Found this shop while passing through because we needed some mushroom stock supplies. Produce looked good. Able to find kombu, dried mushrooms, and plenty of rice noodles. Can't speak for the whole store, but the half we went through was clean and well organized. read more

This place had good service, they guided us when we needing help finding an item , and finding information about that item! and they were so kind and the lady who rung my stuff up was so nice and sweet ! I can see what they mean about not the cleanest but, I felt welcome and it was calm. (Kinda reminded me of something from a scary Roblox game cus the lights were flickering) Please the food I got is just some stuff I wanted to try. please please do come here! read more

C'ville Oriental - Grocery Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

These good reviews are suspicious... there's no way they are real. Plenty of moldy food in the back, literally wanted to gag. All the discounted stuff in the front is past the expiration date. Didnt really feel comfortable buying anything. Would not return. read more

Everybody hates on this place but every time I've been there it's been a pretty clean store and the staff is always friendly to me. Maybe some people just carry shitty energy and others pick up on it, so that's why you have a shitty time wherever you go? :P I don't know, but I like this store and what they have to offer. :) read more

Good selection! my go to! I live somewhere that I can't just drive a couple miles and get what I need. This place has a good variety.

Just moved to the area and went to another Asian market that was limited. This one is AWESOME, most all of the things I need in regards to fresh vegetables as well as soy puffs, Okinawan aka Asian purple sweet potato that grows back home in Hawaii, Kimchi, frozen goods, meats, snacks and other items. I thought I would have to get things from Orlando or drive to Greensboro, NC - but this gets me through the times I need fresh bok choy and bean sprouts, stuff I can't easily bring back from NC although I did when we went a few months ago while it was still cold. :) Staff is friendly and helpful cashiers. The best day to go (I was told) is Fridays - as they get their deliveries out for sale by the morning. No weird smells like some markets that have fish & meats. Clean, well stocked, easy to find on the main road and lots of parking. read more

C'ville Oriental - Fresh veg!! - Grocery Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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Best Asian market around! Great prices, fantastic selection of product lovely friendly delightful owners! Highly recommend! Much better prices and quantities then standard grocery stores for products. Great curry selection! read more

best fresh tofu in Charlottesville every Friday also good selection of fresh vegetables and imported cooking ingredients read more

I shopped here twice in fall 2017 as a new grad student and quickly realized I had absolutely no reason to come here. I usually hit up Asian grocery stores for asian vegetables, ramen, frozen dumplings, hot pot food (meatballs, frozen tofu, fish tofu), and dry packaged noodles, but the vegetable selection here was gross both times I came, and their freezer section (e.g. dumplings, meatballs, fish tofu) wasn't even frozen. I touched a few of the frozen foods in the refrigerator and found them to be squishy with some water droplets inside the bag, which should NEVER happen with frozen food if it's been properly stored. I find it embarrassing that this store has so little respect for themselves that they'd sell improperly stored frozen food to customers. read more

I am so glad I found this place when I moved to Charlottesville! True it's not the cleanest, fanciest store ever nor the most comprehensive Asian grocery store, but it was most everything I need to recreate a little bit of home for me in a new environment. First of all, C'ville Oriental has a great selection of snacks from Taiwan, China, and other Asian countries. I was thrilled to find tapioca and mochi. Sure they can't compare to the ones I've had back home in Taiwan, but they were good, nevertheless, and for a good price! I was able to find all the ingredients I needed to make hot pot, homemade dumplings (the dumpling wrapping skins here are amazing!), and bubble tea! I was also satisfied with the selection of seasonings and sauces C'ville Oriental carries. I personally don't know how to make Chinese herb chicken soup, but there's plenty of ingredients here for that, too! The frozen selection is decent. You can get frozen dumplings, scallion pancakes, rice balls (super delicious!), mochi ice cream, sesame/red bean buns, and many other types of food. Pho, ramen, udon, rice cakes, and vermicelli are also available here for a good price. The fresh produce is a little limited, but they do have bok choy, sweet potato leaves, taro, bean sprouts, and other vegetables I love! I wish they would have a greater fruit selection, though. I miss guava so much and dragon fruit. Not everything has the same level of freshness, however. But I do appreciate that they label a section "old vegetables" and sell it at a much lower price. Seafood is mostly frozen, although there are some blue crabs you can get for $3.55 a pound or so. I would have liked to see more fresh seafood, especially fish and shrimp. The organization of the store is not the clearest. They have some labels on top of the different aisles, but you have to look around to find more specific things. There are only a few staff members here, so it's not like a Krogers where you have people asking you if you can find everything okay. Overall, however, I really do like C'ville Oriental. It obviously cannot compare to H-Mart or any of those large Asian grocery stores in bigger cities, but it satisfies my cravings for Asian food and meets my needs! I always have such a good time browsing through all their stuff! Finally, parking is convenient. it's in a lot in front of the store. Making a U-Turn though on US-29 is tough from this location. You have to move 5 lanes in less than a block. Always a challenge for me! C'ville Oriental does take credit card (but only for purchase of $10 or greater). read more

It's amazing and very good quality food items. They sell any Asian item you can think about. They also sell fresh fish.

"Once you open the package, we will not take it back." To avoid reimbursing $11.95 for the purchase of a defective product, the owner's behavior ensured I would never return to his store. I am sharing my unpleasant experience because I want shoppers of Asian food in Charlottesville to be aware that the customer service at this store is unsatisfactory. When C'VILLE ORIENTAL relocated to 1195 Seminole Trail, I stopped by and bought a bag of Kokuho Rose Sushi Rice, which I have been buying at other stores for years. A few days later, I opened the bag and cooked 1.5 cups of rice. The rice was either old or mislabeled. It was yellow. It had an unusual taste and smell. It did not look like sushi rice. When cooked, it was too loose to pack into a formed shape for nigiri sushi. Wondering if perhaps I had not added enough water to my rice cooker, I cooked 1.5 cups again the next night, carefully measuring rice and water. The result was the same. A few days later, I took the nearly full bag back to the store to request a refund. A young worker informed me I had to wait for the boss. Five minutes later, the angry-faced owner appeared. He refused to refund my purchase or even provide store credit. "Once you open the package, we will not take it back." He did not seem concerned that there was no way for me to have inspected the rice without opening the bag. He did not listen. He did not apologize. He did not even look at the rice. Instead, he insulted me, saying he had never had a such a customer. Note: I was born and raised in Japan. I have lived in the U.S. for about 20 years. I studied to be a sushi chef. I am a grandmother. I have eaten sushi rice my entire life and have cooked it for many years. This is the first bag of rice I have ever tried to return. (Chinese proverb): "Man who cannot smile should not open store." read more

I hate giving this place two stars, but I have no choice. Here's why: their "fresh" food is covered in mold. Not just one or two things, but multiple things... and some of it has so much mold on it that you know it's been sitting out for ages without any workers attempting to even care about food quality and safety. The salted duck and mock duck: moldy; the fresh chicken: moldy; the buns/breads: moldy. Gross. I've been buying and eating things in their fresh cooler for some time now. This will make me not do it again. However, the employees are very friendly regarding questions and checkout. The store is well stocked with frozen foods, soups, ramen, dry goods, sauces, rice, and more. Lots and lots of good reasons to come to this store, but beware of anything fresh. read more

As a true aficionado of cooking Asian cuisine at home, I frequently need to stock my pantry with ingredients not readily available at regular supermarkets. So since I was in Charlottesville last Wed., stopped in here for the first time to see what's what & pick up a few necessities. First impression was of a large clean bright store, thankfully without the musty, fishy smell that so many Asian grocery stores seem to perpetually have. There seemed to be only 2 employees present - & rather unhappy-looking ones at that, & just 2 other customers besides us milling about. Sadly, the fresh produce section is extremely small, but everything did look fresh & crisp. Noticed bags of edible chrysanthemum, watercress, what looked like water spinach, large bunches of Chinese Chives (aka Garlic Chives), fresh unpeeled water chestnuts, Thai chili peppers, Chinese okra, & other unidentifiable stuff. Unidentifiable because a lot of the signage/labels were written in Chinese only. Oddly, open buckets of fresh bean sprouts & fresh tofu are located in the rear by the meat & prepared foods department instead of with the produce. The seafood department appeared to be under some sort of renovation, as the case as well as the tanks were empty & dry. There was, however, a cardboard box with a smattering of live Blue Claw Crabs skittering around for $2.99/lb., & a pair of tongs for one to help oneself. No containers though. Guess you were supposed to just let them run around in your shopping basket? Didn't peruse the meat & prepared foods, but did enjoy playing "what the heck is that" in the frozen food section, where signage/labels were also dicey. Was initially excited to see frozen packages of "tofu skin" & was ready to retrieve a few; alas, they were frighteningly only partially frozen. This fact definitely put the kibosh on my considering ANYTHING in the freezer cases (although I was sorely tempted by a pair of frozen "Black Chickens" - a pricey delicacy (they're really just "Silkie" breed chickens actually) that were all the rage not too long ago). So I stuck to pantry goods (HUGE selection of both products & brands), snaring bottles of fish sauce, black soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar, a bag of dried Wood Ear fungus, a few ramen soups, & a metal rack insert for steaming in my wok. All the above for just around $10, so prices are more than reasonable. Bottom line: Will definitely return when in the area, but sadly - as is unfortunately what seems to be the norm for me when visiting Asian markets - will stick to dry goods & perhaps fresh produce if needed. read more

I go here whenever I need specialty Asian foods in Charlottesville. We got everything we needed to make a great batch of homemade ramen, including organic noodles to boot! The produce is hit or miss, I recently got some fresh garlic scapes and chrysanthemum greens which were great, fresh, and tasty, but I've been miffed by the more traditional veggies available there before. All in all, a great place to stock up on difficult-to-find ingredients, it would have been a 5 star review if the store were a bit cleaner and the produce / meat quality were more consistent. read more

Selection is small, but it's organized, so I appreciate that. There is no fresh produce, so if you're looking to make sautéed BokChoy, this isn't the place. BUT, they do have a good selection of Asian seasonings, dressings, dry and frozen items. Worth a shot to get pantry essentials. read more

So, this is the second Asian grocery that I've discovered in Charlottesville, and while it's brighter, cleaner and seems larger than the other one, they don't seem to have much more of a selection. They did have what I was looking for, though. read more

According to their website, C'ville Oriental may be known to folks around town by their former incarnation, Charlottesville Oriental Food Market (located at 208 Carlton Road). I've never been to the old location but if the new store's boast that it is bigger and carries more items than they previously did, then I must say, this place must be a haven for those in need of Asian ingredients, produce and specialties. I'm used to a plethora of Asian grocery stores in NYC, and therefore, felt the store only carried the basic products people would need to supply their kitchen with (East) Asian/Chinese main staples. While I do agree that the store does carry a lot of products, I've also noticed that a lot of the brands (especially the sauces, frozen goods and instant noodles) are from Mainland China and not Hong Kong (items I am not as familiar with). There is just something to getting the brands you're used to than something you've never heard of, like, if you want stuffing or mac & cheese, there is just nothing like Stove Top & Kraft. For instance, Lee Kum Kee and Amoy are very popular brands for (Cantonese) Chinese cooking (i.e. soy sauce, oyster sauce) but C'ville Oriental does not carry them. This might be due to the overhead cost, as it would be a lot more compared to the item they do have. Also, if you've never tried instant noodle from Nissan Foods, then be on the lookout when you happen upon a larger Asian grocery store (the original flavor and the chicken is one of their best sellers, beef is quite awesome too); seriously this brand is like instant noodles elevated! I also didn't find the produce that fresh, especially the greens, though watercress and leafy greens are hard to come by in your local supermarket. The small meat section in the back of the store is handy though, I'm sure it is a lot fresher than the prepackaged ground pork you'll find at Harris Teeters. Overall, this is a good store; the folks working there are nice, and the lady owner can be helpful and pleasant. Prices are moderate compared to typical Asian grocery stores, but cheap priced against western market standards. Credit cards are only accepted for purchase totaling $10 or more. read more

This place is SUPER now at new location! (1195 Seminole Trail, next to Hibachi Grill on 29) I don't need to go to Maryland any more!! I am a Taiwanese customer and always found what I needed in the old(and smaller) location. Now, with the new, huge, bright location, not only a ton of selections, you can even get Indain spices! all around Asia. Plenty of parking also made it easy. As the store is still "progressing", keep an eye on something new every time you go there! I I love the frozen section, seafood, meat and LOTs of noodles,for us hot pot lovers, it's a one stop shopping. The buns, dumplings, bakery, snacks, etc can also satisfy everyone. More vegi and fruits will be coming soon for more local customers. Deli and authentic drinks will be coming up too. I can't wait for the "bubble tea"! As for houseware and gifts, there are so much more now! a very cute small saucer for $2.**, and a great Ta-Tung rice cooker under $40, or, you like the red Chinese lantern?! they have it all. I am Surprised to find a "fine gift" section next to the cashier, which are directly from Taiwan. The quality are high, and the selections are one of a kind. There are "Led Lantern " you don't find in the whole US. The very unique, hand crafted cell phone covers; cool nail stickers from Korea; or, hot spring powders to experience Japan at home in the cold winter. What's next?! WOW. I am going tomorrow!! read more

One word, filthy The place needs a good scrub down with an electric floor scrubber & a couple gallons of Krud Kutter, badly. ... Seriously looks like someone drove an off-road motorbike through the place ... Look at expiration dates, they obviously don't spend enough time reviewing their stock for out-of-date labels. "Fresh" produce is meager, & pre-wrapped -- no idea how old it is, fair warning. Decent selection of primarily Chinese noodles & a little broader selection of canned goods. Why 3 stars, 1 star for selection, otherwise it would be 2. read more

Seems like the quality of their products are getting worse. Vegetables are rotting with molds. Packaged items are pass their expiration dates. Be extremely careful if you have to go there to you might end up getting sick from eating rotten food. read more

I really want to like this place. I like Asian grocers, as a rule. But the produce here is scary, and the seafood much the same. On the upside, we've had a good experience getting American-grown rice in large quantity here, and all kinds of packaged rice noodles. It's an interesting browsing experience, coming here. But it kind of leaves me underwhelmed, and I have doubts about the quality I'm getting, really. read more

Like the review before, I had the displeasure of experiencing the same thing. I bought a fish cake that expired in 2012 so of course I wanted my money back. Apparently they don't know how to give money back and could not help me further. Employees and the owners are VERY rude. Unless you like that atmosphere and old food, DO NOT shop there. We have other asian markets in C'ville! read more

I walked and walked right back out. The smell of rotting food was so overpowering that I started to gag. Hello, Health Department?

We shop there every once in a while and yesterday we were there to shop and suddenly my 2 year old (who is potty trained and not wearing a diaper) told me she needed to go to the bathroom. I asked the cashier, she said they don't usually let customers use their private bathroom, but since she is two (and can possibly pee on the floor soon) she said to go to the back of the store and ask the gentleman at the back to show us where it is located.. Went to the back, and the older guy at the back said, "our bath room is out of order" i said, my daughter needs to go, not me. he kept saying "it is out of order, we don't have bathroom" i said "where do you guys go to use the bathroom" he said " we use the bathroom at the restaurant, pointing at the Asian Buffet. I could not believe it. They would not let my two year old use their bathroom for 2 minutes!! We are your customers and this is kind of an emergency! My husband was shopping for stuff and I went to him and told him we are leaving, I am not spending any money in this joint. EVER AGAIN! They have lost my business. We left our cart and left. Horrible customer service! I'd rather shop at the smaller Asian market across from Bodo's anyway! read more