L.A. Supermarket Confidential

Grocery shopping in Los Angeles is an experience in itself. Forget Vons, Ralphs, and Albertsons; there is a whole world of both good deals and  international food products to find in a variety of Los Angeles supermarkets that leave those big chains in the dust. The underlying fact is that California, home of the hugely productive Central Valley, is one of the world’s richest agricultural areas.  This creates the opportunity for deals on fruits and vegetables that can be downright baffling (I remember finding radishes for sale for 40 pounds for a dollar!). Added to this is the great diversity of Los Angeles that creates a market for a wide range of import products that would be hard to find in your average American town.

Listed below are some of my favorite grocery stores that offer a great selection and variety of products as well as super good deals.

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Super King Market

Inside Super King

Super King (2716 N. San Fernando Road, 90065)

Super King rules them all. This Armenian grocery chain (they have 3 stores total) has good quality produce at extremely reasonable prices. The deli is also pretty awesome and they have a wide range middle-eastern goods for sale as well. The vodka section is also nothing to scoff at either! This grocery has a devoted and large clientele. You become aware of this while navigating the parking lot, as this is always a bit nerve-wracking. The tension continues inside; I swear their shopping carts are too big for their aisles or something, making constant vigilance necessary to avoid collisions. It’s all good though, this grocery will make your normal neighborhood grocery seem very ho-hum and over-priced. The produce here really is great, it makes you remember that California is indeed and agricultural giant. And the super affordable goods are really moving quickly here at Super King, you will see that workers are constantly re-stocking just to keep the bins stocked.

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California Market

Inside California Market

California Market (4317 Beverly Blvd, 90004)

I live very close to the California Market noted above and have been a frequent visitor for years now. The most striking thing about this place is how it always in flux. Just a couple year ago this place was run as a latino market. They renovated it at some point and now it caters to a Korean clientele, although they do still stock alot of latino products. Near the front of the store are a number of food merchants, where I eat on a regular basis (my favorite stall serves jjambbong, a delicious spicy octopus soup). There are also a number of small independent merchants scattered through the store. I swear that every two weeks the set-up is a little different: a bakery has been added and the sushi place moved, or the seafood department has been renovated. . .

Similar to the Armenian markets, the produce is affordable and good. The bargains are perhaps a little more haphazard here, you never know exactly what will be on sale. My guess it that it depends on what is in season and what their suppliers need to move quickly. In any event there are enough specials and general good deals here that I get lazy and make the drive to Super King less often. The other products here are good quality as well. I have had good experiences with the meat department and learned my way around the dumpling section. Tofu and queso fresco, as well as rice, seaweed, and soy sauce are all staples. In short, shopping here keeps me healthy and my pantry well-stocked for suprisingly little money.

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Han Kook Supermarket

Inside Han Kook Market

Han Kook Supermarket (124 N Western Ave, 90004)

This is the hard-core Korean market. I guess it has been around for awhile and there  seem to be an awful lot of long-time Korean customers. As with many of these Asian markets,there are a number of food stalls where you can get prepared food and it always seems to be really good and affordable. I always would come here for the pre-marinated Korean BBQ meat which I would BBQ at home on the back porch. It’s delicious and makes for a fun evening!

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Santouka Ramen at the Mitsuwa food court

Mitsuwa Marketplace (21515 Western Avenue, 90501)

This Japanese super-store has it all. The market is huge and stocks all variety of things Japanese. On top of this, there is a very large and glorious food court with many food stalls serving ramen, sushi, curry, pork cutlets, tea, ice cream, etc . . . Add to that a wide variety of Japanese stores on site, including travel agencies. It is like you drive to Torrance and you end up in Japan! If you don’t want to drive Torrance they have a number of other branches in the SoCal area.

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Jons (1601 N. Vermont Ave, 90027)

Jons is another chain of Armenian grocery stores. Again they are very affordable and maintain a high standard of merchandise, especially in the produce department. To be candid, in the final analysis Super King does outshine Jons a little; Jons is not quite as fabulous. However, Jons is a large chain and merits mention for their many outlets that provide reasonably priced food to so many people.

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This is only the tip of iceberg as far as international grocery stores in Los Angeles goes. I have not even started on the Mexican, Thai, Indian, or Chinese markets, to name a few! (As an aside, even downtown, an area which is especially empty of markets, has the Little Tokyo Galleria Market at 333 South Alameda Street, 90013 and Marukai Corporation at 123 S. Onizuka Street #105, 90012. The Ralphs downtown at 645 W 9th St 90017 also made a big impact on the availability of groceries in the downtown area).

Head out into the greater Los Angeles area and the great selection and variety of grocery stores makes shopping for food a real multi-cultural adventure.

[Photos courtesy of Noah Albert and _e.t]