Yaolee Oriental Supermarket

Amazing Asian grocery - a stone's throw from downtown where I live and work. Authentic, well stocked, well priced. Shop here for your Asian foods & ingredients rather than the tiny section at the big box stores!

Support a local Taiwanese-owned business! It's the closest Asian market to campus and has a wide variety of fresh and imported groceries and snacks for reasonable prices. The majority of their selections are East Asian, but they have some Southeast Asian products as well. There's also a small rotating selection of homemade items, like kimchi, lotus root, and today we got chicken livers! Very calm environment and bigger inside than it looks from the outside. Highly recommend :)

(Updated during the time of COVID-19)The pandemic has been rough on a lot of my favorite eateries; some have closed their doors, sometimes temporarily, sometimes permanently. Many others have pulled back, to wait out the storm.Yaolee, happily, has doubled down. Even before the pandemic, they were making pre-prepared dishes for takeout. Usually just an option or two, available on the weekend.They're now doing pre-prepared food Tuesday-Saturday; they run out of the more popular dishes by end of the day, but usually there's still a fair assortment on Sunday morning when I usually shop.They've expanded their range, too. In addition to an entree or two, they've started to prepare other dishes - appetizers, soups, even Taiwanese desserts.There's no particular schedule; it's at the whim of one of the owners and her sister, who enjoy cooking and just make whatever inspires them. Honestly, that's part of the fun of it, for me. I walk in on a weekend morning and it's always a happy surprise to see what's in the refrigerated case by the cashier (which is where the food is stored).Keep in mind nothing is labeled, but they're happy to explain what they've made, and make recommendations.If you haven't had Yaolee's food, you're not only missing out on one of only two Taiwanese food establishments in the city, but you're also missing out on some of the best Chinese food in the city, period.

Friendly, convenient, great prices, neat selection of things you'll never find at Bloger When I checked out the cashier looked at my ingredients and asked, "Oh! Are you making cashew chicken?" I thought that was endearing. No, I wasn't but I will next time! I can't wait to go back and try some new Asian recipes. It's nice that they have actual cashiers and you feel like you're supporting a real business instead of a faceless corporate monolith. Plus their products are cheap!The only reason this isn't 5 starts is because the parking and organization of the market is somewhat lacking.

Super cute supermarket with some great niche finds for Taiwanese desserts and fresh daily lunches! I got the red bean and sago dessert and the nice lady at the checkout recommended I pick up some taro balls to go with them. Now this dessert is a must-grab if you go! Otherwise their groceries are decently priced (similar to Saraga) but I do like their selection of snacks and other misc. frozen foods more!

Much more reasonable prices although less selection than Tensuke. Very friendly two male staff who checked me out and bagged my groceries. Good produce selection and a lot of frozen goods and meats too. Nice snack selection in middle and off side of store extensive noodle and sauce choices which are all very reasonably priced as well.

I've been coming to this Mom & Pop (grandma in the back?) store for over 10 years. I have always been able to find what I wanted and at a good price. I've bought fresh herbs, refrigerated noodles, different spices , Chinese sweet potatoes and eggplant here. I even bought my wok here, which I love btw. The point is, you will be surprised what you can find at this "oriental" store. If you dont find it, ask the helpful folks because you may have overlooked it, they may recommend a substitute or they may order it for you. Interesting mix of Asian fare. Definitely come here first before going to a chain grocery store if you are cooking up Asian food. Much cheaper. Also, would recommend coming here to buy cilantro, ginger, green onions, etc. because their prices cant be beat if you live in the neighborhood.Apparently there is a new owner, although the Taiwanese gentleman is still working there. With new management, things seem more organized and fresher. Looks a lot brighter with the plants in the window. They also get you with the sweets located right as you walk in. That reminds me, they also have soya bean popsicles. Lickity, lickity.

I like these Asian markets like Yao Lee. It's much funner than going to international aisles in Kroger or whatever corporate behemoth. The store is small and cozy. It represents a few areas of Asia. This is fairly priced compared to supermarkets. I go here for the hard to find items. It has several Asian regions including Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Japanese, and Korean. There are endless amounts of hot sauces other than sriracha. It not only has lots of condiments and food, but some Asian cookware as well. The lady at the counter was pleasant and willing to help you find anything. I would recommend Yao Lee to anyone who likes Asian markets. It's small which makes it easier to get around the whole store and look over everything. This is much better than the big chains and it's good to support local businesses like this.

A small store with a nice selection of Chinese and Taiwanese food. Very friendly staff. Will come back for the cooked food the owner recommended.

This Family owned market (Taiwanese) is one of my favorite grocery spots since moving to Clintonville. Family is kind and recognizes their regulars, even if they are a bit shy at first. They have a wide selection of staples for most dishes and have a good freezer and fridge section! They offer everything I need for most recipes and honestly embody what I love about Clintonville; Diverse and local businesses. Please support this lovely spot and pop in to see what you can find for your recipes!