Mercury Staff
It's been a lucky year for Portlanders who love the bounty of great food and snacks that can be obtained at Asian grocery stores, such as the snack-tastic H Mart on Belmont which debuted in April, and starting today, the SF (also known as Shun Fat) Supermarket which is taking over a former Fred Meyer on 5253 SE 82nd. A chain of 13 supermarkets spread through California, Nevada, and Texas, SF Supermarket is known for their fresh vegetables and seafood, as well as other must-have food stuffs from China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Mexico, and more. And at least one writer has dubbed it as their pick for the "best grocery store in America." BUT LET'S TAKE A LOOK FOR OURSELVES, SHALL WE? Follow me on this photographic guided tour, and do your best to contain your drool.
Might want to wait for things to calm down a skootch. Mercury Staff
I arrived on the scene a few minutes after opening, and it was BONKERS UP IN THERE. People were shoulder to shoulder moving through the very impressive vegetable section, and if you had the misfortune of steering a cart? WOE BE UNTO YOU. As for the aesthetics, SF Supermarket isn't anything special: It's got the white, industrial vibe of your regular grocery outlet stores, and even tinny, crackling music that sounds like Barbra Streisand was singing "The Way We Were" over a car radio from 1952. But that's not why people were jamming into SF Supermarket—it was for the low prices, interesting snacks, and a powerhouse selection of meat, seafood, and vegetables.
SF Supermarket's wicked impressive fruits and vegetable section. Mercury Staff
Many a shopping cart had at least one of these, the smelly (though delicious) durian fruit. Mercury Staff
SF Market has a very large and fresh looking meat counter, featuring every variety one can think of. These customers really want some meat. Mercury Staff
SF's seafood section is no freaking joke... here are just a few examples of what you'll find. Mercury Staff
Shrimps! All kinds! Mercury Staff
Heed these words. Mercury Staff
While SF Supermarket's meat, seafood, and veggie game is on point, don't miss the rest of the store which is filled to the brim with rows devoted to dried noodles, rice, ramen, thousands of sauces from every culture, housewares, and three aisles devoted to my favorite things in the world: SNACKS! Check out these interesting things to put in one's mouth:
For the hungry union worker? No? Okay, forget it. Mercury Staff
If only such a land actually existed.... Mercury Staff
Toxic masculinity finally has its own wasabi pea. (UPDATE: While a funny joke, Aggretsuko is actually a very cool anime series about a red panda who sings karaoke death metal. Sorry, and I stand corrected!) Mercury Staff
My nomination for best snack name ever. Mercury Staff
If I could've squeezed up to the checkout line, I would've asked about purchasing this entire section of Asian sodas. Mercury Staff
Crab Chips? Check. Squid Crackers? Check. Mercury Staff
Though you should definitely wait a few days for things to calm down a bit, SF Supermarket is a very impressive store—and while I may still go to H Mart for a quick, more aesthetic experience, I will be returning on the regular this summer to SF Supermarket... if for nothing else, this insanely delicious looking ICE CREAM AND FROZEN TREAT SECTION OMIGOD YES.
YES... Mercury Staff
YES... Mercury Staff
AND... wait. What? OMIGOD ABSO-FREAKING-LUTELY YES! Mercury Staff
