Although Kansas City is known for its abundance of meat and potatoes, we also have a hidden gem of an Asian grocery store. Although it smells a little strange and unfamiliar when you first walk in (hey, we're honest), they have tastes and flavors that can't be found anywhere else in the city. We brought our camera along for our last visit to give you a peek inside!
The Chinatown Market in Kansas City, Missouri is located in the River District along the edge of the Missouri River. It lays next to our largest Farmer's Market in the Rivermarket neighborhood and has become a staple in our ethnic cooking supplies.
Many other local grocers are doing good to carry a rice wrapper or pre-made pad thai sauce, but this small market (compared to mega-marts) carries a high volume of Asian fare, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Filipino, Malaysian, and Indian. If you want Asian ingredients and products — you'll find it here! Aside from carrying a vast array of ethnic specialties, they have the most extensive seafood departments this side of the Mississippi (in the Midwest that is).
Usually we have a rule that if you don't live near a large body of water, that seafood is usually off the menu. The idea of frozen and cross-country shipped seafood kinda weirds us out. It's one thing if you live in a large metropolitan area on the ocean, or even within a days drive of the ocean, but out here in Cow Town, unless it's catfish or crawdads, it probably isn't fresh. This market is our only exception to that rule. The selection is so vast we're almost nervous to share this little secret with you, because if there's a new rush on clams and eel — we could be out of luck.
Along with regular pantry fare you'll also find fresh produce, eggs, tofu and all sorts of Asian specialties. They have a modest freezer section filled with pre-mdae goods. There's dumplings, desserts and durian — and anything else that starts with the letter "d." You're all set for any noodle or tea you could desire as there's a ridiculous amount to choose from. There's dishes and a few home accessories to decorate with, but for the most part, you're there for the food. Make sure to check it out if you're in town, it's a great place to find all 23 ingredients for your next Asian dish you thought you couldn't track down otherwise!
• Related: Recipe: Vegetarian Pho (Vietnamese Noodle Soup)
Location: 202 Grand, Kansas City, Mo 64106
Phone: (816) 472-6363
(images: Sarah Rae Trover)
Store History
- Headquarters: Kansas City, Missouri
This Asian grocery store carries a high volume of Asian fare, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Filipino, Malaysian, and Indian.
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nice to know a big Asian market in the midwest, thanks
I live in KC and haven't visited the market, but I find fresh seafood flown in daily at all sorts of places.
The Asian market has been on my list of places to go, but I'll be honest, things like the cow feet freak me out so I've been kind of scared. I don't even eat cows, I definitely don't have the stomach to see their dismembered feet! I will be checking this out soon. Can't wait for City Market season!
"strange and unfamiliar" are relative and subjective judgments. =)
If you live in Johnson County and want something closer than Rivermarket, the most excellent 888 International Market recently moved from their Lenexa location to Hwy 69 and 119th.
http://blogs.pitch.com/fatcity/2010/01/a_trip_to_the_888_in_overland.php
We have 2 dueling Asian markets in the tiny college town I live in. They get us what we need, and we're pretty jazzed to find fresh tofu, fresh noodles, veggies from NYC's Chinatown, etc. But it's nothing like that! I'm jealous.
eeeh midsouth weird college town...I'm jealous also
I'm in Oklahoma City and surprisingly there are three Asian markets here, two within a one mile radius. And a very lively Asian district.
There are a few Asian markets in my corner of the world (NW Ark), but not a good, large one with good produce and fresh meat and fish. The closest are in Tulsa (Asian Mart, which is good, and Nam Hai which is only good for packaged foods, dishware, and freezer burned items).
I do love browsing Asian markets, though. Fun to grab random things to try, ask questions, and thoroughly confuse the people with me who don't know what they're looking at. The prices are usually pretty good compared to the supermarket, too.
That place is ancient. The area surrounding that store was pretty ghetto in the 80s. I'm glad the city rebuilt/rehabbed the area during the late 80s through early 90s.
The reality is that the majority of American's aren't that big on seafood when compared to beef and chicken. Even on the coasts the seafood counter seems to be the smallest if it even exists. It really seems to depend on the demographics of the area or of the target consumer. Generally, fresh seafood is positioned as "high" end with stores such as WholeFoods as an example. Unless you find a large Asian market, in which, seafood is more important than beef. Actually, beef gets the least space. The pecking order is usually: Seafood (when available), pork, chicken, beef; the reverse of what I normally see at the big chain supermarkets.