Look for some Chinese black rice vinegar. It's a good low sodium substitute for soy sauce. The flavor is different, but the effect is similar. I use it a lot in soups. I shop at a Japanese market more often (It's very close to me), and so I'm a bit more familiar with Japanese specialty items, but maybe you can find some of those (or similar) in Chinatown. I would recommend getting some good dried Wakame. The last package I bought was excellent, but I can't tell you the brand name because I can't type Japanese. Wakame is very different from Nori, although they are both seaweed. Dried Wakame looks black, but when you reconstitute it, it is a dark green and is slightly crunchy (although not as crunchy as fresh).

You might get a good deal on toasted sesame seeds. Furikake is another item I buy at the Japanese market, but you might find that also, as well as some fresh wasabi. If they have Korean items, get some chili paste or black bean paste, and (if you like it) some kimchee. Look for specialty pickles, especially if they have samples you can taste.

Lars

Over the years Chinatown has had a fair mix of Southeast Asian culture move in, so you can find a lot of Thai/Vietnamese/Malaysian products, as well as some Japanese. I'm not very familiar with Korean cuisine, but they very well might carry items and I just haven't noticed. It is hard sometimes as a lot of products are all in Asian characters so you have to "guess" what they are! I have powdered wasabi, but I've never seen fresh for sale other than when you're actually buying sushi. I've never seen black rice vinegar - that sounds interesting. Is Korean chili and black bean paste different from Chinese? I think I will get some Chinese black bean paste - thanks for reminding me! I love black bean sauce. I might get some wrappers too and make wontons or spring rolls or something this weekend. I'll have to see what they have that inspires me!

Lisa

It's not a food product, but my latest Asian store favorites are the Tiger brand thermos mugs I bought and use now daily. They have a flat thermos top that completely seals so I can throw my mugs in my bag and drink hot tea/coffee hours later without anything leaking. They are stainless, come in two colors (blue and maroon) and have an extra place in the lid for a tea bag (or marshmallows if your thermos has hot chocolate in it). I make cold drinks in the blue, and hot ones in maroon. The bands for screwing the top on are on the inside of the mug, so the outside is nice for sipping. Except for our Asian food market(s), I haven't found them anywhere else...that's my hot tip!

The market is also good for finding glass Lock and Lock storage, for lunches you might heat in the microwave, and I found my glass wok lid there which made me happy one delightful day. That was hard to come by until I walked into that market, so I always search the non-food aisles faithfully when I go in.

Fresh water chestnuts! Peel and eat them for snacks. They are so good. The difference in taste from the canned ones is astonishing.It's like the difference between canned peaches and fresh. Get the firm shiny ones, and bring a paper towel for your hands, after picking through them you'll need it.
Linda

When I head down to Chinatown, L.A. or up to Chinatown, S.F., this is the shopping list I always take with me:

Szechwan/Sichuan peppercorns
Peanut oil
Sesame oil
Chinese rice wine
Hot Chili Sauce
Chili Oil
Five-spice powder
Chinese Dried Black Mushrooms (shiitake)
Dried Thai-type Chili Peppers
Tiger lily buds (dried)
Wheat-flour noodles or Chinese Egg Noodles
Rice Paper, Spring Roll wrapper
Dumpling wrappers or dumpling skins

These are things that I either can't find around here or I can't find at an attractive price.

Joe

My favourite is lemongrass for a couple of Thai dishes I like.

I prefer naturally brewed tamari soy sauce and I like pickled ginger.

My boss ended up giving me a rush, so I didn't get there yesterday - I'm going to go today instead.

I didn't think to look for fresh lemon grass. I'll have to keep an eye out for that. And the fresh water chestnuts. I usually don't check out the produce dept. as I'm usually looking for things like spices and flavorings, but that's a good idea. I've never had fresh water chestnuts.

Gardenguru - you have pretty much the same list as I do! I already have pretty much everything you listed other than the fresh noodles/wonton wrappers. I noticed a new store opened up that has lots of frozen items. I might see if they have Peking ravioli already made and ready to go. Even tho they're frozen, the place that makes them fresh is right there. Same with the noodles they sell - the noodle company is right next door to the grocery store.

Lisa

Lisa, we were looking for a sweet Indonesian soy sauce when we went to H Mart, but never did find it, so if I get back to an Asian market, I'm going to see if I can find some for Sherry (sheshebop). She had some at a local restaurant and loved it, but can't find any.

Other than the Tiger Lily buds, nearly everything on Joe's list I can buy at the local Meijer's (local meaning 30 miles away), in their "International Foods" section. Isn't that odd? I didn't think we had a big Asian population locally, but perhaps I'm wrong on that. I can't vouch for the quality of the rice wine, though!

Annie

If you can get Indonesian and SE Asian products, I would recommend getting some tamarind paste. It's so much better in Pad Thai than the liquid versions, although they are not bad if they are condensed enough. I would have mentioned lemongrass, but that grows in my yard - it's like a weed, and so I don't think about buying it.

You could also look for Kaffir lime leaves, although I tend to use regular lime leaves from my tree, and they work fine.

I also like pickled ginger, but I like pickled garlic even more. There are some other pickles that I buy that I know by sight, but I don't know the names of them. You might look for some galangal root, which is used in a lot of Thai dishes. Dried shrimp is good to have on hand, as it preserved cabbage (both of which I use in Pad Thai). You might also find some interesting cans or jars of curry paste - I like the Prik Khing the best, although I sometimes make it myself so that I can adjust the spices to my taste (I always omit cinnamon in curry paste recipes, and it improves them immensely for me).

Let us know what you end up buying!

Lars