Samway is an OLD (or ancient) groceries/miscellaneous store in White Center that has looked the same for decades. It is not a place that I recommend to anyone. Expect the unexpected when you are here. Plastic tablecloth on rolls - yes! Tamale steaming pots that double as seafood steaming pot - yes! Clothing, costume jewelry - all yes! My elderly Filipino in-laws would have loved this crazy place. It's like a dirty Fred Meyer that is catered to SE Asians, Mexicans, and more. While I might not recommend this place to anyone, they have their charms to treasure hunt and prices tend to be low. If anything looks questionable, it is. I don't buy any of the seafood. The meat is a maybe if you live nearby. The produce is mixed, too. Gai-lan (Chinese broccoli) in a bag looked suspicious; they were. I still make mistakes with what I buy here. Meanwhile, a box of honey mangoes is better looking than any others I have seen - BIG and approaching ripeness. They were superb. The deep-fried SE Asian treat from a mold that looks like a lotus flower (called Khanom Dok Bua in Lao or Khanom Dok Jok in Thai) is a surprising winner. I didn't die. They were good. LOL. Look thoroughly before buying. They have their gems and plenty of don't-bother goods. Look for best-by dates. They are not on top of such details. The staff is friendly-ish, if they aren't pre-occupied with friends. Otherwise, you don't exist until you pay. read more

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Roll in around 9:15 any given morning and pick up 6 Chả giò for $3.00 fried to perfection, setting underneath the worlds smallest heat lamp. Its like finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow read more

Expired food on sale! Check all your dates! Dad who is visually impaired came home with a can of bamboo hearts. The can was very old and the wrapping was discolored and the top of the can had dust on it. I checked the expiration date and it said it was canned 2013 and best before 2016. (The year is 2019) Dad can't see small details or little print. I pointed this out to him that these were no good - this might have happened after he had already opened them up and served them for dinner - but lets not talk about that. I pointed out that whomever sold this could get in trouble from the health department. He decided to take the can back to the market and let them know their stock was out of date. He came back today rather upset. First the owner told him he had gotten it from another store and that they don't sell that brand. Dad tried to tell them he had gotten it here but they called him a liar. They accused him of trying to get his $1 back. He didn't care about the $1 he felt he was doing them a favor giving them a heads up on out dated product. Then they accused him. They they told him he was just trying to get them in trouble - this seems very defensive attitude if you aren't guilty. Dad wanted me to write this for him to encourage people not to shop here or if you do check your date on things. read more

Really solid selection of legit Asian cooking ingredients, good soda collection. Lots of neat scarves and things. They even have a pretty good selection of household and kitchen stuff. It's a very eclectic mix of stuff they sell here, yet it's all handy. Very sweet people too. read more

The grocery stores in White Center are good if you are looking for Southeast Asian items. They have produce, meats and seafood items. Headed over to Samway Market after a lunch in White Center nearby. It is like the dingy Asian supermarkets in the International District, except even more dingier. The space is darkly lit and in need of some additional lighting. Still, I do like the array of produce that they have here and it is reasonably priced like the I-D.They have Southeast Asian produce, but also East Asian and Hispanic items. Taiwanese sesame candy can be found near the tortillas and queso cheese if that gives you an indication of the global offerings at this store. Seems like this grocery is very tailored to the neighborhood that it serves. They also have a selection of prepared foods that you would typically find at a Vietnamese deli. The space is a bit old looking. But if you can stand shopping in the I-D at any of the groceries near 12th Ave there, I think you will be fine shopping at Samway and get what you need here. read more

Omg... the variety of herbs and produce this place carries is tremendous. I will definitely stop by more often now that I took the initiative to explore it. P.S. they also sell curry leaves which is so difficult to find. I saw crown daisy and garlic skapes as well read more

This is a friendly, family-owned grocery store. The Yins are great folks and help you find what you need (which is a good thing, because I was overwhelmed by the product selection). So many yummy things to choose from in the entryway alone! Samway is where I tried my first longan fruit and snagged my first bag of duritos. Wish i were more into eating seafood, because they have loads of it and it's fresh - no fishy smell to me means fresh fish. Specialties include homemade prahok. Good place to shop for Latin, Thai, Lao, Cambodian, and other dishes. Plenty of beans, rice, etc. in bulk. I grabbed myself a big bag of fresh tomatillos and a pork picnic at a fair price... and dinner was fab. read more

I like this place. Its a little cramped and small and not the typical american grocery store, but they sell food that I would eat and a good range of Laos, Thai, Cambodian, Vietnamese ingredients. I go mainly to get the shrimp or seafood or asian juices. Yum! I think they are fairly priced. A bit old and kind of unorganized and it sometimes feel like the things stacked on the shelves will fall but Never had anything like that happen to me. Btw they also sell desserts made by local families there like jello desserts in coconut milk and a light syrup. Nice surprise. Just wish their cleanliness was a little better. I would probably do all my shopping there. But overall its a nice quick stop to get little things. And the cashier guy remembers me and my boyfriend every time we come in. So its nice to support a local business where you know they are naturally humble and not trained to be nice. =) read more

Best place to buy rice. Ever. Any kind of rice you can think of they have here and you can buy 5 lbs or 50 lbs of rice. Looking for a good price on Sriacha? You won't find it cheaper anywhere else. Looking for exotic Asian vegetables, canned goods and cookware? They got that too and at prices even your Grandma would say is cheap. Samway rules . Love this place. Always buy a lot without spending a lot of money. Bravo! read more

Best bang for the buck. I've been to many Asian markets in Seattle, but this one has the pricing for everything. Lots to choose from and friendly workers. read more

Probably the worse of the 4 asian store within a 2 block radius. First off the smell from the meat and seafood department was horrible. Almost as if something was rotting. Flys were flying around everywhere. Prices was okay, and everything was just rundown. Asian herb for $1 a pack. I'm not sure if I would visit this store again. Very unclean, almost like I was on the street of bangkok produce stand. read more