What are people’s favourite East and South-East Asian grocery shops in London? I’d love to hear of any I might have missed.
I’m thinking here in terms of non-obvious ones that are worth travelling for — there are of course those which have a fairly generic stock and cater mainly for locals who want to pick something up on the way home, and there are the big cash and carries like Wing Yip, See Woo, Hoo Hing, and Loon Fung, but what else would people recommend?
I like:
Dat Cang Supermarket, 244-246 Evelyn Street, Deptford, SE8 5BZ. Vietnamese specialist. Most of the vegetables and herbs are frozen, but there’s a good selection. Pork floss, a few types of dried prawns, Chinese-style sausages, etc, in the fridge. I’m recommending this one partly because of the very helpful service last time I was there.
Longdan Express, 25 Hackney Road, Hoxton, E2 7NX (also has other branches). Pan-Asian, good for fresh herbs and greens.
Mum’s House, 20 Taylor Close, Tottenham, N17 0UB has been discussed here previously. Burmese specialist.
Natural Natural, 20 Station Parade, Uxbridge Road, Ealing, W5 3LD (also has other branches). Japanese specialist with a good choice of fresh vegetables and a varied selection of sakes.
Thai Smile, 283-287 King Street, Hammersmith, W6 9NH. Thai specialist but good for other cuisines too. This had several things I couldn’t find at the big Wing Yip in Croydon, including shirataki noodles and various herbs.