The owner makes a weekly trip to Houston for fresh vegetables, so go early on a Friday morning when the real action starts. Expect language problems at Van's, but you'll have a lot of fun. Just inches away at 40 N. Cleveland is the Vietnam Market. This is not to mention the pickled eggs and, again, all the fish and chile sauces needed for Vietnamese cooking. For Chinese supplies pop into the Great China Food Market at 5131 Summer near the expressway.
Wondrous things abound and in a very orderly manner.
I nearly swooned with the thrill of finding bee pollen, ginseng extract, so many varieties of dried mushrooms I lost count, and other exotica. There's a whole department devoted to Chinese cooking implements, such as rice steamers of every description, and dishes to serve the rice in. Canned goods line the shelves as in any supermarket, but the language barrier can present problems. Each Saturday fresh vegetables and seafood are available, and it is well worth the trip out Summer to see their goods. The Asian Grocery Store, at 5054 American Way, caters to the Indian, Pakistani, and Bangla-deshi population of the city.