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- Hours:
Mon-Sun 9 am - 8 pm
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
About This Business:
The Essential Market is a family operated market serving downtown Seattle by offering an eclectic range of items for your essential needs. We focus on… read more »
31 reviews for Viet Wah Supermarket
Review Highlights
"The do have a decent produce section with very reasonable..."
(in 3 reviews)
"...perfectly clean for an Asian grocery store (maybe not as..."
(in 4 reviews)
"Even the Red Market grocery store at 23rd and Jackson was a..."
(in 5 reviews)
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31 reviews in English
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Review from Jane M.
Seattle, WA
8/15/2011
Real Asians buy groceries at Viet Wah.
First of all, the store was perfectly clean for an Asian grocery store (maybe not as well-lit and glitzy as Uwajimaya), but it was one of the cleanest and most organized authentic Asian groceries that I have seen...and I have frequented Asian grocers in New York, Chicago, SF and Boston. If you can't handle this store, you should probably just resign to eating bland foods for the rest of your life.
I went to Viet Wah for the first time today and felt like I saved over 30% on what I would have spent at Uwajimaya.
The produce selection is about 1/4 as big as Uwaji's but they had every Chinese vegetable I know how to cook, including wintermelon which is super hard to find (Uwaji's was not carrying it this week and I have been disappointed before).
Viet Wah also had a surprisingly wide selection of sauces (comparable to to Uwaji's) and the staff was extremely helpful and friendly.
Don't get me wrong, I'll go to Uwaji's when I want sushi, liquor, Asian cookbooks, frozen dumplings or Japanese kitsch, but I could survive off of Viet Wah easily. -
Review from Alice B.
9/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
I came here looking for my usual staples, but did not have a good experience at all. The parking lot, while free, was on the side of the building up a hill so steep I wonder how some of the little old ladies manage not to fall, and wonder how many runaway shopping carts end up crashing into the cars parked at the bottom. The store clerks were incredibly rude and I nearly got run over several times by a forklift moving loads of recycled cardboard between the dock and the entrance to the store. While shopping, I had three separate stockers rudely shove my cart to the side, or block the aisle completely while restocking the shelves. No excuse me, just dirty looks thrown at me for getting in their way.
The store was organized by food nationality, which is fine if you only shop one type. But looking for a particular type of soy sauce was a challenge as this was found in at least 4 different aisles and parts of the store.
The do have a decent produce section with very reasonable prices.
While checking out, I was waiting on the other side of the counter while my cart was in front of the area to load onto the convertor belt and another customer shoved my cart to the side and pushed his cart right in front of me.
I hate to think this is what I should expect while shopping at an authentic Asian grocery store, and I would rather pay the mark ups at Uwajimaya for the better experience.
I got out of there as fast as I could. Even the Red Market grocery store at 23rd and Jackson was a breath of fresh air after this place. -
Review from Hans L.
Edmonds, WA
2/3/2012
I review instant noodles on my blog and finding this place was absolutely awesome! They've got an ENORMOUS selection of unique varieties - was most enjoyable! Plus the music they played in there was techno-like and that was great too! http://www.theramenrat...
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Review from FoodFight.TV ..
Seattle, WA
Best deal in town!!
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Review from dub n.
Seattle, WA
6/6/2011
This place stinks, lol, I'm not trying to be mean, I live next door and I stop by all the time.....But when I go home and steam the Broccoli it smells so different than the one at Uwajimaya and I didn't eat it, When I fry the chicken wings here it stinks and I end up not eating it, I also boiled the shrimp and tried to make shrimp cocktail and guess what, It came out smelling really funny and I ended up not eating it!!! Im not joking, this place stinks.
I dare you to cook something from Uwajimaya, side-by-side same ingredient from Viet-Wah and I guarantee it will come out smelling different. -
Review from annie b.
9/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
Anything Asian needed, you're more than likely going to be able to find it here. It's a decent size grocery store for the most part. But, during busy times on the weekends, it's packed. Parking is narrow and can be difficult also. But, you could be in and out within 15 minutes if you time it well enough. You wont get the best service here but you'll get the stuff you need. Isnt that what counts?
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Review from Celeste T.
Seattle, WA
9/28/2011
Where else can you find a ceramic acupuncture figurine, a bottle of fish sauce with whole fish in there, and fresh veggies in the same place? Plus, they have a parking lot, which is somewhat reasonably rare in the ID.
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Review from Jon L.
1/23/2011
I like the Viet Wah on MLK better.
The one in the International District does have some things going for it though. There is a parking lot, but it can be jampacked at times and it is built on a hillish terrain.
The store is nicer and cleaner looking then nearby stores and is not as much of a madhouse like Hau Hau and Lam's. This has more to do with the pricing here, which is a little higher. But the shopping experience is not as tenuous as a result. The shop is a little darker than I would like, but okay. Picked up some vegetables here and I do have to say the selection does look fresher than some of the other nearby shops.
Even though the crowds are not as big here. You should still expect the crowds to be a bit pushy and unwieldy as the customer base is predominantly of Asians. I had this grandma cut in front of me at the checkout. I know I am supposed to respect my elders, but come on. With behavior like this, is this really something that is acceptable? If I tried to pull the same thing, I would definitely feel like a d-bag and be scolded as such.
Rant of shopping manners aside, this is a decent Asian grocery in the ID. You pay a little more for shopping experience here, but at least it is not as ragtag and hectic. And the freshness factor is definitely worth considering.Listed in: The Grocery List
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Review from Leaf W.
Manhattan, NY
4/3/2011
pretty good stuff. If your in the Tri-cities you could check it out. They have everything. Dried Sardines. Green Bananananananas. Frozen....buns. frozen fish. Diet tea. affordable chines pottery and ladles. The other side is a Vietnamese restaurant where I I did not enjoy my food. I would try it again but don't order the Pho. Also, a hair place. The hairstylist seems nice (she was right there, in fact I remember her serving us due to someone being sick) Go here if you want to spend an hour on different food and different stuff. But don't get the Pho.
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Review from Philip L.
10/3/2010
This place is a lot of fun with some very cheap selections.
Also, last time I was there they were selling Beer Lao, which made my week. -
Review from Rosie R.
10/13/2009
FIRST, a message from our sponsor:
I don't go to Whole Foods or PCC and laugh at the silly things THEIR customers buy, so please don't treat Viet Wah as a novelty shop either!
Back to regularly scheduled programming. Why I like Viet Wah:
PRODUCE: My primary reason for shopping here, all the produce I ever need for the dishes I want to make. Some favorite choices: Shitake mushrooms for $3.99/lb versus $12/lb at most other grocery stores! Green onions for $.39/bunch. Lots of greens, different onions, and other great ingredients for good prices.
A TIP for produce shoppers: Much of the produce comes pre-bagged but is still priced per pound. You can open the bags and pull just what you need.
MEAT: Every cut of the animal you can use, and then some, including something called "Pork Bung" (!). Prices are very affordable. We picked up some country pork spareribs fro $1.69/lb
PORK RIND SELECTION: Oh yeah.
KITCHEN SUPPLY SELECTION: A meat cleaver for $3.69?! At the risk of sounding less than green, even if it isn't a Henckels or other high quality brand, the price makes it so replaceable!
LOCATION: It's on my way home from work.
And FOR NEWBIES to the Asian market scene, there are a few things you won't have been used to:
- Produce ladies cut and trimming the produce right there in the produce section.
- The smell that every Asian market has (I think a combination of fresh meats that aren't all shrink wrapped, spices and seasonings, fish and seafood).
And things at Viet Wah that could definitely be improved:
- Cleanliness of the floors
- Organization of some of the aisles (everything always seems to be in the middle of being stocked)
- Parking lot
That being said, I am indeed a fan, and will be back many times to grab good, fresh ingredients. -
Review from Karen R.
Seattle, WA
1/4/2008
It smells like walking into any other Asian grocery store. I don't know what it is... the dried food? Seafood? ...Uwajimaya doesn't have that same smell!?!
Anyway, after searching in two Ranch 99s and Uwajimaya, i FINALLY found my pandan leaves. Not only that, it's FRESH pandan leaves! Wow, the last time I saw fresh pandan leaves was more than ten years ago at home lol! I've been used to getting them frozen and honestly, frozen pandan leaves are just as good as the fresh ones. Just as fragrant. Really! Sometimes I leave them out in the kitchen, go out and when I get home, the entire room smells sweet!
So I'm happy. I had to ask one of the 'auntie' cleaning out vegetables in my broken Cantonese but hey she understood what I was asking for (of course I said 'pandan leaf' in English LOL), she told me it was 'on top' of the fresh vegetable area (I'd been looking in the freezers) :D AWESOME!! I can make barley water for the husband now... that and desserts :) -
Review from Edward C.
Seattle, WA
4/1/2008
Why isn't Viet Wah as pretty and spotless as a Whole Foods?
A) It's cheap
B) It's Cheap
C) IT'S CHEAP
D) Do you really want your kid to develop food allergies..like getting anaphylaxis from a peanut?!? (I am a believer in the hygiene hypothesis...trust me, I go to med school, but I digress!)
So we've stipulated that Viet Wah isn't Whole Foods-you may not find anything organic in there (I ain't sure), but what you'll find are fresh ingredients for S.E. Asian and Chinese cooking at a great bargain (Viet Wah means Vietnamese-Chinese). Compared to 99 Ranch, you definitely get a better deal on fresh herbs and spices if you feel like making your own spring roll or pho, and the herbs and veggies are actually very fresh. I also noticed that pork is noticeably cheaper and fresher than 99 Ranch. The sea food selection is not as broad as 99 Ranch, but there are some good deals too. You'll find stuff at Viet Wah that you probably won't find even at 99 Ranch or Uwajimaya-frozen cicada nymph anyone? (quite delicious deep fried, according to my gf) Anyway, it's a good place, and your pocket book will be less empty as a result! -
Review from Gloria H.
8/9/2009
My sister took us here to pick up stuff for hot pot. I guess this is a great Asian supermarket in the area but then we are spoiled from the Bay Area.
Parking can be a challenge, as is the walk down from the upper lot. -
Review from Ken L.
Not a bad place to shop for Vietnamese based food and produce. When I am cooking Asian and need fish sauce, rice, cheaper veggies and special spices; this is the place to go that is right in the Renton Area. A word of caution though, be careful pulling into the parking lot as the drivers around there are a bit careless and drive way too fast.
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Review from Sarah S.
Seattle, WA
7/31/2009
I stopped in to use their ATM and decided to get some food from the deli as well. Bad effing idea. They had the worst humbow I have ever eaten, really vile and mushy. When I was using the ATM, I saw what I thought was a huge dust bunny on the floor next to it - then it started to move. It was a half-dead mouse stuck to a glue trap. As if I wasn't sick enough from the food!
I will never set foot in this place again. -
Review from Thomas L.
2/27/2010
Good selection of items... and cheap.
Viet Wah sticks to the stereotype of asian markets, cheap, dirty and stinky. But once you pass those stereotype, you are welcome into a world of exotic fruits, veggies and other items at dirt cheap prices!
If you want the cleaner non-stereotypical asian store, then go to Uwajimaya.
Do get here for virtually all kinds of beef (minus premium steaks), pork, chicken, etc... including but not limited to pork blood and various things most stores would not dare to put on their shelves.
I like both viet wah and lam seafood but as of lately I've been to viet wah more often due to their larger store and thus bigger selection. -
Review from Ema N.
6/3/2008
LADIES, DO NOT GO TO THE BATHROOM HERE. It's totally gross and scary (-2 stars for that) and you'll be better off not washing your hands by touching the sink.
OTHERWISE..
Viet Wah is super awesome to get basic goods for cooking at home. It's an Asian supermarket so it stinks and it's kind of dirty and you get the aluminum pots and pans for super cheap.
There is a drug store here as well at the front part of the store, so you can get various ointments and herbs that you won't find at Walgreen's. Just know what you're buying, otherwise, find an Azn friend to help you out because some of these herbal remedies do work wonders when you have an upset stomach or itching skin.
There's also a huge variety of greens in bulk so unless you've got a huge meal to cook or a huge family, it might go to waste. I seriously go buckwild with the bean sprouts because unless I go to Safeway (which is odd), Madison Market or Trader Joe's doesn't carry it!
If anyone knows what I'm talking about, they sell BALUT here. It's pretty pricey but they have it. And they also have salted duck eggs and quail eggs too.
They also have lots of cup noodles (not the Nissin kind but stuff like pho where you just add hot water) for much cheaper than Uwajimaya.
In all, be careful with what you buy because some of the basic produces such as onions, garlic, etc. sometimes are not the freshest. Check your rice before you leave to make sure there are no holes or dents in your boxes of whatever-you-buy.
Have fun shopping!
They take cash, credit cards, EBT, FYI. -
Review from Matt R.
4/9/2009
I ventured into this place looking for cheap produce- and I found plenty of it. They also have a ton of good meats too- for very cheap. Whole beef tenderloin- $4.99/LB.
However- I wanted to buy a whole Barramundi (a good Aussie fish) and the guy told me they were frozen so he couldn't fillet and clean it for me. I picked the fish up and it was a little frozen- but by no means solid. The guy was just being lazy......
And they also don't carry light coconut milk? They've got 50 different kinds of chili sauce- but no light coconut milk?
This place is solid if you're looking for cheap Asian groceries & produce. I would definitely go back- for the $4.99 Tenderloin if nothing else. -
Review from EMILY W.
Seattle, WA
2/23/2010 2 photos
Pros: Cheap @ss meat, produce, rice and veggies
Cons: Stinks over by the fish department... -
Review from Jason G.
Seattle, WA
1/31/2008
Everything everyone else has said about Viet Wah is true. Dirty, funky, smelly, cheap, etc. and for all those reasons it will always be near and dear to my heart.
And I like the fact that you can actually smell something REAL in a supermarket. Meats, seafood and vegetables are perishables, after all. Good selection of exotic ingredients at great prices and a welcome far cry from the usual American supermarket cookie cutter sterility.
Hail the Wah. -
Review from Richard Y.
Seattle, WA
11/28/2006
the store is mediocre, but on weekends during summer months, the store owners set up dueling grills for chicken skewers, short ribs, and corn on the cob.
just top it off with a little chili sauce and lime, wash it down with a fresh squeezed cup of sugar cane juice, and it doesn't even matter that you COULD be eating dog. -
Review from krisztina g.
Seattle, WA
5/26/2010
As weird as this may sound.. This place is a bit expensive for the asian markets i have been to. (I have been to the one on MLK way and the one in china town) I prefer others in china town however because they are cheaper.
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Review from Josh b.
Seattle, WA
3/22/2011
i might be back, but there was something strange going on in the front of the store... a bunch of people crowded by the stairs and acting suspiciously. there was also a really weird vibe here, but that could have been because of the hardcore trance music playing at full volume. there were some things in the housewares that i was curious about buying, but there weren't price tags on many items so i just got some veggies and left.
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Review from steve c.
Denver, CO
8/28/2008
Viet Wah should receive 3 1/2 stars, since you can get the same stuff you could get at another unnamed asian mega mart, but at a fraction of the cost. I think I'd go here most for non-perishable goods-it is a little nasty feeling inside (and this is from someone who doesn't mind funk!), and the odor from inside is, well, odorful. Check my review of the place across the street for the real alternative to the asian mega mart (oh, and the Viet Wah on MLK is more nicely kept than the Jackson location)
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Review from Colby S.
Seattle, WA
8/30/2005 2 photos
A very large Asian supermarket, they had what seemed like every Asian food imaginable. I'm absolutely not going to be shopping there for my seafood or my meat, but for boxed goods, sauces and rice...this is the spot. Authentic supplies and a great selection make this a find in the district. Cheers!
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Review from Eric H.
Seattle, WA
11/9/2005 2 photos
The funniest thing about this place is that they have a huge specials board right where you check out. What do they offer as weekly specials every week? Rice, rice, and more rice. They've got a good produce section, always with one or two "what the hell is that thing?" type surprises. I really like their potstickers.
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Review from Seth D.
Seattle, WA
2/27/2010
Gawd, what would I do without this well stocked Asian market at the east end of the International District. I shop here for hard to find greens, bundles of fresh Vietnamese herbs, fried tofu cakes, and a decent selection of Indonesian condiments. I've even gotten used to that funky pet store smell.
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Review from Chanda I.
9/24/2008
i had to find a cheap asian supermarket when i'm not willing to pay japanese market prices or when the uwajimaya parking lot is a mess. viet wah is cheap, not as nice but reminds me of the cheap, not so nice asian restaurants i went to back home. i'd recommend buying some of the essentials like bottled sauces and rice here for a cheaper price. i was also pleased by their produce.
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Review from megan d.
Seattle, WA
4/3/2006
my favoirt thing about viet wah is thta they have a key copier thats open till 9 pm (usaully) and lets say you might need to make a copy of key that your not suppose to be making copies of......and lets say you went here.....hmmmmmm.....lets just say if it wasnt for this place i would have locked myself out of my apartment by now. thank you veit wah!
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Review from Red B.
Bellevue, WA
6/5/2008
If you could tolerate the smell as you enter Viet-Wah, then that's great. The produce is good & cheap here, but as always check them carefully before buying. I've shopped here a few times, & I discovered that the workers don't keep track of their food items well...such as produce/meat/spices (spices that are packed) --some look like it's going bad & it's still on the shelf. So, I usually buy some of these items either at Hop Thanh or Dong Hing instead.
