A Trip to the Ocean

I am a big fan of East Asian cuisine. Asia has a large population, and people had to get fed with what few resources they had. How did they manage? Simply put, they ate healthy. You may get a large scoop of rice, a good portion of stir-fry veggies or soup, and a few slices of chicken.  The protein is minimal, as tending animals takes labor and resources not to mention the animals can give in other ways including pulling carts, and giving milk or eggs. When protein was up for grabs, by the same principle, they used every bit of the animal they could get their hands on.  Vegetables on the other hand, take less work to grow and you can afford more per person. This system is much healthier and refreshing compared to the American culture where people order 16oz steaks wrapped in bacon along a small side of potatoes and call it a hearty meal.

Live lobsters, crabs, oysters, and clams
next to fresh shrimp. 

What can be found in Pacific Ocean Marketplace embodies everything I like about Asian cuisine. The store is approximately the size of a regular supermarket; with separate produce, meat and cookware sections. Their produce selection has greater variety than can be found in your average supermarket such as lemon grass, bok choy, and kohlrabi. The seafood section alone is worth the stop. They have live lobsters, crabs, fish, and clams, alongside other fresh fillets and seafood. The meat case is also large with an extensive selection, albeit mostly frozen. If you're looking for things like chicken feet, ox tail, pig trotters, tripe, duck feet, pork blood and other less common cuts, Pacific Ocean Marketplace is for you.

Warmed meat case. On the right,
whole ducks, next to what I believe
is pork belly

At Pacific Ocean Marketplace, there are things that wouldn't ever cross the lips of people working in a classic supermarket, which is oddly enough, is located right across the street. Fresh duck eggs, quail eggs, and banana flours, right on through a good selection of frozen specialty items, even some exotic fruits. Most recently, I've seen fresh lychees, dragon fruit, and durian, which is very pungent fruit that is well worth a try (It will get it's own post for me to tell you all about it). They have a warm deli case of precooked beauties. You can special order whole roasted pigs of different sizes. I was a fan of the whole roasted duck that you can get broken down for $20. It can easily feed a family of 4 and is actually really good after getting it crispy in the oven.

Roasted duck with homemade
fried rice and lychee drink. 

To accompany your meal, I beg you to pick up a drink or two from their drink cases that you haven't tried before. They have a lot of exotic fruit juice based drinks, including lychee, sugar cane, and aloe vera, the latter of which is actually really good for you if you can get past the soft fruit flesh in the juice. You may not like all of them, but you will like some of them, and falling in love with something new is a fantastic experience.

Their dry goods section is impressive, everything from soba noodles to dried jellyfish. On the far left of the store is a section devoted to Japan, the Philippines, and a few items fro India.  There is also an aisle of just dishes and kitchen utensils, including a section of a Chinese chef's knives. I am still testing mine, but it seems sturdy. Just be careful not to cut yourself, as there are many are stored without a case as testers.

In the end, if you're looking for an authentic source for Asian cuisine, Pacific Ocean Marketplace can really help you do it right.