The Most Delectable International Grocery in Saint Paul

Shanghai Market

★★★★☆ 4 (6) • $$

"The market is small but caters to Chinese customers. I cook and eat Chinese food and can get most everything I want here, except that their selection of frozen dumplings and steamed buns is smaller than what's available at United Noodles. Their prices for tofu are way better than the supermarket.Shanghai Market has a complete selection of seasonings (including the indispensable Lao Gan Ma chili sauce) lots of fresh vegetables, and they also carry my favorite canned red bean congee!"

Taqueria La Perla

★★★★☆ 3.9 (19)

"Taqueria La Perla (located inside of La Perla Market) in Waite Park serves up absolutely phenomenal authentic Mexican food and they are soooo underrated. I've been a regular here for a few years, and they deserve to have more customers come in to try their tremendous food. Whether you're craving tortas, burritos, quesadillas, or tacos...they have it all. The food here barely costs you a penny as their menu is very reasonably priced. My go-to are the tacos here...each made with two corn tortillas (which somehow makes it taste so much better than just having one tortilla), diced onions, guac, and cilantro. My favorite tacos are the carnitas taco, the carne asada taco, and the barbacoa taco. Keep in mind, there are days where not all of the meats are available...they may or may not have the kind of taco meat you request, but don't worry, there's not a bad choice in this joint.The carne asada meat here is diced and seasoned so perfectly. The barbacoa is the perfect amount of spice. As for the carnitas, it is so tender and juicy. Each one is mouth-watering in its own way. The only critique I would have for Taqueria La Perla is the interior of the place. It is not the most cleanly and space is limited. They recently got booths instead of the tables they had before, but even then, Taqueria La Perla could use some renovations. But hey, good food is good food and that's what's most important. It's unfortunate that most people in the St. Cloud/Waite Park area do not know of the fact that they make fresh Mexican cuisine every day from 9am-9pm along with the grocery store. This is because it says "La Perla Market" on the outside which leads customers to think it is only if you want to buy market goods that you should stop by here. 95% of the time I've been to Taqueria La Perla, I've been the only non-Latino person eating food there. At times, I've had a tough time communicating with a few of the employees there, but they are such sweet people. They always find a way to accommodate to you even if someone has to step in to do some translating. Times like these when I wish I had taken Spanish in high school. Don't be shy, if you're in the St. Cloud area, come in for some amazing Mexican food! You will LOVE it!"

Ha Tien Super Market

★★★★☆ 4.2 (66) • $$

"It reminds me of HMART, I love that we have this here in MN. The only place I will go, even cheaper on Korean products than local Korean stores."

Mo's Tropical Market

★★★★☆ 4.1 (7)

"Tried more options at their deli. Great value for the money and portions. Papaya salad legit with added yummy goodness such as Thai eggplant, long green beans, and peanuts (complimentary) all for $8. Dine in to get the biggest bowl of chicken Kha Boun I have ever seen for only $8. Also the crispiest pork slab so give that a try."

Seoul Oriental Foods

★★★★☆ 4.1 (23) • $$

"Wonderful selection on authentic Korean and Japanese foods...my mother and I (we're Japanese) make a trip here for items that we can't find at United Noodles.... like dried anchovies ("niboshi") and dried plums ("umeboshi") without msg....while we're here we also pick up other goodies like sliced beef and sashimi, both frozen since they are perishable... love Seoul Foods.. Thank you! Doumo - arigatougozaimasu !... which is Thank you very much in Japanese which the owner, very friendly, always says when we leave the store....Thank you so much! Doumo arigatougozaimasu!"

Sun Foods

★★☆☆☆ 2.4 (35) • $

"After the initial fiasco I has at Sun Foods close to 10 years ago... this grocery store has improved immensely over the years and it keeps getting better. They have a lot of Asian snack items like rice crackers, candy, and bakery goods from local Asian (Chinese and Korean bakeries in town). Produce is fresh from local farms and they even carry organic. They now even have a fresh fish market which has gotten to be top notch. Everything is labeled and fresh and I know what I'm getting. No need to travel all the way to Coastal Foods (Minnesota's fresh fish market) for fresh fish. I only make the trip to Coastal Foods these days when I'm making sushi or a sashimi meal and I need sushi grade fish. Sun Foods does not carry sushi grade fish, but their fish is clearly labeled now and fresh. No more mysteries like when they first opened. They also have a nice deli section too for good pre-made hot food. I am very happy with the big improvement that I usually am happy and satisfied with my Asian Grocery shopping at this grocery store. Hooray for Sun Foods!"

Shuang Hur Oriental Market

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (55) • $

"When I'm in Asia, I love going to the outdoor wet markets. There is something kind of naughty about walking through areas that are jammed with all kinds of people yelling at each other, items on display with questionable refrigeration or past due expiration dates, plain view butchery practices that make you go "hmmm?!", and walking surfaces that define the term "wet" market. All of that is here to enjoy. The problem is, it is not in Asia and it is not outdoor.I have been coming here for well over a decade and have seen it expand and remodel during that time. I love that it is a success story by the family that owns it and it does fill the need for specialty Asian products for us Blackheads that cannot eat a meal without rice. But it seems to be declining over the years in terms of upkeep and it is really starting to feel dirty and run down. Customer service is also not a strong point and those unaccustomed to blunt, grunting Asian shop owner practices will be intimidated. It is worth overlooking those things though if you are in search for products and ingredients that would normally be off the grid for Minneapolis.I do like that there are a variety of ingredients that are tough to find in the Heartland (whole hanging ducks, Bird Chilis, blood cubes or an entire pig's face for sisig anyone?) and having stores like this really adds to the interesting food scene that we are fortunate to have in the Twin Cities but it is my opinion that since this is an established business in a modern country (as opposed to a bush-league start-up that is cash poor), it is overdue for some reinvestment into its physical space, display and inventory practices. The reality of this for me is that I stop in here when I am experiencing a rice related emergency because it is suitable to stop full-blown Asian grocery shopping withdrawal. But it could be so much better with a little attention to detail."

Shuang Hur Supermarket

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (43) • $

"So far, this is my favorite Asian market in the Twin Cities. I find it to be generally well stocked and run efficiently. I get all of my staples here, and they are generally reasonably priced. There's a pretty steep markup on some things (sesame oil), but in a market where there aren't too many great options, I guess that's what happens.I do wish this market wer a little bigger, had a cafe type area where you could get hot food and sold some more meat products (especially chicken bones). I also wish they had open bins of produce items like shitakes rather than styrofoam trays already packaged in plastic wrap. I'd rather select my own produce/amount. But those are minor quips. Overall, I think it's a fine Asian market that serves most of my needs well at generally reasonable prices.I also like that they generally understand enough English for folks to get by and get help if they need it. Items are also labeled well in English, which helps a lot for those of us who don't read Chinese."

India Bazaar

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (12)

"It doesn't surprise me that mine is only the second review for this hidden treasure in Eagan. My Indian friends let me in on the secret, and while I wish nothing but amazing success for this cafe, part of me wants to keep it on the down low so that it doesn't become too busy to maintain the exceptional quality they currently have. My friends were ecstatic to find India Bazaar, for the grocery as well as the amazing food. I was thrilled that they serve dosas after 5 PM, since they're becoming harder and harder to find. With the large population of Indian immigrants in Eagan, I've been disappointed with the larger restaurants which seem to cater more to the sensitive Minnesota palate than the Indian population. This is an efficient, spare operation that puts all the focus on the food. Fine by me! The food choices are in a deli case with about 15 rotating dishes. Naan and puri are made to order, no dried out bread​ in a buffet line here. We shared chicken curry, mutton curry, an okra and peanut dish as well as a cauliflower side. Everything was vibrant and spicy-and by spicy I mean bountiful flavor with just enough heat to make things interesting. The mutton and chicken both were cooked with bone in, which makes for juicy meat that doesn't dry out. Careful with the smaller bones eating these dishes. Not everything was labeled for the uninitiated​ like me, but it was all delicious. There were packages of spiced nuts and cookies on the counter that were tempting, but I was only interested in the savory delights. There are two bowl sizes, and tasting is permitted before making a decision. The bowls are delivered overflowing, and a small serving could easily be shared with two. Several people stopped in on a Sunday afternoon to pick up large trays of catered food, and I don't doubt that's a lucrative business for them. Heads up, better to have cash since they'll charge you the difference for credit card processing fees. Staff is pleasant and efficient. I couldn't be happier that I need only drive two miles to get authentic, delicious Indian food."

Hana Asian Market

★★★★☆ 4.2 (45) • $$

"Small sized Asian market store in a strip mall, but BIG on service. I love their selections of Korean foods (especially the frozen items I can't find at the larger Asian markets). They offer NON-MSG Kimchi in various sizes (including a 16 oz jar!) at reasonable prices. I spent what I saved on the other items by buying the amazing Orion Turtle Chips ($5.19 for a 5.65 oz bag) but I could not RESIST 'em! Stop by and see what treasures you can find at this shop, and if you don't see it-be sure to ask (if you've never had a Korean ice cream melon bar-you have to try that too!)"

Bodega 42

★★★★☆ 4.3 (20)

"Great market. They currently have fresh corn tortillas and will be adding flour in the future.Nice selection in the deli of ready to eat items. The meat counter has several options. Try the rancheras.A great bakery. Love the chocolate cake with a layer of flan. MMMMMMM.You can find an assortment of groceries, seasonings and even gifts."

Kim's Oriental Market

★★★★☆ 4.4 (37) • $$

"My friend had told me this was the first Korean market in the area and though it is small, it has everything you need. They even ship banchans from Korea and have products like Nature Republic in the store. Prices seem very reasonable and owner is super friendly!"

Saigon Asian Food Market

★★★★☆ 3.8 (41) • $

"This place was a pleasant surprise. I came in and there was a few seats open but filled up very shortly after ordering my pho. I ordered the egg rolls and pho and they were both very good! I would suggest coming if you're looking for something to treat yourself."

Shanghai Wholesale

★★★★☆ 4.3 (20) • $

"Shanghai Wholesale!! Don't get it confused with Shanghai Market. Wholesale is better and cheaper than shanghai market! Shanghai wholesale is located in a dinky warehouse on industrial blvd. It might be a little hard to find if you're not familiar with the area, but there should be plenty of signs pointing you to the right location! It's conveniently located right off the 280 freeway. This place is pretty spacious. There's a lot of good things about this place and I'll slowly go through them.Vegetables: Very good selection of different vegetables. There's so much more options here than Shanghai Market or United Noodles. They are also cheaper than those 2 locations. They sell Enoki mushroom for really cheap here. I love enoki and I always pick up 2-3 packets a week when I come. The large enoki package is only $1.69 or so. Other places like United Noodles is like $3.00 for the same size!! Big difference in the long run. Bok choy is comparable to what they have at United as well. Meat:I don't eat much meat, but their meat is very nicely packaged. More specifically the sliced beef and sliced pork. I don't buy the beef because it's expensive, but sliced pork is pretty cheap @ about $4.99 a pound. They are nicely sliced and rolled and placed in a plastic box. I'll attach a picture for you to see. They are perfect for soup and hot pot! The beef is done the same way, but cost like $10+ dollars per pound.. too expensive for me right now. Hot Pot Materials: This is the go to place if you want to have hot pot with a group of friends. It is much more affordable and cheaper than United Noodles. The Enoki, the fish balls, meat balls, fish cuddle, etc... are all cheaper here and have greater selection than the other Asian markets around the cities. Asian pastries: They sell Asian pastries that are imported from San Gabriel, California! Close to my hometown!! The pastries are legit, not 85 degrees level, but good for Minnesota nonetheless. They have plain white toast, shredded pork on bread, green onion bread, coconut bread, and more!! They're not too expensive either! They are fresh! I'm so glad they serve it here.Rice:Rice is very cheap here as well. I'm never buying my rice at United Noodles again. it's $5-10 dollars cheaper here than United, depending on how large the rice you are purchasing.Other goodies:This place has almost everything...snacks, ramen, frozen buns, dim sum meat, etc.... Check this place out if you can! Great Asian supermarket. The only downside is they don't sell the soft tofu I use for soondooboo. There is also a $7 minimum for credit card."

Shanghai Market Oriental Food

★★★★★ 5 (7)

"Visited twice this week for the first time. I can't believe I haven't seen this place before, I drive by it all the time. Fantastic selection and easy parking, also really easy to get to. The second time I visited was about 5 min to closing so I did not spend much time browsing. I found my favorite lemon honey tea that I had while I was in China and am so happy to have a big jar of it. I also got a pack of green tea Kit Kats. There are tons of snacks, drinks, produce, noodles, ramen, frozen goods, sauces, kitchen supplies, decor, and more. I will probably be coming here weekly!"

Dragon Star Oriental Foods

★★★★☆ 3.9 (86) • $$

"The Soga Mochi donuts brought me here and I'm so glad they did. I so enjoyed walking through the store and seeing all the colors and interesting food. Their produce department was fresh and quite stunning in variety and colors. I bought some pea pods and Chinese cauliflower but it was hard to choose just a couple of things. I also scored a ginormous bag of puffed rice. I love that as cereal and can never find it in typical grocery stores like Cub, Hy-vee, or Byerlys. So excited about the puffed rice."

Groceries of the Orient

★★★★☆ 4.3 (3)

"Love this little market for Asian grocery essentials, especially Thai and Laotian items. And, their prepared foods selection, including both hot options like fried taro and tilapia, and refrigerated options like mok pai and tapioca pudding, is delicious and reasonably priced!"

Valeries Carniceria

★★★★☆ 4 (3) • $

"Since I was in the n'borhood this morning, I decided to stop in to see if they sold manioc starch (tapioca starch).I think I was the only customer in the place when I arrived. Happy-sounding Mexican music was playing, and a woman was standing behind the checkout counter slicing spines off cactus leaves (for nopales). I browsed around the store and shared an "hola" with a man from the butcher area.They did not have the manioc starch I was looking for, but I found a "brick" of espresso coffee that I decided to try in my stovetop espresso pot.The woman at checkout was friendly and gently curious about my Spanish-speaking capability (dusty and limited). However, I was able to thank her and wish her a good afternoon in Spanish as I left."

TT Market

★★★★☆ 4.3 (12) • $$

"I think a review update is due!Aside from buying pho-related goods, I visited Truong Thanh last weekend in search for a nice cleaver and butcher block. My girlfriend cuts various meats (chicken hearts, ox lips, etc...) to feed our dog, and when our current cleaver couldn't do the trick anymore, she sent me searching. (Gangsta, I know.)I didn't know where these things were, so I asked -- I think the son of the owner -- and he showed me two badass cleavers: one four and half inches ($9) and the other six inches tall ($30). I went with the cheaper one. He also directed me to a massive butcher block, which is essentially a small slice of a tree. ($22).He was super friendly with showing me everything. Also, I ran into Yolanda, the owner of Tea House. Apparently, she's a regular.The cleaver and butcher block both work great! I'll probably visit, again, this upcoming weekend!"

Market Fresh

★★★★★ 5 (8)

"I remember this place opening up and doing research and the we site saying some lab thing so I didn't think it was a grocery store and then just yesterday I was searching for a place that could sell Furikake and this place appeared.The second I walked in I was amazed! It's very clean, organized, and they have a lot to offer! Usually I tend to shop at Dragon Star Oriental Foods but it can be a bit a drive to sometimes get 1 thing. This is super close to me and a lot more convenient. I ended up walking out with some candy, a rice cooker, and Furikake. I will be coming here again with my kids and having them pick some stuff they want to try out. I also loved that I was able to see dried chilies we usually use in Mexican cooking as well as tamale leaves which can be so so tricky to find! They have so much in frozen section such as whole ducks, heads, and all types of sea food. It's a great place to check out and try something new.They do have a parking lot so it's very easy to access."

Groceries of the Orient

★★★☆☆ 3.1 (46) • $$

"Nice selection of Asian grocery items at what appeared to be reasonable prices. Unfortunately, I didn't find the specific item I was looking for. However, I did walk past the "to-go" counter and noticed they had authentic looking egg rolls for 80¢/ea. I decided to purchase five for a snack. They were very good! Glass noodles, a little chicken (I believe). Fried perfectly; though I will note they are a fried spring roll and are the wrapper is therefore very fragile.The employees were friendly too, however some of the clientele were very rude."

International Bazaar

★★★★★ 5 (1)

"The International Bazaar/Market is a permanent location within the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. It's across from the horticulture building. The vendors range from live music, belly dancers, henna artists, handmade jewelry, clothing, and of course, food!This year, Union Hmong Kitchen is a new vendor! They absolutely rocked their first year and I hope they return. I enjoyed the Lemongrass Tofu dish with purple sticky rice the most."

INDIA MARKET

★★★★☆ 3.6 (18)

"They have all kinds of Indian groceries... mostly arranged neatly... have a separate section for fresh meats, which they would cut and give as requested... they do have a instore deli, which serves Indian snacks, lunch n dinner menus... over all good place for Indian groceries.. they have ample car parking too.."

United Noodles

★★★★☆ 3.8 (320) • $$

"Loving the expansion! The recent additions of all kinds of Asian gift items, ranging in prices and quality are awesome. I love that there are toys, plush toys, dinner ware, bento boxes! I love that I can find beauty products like shampoos and hair care and skin care items. Pharmaceutical items too! I don't feel a need to go to the next bigger city like Chicago for instance for my Asian shopping needs...since I can get many, many items here! This is my one stop shopping for fresh organic veggies as well.. all the vegetables come from local farms and re very fresh and you can tell it has been very carefully hand selected, and it's very, very low cost compared to the nearest co-ops like the Wedge or high-end grocery stores like Whole foods. The fish and meat market is very high quality and excellent too and very reasonably priced. LOVE United Noodles!"

Little Brazil Market & Cafe

★★★★★ 4.7 (20)

"This cafe is just down the street from me and I'd been meaning to try it for a while now. The inside had a little market with Brazilian items for sale. The menu was limited but we decided to order two of the Roasted Pork Sandwiches, two cheese breads, and an iced coffee. One star off for how long it took, about 30 minutes for us to receive our order to go, it seems like they do a decent amount of takeout business so maybe ordering ahead is the best idea if doing takeout. The sandwich comes with slowly cooked pork meat chopped, mozzarella cheese, provolone cheese, and a basil fresh vinaigrette. With the wait I was wildly skeptical but hoping for the best, and the sandwiches exceeded my expectations by far! The sandwich was so delicious, perfect flavor profile, tasted fresh, and made sense as to why it took so long. Each sandwich was about $13.25 but arrived hot and were sooo savory. My partner and I were both blown away by the taste of the sandwiches, even the cheese bread was so good I can't explain the texture, it was a ball of cheese but tasted lighter(?). The coffee was alright, pretty strong which I like, but nothing special about it. Recommend not coming on the weekend or else ordering takeout over the phone before coming in. They apparently can do larger orders as well so that's really good to know. Coffee wasn't that interesting, very basic options, but the food on the other hand was spectacular! Absolutely recommend giving Little Brazil a try!"

Bymore Supermercado

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (5) • $

"We eat at Ward 6 all the time and I've been curious about this little mercado across the street for some time. Today we needed tortilla chips so we popped in after brunch. I am really glad we did. First of all, they had El Milagro tortilla chips, which are our favorite and are actually a little hard to find around here. Total score. The store is small but well organized. Everything was neatly arranged. The produce area was small but adequate -- if you need stuff for pico or any one of a ton of varieties of peppers, this is your place.. We also were surprised to find the meat counter to be larger than we thought it would be. We spotted all of our favorite cuts but didn't buy any (being stuffed from brunch). Next time maybe.. The cashier who checked us out was super friendly and very nice. Reading the other review here, I am now bummed that I missed the fresh tortillas. Next time..."

Pangea Market And Grill

★★★★★ 4.5 (24)

"What a cool spot with a fast casual restaurant & huge market! I enjoyed some really tasty plates from the Pangea Grill side.Combination Plate- one skewer each of chicken kabab, beef kabab, kufta kabab, and chicken shawarma. Served with rice, hummus, salad, and a fresh-baked pita.Mixed Shawarma Plate - A combination shawarma plate that comes w/ Chicken Shawarma and Beef Shawarma & served with rice, hummus, salad, and a fresh-baked pita.These were both really good! I think my favorites were the kufta kabab & the Beef schwarma! Everything was really flavorful. Also, I tried a drink called Vinto which is a sparkling juice that contains grapes, raspberries, & black currents! It was really tasty!Connected to the grill is a whole market with a meats, cheese, snacks, spices, fresh baked breads, and so much more. It's actually the largest Halal grocery store in MN! How cool is that! Definitely check out this awesome spot next time youre in Coon Rapids!"