Thien Loi Hoa Supermarket

I have come here a handful of times to get ingredients to cook Southeast Asian cuisine - they have everything here -- from galangal, turmeric root, kaffir lime leaves, fresh pho noodles, mam tom, nuoc mam -- all at fairly reasonable prices. Located on the Vietnam town area of Oakland, this place is as Southeast Asian as you can get. The workers here speak a variety of languages, including Cantonese and Vietnamese, along with English. So if you need help looking for someone, you'll be able to find someone to help you out. Plenty of free street parking around. I actually prefer to come to this supermarket than going to Chinatown because of free street parking.Also, make sure to bring cash - they have a $15 credit card minimum.

Never ever back to this supermarket.. Ppl work here all crazy！！they will no reason check your bag and belonging. No reason ！！be very careful here.

Has the regular Asian produse but a lot of sauces and ingredients for Vietnamese food. Very friendly staff. One of the main reasons why I go.

Whenever I move to a new city, there's usually one thing that makes me very anxious: Finding an affordable and convenient supermarket.You see, grocery shopping has always been something of a guilty pleasure of mine. I enjoy buying produce because it gives me control over my surroundings (most of the time). Grocery shopping is what gives me piece of mind during a busy week, and thus it is something I generally look forward to. So when I recently moved to the beautiful island that is Alameda, I initially struggled to find my zen. For example, I remember trying to check out some Asian markets nearby at Oakland Chinatown only to realize that they all CLOSED SO EARLY! And I wasn't about to drive to San Leandro (New Sang Chong) or Richmond (Ranch 99) just to get Asian groceries. Not gonna lie, the struggle was so real and made me almost regret moving here. That was, until I fortunately came across Thien Loi Hoa Supermarket. Thien Loi is located on 12th Street within the East Oakland. Kinda sketchy area as you'd expect (it's right near International Blvd) but I've been recently coming here on a consistent basis for my Asian groceries. For the most part, this market has had everything I've needed for my weekly cooking adventures. It has most of the common veggies, meat, and noodle products - all at a pretty competitive price. For example, I've gotten ground pork at around $2 per pound ($1 less than at 99 Ranch). Best thing about this market for me is that they're open everyday until 7pm, which is GREAT because I sometimes go shopping after work on weekdays.Now there are definitely some meh stuff regarding this supermarket (besides the area) that I'm still getting used to. First off, parking is a doozy. There is limited parking in the lot next to the market, but other than that you'll have to fight for street spots all around. Secondly, the market is quite small and so there are definitely things they either won't have or you must dig around to find. Third, service can be pretty mixed. The staff members are nice but they'll make you check in your bag and push you away if you arrive right when they close. Make sure to come at least TWO HOURS before they close because they will definitely push you away to prep for cleaning. And lastly, they do take credit cards but it's a $15 minimum I think.So overall, I hate to say it but Thien Loi Hoa Supermarket isn't the long-term solution for my Asian groceries. So far, I've gotten what I have needed here. However, there are a lot of cons that make me rethink driving here even though it is only 15 minutes from me. All in all, I give it a "Tolerable, sufficient for sustenance" rating. Wish me luck and hopefully I can find something better!Shop well and prosper,

BAD SERVICE. I often came there to purchase fruits. But the lady standing outside is not very kind and has a bad verbal language. I'm a customer I can buy whatever, which is good and fresh. But the lady didn't let me touch fruits and said "if the fruits are touches, they can't be sold". I don't know what kind of the services they have in their business, but that never happens to me when i go to any other markets. I don't know if that lady keep saying to other customers. That bullshits me badly. Thank you for the bad service.

They implemented a checked bag policy. But they only enforced it on me, the only Black person at the store. Take of it what you will.

I enjoyed the layout of this market and was able to find some unique buys like Thai Ice Tea and Thai coffee in a can, easy to cook Thai curries (canned sauce you simply stir fry with coconut milk + meats & veggies), and really cheap quail eggs ($1.29. I only speak English and the staff was more than happy to communicate with me, plus helped me locate an item (chili paste). They have live crab right now for $5.49/ lb which seems very reasonable compared to SF rates I've seen. Most items were clearly marked with price tags, though I didn't see expiration dates on a lot of items (minus one star). The produce selection actually seemed really fresh and they had tons of durian/ other exotic fruits and veggies. Good section overall and I'm happy to return as a customer. $15 min. on credit cards, which is actually better than Sun Hop (no CC's, only debit) and Sontepheap ($25 min) nearby.

This review is for the meat dept. The meat counter is hella shady. They always put more meat in the bag then you ask for. Ask for a pound and you'll get one and a half if you're not watching. Make sure you check the price per lb when it's being weighed. Once he weighed 2 lbs of pork tenderloin. I asked him to ground it and he asked if I wanted it washed first so I said sure. When he returned he weighed it again and it was over 2 lbs (cuz of the water duh) so he took some out to get it back to 2 lbs and then ticketed it. He should have printed the ticket the first time! I don't know why I didn't say anything. Maybe too early in the morning and my vocal reflex still slow. I shuda just left the bag behind. Oh well. Told my partner about it and he reminded me of the time he bought kalbi. Guy weighed it, then sliced and bagged. Hubs knew something was up so when he got to checkout, he asked cashier to weigh it again and guess what, it weighed less than the price on the ticket! Shady shady!! Don't do business here.

A good small asian market. Easy shopping, fresh meat counter, decent selection of produce. Seafood, some alive in tanks. I usually go to Lucky's, next door, for that, especially live crab, shrimp, lobster. They take credit cards, have some housewares and a good selection of frozen items. Occasionally, they throw in a free bonus item as a surprise. Friendly staff. Easy parking.

I am regular shopping here every week, spending over $200 is normal. This time very disappointed with their meat and customer service. Got a whole chicken on Friday and put in refrigerator right after I came home, 30 minutes from the market. Today is Sunday morning, Mother's Day and I wanted to make Pho Ga. Take the chicken out and the smell is so rotten. So I called the shop, spoke to the owner. She said as soon as I got home I need to put in freezer. Well, it's only 1.1/2 day. I was hopping to get credit for it but I don't think this shop would honor anything. Suck! Never go back to buy stuffs from them again.