Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Minh Phat Asian Supermarket

Having read the review in The Age and hearing they stock things such as Vegetarian Mushroom Fluff, I had to head down to Minh Phat immediately to soak up some Asian supermarket glory. They have aisle after aisle of stuff I have never heard of before, hundreds of things I couldn't even figure out what on earth to do with but wanted to buy anyway. I could have spent hours in there if it wasn't for the fact my basket was already full and my shoulder felt like it was starting to dislocate.

$70 later I found myself with a pile of things I now have to work out how to cook.

Some of the more exciting goodies included:

  • Shredded tofu noodles (has anyone used these?)
  • Little frozen rice cakes (dduk) that go in Ddukboki which I remember fondly from my time in Korea and just found a recipe for
  • Shiitake dashi
  • Tasty vegetarian Chicken (gluten)
  • A few select items from their huge selection of all the Vincent Vegetarian fake meats which I have never tried
  • Black sesame pudding
  • Tapioca and red bean pudding

Sadly, I didn't find any vegetarian fish sauce. Sigh. The sweet old dude who works there laughed at me and said "Vegetarian fish sauce. Hahah it's the same. It's just lies!". (And right here in my moment of truth I will admit I still have a bottle of fish sauce from the old days when I had looser morals, and am still using it proving I, indeed, still am morally loose).

If you haven't been, you are missing out! Unless everyone already has been and I have been missing out this whole time.

Minh Phat Asian Supermarket
2 - 8 Nicholson St
Abbotsford VIC

8 comments:

  1. i try to go there weekly for cheap&fresh tofu! yumyumyumyum

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  2. Yeah, their tofu selection is mind bogglingly huge!

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  3. What fun! I haven't had one of those kinds of grocery adventures in a while.

    I've previously bought vego fish sauce from Vincent Vegetarian Food over in Footscray. I can't remember the ingredient list exactly, but it all looked pretty basic, as if it were something I could just make up for myself in the future.

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  4. I love Asian supermarkets! It's like this whole other universe of food and their fake meat always entertains me - our local one has vegetarian gizzards and they look so gross that I can't believe anyone would want to buy them but sometimes I'm still tempted just for the hell of it!

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  5. Vegetarian mushroom fluff! Shredded tofu noodles! Amazing. I usually go Asian shopping closer to home but sounds like I should check Minh Phat out.

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  6. Cindy - thanks, I will have to check it out. I have been after veg fish sauce since forever.

    Vaala - gizzards?! What the? I know what you mean though, I was tempted to buy heaps more just cos it looked so weird! I already find the canned mock duck and gluten gross enough that I haven't brought myself to actually open them.

    Lisa - yes, you must! Admittedly, I haven't been to all the asian supermarkets in Melbourne, but this is the best one so far!

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  7. FYI - I just recently found vegetarian fish sauce at Global green Grocery store on Peel St in West Melbourne - the ingredients list soy and salt so I think its for real, does have a distinctly 'fermented' smell, not the same as soy sauce, and not as disturbing as 'real' fish sauce.

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  8. i love cooking vego asian food and have been trying to find vegetarian laksa paste which importantly does not contain any shrimp or fish products

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