Shopping surprises

Right, I know. This is supposed to be a blog that helps you understand the best ways to shop at the many terrific ethnic markets throughout the Phoenix region.

(After all, if you’re interested in food and cooking, the very best way to find ingredients for a real Polish bigos or Greek chicken or bang-bang shrimp is to shop at the Polish, Greek or Asian market.)

But one of the coolest things about shopping at ethnic markets is finding incredible foodstuffs that just might make great little food gifts (if, or course, you can bear to see them leave your own pantry).

So it was that the other day I was in Giado’s World Market picking up some Middle Eastern yogurt (I’ve been buying this for more than a decade and really – the rest of the country’s just now figuring out how terrific this yogurt is? Really, Dannon?)

But as I was speeding toward the dairy cases, (Byblos yogurt, creamy Bulgarian feta…) I came to a quick stop near the honey display. The honey shelves always have a wild array, but what grabbed my attention was a round-ish sort of marmalade jar layered with pistachios, walnuts, cashews, almonds, more pistachios…and honey.

It was beautiful and enticing and I could hardly keep my hands from it. This definitely is going in my bags next time I visit my folks in Western Penna. My mother will love it. Even better, this elegant-looking jar of sweet treats is only $7.99.

In fact, this just may turn up as holiday gifts for a few select friends….

…and I think I’m going to need a jar of this for myself.

(next time for sure - what you will find when you enter Mekong Supermarket)

Pan-Asian

Exploring Mekong Plaza

I love Mekong Plaza (Mesa, on Dobson, between Apache and Broadway). I love its cool, pale marble floors and I love the lions near the entrance and I love the soothing splash of water inside.

It is a cool space, scented with the notion of lemongrass and ginger and hot, spicy oil.

And I love Mekong Supermarket.

True, not LeeLee’s, but then, it would be hard to come up to that mammoth. I love LeeLee’s, too, but Mekong is like the cool neighbor down the block, while LeeLee’s is the super-cosmopolitan world traveler. One with a gigantic backpack of goods and groceries.

What I also love about Mekong are the really friendly and chatty Hispanic guys behind the butcher and seafood counters at Mekong. Essay a “Como esta?” after “Hola!” and they will tell you all you want to know about the day’s offerings (they’ll do this in English, by the way, so not to worry you’ll need a translator!).

Mekong features a good array of seafood and fresh fish, much of it cleaned and prepped, more offered in its entirety. There’s also an extensive frozen selection. True – this isn’t an array as boggling as the giant’s, but there’s more than enough to satisfy most kitchen needs and then some.

I’ll be heading toward Mekong later, and will have few more details about the fish and meat counters. Then we’ll move ahead to explore the produce section and all those intriguing aisles stacked 10 or 12 feet high.