Bobby,no advice,but have fun.

Shelley

Look for rice paper for spring rolls, dumpling wrappers for steamed and pan fried dumplings, sriracha hot sauce, sweet chile sauce (mae ploy), maybe some small saucers for dipping sauces, bamboo stir fry spatulas, different kinds of rice, oh I could go on and on!

Go ahead and buy the fish sauce there. It will be much cheaper. My must have is mushroom soy sauce. I use it in all kinds of things, including gravies, quiche, eggs, etc. Also if you have a favorite soy sauce it will be cheaper and you can get a large size since it lasts for a longgg time. Sesame seeds, black & white and they sell the ground toasted sesame seeds which are great to add to salad dressings.

Dried mushrooms are often very cheap at the asian markets. The fresh veggies can be great. Depends on the store, of course. Fresh mushrooms like straw mushrooms might be available at decent prices. Even things you can find at many regular markets, like fresh bean sprouts will often be fresher and great price.

I'm sure you'll check out the fish too. See how good it looks. Be nice to pick up some fresh fish too.

Do you have a bamboo handle brass spider? I have several sizes and bought them for very little at the asian store.

I also like the chinese cotton shoes for gardening. The guys shoes are the only one that fit my big hooves so I know they have guy shoes. Smiles.

Ok, I'll try to stop now. lol..

Rice wine vinegar, chili paste/sauce, huge bunches of fresh basil & mint - all ultra cheap. And all of the things listed above.

If you can find them, buy some cooking chopsticks.
I got mine in Tokyo and use them a lot.

frozen dumplings (gyoza)
sriracha chili sauce (rooster sauce)
nori sheets (for sushi)
mirin (for sushi)
rice vinegar (for sushi and other stuff)
pickled daikon radish (for sushi)
sushi rice (you get the idea)
noodles (whichever ones look appealing)
ramen soup packets (whichever ones look appealing)
instant dashi (dashi no moto - for Japanese broth)
hot bean paste
fermented black beans
szechuan pepper corns
dried black mushrooms
chop sticks (for when you cook for a crowd)
fresh vegetables (baby bok choy, yu choy, gai lan, ong choy)
garlic (can be very cheap)
SkyFlakes crackers (really good crackers in a tin box)

This is what I normally come home with, mostly the staples for Chinese and Japanese cooking. There are many, many other things to discover. Have a great time.

Jim

Fresh water chestnuts. Make sure they are firm and shiny.
Linda

Here's another slightly older thread on the same subject. Have fun!

Here is a link that might be useful: Going to Chinatown at lunch

Let me add a couple of things, LOL. Get some kimchee if you like spicy, it's usually available in both mild and hot. It's basically pickled cabbage. Check out the Pocky, the grandkids love the stuff. The almond crunch is yummy, and so is the "Men's Pocky", which is dark chocolate covered. They are simply long cookie sticks dipped in chocolate or strawberry, orange or almond crunch. I even bought Makayla "Hello Kitty" pocky. (grin)

Fish sauce? I always have it on hand to make Sol's Chicken in Caramel Sauce, it's yummy and needs the fish sauce. Wasabi paste in a tube, nori if you like sushi, and anything you haven't tried before, just because! it's a great opportunity to expand your food horizons, especially if you happen to be lucky enough to get tastes before you buy.

Oh, and most importantly, have fun!

Annie

Two more items for the sushi:

pickled ginger
wasabi powder

Jim

I don't have much to add. I use kecap manis a lot. We went to the Asian market for oyster sauce and fish sauce and I left with pomegranate molasses, dried curry leaves and frozen lime leaves. I have no idea what to do with them, but I hadta have 'em.

Bobby, I went to the pantry to make a list of what I got two weeks ago...but these folks have got your back! So all I can add is fresh bamboo shoots in chili oil-they were wonderful. Enough for three meals.

I found a terrific Asian market several miles from me that I have been passing by for years-what was I thinking> Let me know if it is worth stopping in when I'm in Orlando.

Have fun.

CHICKEN FEET!!!!

C'mon Bobby, you know you want to! :-)

Oh man - load up!! Everything will be cheaper and a much bigger variety!

Dried mushrooms
sesame oil
packaged sesame seeds & nuts are dirt cheap there, so are spices!
rice noodles
tapioca starch
fish sauce
curry sauces - red, yellow, and green curries come in little cans and they are awesome for making Thai dishes
specialty teas - Jasmine, Oolong, gunpowder - you can get them in bags or loose

I could list a bunch of other things, but I don't know what you like. I find that the fresh veggies aren't as "fresh" in the Chinatown markets here, but then again, the produce market isn't that far away, so it's not a big issue.

As far as general kitchen "stuff", I find great buys on saki sets, chopsticks, the little dishes to put dipping sauces in, etc. Of course you can get all kinds of woks, ladles, rice steamers, etc. Then there's any kind of Hello Kitty item you can imagine if that's what you're after lol!!

Enjoy - and tell us what you got!!

Lisa

Has anyone listed black sesame seeds? They are very hard to find in our neighborhood markets.

Gracie, the were listed. I don't have trouble finding them but that's a good idea looking in the Asian market.

I get good Calimari ( Squid ) at my Korean Mkt.

They are easier to clean.

LOU

Oh I love going to the Asian market. In fact, we go once every few months as a family activity. It's like a trip going to Disneys. LOL I don't have anything else to add. Enjoy your first trip!

Thanks for the responses. Sorry it took me so long to get back with you... work has been crazy and I haven't been spending any time online at all.

We went... and it was quite an interesting experience. A little overwhelming actually! We made a joke in the parking lot on our way in that I'd probably be the only non-Asian there.... Well, I was, save the police officer that was stationed in the front of the store! I guess that means it's a good place. There was barely room to stand or walk down the aisles. It was soooooooooo crowded. As soon as I walked in, I was hit with an overwhelming smell of fish. There was a pretty dessert counter right at the entrance and to see those pretty sweet treats combined with that smell of fish almost made me sick! There was tofu and seaweed in buckets of water. Lots of fruits and veggies that I've never seen and couldn't even pronounce. Lots of meat products that just astounded me. I noticed cow stomach (tripe), and a balled up frozen duck, beak and all... I was quite shocked to see BAGS of MSG for sale!

I didn't get a lot because I was so overwhemled by the whole experience. I don't like crowds... I almost knocked over an old lady with a walker trying to make my way down an aisle and she screamed something at me that I didn't understand and gave the most dreadful look. I ended up buying a sushi rolling mat, duck eggs (sooo cute!), LOTS of tocino (that's the reason I went), imitation crab stick (to make practice California rolls with), and low sodium soy sauce (the regular stuff is so salty, it smacks me in the face, and I like salt). The had a lot of cleavers and kinves, which I didn't have time or energy to investigate, but will on a future trip. I was very glad to have my own tour guide... my friend, Sheila. She explained a lot of the things that were there to me... including the dried anchovies! She bought tripe and oxtail to make some kind of soup... her basket was pretty full as she is a pro. I don't know if it's a great place, because I don't have anything to compare it to.

I will definitely check this thread again before our next trip there and take some of the suggestions here. Now I know what to expect, so I can be a little more prepared.

Glad you had the opportunity. Next time you will have thought out your wish list. If you find a recipe for live frogs, let me know.

Jim

When you go again, I recommend kumquats. I just got them for the first time at our Asian grocery, and they are SO good. They're like little teeny oranges-- you eat the whole thing. The skins are thinner than an orange and not as bitter, and the seeds are small. They're super tart and bright-flavored and just incredibly delicious. I covered some in sugary dark chocolate, and that was even better. Also, the ramen with the picture of the fried egg and the four seasoning packets.