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36-40 Cleveland Avenue (near Jefferson)
When Warren and I discovered that Pho Vietnam was the old Pho Pasteur, and that it had moved because the Viet Hoa market had expanded, we were eager to check it out.
We had just visited several Asian and International markets around the city on a hunt for mochi ice cream and come up empty handed, so we had a good reason to go. Besides, we always need more seaweed.
When we walked into Viet Hoa, I couldn't believe my eyes. It had expanded to three or four times its original size--gone is Pho Pasteur, gone is the nail salon, and gone is the video store. Everything looks the same from the outside, since the windows of the former stores are simply painted over, but it is a whole new world inside.
Viet Hoa probably isn't as large as the Great China Market on Summer or the International Market on Winchester, but it is set up much like an American grocery store, with a large produce section, freezer section, deli, and meat section. Each aisle is packed with goodies--all kinds of noodles, rice, wrappers, sauces, spices, crackers, cookies, mixes, and drinks from all over the world.
Our cart soon filled up with cassava, apples, gyoza, shumai, mochi ice cream, mango popsicles, seaweed, and chili sauce.
By far, the most impressive offerings at Viet Hoa are in the seafood section. There are numerous tanks filled with giant catfish, tilapia, lobsters, eels, clams, mussels, and crabs. Satchel and Jiro were most impressed by the big box of blue crabs. They looked as though they were just waiting to go home with us and take a bath in some steaming crab boil. If you looked closely though, they were alive and mad!
We took our eyes off the crabs briefly to watch the butcher chop the head off of a twenty (thirty? forty?) pound fish. It was pretty amazing. There is no question that the seafood offerings are fresh.
The market was bustling with American, Amerasian, Vietnamese, and Hispanic shoppers who all looked impressed and excited by the contents of the shelves and cabinets. In the southeast corner of the store there appears to be the makings of a future sushi/dim sum bar or casual dining area.
Viet Hoa definitely has something for everyone--stop by and see for yourself.
3 comments:
Yes, even a Vietnamese grocery store in Memphis can make me homesick for my old apartment at 11th & Clement in SF. Clement Street has a bunch of Asian food markets that are just like the one you describe. Everytime I cross the Golden Gate to visit someone I get choked up that we will never be able to afford to go back.
Viet Hoa definitely has something for everyone who wishes to shop Asian Foods and specialty hard to find items except the manager's poor attitude and need to learn not to insult customers. Yes, I have been occasionally shopping at the store whenever I am in town at Memphis or visiting the city. Just the other day, I tried to take some pictures of rare Tropical Fruits and Seafood or Fishes and many miscellaneous interesting items to share with my friends at home and being yelled by the manager and demanded I leave the store and or yelled at for being a thief? I wonder why they allow or let you folks publish the some of the inside pictures of their store and merchandises and yell at me for doing the same thing like their store is such a "CIA" or "SECRET" government agency or something. I still shop the store but I feel the manager needs to learn how to deal or better communicate and treat customer with dignity and respects? After all if you don't want people not to do something or take photos in the stores just ask nicely rather than insult them? It shows at least you have "class" and being a good business owner?
I can feel your pain and frustration sometimes when you have to put up with such rudeness and unreasonable retail people at supermarket or grocery store like that. I work in retail too, and I know that sometimes customers will never be always right, but at least they are the real reasons for us to be in business may be in retail clothings or even local supermarket and groceries. I feel strongly that most business store owners today tend to get so greedy and worry about making money profits that they tend to forget that customers always have a choice to take their business somewhere else with similar items or merchandises. As a Chinese proverb said it best like this: A man without a smiling face must not open a shop. I could not agree more.
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