Viet Hoa Food Market

I totally adore this area. It is an actual treasure in case you are a seafood fiend, like me. They’ve live lobsters/​mussels/​crabs/​oysters (as large as your fist) if you enjoy shellfish. In addition they have tasty pompano and other kinds of seafood. However, when you walk in, you will be hit with a truly strange odor. Only shrug it off and keep going to the rear of the house. You will be surprised at what you find.

This is a must stop on my visit back home during the Holidays. I make a point of going there with my Dad and getting a ton of stuff that neither of us have ever heard of and trying to make it or at least eat it. Want authentic fish sauce? They’ve got it. Are you into Chinese Baozi, but can’t find one with Lotus? They’ve got that too. I love getting a bunch of unusually flavored candies such as Durian Fruit and putting them in the FLS Energy lobby and hearing about the reactions. So my point here is that this place is a mandatory Memphis vacation destination for me. The only caveat is that this is Memphis, so try to go before it gets dark.

I love that there’s an asian grocery option near downtown — makes it so much easier on me when I need to quickly grab some specialty items without having to drive out to Cordova. (They literally have everything you need that I probably wouldn’t really even need to drive out to Cordova anyway.) The produce is fresh and there’s such a big variety of different fruits and vegetables! I love mini bananas and was so happy when I found out they sold some here. You can get all your tofu, frozen meat and seafood, frozen packaged foods, FRESH seafood, roast duck (there’s a stall in the back on the right hand side!), fresh southeast asian desserts, sesame buns… I could really go on forever. The other day I was in, grapefruit was 2 for $ 1 — what a steal. They also have the standard asian pantry staples — tapioca flour, dried mushrooms, all kinds of dried noodles, sauces, etc. Prices are definitely cheap, and lines can get lengthy during weekends.

closest asian market to the western side of town /​down town /​mud island!
this has all your asian /​mexican grocery needs. seriously. it has fish balls (omg) it has asian veggies, it has tofu, it even just opened up a little bun shop /​meat market in the right hand back corner of the space! if you’re looking for REAL ramen (not maru-​chan, the kind you can get at wally world), come here! and then dress it up by roaming the aisles for different ingredients. dressed up ramen is one of my fav quick and easy dishes!
cheapest non-​frozen meat you’ll find in memphis. not joking! and it tastes good too! i get all of my chicken here.
they also have seafood in the back per usual of an asian market.
i think they’re cash only under $ 10. so make sure you bring money! bc you can get ALOT for less than $ 10. :]

You really can’t compare this shop to others around the country. But, you can compare it to Memphis and I would say it’s one on the top, if not the best.
It sits in an inconspicuous part of Midtown and even if you lived here for years, you may have never visited or really seen it. It may look uninviting, but it’s really not that bad once you go inside. In fact, I can feel «pressure tactics» in a lot of places like this and this shop is not one of them. I was able to walk the isles at my leisure and had no stares or awkward following of me.
The first thing you want to do is cut right as soon as you walk in and then work your way from right to left. The first thing you will see is a random collection of items. Skip this and go straight to the produce section. They have a huge collection of rare and hard to find fruits and veggies. Most of it seemed fresh, though I didn’t buy any. The prices were also pretty fair for a store of its type.
The second thing you will notice is the different smells in the isles. I can honestly say I did not know what most of them were and they were generally pleasant, but with most exotic food, there were times I was asking myself «umm, what is THAT smell?»
I spent my time focusing on the sauce and noodle isles. They had almost every type of noodle you could imagine and then some. There was a downside here. Some of the noodles were not marked and in a foreign language. So a lot of times I found myself wondering what the hell I was looking at and how much it cost. But, for the most part, it was easily understandable. I bought some real ramen (not the instant) for $ 2.99. Prices ranged from $ 1.99 to $ 6.99 for noodles. They had lots of instant noodles as well.
The sauces were varied and great. They had your standard fare such as hot sauces, stir fry, etc. But they had loads of speciality sauces you need for things like ramen. Things like, hard to find (in Memphis), Aji-​Mirin were easily found. They also had an extensive selection of oils, like sesame, chili, etc. There was also plenty of fish, oyster and similar sauce.
They had LOTS of fresh seafood and meat as well. It was something you wouldn’t rarely see in Memphis. There was a frozen section, but sadly I skipped it. I plan to check it out next time I go back.
The store is primarily aimed at Vietnamese food, but the Japanese and Chinese culture was also well represented. Korean and Indian was also there as well, just not nearly as much.
If I could give it 4.5 stars, I would. Its not 5 stars, because you know there is some epic market out there that you haven’t seen. But, when it comes to Memphis this is great. If you are a midtowner, I suggest visiting regularly to stock up on your Asian essentials. If you live out in the burbs, then take a moment and visit if you’re looking for some tasty items for your kitchen.

The place has change in the last few years. I really like it when they had pecking dock and bar-​q pig, Today there was none, store was clean better. but to me they had less stuff,

This is a good local store for fresh vegetables, seafood, and Asian groceries. I find many items here that I have never heard of to try, and their prices on fruits and vegetables are cheaper than most other grocery stores. It is located about four blocks south of the old Sears Crosstown building.

So you need some fish sauce… 55 Gallons of it OK?
Just how many different brands of rice noodle are out there?! A trip to Viet Hoa may answer that question. They have a good selecting of all things Vietnamese (and a good selection of Caribbean and Latin goods as well).
I was recently at a loss on where to find ingredients for a couple recipes (didn’t think it would be that difficult to find Palm sugar) Viet Hoa was the solution.
My rating is on the curve of course, this is not a West Coast Asian Supermarket (this is Memphis, not LA or Seattle).
There is a small counter that has Vietnamese takeout in the back of the store and a fish/​meat department.
Service has been friendly, even giving away overstocked produce with each order at checkout instead of throwing it away.
I think it’s the best in the area.

Great wide selection of produce. Asian and Mexican food items. Fresh live seafoods. Best in the area for what they offer, but they have horrible customer service. I asked the owner where an item was and she didn’t even want to help me. I left without getting what I originally needed. Oh well, their lost in money.

I absolutely love this place. It’s a true treasure if you are a seafood fiend, like me. They have live lobsters/​mussels/​crabs/​oysters (as big as your fist) if you like shellfish. They also have delicious pompano and other types of seafood. But, when you walk in, you’ll be hit with a really weird smell. Just shrug it off and keep moving to the back of the house. You’ll be surprised at what you find. Seafood Jackpots!!!

After experiencing several top notch Asian and Spanish markets in New York and Chicago, this grocery is lack luster at best. I disagree with previous reviews about the freshness of the seafood. While they have a vast selection, the only items that came close to my standards for freshness were still swimming. The uncooked meats looked good, but the selection was rather small. The produce was for the most part past prime. Mold was visible on some of the peppers in cellophane packages and some things should have been removed from the shelves. They may just suffer from low turnover. I did pick up a few things and would consider coming back for a pre-​packaged, canned, or bottled item because they do have a huge selection and it is very close by. Otherwise, I would skip it.

Good selection… I’ve been going to this place since I was a kid living in midtown… well since a couple places around there closed. Prices can be a bit extreme on some items. The people aren’t always the friendliest but they will help you… if they feel like it (and I’m Vietnamese x. x).
They do have a very nice butcher section (roasted pork a couple saturdays every month for banh mi sandwiches: L)
Veggies are some of the freshest around, as well as the seafood
The store has a definite asian store feel (muggy, slightly dirty)… rural grocery store?
Overall convenient if you are looking for asian or mexican ingredients but can’t go to any of the other markets outside of midtown.
Edit: Should mention butcher section is cooked food

They have a great variety of Asian and Mexican foods.

Good god the overwhelming smell of rotten seafood was SO bad we left in less than 5 minutes. We got a few aisles from the seafood dept and it was unbearable. We made a beeline for the door like our shoes were on fire.

Did you know Memphis has a little Saigon in the making? No, neither did I, until we spotted the little Buddist temple tucked away on Jefferson near Cleveland. No wonder there are four Vietnamese/​Vietnamese Chinese restaurants and a Vietnamese Chinese grocery store within a few blocks radius.
Being a recent transplant to Memphis, I don’t know which came first, the market, the restaurants or the temple, but I am glad they are there.
I have been to too many Asian grocery stores in my life so to me this market is pretty run-​of-​the-​mill. Familiar smell, familiar staples plus unfamiliar and interesting items in between. I can always find some obscure things that I didn’t realize I have a hankering for. If you ever want to get some bowls and plates painted with dragon, phoenix or Asian figurines for your bridal registry, this is the place.
I think their fresh leafy vegetables look a little distressed, probably due to lack of temperature control and constant water spray used by big, chained grocery stores. I suppose the key is to get your hands on those unique Asian vegetables as soon as they receive their delivery.
They recently ran out of my favorite ice pops of a certain flavor and the lead time to restock them could be quite extensive, if ever. One can only hope.

It has a lot of different food if I needed anything, I can find it here. Some items can be a little overpriced but it’s still a good place to shop for your everyday expenses. What I dislike about this place is the unfriendly staff and the fact that they do not offers refunds or exchange… even if the product is undamaged.

While I’m quite bitter this place has monopolized the Asian food market and killed any possible competition, I do appreciate the variety of items. Fresh, dried, packaged, or some pre-​cooked foods — you can find it here. It is fairly clean and organised, but not exactly the most friendly service.
For some odd reason, I usually find reggaeton over the intercom. This amuses me.

If you’re looking for a market that carries an extensive array of rices, sauces, and other condiments for Asian cooking, you’ll find them here. You’ll also be pleased to find very fresh vegetables common for that variety of cooking, including bok choy, zucchini, onion, potatoes, mushrooms, and ginger. A variety of more exotic produce for the serious chef can also be found at reasonable prices. There is a substantial variety of strange and fun Asian and Latin desserts. You’ll find dried coddle fish, desserts like Pocky (those sweet cracker sticks with frosting), and so many interesting varieties of dried fruits and cakes.
Probably the most interesting (and frightening to some animal-​loving types like myself) is the fresh fish market in the back of the store. Select your catch and they’ll prepare it there for you take home.
Overall, great market, pretty big in size, and they are quite helpful.

Fresh produce is cheap here. ex. basil, peppers, thai zuchinni and more.
You can also find a variety of other items such as horchata, sticky rice, curry paste, fresh seafood etc.
Remember to bring cash unless you are purchasing over $ 20 worth of groceries. Otherwise you will be charged a service fee.
Don’t hesitate to ask the employees questions on where to find a particular item. For example, I wanted to make Thai custard with sticky rice and wasn’t sure if I was purchasing the right rice. The cashier directed me to the correct section and made sure I purchased the correct item.
If you haven’t been yet, I would give shopping at Viet Hoa a try!

This place is really interesting. It has an amazing produce selection, and the cheapest prices in town. Seriously. It’s amazingly cheap and diverse. I haven’t even heard of many of the veggies they have. And I’ve lived all over the world. It has live seafood swimming around in tanks. It has really crazy asian and latin american foods. Those are all the awesome parts of this place.
What I don’t like about it is the smell. I know it must be difficult to have live seafood in a closed area but phew! Also the parking lot requires a lunar vehicle to cross it. Customer service is putting your grocerys in a bag and asking for money.