Foodists

Vietnamese Groceries Galore

Back in November, I took a one day Thai cooking class from the Vancouver School Board. It was a great experience — one where I learned new things, tried new dishes, tasted new flavours and came home stuffed! To stock our pantries and fridges, our instructor recommended Dong Thanh Supermarket (1172 Kingsway, Vancouver). So I had to pay them a visit…

I was astounded at the variety in this market. From boxes of dried fish to fresh fruits and vegetables, this market seemed to have everything you could possibly want to make any Vietnamese or Thai dish. It took me an hour to wander through the aisles of spices, rices, packages and powders, and I even skipped the freezer compartments and meat counter. As many items were not familiar to me, I enjoyed exploring and trying to figure out what things were and how I might use them.

I bought coconut milk, galangal powder, fresh Thai basil, chilis, cilantro, lemon grass (fresh and powdered), dried fungi and mushrooms, black sesame seeds, noodles, jasmine tea, dried kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce… I could go on and on. All told, I purchased over 30 items, the most expensive being $2.39 and the cheapest being $0.45.

If you don’t already have a favourite Asian market in Vancouver, be sure to visit Dong Thanh for any ingredients you might need for your next Thai feast. If you do have a favourite market, please let us in on your secret place!