Mai's Store

Wandered in a little after 4:30, despite the Yelp listing the store opening at 5. The store was jam packed, floor to ceiling. I thought the price points were pretty reasonable, and even on the low side, although I'm not an expert. I thought there was a good variety of produce, but unfortunately most of the produce wasn't marked w a price. I ended up just buying the veggies that I knew I wanted, regardless of the price, and I felt pretty good about the prices that rang up. My favorite discovery, however, was the vegan beef slices, soy strips, and pork chunks-- all dehydrated soy or Seitan. I am so excited to try the different kinds!

This store is really packed full of all kinds of products for Asian cooking that your looking for. And it's clean and neat . The people who run it are very nice and friendly and helpful. The owner is a sweet lady and if there's something that she doesn't have she will try to see if she can get it for you. I have been coming to this store since it had opened and I will keep coming to it and thank you for inviting me into your store. They also except debit /credit cards. They also have fresh produce .

Woohoo! If you're an Asian UA student who is experiencing withdrawals because rice, Asian teas, Lee Kum Kee sauces, and Calbee Shrimp Chips are not easily accessible, THIS IS YOUR MECCA! :DThe store is dinky and obscure. They do not have any fresh meat or produce available, but they do sell rice, noodles, rice vermicelli, some Asian canned goods (canned Thai curry, coconut milk, crab meat, etc), sauces (oyster sauce, Sriracha chili sauce, soy sauce, black bean sauce, Korean BBQ, etc), and a few random snacks. The prices are relatively expensive (costly compared to the Chinatown stores in California or New York, but cheap compared to Dave's or Acme). Ultimately, it is a very pleasant surprise for me. As a precaution, be sure to check the expiration dates on the products before purchasing. Some of the goods on the shelves are expired. Moreover, the store hours are a bit awkward; it is something along the lines of Monday through Friday: 4pm - 9pm; Saturday and Sunday 10am - 9pm. Also, even though this is ghetto Crackron and there is a high probability of one getting kidnapped, mugged, robbed, assaulted (or all of the above) while in this part of town, especially during their weekday hours of business, you will have to bring cash because the store does not accept credit cards :(Normally I would give a place like this 1 or 2 stars because the selection of goods is limited, the items are expensive, and the shelves contain expired products, but I am just so excited to finally find an Asian market in the area! It is like finding a needle in a haystack! o_O

Though cleaner than some of the other Asian food markets in the area, the focus here is a bit more on general goods. I bought a couple Vietnamese albums here, some chopsticks, and fun little goodies, but it wasn't the best for groceries.Worth a visit if you're craving VCDs, elephant statues, and Thai iced tea, but not a place I would ever feel a need to visit regularly. Oh, and the hours are irregular and infrequent.

Let me start by saying, this store was a pleasant surprise. It's affordable, cozy, and who I assume to be the owner (Mai) is the sweetest old woman I've ever met. Yes, it's a little crowded, and you have to knock to gain entrance, but inside there is plenty to choose from whether you are familiar with Asian cuisine or just find it interesting and novel. More than once she has given me little discounts here and there. Once, when I didn't have any cash and wasn't buying enough to meet the credit card limit, she gave me my food and trusted me to come back another time with the money! And I barely knew her. It is because of this that I rate four stars.Also, some things have changed since the last two reviews (credit cards accepted, fresh noodles, vegetables, and meat served, etc.)Pros:-Variety of fun snacks to try (yan yan, pocky, mochi balls, coconut crackers, sesame bars, several kinds of mung bean cake [only on Fridays] etc.), all at lower prices than you'd find in stores or on the UA campus-HUGE variety of noodles (my personal favorite being mushroom and spice flavored instant noodles)-All credit cards accepted-Very kind staff-Many sauces, teas, and coffees to choose from-A good few Asian styled sodas, such as Ramone (the cod-neck bottles; can't remember if that's what their called), and juices, such as mangostein or guavaCons:-Not the best neighborhood in Akron (though I've never had any bad experiences myself)-Parking is a little cumbersome -Cramped shopping space-Odd hours (4 - 10 Mon-Thursday, 4:30 - 10 Friday, 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. Saturday & Sunday)-Occasionally drinks (that were apparently not too popular) sit in the fridge past their expiration date. Things to remember:-Every Friday at 5:30, they sell fresh, warm food, including noodles, sandwiches, meats, subs, and rice-papered egg rolls. A variety of mung bean cakes are also brought in.-Knock to get in!