Saigon Supermarket

Category:	Supermarket
Address:	4258 Cottage Hill Rd, Mobile, AL 36609, USA
Phone:	+1 251-660-7850
Rating:	4.2
Working:	8:30AM–8PM 8:30AM–8PM 8:30AM–8PM 8:30AM–8PM 8:30AM–8PM 8:30AM–8PM 8:30AM–7PM

Location

Photos 75

Reviews 13

A Private User

This is simply the best asian market in Mobile, but is mainly vietnamese. Many other asian foods are present and the assortment is huge. I personally think vietnamese cuisine is the best on the planet, so it is great to have a local place that sells authentic vietnamese food products. I travel to Viet Nam often and see the exact same ingredients on store selves there as here in Mobile. The store is run by a very polite and friendly vietnamese staff, but I have some advice for anyone not familiar with the products.....go in with plenty of time to spare and ASK. You will get more friendly info than you can absorb, so it is handy if you at least know what dish you want to prepare. Then ask and they will set you up with what you need. I mentioned you should have plenty of spare time because viets are very proud of the culture and food, so they will tell you in detail about how each ingredient can be used. Take their advice instead of blindly following a recipe. Afterall, it IS their cuisine where the food writer might be from anywhere. When you shop for produce you will mostly find things specific to viet food, and can later pick up other more common things needed at a local grocer. But get what you can from Saigon Market because the prices are much MUCH less, and are of a much fresher quality. Vietnamese are extremely strict about using only fresh, which is also what they sell. If you are lucky enough to be there when they are offering homemade green papaya salad(made by the mother), BUY IT! Ask them how to prepare it and get the other things you need. The salad you buy is only the base for a true vietnamese green papaya salad, so dont forget the other ingredients..........which are quite cheap but "make" the dish. You really need nuoc mam to prepare nouc cham, which is the main condiment vietnamese use with just about everything. The ingredients are simple....nouc mam(the full strength fish sauce), combined with varied amounts of vinegar/lime juice, sugar, minced garlic, water, and chiles. Each recipe requires a slightly different nouc cham.....one maybe sweeter, another with more acidity, etc. It is quick to make and last for several days in the fridge. Experiment making it to your taste. Please do NOT smell nouc mam in the bottle and think it will taste like it smells. Like many viet foods, it tastes nothing like you would expect. In the bottle it will smell like fishy gym socks............dont smell it, just make the nuoc cham and give it a taste. You will be pleasantly surprised.(I recommend three crabs brand nuoc mam) One last thing.....many people are under the false impression that vietnamese is hot/spicy. That is thai, not vietnamese. Vietnamese is about contrasting textures, sweet, sour, etc. When you serve a viet dish, you also serve different condiments, herbs, and chiles(hot peppers) and each person adds what suits them. The viet cuisine is very light, refined, and sophisticated with many flavors and textures coming into play in one dish. By all means, plan your next vacation to visit Viet Nam. The people are friendly, crime against tourists is almost non-existent, and the food is heavenly. Dont shy away from street food as some will suggest. As mentioned earlier, the viets are ultra strict about freshness and cleanliness. Street vendors get several deliveries each day, so the freshness is impeccable. The best thing to do is walk out of your hotel, walk to the first vendor and sample what they sell, then walk a few feet to the next vendor. Rinse and repeat until you are properly stuffed. Now count what you spent. My guess is you just fed two people royally for maybe $3usd.

Cindy Lloyd

If youre looking for a good overall Asian market, this is THE market to go to. Its not strictly a Vietnamese store. They have pretty much any noodle, sauce, oil, paste, whatever you could possibly be looking for and for a reasonable price. They carry, an albeit limited number of, produce and frozen foods. You can buy an enormous sack of all kinds of rices (tip: Firehouse Subs sells their food-grade 5 gallon buckets, which their pickles are packed in, for $5; the only problem is that they smell of pickles, but the great news is that you wont taste it). They even sell kitchen ware, Asian candy and lots of stuff that I am probably forgetting. We shopped at a number of Asian markets, but this is the one that we decided was the best of all in the Mobile region.

anna elizabeth

Ok selection, over priced for sure! & super rude! We got there @ 7 (they close @ 8) @ like 7:10 the woman was like "were closing" so we wrapped it up & we were checking out by 7:15.. She was slinging our items around and so rude... Id been here before about a year again and was dissatisfied then figured Id give it another try. This time, Ill make sure I dont go back! Ill definitely drive the extra 5minutes to My Hoa or Asian Food Market both are a billion times better in, selection, freshness, courtesy, & helpfulness

Jennifer huynh

This place is best in town. I have went to the several Asian Market in Mobile but this place is the best I know. They are actually authentic Asian foods that you can find out there. This place is a very clean and the biggest one in Mobile. If you want to cook .... They can help you get stuffs and show you how to cook it..... They are very friendly.... The price its cheap and good brand name..

Jason McFarland

Clean and well organized. They have a large variety of fresh, frozen, and dry Asian products. They have a small table of prepared plates by the checkout. They often stock a dozen fresh mushroom varieties and plenty of odd vegetables, fruits, fish, and meats. They have plenty of ramen noodles to try, giant jars of kimchee, and frozen fish balls. There is plenty to discover there.

The Band

Other reviewers are right please bring this store more business. They have excellent quality produce and dried Asian goods at good prices. The items need to be transported a long distance to get on the shelves. They can carry more Asian food if more shoppers buy from here. I bought dried shiitake mushrooms and tofu skins. They have mochi balls and potstickers

Carol Hoadley

A great place to shop. The produce is so fresh and at a great price. The owners are very friendly and helpful. Wonderful selection of herbs, spices, noodles, rice and all things you need to prepare an Asian meal.

Lei Wang

I love their ever expanding collection. I feel so lucky that we have a great Asian grocery store in Mobile. If you need any "exotic" ingredients for Asian cooking, you probably can find it here.

Karl Baker III

very rude and not helpful at all when trying to ask questions, they acted as if I was bothering them when I asked a question, so I put down what I had and left... wont be going back

Miguel Varejão-Domínguez

I love this market. Huge selection of items. Always fresh produce. Wonderful prepared foods. Great prices and helpful, friendly owners. A true gem of Mobile!

Luis Jaar

This place is awesome. The owner took time aside to tell how confused I was and help me with my shopping. Also gave some great curry advice. Would recommend.

Jessica Leah

They always have a nice variety of items to purchase, some always there and some new things. The woman who works there is always very friendly and helpful.

Deven Arnold

Great market! The only thing is that they dont stay open according to their hours posted on the door. Take the hours down if your not going to honor them!