El Cerrito has bunch of amazing "ethnic" grocery stores tn Roong Jing Jing grocery is one of them. The store is tiny and has specific Thai grocery products. Their super power is the Thai take out "pop up" that happens every Saturday morning where about a dozen local That restaurants drop off take out dinners. you get there before late morning and you'll have a wide assortment of That foods, including Holy Basil Chicken and egg which is the s--t. all the curries and noodle and rice dishes you expect plus desserts. the only think I tend not to get there is rice since I live right nearby and have a rice cooker at home but seriously. go there Saturday morning pick up a few things and you'll have a 24 hour Thai Food Feast. You do not want to miss this. read more

The interior is very small, but they have a great selection of prepackaged foods and groceries. If you like international snacks, this is the place to load up on your next haul! The ready-made food and desserts looked delicious, though a part of me worries about the rice/meats being left out unrefrigerated. read more

I forgot to mention on the last review that their bamboo dishes such as Stir fried chicken with bamboo shoot (mostly bamboo and hardly any chicken) and spicy bamboo salad are very spicy and extremely SAULTY! read more

IDK what kitchens or who cooks these but they are solid for the price. A little low on meat portions but prices are better than any sit down restaurant nearby. Only sells food 10am Saturdays. 9/10, hidden gem of Thai cuisine with sweet owners, would def recommend and def come again. read more

Roong Jing Jing - International Grocery Near Me - El Cerrito, California

Great concept! Fresh take-out from local restaurants. So many classics and things that are new to me. If you love Thai food, this is literally a visual menu! We choose many things to try including khao soy, duck noodles with broth on the side, and crab pad Thai. All were tasty and delicious. The desserts were very tasty as well; sticky rice banana wrapped in ti leaves, and crunchy fried cookies with black sesame. Delicious. The store also sells Thai cooking ingredients and other snacks, beverages and condiments and frozen specialities. This was a treasure-filled find. If you want Thai food and don't want to commit to dining in, this is a great concept to choose what you're craving, and taking it to-go! Win-win!! read more

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Curry puffs, pad kee mao, khao soi, mango and sticky rice (when mangoes are in season), papaya salad, and so much more can be found on the weekends in this tiny El Cerrito grocery. The shelves groan under the weight of delicious prepared Thai food that's well-priced. Roong Jing Jing has become a Saturday tradition for us. The offerings change frequently according to season (and other factors that I'm not sure of) so every visit has some element of discovery. My daughter loves the rice cakes and looking at all of the brightly colored Thai desserts. I recommend coming with an open mind and arriving early. read more

Roong Jing Jing - Thai delicacies galore! - International Grocery Near Me - El Cerrito, California

Definitely would recommend this hidden gem! Has seasonings I can't find anywhere else! Saturday mornings they also have fresh food from local nearby restaurants! Definitely a must try! read more

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This is such a hidden gem for any and all Thai grocery needs. I finally had a chance to make it to their Saturday Thai food market. From what I've gathered on Saturdays local restaurants sell their food here, all prepacked to grab and go. There isn't an area to dine in and eat so it's more of take out. We came a little after 1pm and were delighted to see there were some options such as ka nam krok, papaya salad, boat noodle, pad thai, crab noodle, leaf wrapped dessert and chicken basil. They typically open around 10 and the cashier was telling me usually people line up around 9. I'm guessing there definitely is more selection for the early birds, which I now need to make an effort :) to see what other goodies I missed out on. The pricing is very reasonable for authentic Thai food. We had the boat noodle, crab noodle and ka nam krok - no complaints here. We can't wait to go back to try more dishes. The overall store is small but they do pack quite a bit in there for all Thai cooking needs. read more

Hidden gem! This place is a must, especially for their incredible Thai sausage. Seriously, I'd drive from SF just for these. They're meaty, flavorful, and not overly salty. The friendly staff and other delicious dishes are so good too. If you can get there before they open, even better. read more

The woman working was sweet and friendly. Small shop with a ton of Thai goodies- groceries and supplies, as well as ready to eat foods! I grabbed a selection of items today to try out and will be going back to try and catch the saku! read more

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My new favorite place. If you love Thai food and sweets, this will be your favorite place too. I recently learned about their amazing Saturdays. Aka the day they have cooked food and desserts (prepared by different local businesses) available for purchase. And so I dragged my boyfriend to go with me this past Saturday lol. Got there around noon and it wasn't too busy and the selection of food was plentiful. There was just a couple of people inside, but the store is a little small, so you may have to navigate around people if it does get busier. The people working there were nice and smiley (land of smiles!). All the food is stacked on racks and shelves around the store - clearly labeled and most (not all) will have marked prices on them. You will find all sorts of dishes here - ranging from the typical pad thai and pad see ew to things you might not typically see at a lot of Thai restaurants. Out of the things we purchased, I enjoyed the Garden Rolls, Larb Beef, and Khao Soi the most. I feel like the food here tries to pack a more authentic amount of heat and acidity that is synonymous to Thai cuisine, which I highly appreciate. Make sure you make room for dessert because the selection here is HUGE. I studied abroad in Thailand years ago and I saw desserts here that I have not seen since I was in Thailand! Ony thing is, I do think some of the desserts are overpriced so :( Anyways, this is the real deal here. I hope you don't go or tell anyone else so this can remain a little secret piece of heaven. read more

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This little gem has these unique Thai dumplings. Absolutely amazing and delicious and fresh made

***Pre-COVID review*** Found this place by accident as wifey was browsing through Yelp while we were filling up on gas at nearby Costco. Luckily, it was on a Saturday so they had the packaged food still available. We quickly drove here and even though it was later in the afternoon, they still had a few left and grabbed whatever we thought were good. Honestly though, everything looked good. We were also greeted by a nice gentleman, who was cheerful, friendly and helpful. When we got home, couldn't wait to open them up and enjoyed the wonderful combinations of textures, flavors and fresh herbs. As delicious as they were, we wanted to return the following Saturday and get here earlier so we can get dibs on whatever came that day. When we asked the gentlemen if they got the same type of food shipment every Saturday, he replied that it varies. That didn't deter us so we returned the following Saturday and was impressed by their selections. My eyes were bulging as I went "Takaw Mata" which is a Filipino phrase that is loosely translated into greedy eyes. Wifey got more mangoes, similar to what we purchased the previous week and whatever else looked good. I'm not too familiar or remember their names, but the most memorable dish was a ground pork wrapped in some type of rice noodle that came with fresh herbs and some awesome-tasting sauce. And whatever we got, the quality, freshness and the herbs were all so impressive and delicious. They also have a variety of desserts that are very similar to Filipino desserts as the majority of them are made from rice. They also have a good selection of fresh fruits, including some frozen durian. Wifey loves that stuff, but I've tried it and it's not my cup of tea. Since it's also a Thai grocery store, this is certainly the place to go for Thai ingredients that they may not sell at your local 99 Ranch or Asian grocery stores as they specialize primarily for the Thai community. I definitely wanna learn more about their fascinating cuisines and this is a great place to start. Come here early on Saturdays and check 'em out yourself. #YelpChallenge2020 review No. 87 read more

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I bought a bunch of stuff to try on my first visit. I got there around 1pm on Saturday and there was still plenty to choose from, and no line. The curry puffs were ok. They only had chicken but the chicken seemed like an unnecessary addition. Would've preferred vegetarian. Still good though. Nothing to dip them in like you'd have with a restaurant order. Love love loved the khao soi. I think it's the best I've had. I'd go there again just for that. It was spicy, almost a little too much for me, but I'm a wimp with spicy food, so don't judge it by my tastes. I think it would be perfect for most people. Did I say it was delicious? $13 for a serving. Gai pad krapow - thai basil ground chicken with a fried egg was good. Mango with sticky rice was yummy. I was really looking forward to the crab fried rice but it was a fail. It had a strong fishy taste, so I just couldn't eat it. I tried to eat it a few times, but the fishy taste was so off putting, it sat in my refrigerator for over a week and I ended up throwing it away. read more

Lovely little thai market that sells all sorts of assorted Thai goodies, groceries. A lot of items that the owner carries, I would not be able to find in any of your big chain supermarkets so I'm glad I was able to find some good thai sausages, coffee, and tea. It's definitely better to go in early during the day just in case they sell out of any fresh groceries or even their frozen section. Great part about this place is that they're located right next to Larb Thai Food & Tapas. Which is an amazing place for good thai/laotian food if you didn't want to make any from scratch. read more

Great selection of Thai groceries and some pre-made foods. Everything you need to make Thai dishes. Very friendly staff!

I'm not sure there is better Thai food available nearby than there is delivered here on Saturday mornings. Such a sweet couple, too. read more

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Best Thai grocery You can find all ingredient for make Thai food here! Nice service and staff. read more

Shop secret: They're open at 10a on Saturdays. That means that if you're coming for those Saturday morning fresh (and most affordable) Thai food lunch boxes, come line up by 9:45a - yes, people line up before opening to get first dibs on the ever-changing Thai food choices. If you come at 11a, half of the food will likely be gone. Absolutely worth the trip if you like Thai food, don't want to break your bank, and are open to trying new Thai dishes! read more

Packaged Thai food goodness! With Covid Times there is restriction to wearing a along with 5 people max in the small store. In the store you'll find A TON of freshly packaged food items ranging from soups, curries, noodles, and desserts. They get these deliveries Saturday morning so if you want the best selection, go then. read more

Roong Jing Jing - Saturday morning - 5 max people in the store. Masks on. Social distancing. Parking in the plaza out front. - International Grocery Near Me - El Cerrito, California

Came here on a Saturday afternoon for their pre-made Thai food. Grabbed a bunch of savory items, desserts and drinks such as Pad Kra Pao, Crab Noodles, Rice Rolls, Taro Pudding, Pandan Pudding, Mango Sticky Rice, Pumpkin Custard, Coconut Jello, Palm Juice etc. Everything tasted great. The savory dishes were authentic and flavorful. Definitely some of the better Thai food I have tried. Especially loved the Mango Sticky Rice. The mango pieces were juicy and sweet, the sticky rice had a nice texture(I warmed up the sticky rice in the microwave) and the coconut sauce added a nice fragrant creaminess to the sticky rice. All the desserts were at the right level of sweetness. The owners were nice and polite and they packaged everything nicely. This is truly a neighborhood gem. Tasty authentic food at very affordable prices. Too bad that I don't live close by or I'll be here every Saturday loading up on all the goodies! read more

Huge fan of the mango sticky rice!!! $6.5 Whyever have I danced around this place, having come and gone through the decade, and not enteing? I have made some massamun and green curry with the pastes purchased here. Weekend curry pop (empanadas) sell out by the mornings, so reader, be aware! The ready plate rice and noodles (like pad Thai or Kao soy)--- so handy. Love bamboo shoots, love lemongrass and galangal! read more

Came here a little before noon on a Saturday and the place was busy! Although the shop itself is on the smaller side, they have rows and rows of food, both entrees and desserts that are ready to eat. Examples of items you could get include duck and rice, duck soup, garlic pork, curry, etc. Pros: -small parking lot in front (free) and street parking available -Lots of ready to eat items available to purchase -they accept credit card -items are reasonably priced! Cons: -n/a read more

Roong Jing Jing - International Grocery Near Me - El Cerrito, California

Roong Jing Jing is my go to place when it comes to anything Thai! From freshly packaged meals/frozen items from Thailand to Thai ingredients, this place could rarely disappoint me-- only when they ran out of my favorites and I had to wait until they are back in stock again. What I usually get from here: * Frozen fish balls imported from Thailand (perfect for thai salad and noodles!) * Fish sauce, oyster sauce, black soy sauce etc * Instant Noodles (ThaSiam) * Vermicelli noodles (Ton Son) * Chinese sausages (I think it's from LA) * Some cooked meals & desserts * My favorite snack - Bento You can expect more fresh cooked meals on Saturdays, but be aware of a huge long line as the place is pretty small and they can only let 5 customers in at a time. The line moves pretty quickly though. My recent experience was pretty great. Huge shoutout to the guy in front of the store who constantly sanitized the shopping baskets and made sure that only enough people were in the store at once. Parking was not so bad and we sometimes were able to park right out front. read more

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My friends and I arrived at 11:05 am on a Saturday, and there was already a line! Given that Roong Jing Jing opens at 11am, and they get deliveries of food on Saturday mornings, I was very excited to see all the goodies inside. There is a maximum of 5 customers allowed inside at one time due to COVID-19. The shop is small but packed with packaged Thai meals and desserts. I aim to learn more about food from different cultures, and there were so many Thai desserts that I've never seen before! We got khao soi (beef and chicken), rad na, chive dumplings, crab noodles, crispy pork, mango sticky rice... just to name a few. My favourite is the khao soi with beef. The beef was tender, and the spices made the dish very flavourful. I can't wait to be back! read more

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Wonderful advice and service from the lady that helped me when I came into this small store. Don't let the store being small fool you. You will find most of your Thai needs there. If you don't see it ask like I did. The nice lady that assisted me immediately also made an upsell of something that I needed. I'm glad she thought of it it's saved the recipe. I initially went in to get fresh kaffir lime leaves and roasted rice. If you don't know what that is, go to a Thai restaurant and order "larb." It will be that fragrant lime taste that you taste in the food without the acidity of lime juice. The store is mighty little but I think it's a gym and it's little and mighty. I recommend shopping there for your Thai food needs. A great place to shop if you live in the northern part of the East Bay. Even ranch99 did not have this stuff. read more

Great place for some more unique Thai food that you can't get in restaurants. Roong Jing Jing is a tiny convenience store with Thai staples, but the real gem is the fresh food they have on Saturday mornings! They have noodles, soups, desserts, rice dishes, and more. I believe it varies each week, but everything we've tried so far has been delicious. We've had the garden rolls, pad see ew, chive dumplings, sticky rice, and Thai Suki. Definitely worth checking out. The people who ring us up are always so friendly and nice, and we always hear them patiently answering questions from other patrons. We asked if they only have the fresh food on Saturdays, and if we understood him correctly, he said they have it on both Saturday and Sunday but that there are a lot more choices on Saturday, especially earlier in the day. I'm not sure if Sunday is just the food they still have left over from Saturday. The first time we went, we got there around 12:45pm and there were definitely a lot more choices (but even then, a few stuff had sold out already). The second time we went, we got there at 2pm, and about 75% of the food had already sold out. Get there early for the best picks! read more

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Finally I got to stop by this Thai market when I was in the area today. There were not much left on Sunday at around 4pm. But I spotted the mango sticky rice which always my favorite Thai dessert in the restaurant. They have all different kinds of Thai dishes which I had no idea what they were. The lady in the store was helpful and she recommended me to try the basil chicken with rice. I m glad I did!!! So delicious! Very authentic Thai food and dessert! She also told me they have more food on Saturday than Sunday and food usually sold out before 2pm! I will definitely go back next time on an early Saturday! Btw, price is very affordable. Chicken rice box is only $7.50 with 3 fried eggs! read more

Roong Jing Jing - Mango sticky rice!!!! So good!!!!! - International Grocery Near Me - El Cerrito, California

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Danger Will Robinson - def don't go when you're starving because they have so many snacks and you will buy all of them and then try in vain not to inhale them all in the same afternoon. Don't ask how I know. A small store that has snacks, instant noodles, spices, candy, snacks, pickles, kitchenware, snacks, stuff in the fridge that I didn't look at, snacks and snacks. Go for the snacks. read more

Review #019 - 2020 I used to frequent her shop a lot when it was in the same complex as 99 Ranch because it was easy to get to after I was done grocery shopping. Ever since she moved to this location, I've only been here a couple of times, but her service level is still as dry cut as it has always been and I appreciate that about her. My whole family pretty much knows who she is so we trust her to always be honest with her customers when something is not good or if we find that something is not right, we'll let her know & she won't get offended. The thing I like about her place is that it's not overstocked so she has new products coming in on a regular basis. She usually sells out of stuff because she carries items that are hard to find at other places. She also carries fresh homemade Thai food & desserts on the weekends and they always sell out quick. Her shop may seem small, but it's not crowded & she keeps it nice & clean. read more

This place has the BEST som tam (papaya salad) I've ever eaten! It comes with shredded green papaya, shredded carrots, cabbage, garlic, thai chilis, dried shrimp powder, peanuts, a whole tomato, dressing and lime. You have to chop up the garlic and tomato and you mix it all together and add the lime juice...omfg it's the freshest, BEST salad, I'm salivating just thinking of it! Their mango with sticky rice is also super good and my husband is obsessed with their khao soi (curry noodle soup). We recently got their pad thai and while light in flavor, I LOVED it. They use thinner rice noodles and the texture of the noods are spot on with fresh vegetables too. We try to come as often as we can on Saturdays to get their fresh Thai food. Such a hidden gem and those who know, know. I have to thank Yelp for helping me find this place!! read more

Roong Jing Jing - Coconut dessert - International Grocery Near Me - El Cerrito, California

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I love this place. Just like I mentioned in my previous review, this place sells authentic Thai Foods and desserts. Most of these foods and desserts, I could not find at the Thai restaurant. They are home-made and so delicious. I bought differents foods & desserts everytime I come here. So far I like Chicken Kah Soy the best! It's coconut curry with chicken, egg noodle, bean sprout and boiled egg. Highly recommend! Keep in mind, these are only available on Saturday. Come early. On Sunday they do not have as much as Saturday. read more

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If you are in need of Thai ingredients, this is a place you want to go to. It is true you can go to 99 Ranch, but this place has specialized like kaffir lime and Thai ramen that is not mama's tom yum noodles. Since I'm allergic to shrimp (I MISS MAMA'S CREAMY TUM YUM SO MUCH), the nice owner told me about the tum yum smoked fish version which is AMAZING. Fair warning, it is also SPICY AF. There is also homemade food (Pad Thai, Curries, etc) here at lunchtime (more on the weekends) and if you can try their curry chicken puff pastries. The go-fast (by the dozens), so stop by and grab some food to go. read more

Ypu can find any sort of Thailand's food. I love the taro samosa. You need to preorder first

I felt very conflicted to leave a somewhat negative review because it's a small business shop and my experience could just be a one-off situation. I've been here twice now, and the first time I got some Mae Anong curry paste that I hadn't seen before at any other Asian grocery store. The cashier lady was very nice and recommended it because it was high quality vs. other brands. The curry I made with this was paste was really good so I had to go back for more. The second time I went, I was excited to try the cooked food because they only have it freshly delivered on Saturdays around noon. I got the Kao Soi Beef (curry & egg noodles), a piece of fried chicken, and a minced pork dumpling box (6-8 pc). I really enjoyed the Kao Soi - super flavorful and the beef chunks were tender. The fried chicken had good seasoning, but turned out super red and bloody inside :(. I'm pretty sure I got food poisoning from one of those items. I had to get up in the middle of the night because my stomach was hurting so badly. My fiance also had a bad stomach ache that night. Despite that experience, I'd still go back to buy grocery items since it's a very authentic shop. I'd just be wary about the food. I'd probably stay away from the fried chicken. Still tempted to try the other items like chicken & rice; stuff that'd be safer. read more

After reading the good reviews decided to get some readymade meals today afternoon. Spent $55 on various chicken curry dishes and found everything to be over spiced. They used too many chilies - had to trash everything. Why not keep the dishes mild and give the option to add chilies if you want to. Total waste of money for us. Not going back again. read more

Very over priced, no price number label at product!! She does calculate ++ with out label price!! You're never know how much she sale for you!! No price set for you to know!! Be aware to shop this place!! read more

I came here last week and I was happy to discover that they sell food on Saturday's. I went to Thailand a couple of months ago and I was already craving some authentic treats. If I wasn't so full from dinner, I would have bought a lot more because everything looked really good. I purchased a cake with fried onions on top of a custard layer with a cake layer on the bottom. Fried onions on a dessert tasted weird to me but the custard was good! Also, I purchased a jello-y dessert made of cassava and coconut flakes. Delicious! I wish I purchased the pandan version. If you're interested in Thai music, DVDs or want to purchase a large bundle of Thai basil, come on down! read more

Roong Jing Jing - Dessert - International Grocery Near Me - El Cerrito, California

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Came here because my Thai coworker suggested it and I was craving Thai dessert. This is a small market that sells prepared food on the weekends I think--I was here on a Saturday. They sell noodle soup, curry, rice, and many other items that looked good. I have the biggest sweet tooth so I bought mango sticky rice and these coconut mochi balls. The mango sticky rice was $6.50 and it was so good! It came with a lot more mango and rice than they give you at restaurants. The mochi was really good too. Definitely recommend picking up some food here if you're nearby. read more

BEST FRIED CHICKEN IN THE BAY. They are selling fried chicken across from Popeyes, and it's always sold out early. They might not have it every week though, but anyway everything we got on Saturdays were rly amazing too. Owners were super nice, very patient when we ask them what each dish was, the ingredients, etc. Been there many times, even during COVID-19 shutdown. They have someone at the door wiping down the used baskets, providing hand sanitizers, and letting people in, so it feels pretty safe. read more