New Sang Chong Market

New Sang Chong (NSC) is one of two local grocers my wife shops at when we go to Oakland C-Town. NSC specializes in all kinds of fresh meat and seafood, with some fresh veggies as well. For quality and price the wife thinks NSC can't be beat, not even by the big supermarkets like Ranch 99. The inside of the store is remarkably clean and spacious (can you believe it, in C-Town!!!!) and the staff actually wear a uniform of sort. Check out my photos:So clean, can you believe this is C-Town! http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/new-sang-chong-market-oakland?select=4Ju-6leLIukpNgfJi9UOfg#CufqZTJ24v4Vr9lRqnUNsQHere's the catch, finding an English speaker is hit or miss, and they don't seem to post their prices or even label things. Newbies to C-Town and those who are not experienced at buying cooking ingredients will find themselves overwhelmed here. If you are an experienced cook and know your ingredients you will be pleasantly surprised by paying a visit to NSC!PS. Park at the Renaissance Center Garage 1 block up on Franklin. It is cheap, safe and no hassle.

The renovation of this market looks much better than what it was before Sang Chong moved into this location from just next door years ago (mid to late '70's). About ten years ago I stopped in to purchase some crab (less expensive than the supermarkets) around the holiday season for preparation of gumbo. I could not find myself being able to stay in there too long. It was nothing against the owner and/or the employees. The service was fine and their seafood selection wonderful - fresh live fish and crab in the tanks. Glancing to the back of the store, I almost had a "meltdown", so I paid for my purchase, thank the employee and left out in a hurry. I didn't have the heart to tell the employee that my parents had a Chinese grocery store business at this location known as Season's Grocery back in the late 50's (1959) to the summer of 1972.Nowadays I just go to browse, visit and reminisce about my childhood, knowing that I once lived there with my family in the back part of this market.

the new sang chong of the past was a minimarket similar to how ranch 99 operates now.-it had live fish tanks, crab tanks, freshly caught fish on ice as well as other kinds of seafood previously frozen.-live chickens for sale, killed on the premises for freshness.-fresh poultry from petaluma-cooked convience food for sale-roast duck, bbq pork, roast pig, etc.-a small collection of chinese sauces, spieces, and condiments.for sale.-forget if they sold fresh pork or not.it was ran by a group of individuals. among them was mr. fong whose daughter, heather fong, just recently retired as the police chef of s.f.p.d.(part of a continuing series on old oaktown c-town)

Located in one of the busiest street in Oakland's Chinatown, New Sang Chong Market is my favorite chinese market to shop during the crab season around Thanksgiving and ending around the first week of New Year. Being the crab season has been suspended the previous year and not so good harvest the year before, this year is coming back bigger and CHEAPER!!! $2.99 for LIVE DUNGENESS CRAB!! Its so sweet and good that I'd went back three days in a row to fight with all those housewives for a few healthy looking crab. I've even seen non-asian folks come with huge ice chest to buy crabs in the dozens!!!Also, remember to bring CASH! There's an ATM machine right next door.

Inspiration struck and I decided to make Steamed Catfish with Black Bean Garlic Sauce for dinner. This place was pretty busy on a Tuesday afternoon, but there were several guys manning the fish department. This time, the fishmonger spoke regular Cantonese (not rural village dialect) and I could understand him. I asked for a 2-3 lb fish and he used his net to catch one that was about 2.6 lbs. He asked several times if it was big enough before dispatching the poor fish with a stick. On the floor. Yeah.He asked if I wanted it chopped and the thickness of the slices - "thin" (bok) or "thick" (hou). He said the thin slices were for steaming (jing) and the thick slices were for braising (myun). I told him I planned on steaming the fish, so cut it into thin slices. They usually don't give you the entrails, but they will give you the head. Another lady asked for the entrails and swim bladder. They gave her a few extra as a bonus. Now, that's customer service!Ugh, but the bag they hand you is still covered with blood. That hasn't changed. They do bag it for you again at the cashier. Bring wet wipes if you're OCD. My catfish cost $12.15. Nice!

Gah. I learned about the birds and the bees in a different sense here. Having grown up with protective chefs as parents, I never knew anything more about the journeys of typical sea creatures except that they always ended up in my belly. But alas, the reality check came this time in my late 20s when I decided after being 2,000+ miles away from mom and dad, that I should start cooking the dishes I've missed so much. After semi-decent attempts at the sour fish soup (canh chua ca) with frozen Safeway catfish, I decided to come here to get the fresh stuff. My Mandarin is questionable and my Cantonese is non-existent, so imagine my relief when I stepped in, asked for catfish and was greeted in English with "how big?" They wrestled a 3-pounder into a net, asked me if it was big enough; and immediately after I said yes, the gent proceeded to knock the catfish upside the head and gut it in front of me. GAHHH there wasn't even a moment for me to shield my eyes as they bagged it and threw the bag on the checkout counter. And the best part? The heart was still beating, hence the pulsating bag I got to carry home. It was about $12 and my goodness, was the soup fresh and delicious with fresh catfish. But I'll admit, my heart has toughened a tinier bit since that first time, and I've learned to give my thanks to the fish before I select it as dinner.

Just how I like my Chinese markets - fresh and cheap.I will definitely be back. Bring cash unless you're planning to drop $30 - 40 in a single trip. They have some crazy debit/credit minimums.

On 4/25 I contacted this place to see if they had fresh Swai. The woman said, "I don't understand" and hung up in my face. Instead of giving the phone to someone who could speak English. I wouldn't waste my time calling back or giving them ANY of my money.

魚肉王海鮮肉食市場 is the Chinese name of this market. They have a few very big fish tanks having lobsters big crabs and many fresh fishes and other clams & The seafood quality and prices are very good. The fresh chicken and meat are very good and reasonable prices too. Fruits and vegetables and groceries are also good

Called to see if they had live crab and were open New Year's day. He hung up in my face. Not acceptable.