My wife and I just moved to DC, and we’re looking to stock up on our various sauces and foods that we can’t find at Safeway (ie. kimchi, bean noodles, curry, etc.). Thing is we can’t find much in the way of an Asian supermarket. My wife’s even searched in Chinese, and we can’t really find anything that is accessible by public transportation.
What are we missing? Anyone familiar with DC know where to find Asian fare?
There are several Indian and one eclectic African (that sells a hell of a lot of other regional foods) groceries in Alexandria, but I am honestly not sure how accessable they are by public transportation.
Alas, the DC burbs are filled with Asian groceries, but the city itself is lacking.
Years ago, I frequented a place in Chinatown at the corner of H and ???. don’t know if it’s still there–that area’s gotten a lot pricier.
I vaguely recall hearing about one near the Clarendon metro.
You might try asking in little local Asian restaurants if they know of somewhere.
The whole area by the Clarendon metro has been heavily redeveloped. I don’t recall an Asian supermarket there, and I was up at a bar there a couple of weeks ago. I’ll ask my friend who lives a block away from the Metro.
There’s a big ass asian supermarket (Great Wall) at the corner of Lee Hwy and Gallows Rd., about a quarter mile from the Dunn Loring Metro (you can catch a bus to and from the Metro station, if you need).
That one looks great! Thanks, An Arky.
Anyone know of one in Rockville? We’re near Friendship Heights, so it’d be easier to head up to Rockville. My wife thinks she saw that there were some there.
How many times have I freaking driven past that and I forget to mention it…
In Manassas, there is a Pan-Asian, Pan-Latino mega supermarket called “Global Foods.” God I love that place.
There is an H-Mart in Wheaton, MD which is less than a mile from the Metro Station. It is pretty big and they have a good produce section as well.
Most of the ethnic groceries and a huge chunk of the restaurants tend to be in the suburbs of DC as opposed to DC itself. Unfortunately, they do not tend to be all that accessible to public transport. You might have to bite the bullet and rent a zip car for a few hours and get a lot of shopping done one weekend.
There is one at Bailey’s Crossroads in Virginia. Google Maps tells me it’s called Duangrat; I know it’s right next door to a Greek/Mediterranean market called Aphrodite.
Oh, and of course Annandale, VA is considered “little Korea” by area residents; while it looks like you’re searching for Chinese items, not Korean, there still might be something of interest in that area.
There are probably similar places up that way, though I don’t know where…I would guess that there would be something along the Rockville Pike corridor.
I need to go there; I could walk around all day in something like that!
Go all the way out Wilson Blvd. towards Fall Church just short of Rt. 7, and there’s a large shopping center full of Vietmenese shops, delis and restaurants called Eden West.
There are several Korean enclaves around the Beltway. On Veirs Mill Rd. between Rockville and Wheaton, there’s an enormous Korean supermarket. Annandale has a number of smaller ones. Greater Falls Church, on Rt. 50 between Rt. 7 and the Beltway, and in the general vicinity of the Gallows Road/Rt. 29 intersection, there are more.
I don’t know of any in DC. Chinatown is about as Chinese as Chevy Chase these days and much harder to find parking in.
Also: Grand Mart. There’s a big one in Alexandria on Little River Turnpike, between Beauregard and Stephenson Streets, and another one on Rt. 7 near where it intersects with Rt. 50 in Bailey’s Crossroads. There are more, but I’m not familiar with them. These places cater specifically to Hispanic, Asian and (to a lesser extent) African and Caribbean shoppers. Your Kimchi and Plantain needs will be well-served here. And all your other mundane grocery needs; these places are huge.
It looks like your question is pretty much answered, but you could always try chowhound for this or something else.
There is Maxim Supermarket at 460 Hungerford Dr, which is Rte. 355 (same thing as Rockville Pike). It is about 1/2 km north of the Rockville Metro station. I also seem to remember another Asian market only a few blocks away on one of the side streets, but I can’t remember its name.
I got a story. A couple of weeks ago, my best friends and I went to DC for their Carribbean Carnival. While we were there, I decided I needed a parasol to sheild me from the sun at the parade. My friend said, let’s find a chinatown in this city and get some really cool paper umbrellas.
I google “Chinatown DC” and get the wiki artical, which describes a booming chinatown complete with this really beautiful over-the-top ornate archway. I don’t read the whole wiki, it being on my lil’ phone screen, but I am hype to get to this Chinatown. The article indicates it is near H street.
I check another link and they indicate H and 7th. We program the GPS. We go to this area and…nothing.
The area shows no indication of a Chinatown, and certainly no big beautiful gate waiting to greet us.
We stop some brothas on the street; “Hey, we are looking for Chinatown!” “You just passed it, sweetheart! Go back toward 7th!”
Okay…We go back a couple blocks toward 7th. Nothing. Just regular shops and restaraunts and hat shops. A black neighborhood with no signs of any Asian influence.
We just scratched our head at this. We tried a couple more times over the course of the weekend before we just gave up.
That was my second visit to DC. Both times, I was able to find everything very easily, including all of the great Reggae clubs in DC and Baltimore (the real reason for the visit!). But Chinatown DC remains an elusive beast.
Our very first time in DC, my wife and I were whisked off to “Chinatown” by a friend (since my wife is Taiwanese, he found it apropos). We figured this would be a good introduction to the area we would be visiting from time to time to do our specialty shopping, maybe grab some dinner, etc. Like you, we were very disappointed.
Still though, I didn’t fret. I thought that if Charleston, SC has a big Asian supermarket, DC must have 'em all over the place.
Apparently I was wrong.
Google on the words “Asian supermarket” and “Washington D.C.” You’ll find a whole bunch of links which give you the names of many such places. You’ll find that not very many of them are in D.C. itself. There are a lot in the Maryland suburbs. There are even more in the Virginia suburbs.
Chinatown in D.C. has been crowded out by other things. There are some Chinese restaurants there and maybe even one Asian store, but that’s it. It’s no longer the area for Asians to shop. I presume this is because the rents are too high now. Go to the suburbs for Asian restaurants and Asian stores. Frankly, the whole idea of a Chinatown is old-fashioned. Chinese restaurants are not confined anymore to neighborhoods where tourists can gawk at the recent immigrants.
I was in that area twice in the last few weeks. The arch (as of June 30, 2009) was covered by scaffolding and tarps, apparently for some sort of maintenance but they could be completely dismantling it. I’ll agree that there doesn’t really seem to be much that really seems like it should be called Chinatown.