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Lee Lee Oriental Market
Categories: Food Specialty Food Ethnic Food Food Grocery Ethnic Food, Grocery [Edit]
7575 W Cactus RdPeoria, AZ 85381
(623) 773-3345
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 9 am - 9 pm
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
67 reviews for Lee Lee Oriental Market
Review Highlights
"Great produce and products at very economical prices."
(in 25 reviews)
"Can't wait to stroll the aisles."
(in 16 reviews)
"Love the format, love the store, love the prices."
(in 4 reviews)
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67 reviews in English
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Review from Melody M.
Glendale, AZ
8/18/2011
I just moved here from SF and being from there i was desperate for finding some asian/ chinese supermarket to do my grocery shopping. Not knowing where to go, I first went to Asiana market since it is right across the street from me and it was a disappointment. But then I found Lee Lee on yelp and thought i would give this place a try. Finally, today I went and I was SUPER happy!!! I found my usual items and more and was very happy with how clean and spacious it was.
They have a wonderful selection of produce, seafood, frozen items, dried goods, and even pots and pans. Everything seemed packaged nicely and things were easy to find. The staff was friendly and the prices arent too bad, they are a little more than what Im used to in SF but this is good enough for me =) -
Review from Brandy K.
Phoenix, AZ
If your looking for great meats, or seafood you can find it here and at a great cost!!
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Review from Charmie S.
Boston, MA
12/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Well, all I bought here was plantain chips, and they were great: cheap and crispy!
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Review from Winnifred C.
Glendale, AZ
8/6/2011
Great selection for around the world. Diverse produce, meat and seafood. All of the seafood had the country of origin. Everything was fresh, neat and clean. I can do all my regular shopping here, with the exception of toiletries.Only because I prefer my American scents, not for lack of selection. They even give you free ice to schlep your seafood and meat home at a decent temperature.
I can't say anything bad about this place, except I would like it to be closer to my house. -
Review from Ivy H.
Phoenix, AZ
11/21/2011
I love this store! Spices, teas & ramune, meat, produce, rice & ramen, candy, wafer cookies & pocky, naan & paneer bread, sake & beer and much more!!! Always something new to discover. The prices are great, too! If you like to cook international cuisine, this is the most convenient place to find your ingredients.
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Review from Nicole P.
Phoenix, AZ
10/15/2011
Lee Lee has a huge selection of various foods from all over; I've been pleasantly surprised at some of the items I've found here (like Mochi!). Clean and neatly organized, plus fairly priced; I only wish it was closer.
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Review from Lucky T.
Surprise, AZ
6/9/2011
If you're looking for that exotic item...this is THE place. It's huge!!! It has everything your heart can desire. I loooooove this place!
Monster selection: cheap produce prices and really fresh produce, too.
Bought some salmon from there I had to cut into 4 oz. pieces when I got home. Since I won't buy any fish from China, the salmon was from some other country like Chile (I just can't remember), but was fresh and delicious even after freezing and thawing.
This place is so worth the trip--just to see what other countries offer if nothing else. Seems, too, like every country that exports food goods to us is represented, also, almost--especially if they are Asian or South American or even some European.
This is a great place, and I'd hate to see you miss the experience of shopping there even just one. Go here! -
Review from Leslie R.
10/19/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Growing up in Southern California, I was spoiled with the abundance of oriental & Asian markets at a stone's-throw away. Thankfully,we have Lee Lee, where I'm always able to find anything I'm looking for and more. Pan de Sal from Valerio's? Check. Durian? Check. Machete? Check. 17 (ballpark guess) varieties of rice? Check. Nagaraya Cracker Nuts? Check. Chances are, if you're looking for it, they have it. They have an in-house restaurant, which I want to try sometime, with a little boba/tea counter. Their wide variety of produce is fairly cheap and fresh. And they have a ton of meat/seafood. I love coming here and can wander around forever, just looking at all the stuff!
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Review from Diana L.
Wichita, KS
4/10/2011
Very clean and has everything! I went in looking for a specific coconut ice cream and found a whole row of coconut ice cream!!
The place is clean and well priced. -
Review from Stacey A.
12/21/2010 24 Check-ins Here
I love this place! Especially since they added the Hawaiian section. Most people would be skeptical, but the meat selection and quality here is really good and their produce prices are awesome.
I'd also have to say that their alcohol selection is wonderful - more often than not, alcohol (especially beer) ends up being cheaper here. The thing I like most is the nice ladies that work here at the cash register... there's always a lane open or a short wait, and I'm not sure if they do it all the time but usually they give a 10% discount even when you don't show them your Lee Lee's card. And if anything else, just come here to try something new - like mochi ice cream (freezer section)! -
Review from Catrachita E.
Buckeye, AZ
9/19/2011
This asian market has a small section of fruit and veggieand fresh sea food, it's reasonable priced. I often go for the instant thai tea or viet coffee mixes.Even thou it's a good size market it does not compare to the asian markets in Garden Grove,CA. One good thing, since it's an asian market you can find fresh/live seafood and cheap asian must haves. In addition, there's food items from middle east, India and in the frozen section you can find goya products often used in Latin America.
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Review from Andrew C.
Peoria, AZ
12/26/2010
Night of Christmas and I needed a few forgotten ingredients so I started to search for places nearby that might actually be open on this most sacred of holidays and so I thought about who doesn't celebrate Christmas and quickly began searching for Jewish, Middle Eastern and Asian marketplaces when I ran into Lee Lee's. Christmas dinner was saved.
When you walk through the door the appropriate odor of fish permeates so strongly that it about knocks you out. Always a sign that you've come to the right place.
The produce is ok, it's nothing out of the box, but it gets you what you need so that you don't have to make a second stop on the way home.
Where this place excels is with meats and spices. Salmon heads and beef neck, sweet Chinese sausages to ground chicken livers. It's beautiful. It's so good that you almost expect the weird bald guy from the travel channel to pop into the back and start pulling out gizzards from some unknown asian fish. The spices are all laid out nicely by regions and everything is clearly marked in english, which means that saps like me can still find what they want without having to ask the nearest employee. It's great. Oh, and it doesn't hurt that the prices are outstanding.
The employees were fun to talk to, the guy behind the counter not only knew his fish, but he had some great cooking tips, I'm a happy camper and I'll be back very soon. -
Review from Andrew A.
7/12/2010
The Chinese food restaurant in this place is excellent. The owner (who is Taiwanese) told me that the chef is from Hong Kong and kept true to an Asian style versus becoming americanized.
The restaurant does not have many options but anything you decide to choose will be excellent. I recommend the walnut shrimp. When you finish eating there is a boba tea kiosk next door, or venture around the supermarket and find an isle for everything ethnicity. -
Review from Jetta R.
Burlingame, CA
1/23/2009
I love Lee Lee for all the wrong reasons.
Like Maury Povich and shoplifting, I know I shouldn't love Lee Lee's as much as I do, but I can't help it.
I love how it organizes it's food by country of origin. By. Fucking. Country.
I have never needed to google my grocery list before shopping, but now that I've started, I can't stop. I feel like I'm learning. A super happy tasty adventure of learning every time I need to buy some fucking noodles.
Screw wal-mart. I never learn anything at wal-mart, except that the third world's largest export is Spider-Man pajamas and that little Johnny wandered away from mommy and daddy and is waiting for them at Customer Service where he's already tore into a Hershey's Bar that they will be expected to pay for.
I love how they give me a ridiculous amount of options on a choice that I shouldn't be tasked to make. Why make ramen when I can have my pick of hundreds of different kinds of noodles, none of which have I any experience making!?
Fuck it. I'm taking the Mi Chay, the imitation shrimp noodle and the cantonese egg noodle.
And at about 99 cents (give or take) a bag of exotic carbohydrate madness, I can finally live out my forty-five-minute-old dream of eating every style of Asian noodle!
Which, once you factor in that about 80 percent of my diet is piles and piles of noodles, means I will probably get to accomplish this before the end of the month.
But that's fine.
I'll just move onto batshit insane Asian snackfoods.
Like Hello Kitty chocolate cookies and fish-flavored corn chips. And dried squid!
I love that it makes the effort to stock the very same food that I am trying to get away from.
Do you really think I drove all this way from Avondale to wander around this place in a haze for an hour and pick up a bottle of mustard?
You must be out of your fucking mind.
I'm tempted to take some of these obvious knock offs of "american food" and see if its actually better their way.
Oh.
And they have a chopsticks aisle.
Okay, not a whole aisle.
It's a spoon/fork/chopstick aisle.
But half of it is chopsticks.
It's right next to the aisle with all the plates and bowls that you see at all the other Chinese and Japanese restaurants you've ever been to.
Huh. I've slurped miso out of a bowl that looked just like this one.
I could buy this bowl. And get the stuff to make miso and then I could have my own restaurant-style miso in my RESTAURANT STYLE BOWL at home!!!!111
But I won't. Because there is no atmosphere at my house and I hate eating alone.
That's why I bento.
So at least that way I can plop next to strangers on campus and eat my
fish balls and pak choy out of my plastic box (which I bought at Lee squared, thank you) I can pretend that I have lots of friends who accept me as that "quirky lunch box girl".
Fuck. I forgot what I was talking about again.
And look at all this freshly-killed fish!
See, I would pay Ichi Ban prices for any sushi made here.
Because I can determine it's fresh. Because it's still looking at me.
Who do you think you are, challenging me to a staring contest right before they killed you and put you out on the shelf?
The only problem with Lee to the second power is that it's right across the street from Pholicious.
Which means any time I would drive over there to try their restaurant, I would get sidetracked and just drive over to Pholicious.
Goddamit. This is the problem with de facto segregation.
Oh no, time to hit wikipedia again.
Why can't she just use normal words, like a normal person?
And why does she always wait until her pills wear off before she starts writing reviews?
The world may never know.
Cuz I sure as hell don't. -
Review from Jessica F.
Phoenix, AZ
6/28/2009 ROTD 7/13/2009
Ahh the familiar smell of Asian supermarkets....there's just something I love about it. Lee Lee's is HUGE and they have aisles and aisles of fun stuff for us Westerners to gawk at. I've never seen frozen grubs, spikey Durian fruit, or such a large selection of fresh fish until hitting Lee Lee's today.
I love how the organize the aisles according to country, making it easy to navigate the store and figure out what you're looking at. They even have sections that included Hawaiian and middle-eastern specialities in addition to Indian/Pakastani foods.
I have to agree with Tom T that Lee Lee's is slightly more pricey that some of the other Asian grocers out there, but if it's close by and you want lots of variety then it makes up for it. If you live far I would recommend the grocery store at the Chinese Cultural Center instead.
Side note, this place is great for buying gluten-free flours like tapioca and rice flour, etc...I got a bag of tapioca flour for .69...it would be triple that at most health food stores.
The plaza right around it also has all sorts of asian businesses and TWO vietnamese restaurants that I will have to check out in the future. -
Review from Iain B.
Phoenix, AZ
9/7/2009 3 photos
Lee Lee is great! What a selection with very good prices!!
Finally got to check this place out, I had heard the restaurant in there was very good but just went to get a few things to make a couple of recipes.
Very clean and very well organized. Brightly lit and the staff were most helpful. Saw many Asian and Indian families shopping and you know that is a good sign.
We got Lot's of goodies for about $40 and for some reason they gave us a 10% discount? We didn't fight it. They have everything organized by country of origin it seems, we will be back and I keep asking myself why did we wait so long to check it out. Restaurant next. Looks very authentic.
Close to home and very centrally located with big parking lot. Highly recommended we also found some nice middle Eastern spices for hummus! Also, finally found (hard for us to find) a box of Morton Kosher salt there, you know the kind the chefs in all the cooking shows grab a pinch of and just throw it on food. I have always wanted to do that.... -
Review from Christine T.
Glendale, AZ
1/16/2010 ROTD 12/18/2010
Lee Lee's is a staple for homesick Asians like me who get desperate for ethnic food fix.
I am forever indebted to Lee Lee's for the fresh Vietnamese snacks and the Chinese pastries that I thought only existed in hella Asianized California, who woulda thunk?
The options are limitless here-- the produce is fresh and cheap, the aisles are fully stocked with anything and everything Asian related, and the lines are never long.
Love it! -
Review from Amanda B.
Tucson, AZ
Lee Lee is a fish scented heaven. After a few kinks and months of anticipation, they finally opened on the corner of 75th Avenue and Cactus, across the street from the lovely Pholicious.
The soft opening appeared to go off well. They're currently in the process of putting together two in-house restaurants and I'm excited to try them. I suspect reviews are forthcoming.
My biggest issue with Lee Lee is the organization. The aisles are set up by county and that can lead to a bit of confusion when looking for specific products. Where is the coconut milk? Why, it's not in the tea and bottled/canned beverage section with the other canned milks. It's not in the generic canned stuff area. After a bit of searching, I discovered it's housed with the Thai foods. This example holds true for many products and can leave one scrambling in circles, attempting to muddle through the organizational logic.
Despite the flaws, Lee Lee is amazingly beautiful. Moving into an old Albertsons, it's immaculate and exactly what this neighborhood needed. -
Review from Matthew K.
Phoenix, AZ
4/28/2008
It's brand new so it doesn't smell fishy yet. It will soon just like all other Asian markets.
Looks like they will have another place to eat inside but it's still under construction from what I can tell.
They have Durian, I really want to try one because they are supposed to be so gross and stink to high heaven.
Banana blossoms? How would I cook those things.
Food is divided into "Regions" so if you want Japanese noodles you go to one isle, Korean noodles in another isle etc. It's a bit confusing but fun to look at all the different stuff. -
Review from Kevin H.
Like Maggie, I too have a thing for grocery stores, especially stores such as this that have so many exotic ingredients. Perhaps we should have an UYE in the aisles? A top chef like challenge pot luck?
Since the soft opening, I have been there several times, and about the third time I would say I detected the new store smell had worn off. This will not deter me however as it is such a great resource to have here in the neighborhood. Not that I minded driving to Chandler now and again, but I can now visit at whim.
The selection of fresh fish and seafood is outstanding, as well as hard to find cuts of meat and vegetables. Prices are very reasonable for the quality and selection offered. Not sure if this will continue, but all trips so far have included a ten percent discount off the total bill at the register.
I must agree whole heartily, it does not get any better than Lee Lee.
UPDATE 5/6/08: Today at the register I was given the ten percent discount and after the cashier scanned it she handed me the card. It is just a paper business card with the two locations on it with a bar code that gives you the ten percent. Woo Hoo! -
Review from Elle T.
Phoenix, AZ
6/20/2008
This place is mothereffing gorgeous. It's not a market - it's a palace of culinary delights. Bigger and shinier (expectedly so as it's less than a few months old) than its east-side counterpart, Lee Lee's on Cactus & 75th Ave has all the common East/Southeast Asian mainstays in aisles so long they look like they run into the horizon.
You'll also find a noodle shop and a small bar that serves sushi, smoothies, & boba. I haven't tried any food here but look forward to doing so. There are some decorative art items, statues, Chinese DVDs, cell phone accessories, and other dry goods for sale as well.
Always been pleased with Lee Lee's overall and will incorporate this location into my schedule whenever I'm on the west-side.Listed in: Super Star Fabulousness, To Market to Market...
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Review from maggie r.
Glendale, AZ
5/5/2008
Sorry Matthew K. - it's official - the place now reeks of fish. I've however, never had an aversion to pungent seafood aromas, so it's all good with me.
I've always had a thing for grocery stores, the aisles and aisles of food, shiny jars of canned goods, fresh produce, boxes of sugary cereals, frozen delicacies. Don't know why, but it intrigues me.
And it doesn't get any better than Lee Lee Oriental Supermarket.
I especially love exotic ingredients - who knew there was so many varieties of bok choy? Curry pastes, chili sauces, oodles of noodles, tofu, rice - it's all here, everything you need + more to make a wonderful asian inspired meal. I could spend a lifetime shopping at this store and I don't think I would be able to sample even half of their items.
But best of all is the large fish market - it is a vision of many kinds of fresh fish, shellfish and other seafood at unbeatable prices!
I am eager to cook savory Asian dishes at home, now I all I need is to find a really good cookbook and buy a wok... -
Review from Sarabear B.
Phoenix, AZ
2/22/2008
Lee lee is more than an Asian market.... it's an experience.
I won't complain about the fish smell. ALL Asian markets smell fishy. Almost all the major grocers have eliminated their fresh fish departments from their stores. Most places in Phoenix offer 2 or 3 fish choices on a regular basis... Lee Lee offers dozens of choices, and often, many of those choices are still swimming around in tanks.
I like the produce department. Lots of choices and all cheaper than anywhere in town. This location is supposed to have a "food court" kn the front but it hasn't been ready yet in the times I have been there.
I love that they have food divided in areas by location, and that it isn't all Asian. I shop the European aisles for things i have discovered while in the UK and in Holland, and there is a section in which i have found a lot of Hawaiian things too.
Today, I'm going to get boba supplies, Dashi and stuff to put in saiman, and lots of things to make Thai soups like Tom Ka Gai. -
Review from Serena O.
Avondale, AZ
6/18/2011
I love this store!
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Review from Paul R.
Paradise Valley, AZ
6/4/2008
Lee Lee's finally expanded from their Chandler location for us who have loyally driven an hour to shop. Low prices, huge selection, and it only took like a week for the place to smell like a true Asian market (i.e., wherever you are, you will never escape the smell of fish).
I love it. I bought ingredients for Vietnamese spring rolls, two different kinds of curries, a new motor/pestle, a Vietnamese coffee press, and some various other vegetables and liquors... hardly anything. Also, the seafood, while I didn't purchase any, looks very fresh.
Wonderful to see such a great addition to west Phoenix. -
Review from Theresa D.
Glendale, AZ
10/19/2008
Thank you Lee Lee's for opening up on the west side!
I can now find all of my beloved Thai ingredients right here! This store is divided in sections. Thai here, Japenese there...you get the picture. The produce section is great too! Kaffir lime leaves, lemon grass, galangal, thai chili..its all here!
I went opening weekend and they gave me a 10% discount card that I can use everytime I am there. Not sure if they are still being offered, but you can give it a shot and ask the cashier. -
Review from David C.
Phoenix, AZ
6/12/2009
This place rocks all over the place. I'll keep this review short and vague, promise. I spent the best 100$ in my life shopping here over the weekend, enough to feed me for a month. I know if they decide to lock me in the supermarket overnight, I would definitely not starve to death.
This place is filled with pure awesome-ness. stop by if you can. -
Review from amy r.
Cave Creek, AZ
1/25/2010
Woohoo! Lee Lee is something special for a girl who is used to her Asian markets (Super 88 in Boston ... MT Market - the mother of all Asian markets - in Austin among many others across the U.S.).
I adore how well organized this place is. I've been to many where one would expect to find say... Japanese curry in the "curry aisle" and instead it is somewhere else. Lee Lee's breaks it down to absolute simplicity ... ethnicity and ethnicity only. AWESOME. Now I know exactly where to go if I'm looking for some paneer or a bottle of Ribena (DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG I LOOKED FOR THIS STUFF IN PHOENIX!?).
I can't speak on behalf of the freshness of the fish as I don't touch the stuff but Lee Lee's is one of the few Asian markets I've been to that isn't permeated with the trademark fishy smell. It's faintly there upon walking in but after a minute I never notice it. The produce? Pretty good looking though. Believe me ... I've seen some questionable stuff in my travels.
The place is always well stocked, clean and has just about anything one would need for regular ethnic meals or adventurous new ideas in the kitchen.
Absolutely delighted to have found this place! -
Review from Holly B.
Phoenix, AZ
4/4/2009
From perusing the reviews written by other Yelpers, it's clear that Lee Lee is a front-runner amongst ethnic specialty markets, and while I don't disagree (I'm there almost every Wednesday, I'll admit it), there is a lot of room for improvement.
The produce section has a decent variety of veggies and herbs, but their fruits are less than ideal. Their "dollar bag" carts ROCK! Seriously, the best in town! Last week, I picked up, like, a five-pound bag of ginger for a buck! Yesterday, I was at Safeway and noticed that they were selling it for $3.99/lb. What does one do with five pounds of ginger root? Well, I have yet to figure that out, but that's not the point...
They carry an assortment of desserts from the same bakery that supplies most of the other oriental markets in the valley. I noticed that when they displayed these items on the shelf parallel to the produce aisle, I would find packages covered in mold. (Ew!) I guess that's why they moved them to the cooler next to the bao. I still buy bao whenever I'm there (my mom likes it, but I'm not too thrilled with their recipe), but I haven't been able to bring myself to chance the mold-cakes, again.
As far as the meat section, I've learned to only purchase fish from this market. The one time that my mother purchased some prepackaged turkey from their poulty counter, we discovered it to be rancid. Sooo disgusting!
Their selection of fish is more than adequate, but their prices are higher than some of the other ethnic markets in town. The bonus, though, is that if you want them to fry the fish for you, they provide this service daily (other markets limit this to 1-2x/week).
Since you have to take the good with the bad, be prepared to get hustled at every turn. For example, they have a section where they sell prepackaged whole fish, filets, etc. We picked up two whole tilapia and brought them back to the counter to have the fish monger cut them up and fry them. We noticed that after the dude had ripped off the packaging, he was re-weighing the fish. The fish were already weighed and priced when we selected them, so when we asked why they had to be re-weighed, the guy said that he ripped the labels and needed new ones. Sounds kinda fishy, eh (pun intended)?
Lo and behold, when we got our fish back, they cost more than what they were originally labeled. What does that mean? It means that I'm paying extra for that dude's fat-ass thumb!
I did air my grievances with management and that was a fiasco in itself. Y'know how when someone speaks with an accent, other people will talk to them like they're slow? It's, like, dude, I'm not stupid, I'm from a different country! Well, I was having one of those moments. The manager was trying to explain to me that the reason it cost more was because I had two fish.
*blink*
Now, I know I'm only half asian and I talk like a valley girl, but damnit, I can count to two!
Maybe I'm being petty by quibbling over a difference that amounted to less than a dollar, but that bitchass was swindling me!
This isn't an isolated incident, either. I had purchased two different tins of cookies for my mother. When we opened them, we noticed that the contents of one tin were tied together with what looked like a factory seal. The cookies in the second tin were tied together using the same tape they use to tie their dollar bags of veggies. Hmm...
I checked the label for serving sizes and amounts per container. While it did say it was "approximate," the contents were 12 servings short! I'm sorry, but I don't consider getting within 12 as being "approximate." To their credit, Lee Lee did exchange the tin of cookies for us and this time, we were only 10 servings short.
Overall, Lee Lee provides a great selection of ethnic foods at relatively affordable (though not rock bottom) prices. They do offer 10% off your total purchase, but with some of the other markets following suit, it's not really a big deal, anymore.
While I've had some unpleasant experiences, they haven't hindered me from shopping here. Just make sure to double-check you're being charged appropriately and that your baked goods are fuzz-free. -
Review from Megan M.
Sun City, AZ
1/12/2009
After a recent trip to an Asian market in Seattle, I started to realize that my habit of eating some type of Asian food (Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Korean, etc.) at least once a week was pretty much not a habit and more of a rarity. And that is just not right.
I decided that I absolutely must get some basics in the house, because if I can't have what I want at a restaurant, I should at least be able to make it myself. On Saturday afternoon, a friend and I made the trek out to Lee Lee's for some deliciousness.
We both noticed a strong fish smell upon walking in. If you don't like fish, it's pretty overpowering and nasty. I happen to love fish, so my nose acclimated quickly. We ended up wandering the aisles, picking up things here and there. For the most part, the aisles are arranged by cuisine. Thai on one aisle, Japanese on another. Oddly enough there was an aisle of "Holland" food which was comforting. Little baggies of stroopwaffels and boxes of proffertjes mix was mixed in with curry and noodles. I did find the organization a bit confusing as at a local grocery store you'd find all the types of soy sauce in one aisle as opposed to finding Japanese soy in one aisle, and Chinese soy in another. But that's my problem.
The store is huge and very well lighted. They have a lot of product and even have dishes, pots and pans, and other kitchen items. I would like a new wok and a steamer, so I think I'll make a trip back to Lee Lee to get that.
My only dislike was that I didn't see a lot of prepared food. There are certain things that I love to eat, that I just do not have the skill and time to make on my own.
We ended up spending quite a bit of time here and I came home with bags of things I thought I'd never be able to get here in Phoenix. When I checked out, the cashier gave me a card for 10% off my next purchase here. It's definitely an incentive to return to Lee Lee sooner rather than later. In the mean time I'm going to sip on my Lychee soda and eat my homemade miso soup. -
Review from Korina A.
6/10/2008
True, the fish smell has arrived. But it really only hit me at the front door. After that, it faded.
Inside, the store is bright and clean and chock full of goodies! Sadly, I had just gone to Ranch Market, so I didn't need much in the way of Asian groceries. On the upside, I was in need of other international delights, in particular, passion fruit syrup (can't have a zombie without it!).
Turns out, I had my choice of a Sri Lankan variety, and one made in Hong Kong. I went with the former. I also picked up some Jamaican ginger beer, that was good and spicy -- perfect for a Dark and Stormy. Plus it's way closer for me to go to Lee Lee instead of BevMo to get it = bonus!
I also noted super prices on meat and seafood. The frozen crawfish had me thinking, "crawfish boil!"
I consider my lesson learned. I don't need to be looking for Asian goods to come to Lee Lee! -
Review from Beth H.
1/26/2010
On a recent visit to Arizona, my mother and I ventured into this store. Neither of us had stepped foot in it before, even though she lives a mile away.
The aisles are broken out by cuisine, and the selection was awesome. I was particularly surprised by the Holland, Dutch, Brazilian, and British aisle, in market classified as Asian. Very unexpected. I bet they would be more business if they boasted to be more international.
I really liked this place, but the word needs to get out about Lee Lee's. If more people shop, they will restock their shelves more often, and most items won't be so close to their expiration date.
Final points:
- check expiration dates before purchasing
- Generally clean but the shelved items needed to be dusted and straightened, especially the aisle with dishes. They were all over the place and had to hunt for matching bowls. It's a market, not a dollar store
- If you can get past the initial fish smell, you won't be disappointed. -
Review from Bridget H.
Glendale, AZ
5/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
Pretty sweet oriental market. I went and got snow crab legs. $10.00 for a pound. Didn't seem to outrageous to me. The staff was really friendly and helpful. I'll be going again for some fresh fish for an upcoming sushi night. Can't wait to stroll the aisles.
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Review from Desmond M.
Peoria, AZ
9/2/2010 1 Check-in Here
Hmmm... what would life be without Lee Lee's? Thank God you carry lots of Aloha Shoyu & Hawaiian products! The meat section is top notch; produce is not too shabby, either!
Only thing wrong is I noticed you haven't reordered any Hawaiian Sun frozen concentrate...specifically, the Lilikoi flavor! Oh, and you should look into carrying Hawaii's favorite beer...Primo Island Lager. Find it on http://www.primobeer.com . Shoots den! Aloha! -
Review from Tracy M.
Phoenix, AZ
8/4/2008
OMFG, I would give this store six stars if I could!! Awesome find in a city with an ethnic food profile that would be described as lackluster at best. Plus this place is CHEAP. They have filet mignon for less than six bucks a pound and they're pretty dang good! Are they Ruth's Chris good, no-but for the price (or even twice the price) I doubt you'll be able to find better. I sure haven't and I go all over the Valley to visit food stores.
Produce, noodles, sauces, tea, spices, flour there's little you CAN'T find here!
I need to quit my job I think...LOL! -
Review from Carmen W.
Surprise, AZ
5/27/2010
Love this store!! They have everything from produce, ingredients and meat! The produce is always fresh. The meat is good and priced very well and they have good seafood also!! They also have lots of ingredients and seasonings from many different nationalities! I'm Puerto Rican and they have a whole aisle of 'GOYA' products!!! So I'm able to get my PR seasonings and buy my meats and produce in one trip. And if I'm hungry then i can stop @ their in-store restaurant & eat some good Hong Kong food! =P
Highly recommended!! =) -
Review from Crystal L.
Phoenix, AZ
7/21/2009
This in regards to the Boba / Tea shop inside of Lee Lees and not Lee Lees grocery store.
This Boba shop is disgusting!!! I have frequented many Boba shops around the valley. This is the first time I have ever had to return my Boba. I ordered and Avocado... one size... $4.71 and they are stingy with the Boba. They use actual fruit. He asked me if I wanted it sweet or unsweetened. I said sweetened but not too sweet. He gave me a sample of my drink before he poured it... tasted like milk with a bad unripened avocado aftertaste. I told him, "It doesn't even taste like avocado." In which the "owner" proceeds to tell me, add more sugar. They added more sugar poured the drink and gave it to me. It was horrible. The consistency was like milky slush and again the bitter taste of an unripe avocado. We walked off... came back about 3 minutes later cause it was just ridiculously disgusting, wanted a refund.
THIS PLACE IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN STARBUCKS!!!
They argued and said, "We are the only place that uses real fruit." HA!!! Boba Tea House Chandler, Boba Juice House 35th, Boba Juice 19th Ave... ALL USE REAL AVOCADO in the drinks. In the end, they refused to refund the money and I was stuck with an awful drink. I refused to drink it and I refuse to go stop by the Boba Tea shop inside Lee Lee's again.
If you want a delicious Boba go to any of the places I referred to above!!!
I LOVE LEE LEEs, but they need a better Boba stand!!! -
Review from carla c.
Scottsdale, AZ
4/7/2010
holy fricken shnyckies, this was quite the journey to get here. But, so glad I did. My family has ranted about all their great make-you-think-of-home items they found here. After walking up and down the same aisle five times, I get a call "want to meet for lunch" sure, it's just going to take me 9years to get back over there ;-)
So, I'm speed walking out and booya, what do I find? A whole bunch of shite!!! YAY!
I really wanted to check out there meats, heard the selection and quality is really good.
Next time I will block out a day for this adventure and hopefully take along a mate for company too! -
Review from Margaret L.
Surprise, AZ
3/20/2009
Two words: Boba Supplies.
I agree with pretty much everything in the other reviews, so I'll keep it short. I got a trunk load of stuff for cheeeep!
Sometimes I want and crave a Boba drink, but don't have anywhere by me that sells them...and don't necessarily want to spend money on it. Kind of the Starbucks mentality. I got Boba, drink mixes, and straws all at Lee Lee's. For the cost of one drink, I can make 10!
I'm seriously thinking about having a Boba party.
BOBALICIOUS! -
Review from Kym S.
Portland, OR
7/18/2008
I'm not sure how one cannot love Lee Lee. It's basically the ethnic food Mecca with everything from Chinese fixins to Argentinian flavors. I think it would be pretty hard to go there and not find what you were looking for (except if you're me and you are trying to get starfruit out of season). The only bummer is it was hard to get anyone to help you find anything. That place is huge and if you don't know what you're looking for, you'll end up wandering the plentiful aisles aimlessly finding more stuff to take home than you ever planned. Everything is reasonably priced and the selection is second to none.
I did get some boba from their espresso stand and it was only so-so (compared to Eba) plus behind the counter was some sort of high school hang out filled with incompetent teenagers. Lame.
They do have a restaurant there also. Even though they have a parking lot, trying to find a spot is almost as crazy as shopping the day after Thanksgiving. Save yourself the grief and park in the spot the farthest away. You'll thank me - especially if you have road rage and low tolerance for bastardly drivers like I do.
I'll definitely be back for all of my ethnic food need at dirt cheap prices.Listed in: West Side Story
