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?

I weaved my way to the deli counter and noticed the woman in front of me ordered a papaya salad.  I have tried papaya salad on three different occasions from different locations and haven’t moved past the “I don’t hate you but I am certainly not sure that I ?like? you stage.”  Because the woman confidently ordered her papaya salad, I ordered a small version for $3.  The woman who took my order asked for my spice preference to which I replied “medium” and she shouted my request back through the swinging doors to the kitchen.  I assume the salad was freshly made because it took about 6 minutes to receive my salad packed with a neatly wrapped wedge of cabbage.

Upon returning home, I gingerly took a bite of this papaya salad.  And then another. . .and then another.  What I did appreciate was the lovely spiciness level.  However, the refreshing crunch of the papaya and spiciness of the peppers could not distract me from the murky, fishy, sweet flavor of the sauce.  Believe you me, I took many a bites of the salad before I gave up.  I am not a papaya salad connoisseur and realize that I may not be accustomed to the fermented seafood seasoning flavors, however it was too intense for me to finish.  

The smell of the sauce emanated from my work space/meal space and I frantically tried to scrub away a mysteriously located stinky spot I kept smelling but could eliminate.  

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!