's, I hope it continues to grow and I look forward to continuing shopping there and watching how it develops. read more

Win's Bakery is closed now and that's damn sad but this is still a great place to shop. Get the roast pork from the counter where the ducks are hanging. It's magnificent. Hit up the cookie aisle and get the Loacker coconut & chocolate cookies while they still have them. They're the best goddamn cookies in the world. read more

I was really glad when this place opened up because I got tired of the commute to Grand Asia and the cramped space. I like that they carry a lot of Taiwanese brand products, things are easy to find, that it's spacious, and I have a favorite cashier I always go to. However, I've noticed the quality of the produce drop over these past couple of years. It's just not as fresh and they try to cover up the bad produce (ex: Taro Root, bad parts get shaved off & still regular price). It's kind of hit or miss when I go there these days with the produce. Eatery: My mom and I stopped in for lunch one day over the summer before we started grocery shopping as we were curious about the food. This one lady who took our orders was rude and impatient. Don't take it personally if you're served by her b/c I think it's just the way she is, nothing to do with who she's serving. The food is "meh alright". Many of the dishes were greasy, goopey, and lukewarm. The chicken I got was mostly bones and the shrimp/fish my mom got had fishy smells/taste meaning they didn't prepare it properly and/or it wasn't fresh. Needless to say, we won't be eating there again. Although Grand Asia's food isn't that good either, it's slightly better than Li Ming's food. Bakery: Nothing looks appetizing and can't compare to the Taiwanese bakeries of my motherland so I don't even bother. Overall, it's a good spot for your Asian food essentials for those of us that live in Orange County and Durham. read more

I like everything in this supermarket. Before its opening, I have to go to Cary to buy authentic Asian food. Now I can buy them within several minutes. The variety of the products also impressed me. I found one type of bakery suitable for me as breakfast. And the cafe department is also appealing, even considering the recent price increase. I do not know why some of the reviewers give unreasonably low rating to Li Ming. But I think five star is an objective rating from my perspective. We need to be grateful to the good things around us. read more

Li Ming's Global Market has recently opened in the space across from the Super Target that use to be home to Circuit City. Though it is new it is off to a good start with an odd mix of Asian and American goods (among others). They are (as of this writing) working installing a bakery and getting the kitchen up and running. The offerings at this point and time are good for prepackaged items, butchered meats and pork blood and also fresh seafood. Being so large in square footage, it lacks the coziness and ethnic (not right term) feel of Grand Asia in Cary. I have not been to Mr. Zhang's other store in Raleigh, but speaking for someone who lives closer to Durham than he does to Cary. This is a welcome site in the general area. I hope it will only get better and provide some of the local Asian population with some sorely missed items. Is it better than Grand Asia... not at this time though I don't see it as a comparison only as a welcomed addition to this side of the Triangle. Items bought on first trip Seaweed snack Jellyfish Lychee jello Bao Century Eggs If you're in the area, do yourself a favor and check it out. read more

So glad to have found my local Asian market (and some much needed culture) Being 1/2 Chinese/Peruvian there are a lot of comforts in finding the foods that mom used to make, including the roasted pork buns. Im also a sucker for the egg custards and they have a bakery section in the back where you can get both warm out the oven :) (cash only) I have yet to try the food, which always looks amazing. You can spend hours in this place discovering rare produce, fish and items you had no idea existed. read more

I love Li Ming's and go there once a week or so to stock up on ingredients for Vietnamese (my wife is from Vietnam) and Thai cooking, or for a quick bite to eat. Their main competition is Grand Asia, which is also great, but cramped inside (Li Ming's is spacious) and much more crowded. Li Ming's has a better selection of Vietnamese herbs such as rau răm and tia tô, and essential Thai ingredients such as galangal and Kaffir lime leaves (I wish local Thai restaurants would use these ingredients - it would make their "Thai" food much better!). The meat section is good, though we mostly just buy ground pork. I don't cook much fish, but give the edge to Grand Asia since the fish section at Li Ming's doesn't smell very fresh. The food is not as great as Grand Asia, though I end up getting the 3 items plus rice quite often. One of these has enough food to make the two of us full, so it's a pretty good deal. It's usually tasty enough and has never made me ill despite the low food safety rating. (3 stars for the food) The main thing I don't like about Li Ming's is that when it opened up, it drove the close-by smaller Korean and Chinese groceries out of business. Li Ming's does have some Indian ingredients, but I don't buy them here because I want to help keep the two close-by Indian grocery stores in business. read more

The store itself is great. A good selection of Asian foods, though not as much Korean -- you'll want to go to Food World for that. The seafood selection is awesome, and the meat section is good as well. The bakery is awesome! We got a cake with taro in it, and it was beautiful and absolutely delicious. The Chinese stuffed buns are great as well -- the one with barbequed pork is tasty, and we had one with shrimp and a fried quail egg that was wonderful as well. I would steer clear of the hot food bar. Although it's a good deal for the money in terms of quantity of food, it wasn't that tasty, and it was clear that most of the food had been sitting under the lamps for a while. In addition, I got a hair in one of my entrees, and there were flies buzzing around due to the fact that the trash had not been emptied. read more

The triangle finally has itself a large Asian market. I gave it 3 stars mainly because I think they still have a lot of things to improve on but I'm excited to see what they'll do with some of the more empty parts of the store. Also, my love for Super H Mart in Atlanta makes it hard to be fair to Li Ming who is obviously just starting out. Li Ming's clearly has a love affair for all things Chinese by the mass quantities of products. They have a ridiculous (in a good way!) amount of variety in their items and that makes it fun to browse through. However, I noticed they don't really have a big Korean section. Hopefully that will change overtime. I thought maybe they refrained from Korean products because of the all the small Korean groceries in or around Durham but it would be nice to be able to shop for all ethnic items in one big grocery store. They also have a section of mainly Hispanic products in the far left section of the building which I guess is what they mean by Global. My biggest problem with Li Ming and also Grand Asia in Cary/Raleigh is that there are flies...everywhere. Other then my aversion to flies I did enjoy the fact that there was a bakery/restaurant much like Grand Asia towards the right of the entrance. The bakery is a bit lacking in comparison to Gran Asia and definitely when compared to Super H Mart. It focuses more on bread than the small pastries that I am fond of. Hopefully they will expand on their bakery selections. I resisted eating something from the restaurant (1) because there were flies which I am not that fond of sharing my food with and (2) if I ignored the flies I'd probably still be there eating. Next time I visit I will definitely try some of the food and pretend the flies aren't there. read more

Nice selection of quick snacks and pastries. The prices are a little bit high to the other Asian market in the area (H-Mart). I wish the worked on their air / exhaust system since there is a lingering smell. I would not want to spend a prolonged period of time here and end of carrying around the scent of fish. read more

Went to get my bubble today, which had to be re-made because of language barriers. Noticed the sign that the bakery is going to close Jan 1st. OH NO!!!! there is no other Chinese bakery like this in Durham. Must I drive to Cary once again for yummy baked goods that remind me of childhood??? read more

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Li Mings Global Mart was one of the biggest ones ive been to so far. To begin, the cafeteria they have has the best cupcakes! I ordered two of them, They were very very very delicious. Nicely decorated too. Good Priced. They also carried Pearl Tea in over 7 flavors. Those were tasty as well. Staff was very nice. They had a wide variety of Asian foods and drinks in the market part. They have a large variety of drinks such as Ramune, pearl milk tea,Calpico, Shuangwaiwai, coffee drinks and yogurt drinks. Prices for drinks varied from 99 cents to about 2 dollars. They had a lot of Korean, Japanese and Chinese foods among the aisles. Some American foods and snacks but mostly asian foods. I was able to find alot of my faves such as Pocky and Hello Panda Cookies. Towards the left of the store in the back they sell plates and dishes for a very good price. I was able to get a very nice bowl and plate for 1 dollar and 99 cents. The only thing i wish they had were bentos. That would have made my day. The freezer section seemed to be well stocked and full of treats. Located in the back is seafood. They have all sorts of fresh fish to purchase. Wasnt to pricey either. Overall, I think this is the best asian market in the durham area. If you are in the area and are looking for asian food this is the place to go~ read more

The food here is so good! And they have such a great variety of Chinese foods and teas and snacks, and it is like heaven! I love all their jelly snacks, and their fresh food. read more