Short answer
An Asian grocery store sells fresh produce, noodles, rice, sauces, frozen foods, snacks and cookware for Asian cooking. On a first visit, walk the aisles in order, buy one dish worth of ingredients and read every label yourself.
An Asian grocery store is a food shop that sells ingredients for cooking from East, Southeast and South Asia, usually with produce, noodles, rice, sauces, frozen foods, snacks and cookware under one roof. On a first visit, walk the aisles in order, buy the ingredients for one dish and read each label yourself.
What is an Asian grocery store?
An Asian grocery store is a supermarket or small market that specializes in Asian foods. It stocks many varieties of rice, noodles, sauces, vegetables and snacks that a general supermarket carries only a few of.
The stores range from small family shops to large warehouse-style markets. Many serve several communities at once, so shelves for Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai and Filipino foods sit side by side. Labels and signs may be in English and one or more other languages.
What is in each aisle of an Asian grocery store?
Most stores are laid out in recognizable zones: produce, noodles and rice, sauces and seasonings, canned and dried goods, frozen foods, snacks and household items. Layouts differ, but the zones repeat.
| Zone | What you will usually find |
|---|---|
| Produce | Leafy greens such as bok choy, herbs, daikon, lemongrass, chilies, ginger |
| Noodles and rice | Rice noodles, wheat noodles, instant noodles, bags of rice, rice paper |
| Sauces and seasonings | Soy sauce, fish sauce, chili paste, vinegar, sesame oil, curry pastes |
| Canned and dried | Coconut milk, dried mushrooms, seaweed, dried chilies |
| Frozen | Dumplings, seafood, buns, prepared items |
| Snacks | Rice crackers, candy, dried fruit, packaged sweets |
| Household | Rice cookers, woks, bowls, tools |
The shelves hold a lot of product, so decide beforehand which zone matters most for your dish.
How do you shop an Asian grocery store on your first visit?
Pick one dish, write down its ingredients and walk the store with that list. Doing this makes the shop feel smaller and gives you a finished meal, not a bag of unrelated items.
- Choose a dish, such as a rice noodle salad, a stir-fry or fresh rolls.
- List the fresh items, the dry item and the sauce.
- Start in produce, and pick herbs and greens last so they stay crisp.
- Move to noodles and sauces, then frozen goods.
- Ask a staff member about anything you cannot find.
- Keep frozen and fresh seafood for the end of the route and bring a cooler bag if the drive is long.
Allow more time than you expect. Many stores reward browsing, and a first visit often turns into half an hour of reading labels.
What should you buy first at an Asian grocery store?
Buy the pantry staples that serve many recipes, plus the one fresh ingredient your dish depends on. A small starter set goes a long way.
- Soy sauce, for stir-fries and marinades.
- Fish sauce, for Vietnamese and Thai dipping sauces and dressings.
- A chili sauce or paste, to adjust heat.
- Rice noodles or rice, as the base.
- Rice vinegar and sesame oil, for dressings and finishing.
- Fresh garlic, ginger and one herb.
Fresh items will not last, so match them to a meal planned within two or three days. The dry and bottled goods keep for months if stored sealed and cool.
How do you read labels at an Asian grocery store?
Start with the ingredient list in English, usually on a sticker added by the importer. Then check the weight and the expiry date.
Watch for look-alike products. Sweet soy sauce and regular soy sauce are different, rice vinegar and seasoned rice vinegar are different, and glutinous rice flour is not the same as plain rice flour. If a recipe names a specific product, compare the name on the package with the recipe. Staff can help, but your own read of the label is the reliable check, especially for allergy or dietary needs.
What is the difference between an Asian grocery store and a specialty market?
An Asian grocery store covers many cuisines. A specialty market, such as a Korean or Vietnamese market, goes deep on one. A general Asian grocery usually has a Korean shelf, a Vietnamese shelf and others, each smaller than a dedicated shop would have.
For a beginner this is useful, since one visit gets you ingredients for several dishes. Cooks who know exactly what they want from one cuisine may eventually prefer a specialist. The general store still tends to have the basics for all of them.
What should you bring on a first visit?
Bring a short shopping list, reusable bags and a cooler bag if you plan to buy frozen foods or seafood. A phone with a charged battery also helps, because a translation camera can read labels in other scripts.
- A list organized by zone, so you do not walk the store twice.
- Photos of products you want to match, such as a bottle of sauce from a recipe.
- A little cash and a card. Nothing in the sources says what Nam-Hai accepts, so ask at the register.
- Patience for narrow aisles. Reviewers of large Asian markets, including Nam-Hai, often mention tight spaces at busy times.
What does Nam-Hai Oriental Food Market carry?
Nam-Hai Oriental Food Market in Tulsa is described by a Tulsa library food guide as carrying Asian, Hispanic, Caribbean and African foods and condiments. The Tulsa Remote blog mentions fresh produce, frozen goods, sauces and snacks, and Google reviews mention seafood, kitchenware and gifts.
Stock varies from week to week and no exact product list is public. The menu page shows the categories the guide has recorded and notes that no prices were found. The store is at 11528 E 21st St and, according to Google Maps, is open every day from 9 AM to 8 PM. The hours and location page has the details.
What mistakes do first-time shoppers make?
The most common mistakes are buying too many fresh items at once, picking the wrong sauce and not asking for help. All three are easy to avoid.
- Buying more herbs and greens than you can use in three days.
- Choosing a sweetened sauce when the recipe needs a plain one.
- Skipping the staff and leaving without a product that was in another aisle.
- Forgetting a cooler bag for frozen goods.
- Overlooking the household section, where a wok or a bamboo steamer may be on the shelf.
Treat the first visit as practice. After one trip, the layout and brand names become familiar and later trips are quick.
Common questions
Is an Asian grocery store only for people who cook Asian food?
No. Anyone can shop one. The produce, noodles, snacks and frozen items suit curious cooks and beginners as well as regulars, and staff will point you to a product if you ask by name.
How is an Asian grocery different from a Korean or Vietnamese market?
An Asian grocery usually covers several cuisines at once. A Korean or Vietnamese market focuses on one, with deeper shelves of that country’s sauces, noodles and snacks. Many stores sit between the two.
What are the pantry basics at an Asian grocery store?
The usual basics are soy sauce, fish sauce, rice, rice noodles, a chili sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar and a starch such as tapioca or cornstarch. They cover many common recipes.
Do I need to bring my own bags?
Bring them if you have them. Stores differ on bags, and nothing in the sources says what Nam-Hai provides, so a sturdy bag and a cooler bag for frozen items are a safe choice.
Planning a visit? Start with Nam Hai Oriental Food Market: address, opening hours, menu and directions in one place.
This article is general information from an independent guide, not from Nam-Hai Oriental Food Market itself. For the store’s current details see hours and location.