Go East By Heading West!
For a Taste of the Far East, Go West!
By Su-Jit LinAlthough there's much to eat in our fair city, there are times when ambitious folk just want to try an inexpensive but adventurous dinner at home. With Asian fusion all the rage, yet still just exotic enough to be edgy, branching out into the Eastern realm of cooking is a no-brainer if a would-be chef is looking to impress. However, even though the Vietnamese population in New Orleans numbers among the largest minority demographic for the city, authentic ingredients for a fancy Asian-inspired meal are often difficult to find here on the East Bank. Therefore, it has become necessary to turn westward in order to satisfy a craving from the other direction.
Conventional west will lead you to the familiar suburb of Kenner, home of … our airport. A lesser-known fact, especially to those living in the city proper, is that this town also has a hidden treasure of a little Japanese-focused grocery store called, quite simply, the Asian Gourmet Market. An aged yellow sign out front noting the shop blends in with the other raised signs that litter Williams Boulevard; it’s somewhat inconspicuous unless you’re looking for it. But it is worth looking for! High quality sauces, rice in bulk, noodles of every kind, and labels with every language but English written on them (always a good sign … ) pile the shelves in a glorious cornucopia of random imported foodstuffs. Freezer after freezer is lined up neatly like so many arctic white soldiers, dumplings of every imaginable variety and unfamiliar seafood making up their contents. The produce section, though not the largest, has a pretty fresh selection, and the prices for popular Asian veggies are far more reasonable than you’ll find at your local supermarket.
If Kenner is a little too far west, there’s the little-known place called the International Market in good old Metairie, whose specialty is more Indian than Far Eastern. However, southern Asia is pretty well represented in this convenience store styled establishment, and if spicy is where you want to go, International Market will take you there.
For the Mecca of all things Asian in New Orleans, ambitious chefs will have to head all the way back east until they hit the west … the West Bank, that is. An Asian invasion has led what was once a Wal-Mart to become a supermarket of epic proportions, catering to almost every imaginable ethnic group in the other hemisphere. “Hong Kong Market,” the sign reads in bold red letters, but don’t let that fool you. Yes, there is indeed a Hong Kong-style rotisserie, with roast duck, Peking duck, big slabs of red ribs, and succulent roast pork hanging behind a glass; I’ll grant you that a tremendous proportion of the goods in those full-sized aisles have Chinese characters on them; and sure, there’s a Chinatown-reminiscent live fish market and butcher shop. But this market also gives more than just a nod to the Vietnamese population that sustains it, serving Vietnamese po-boys, pastries and baked goods, and containing a pristine noodle shop within its doors.
From other nations, curries create a rainbow; noodles come in fresh, frozen, or dried; rows of tea, fish balls made of obscure swimmers, dumplings in myriad forms, buns, and a bountiful selection of fresh, cheap produce round off the choices. Even stereotypical items like woks, rice bowls, cheap plastic buckets and stools, and flimsy flip-flops find a place in this superstore.
With this information in hand, a gourmet dinner with an exotic flair at a budget rate truly is possible. So get your toll tag ready, gas up old Bessie, and prepare for a journey west, whether it be true west or our skewed New Orleans west over the bridge. For an authentic adventure in spices and mystery sauce native to the Far East, turn to the opposite direction and enjoy the results.