The other day we were driving home and making our way through the South End when we came upon yet…read moreanother Asian grocery store. It was closed at the time, so we went back yesterday.
All I can say is...WOW! Huge! Impressive!
First off...it's on two floors. The first, where you enter is filled with huge bags of rice, over sized ceramic planters and a bazillion bamboo steamers in every size imaginable.
Upstairs, well let's just say you could get lots for hours. It took me a half an hour to just check out all the beautiful blue & white traditional Chinese plates and serving dishes, the woks and other Asian cooking paraphernalia.
I expected rows and rows ...and then more rows and rows of Chinese, Korean (and to my joy, Japanese) bottles and bags of sauces, spices, noodles, candies...the usual, but in much larger and more varied quantities than the other Asian markets I've visited in Halifax.
What I didn't expect was fresh - you heard me - fresh bok choy, plump lemongrass, napa cabbage, kai lan and persimmons, among other fresh Asian vegetables. There were fridges and freezers filled with sticky buns, other Dim Sum dumplings, Chinese pepperoni (I love it) other Asian cured pork.
The staff was incredibly helpful and knowledgeable. So all those interesting and intriguing packages - like dried lily leaves, were explained, and how and when to use them.
I didn't realize, until I was two blocks from home in the North End that this is the retail arm of of Ca Hoa Enterprises, importers and distributors of Asian fare. I pass their trucks every day and never gave it a thought. Things are different now though!