There are tons of Vietnamese and even a Cambodian place to shop within about two or three blocks of…read moreeach other in this area and most people are likely to go to the larger, "flashier" (outside appearances only, of course, lol) Tan-A that has a prime corner location at a busy intersection. However, service there is sometimes an absolute horror, that coming from someone who now lives in Miami (AKA the land of horrible service). You can actually go to a smaller place with helpful service that's literally walking distance away (but it's still more convenient to drive, nonetheless), and that place is Far East.
Far East has everything you could possibly need for Southeast Asian cooking (and some staples for Chinese cooking) and although it's packed in a very tiny space, it's all there. The owners will not always hunt you down to see if you need help, but if they see you looking for something, they'll volunteer to help. They are friendly and they do speak English (and multiple Asian languages, too--Vietnamese and Chinese at minimum).
The only reason to go to Tan A is if you need something Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc, because that type of thing is limited at Far East, but come to Far East first and give your money where it's appreciated.
The down side of Far East is that it has that odd smell some Asian markets have and the organization is a bit out of whack. Also, the credit card minimum is very high, $20, double anywhere else. However, Far East has among the lowest prices. A great thing to know is that Fridays and Saturdays, they sell packaged specialty buns in the boxes on the shelves in the produce area. They have taro, barbecue, mung bean, and more, all for 95 cents each. I absolutely love the taro one, mmmm!!
**Credit minimum is $20***
