# Asian market is now in driving distance to my town.. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 26, 2018, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-market-is-now-in-driving-distance-to-my-town/807547 "2018-01-26T21:52:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-market-is-now-in-driving-distance-to-my-town/807547/21 "2018-01-29T20:17:58Z")
If you hurry, you might still find some Patrick available: > **[Today's Urban Design Observation: Supermarket Poultry-Based Hilarity - Core77](https://www.core77.com/posts/72432/Todays-Urban-Design-Observation-Supermarket-Poultry-Based-Hilarity)** > > Where I live in Manhattan, there are several Chinese supermarkets located near me. These are crowded but incredibly efficient operations that move a lot of product in the form of fruits, vegetables and meats, and I admire the unseen logisticians... ---
**Author:** ![flaming\_yawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/cab0a1/32.png) [@flaming\_yawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flaming_yawn)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-market-is-now-in-driving-distance-to-my-town/807547/22 "2018-01-29T20:29:11Z")
Now I cant wait to go back! Thanks for the ideas. I did not see a hot food section. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-market-is-now-in-driving-distance-to-my-town/807547/23 "2018-01-29T23:09:12Z")
Also, the [“Grumpy Lady sauce”](http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/971730.shtml) is great stuff - so nicknamed for the picture on the jar. It’s fried chili flakes in oil. Great condiment to put on many Asian dishes, like gyoza (potstickers). ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-market-is-now-in-driving-distance-to-my-town/807547/24 "2018-01-29T23:23:20Z")
Get yourself an Asian cookbook and start exploring recipes. You can nip and sample at all sorts of stuff, but making dishes that incorporates those ingredients is the best way to get a feel for their uses. Since the market is such a drive, either bring the book with you or pick a few potential recipes in case you can’t find a particular ingredient for a particular dish. Also, get the old lady sauce that **scr4** mentioned. That stuff is **amazing.** Be careful with storage, though - the oil gets everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-market-is-now-in-driving-distance-to-my-town/807547/25 "2018-01-29T23:25:39Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > Also, the [“Grumpy Lady sauce”](http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/971730.shtml) is great stuff - so nicknamed for the picture on the jar. It’s fried chili flakes in oil. Great condiment to put on many Asian dishes, like gyoza (potstickers). The stuff is delicious. To be a bit more specific, it also has sichuan peppercorns (listed as “prickly ash” on the ingredients), onions, salt and MSG. It really is a good stuff. I had no idea it apparently has a cult following, but the stuff is addictive. I can eat it straight out of the jar. But I’m glad I saw your post and it reminds me, I gotta make an Asian store run, since my supplies have been out for awhile! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-market-is-now-in-driving-distance-to-my-town/807547/26 "2018-01-29T23:30:55Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > Good fish sauce. (Tiparos or Lucky brand) Tiparos is my everyday fish sauce (and I’m lucky, as it’s sold at the local grocery store here, too, for some reason. I have no idea why, but they have like eight different brands of fish sauce there; Thai, Vietnamese, Filipino. It’s mostly a Mexican-targeted market, but they must have gotten an oversupply of fish sauce or something.) Anyhow, if you’re into fish sauce, look out for Red Boat. It’s a bit pricier than Tiparos, but worth looking out for if you haven’t had it before. I’ve seen it at Asian markets, but also at places like Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods or something of that more upscale nature. That’s my special fish sauce I use for dipping and stuff like that. ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-market-is-now-in-driving-distance-to-my-town/807547/27 "2018-01-30T00:52:20Z")
> [@flaming\_yawn](#): > > Did buy durian candy for the girl. Thanks for the suggestions, I may buy some goat meat next time to make a stew. We have two pet goats so this may not go over well. Try the durian ice cream too. It’s my personal favorite. I don’t know if they’d have Vietnamese chè. I like chè chuối (with banana) and chè bắp (or ngô) (corn). In regards to buying goat meat _vis-a-vis_ the pet goats, you can always point out to “the girl” that it could be worse! I mean, some day the store may be out of goat. ---
**Author:** ![bmoak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@bmoak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bmoak)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-market-is-now-in-driving-distance-to-my-town/807547/28 "2018-01-30T04:03:21Z")
Anything soy-related (different forms of tofu, edamame, fermented soybeans, soy milk) is also going to be better and cheaper than you can get elsewhere. Also, while you can certainly get dried noodles, the refrigerator cases will also have FRESH noodles. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-market-is-now-in-driving-distance-to-my-town/807547.md?page=1)