Groceries of the Orient
3101 Highway 13 W.
Burnsville, MN 55337
952-882-7890
The following photo of a shiny, spicy sausage purchased at Groceries of the Orient, taken by Rabidscott’sman peaked my interest.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rabidscottsman/5919428008/in/pool-996578@N20/
This afternoon, I embarked on a study break food quest to this Asian grocery store located near Savage. The thought of exploring a South Metro Asian grocery store with a deli that served hot food was tempting. Very tempting.
The grocery store was affordable, organized and fresh. I was surprised at how large the store was and admired their fresh meats and seafood selection. In addition, everything I peeked at seemed affordable so I stocked up on Chinese eggplant, lychees, and mangoes. I also had to dig through bins for the least smushy onion, again. What’s up with the last couple Asian markets I’ve shopped at and their smushy onions?
For $1, I ordered three large slices of banana. I savored one slice of banana and loved the crispy crust, sweet fruit, and chewy caramelization that resulted from frying.
For about $3.50, I received five fried pork egg rolls and a thick sweet and sour sauce. The egg rolls were shatteringly crisp and the inside filling was moist and interspersed with what reminded me of water chestnuts. I also noticed the filling contained a small amount of rice noodles and tiny cubes that had the texture of potato. Overall, I enjoyed the flavor of the filling and crunchy wrappers, and feel ambivalent about the moistness of the filling. My stomach could only handle one egg roll due to my sense of oiliness. Unavoidable portion control?
I would definitely return to Groceries of the Orient for produce and to try seafood and meat. The head-on shrimp in every size enticed me and I noticed the deli had signs for dungeness crab for about $8/pound and fried blue crabs for $2. These items were not in stock, but I would be curious to try them at a later date.
A thank you to Bill Roehl who recommended Asian Direct Market in Savage which is next on my list, and to Rabbidscottsman for the suggestions!
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