Located off Bird Road, Lucky Oriental
Mart is an Asian grocery store stocked with foods and products from
China, Japan, Thailand, Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the
Philippines. Stroll the aisles and your curiosity will be
piqued by colorfully packaged products like teas, candies,
and cookies.
The items we picked up included
Pocky ($1.99). These addictive cookie sticks are covered in, among other things, milk
chocolate and strawberry. There are numerous brands and styles. The
mochi ($5.99) we purchased either had issues thawing and
refreezing or is just a poor product. The coffee ice cream was
smooth, but the mochi was gritty and lacked
chewiness. It's a shame we didn't trust our instincts and go for the
pint of green tea ice cream ($4.99).
The produce looks fresh and includes Asian cooking staples such as bamboo shoots, watercress, and bok
choy. Fruits such as Asian pears ($1.89 per pound) are available. In
the vicinity, a seafood case displays fresh catches such as milkfish
($3.59 per pound), bass ($2.99 per pound), tilapia ($1.29 per pound),
golden pompano ($3.99 per pound), and shrimp ($3.99 per pound).
There are aisles containing plastic-ware
and plate-ware that can suit occasions from casual to at-home formal
dinners. Household gadgets such as teapots ($9.99 to $12.99), French
presses ($12.99), and electric kettles ($24.99) can also be had. The section of health-care products was intriguing. At the ends of the aisles are boxes of (pre-owned?) sandals -- some with no prices tags.
The mart is rounded out by alcohol --
sake ($3.29 and up) -- jewelry, plants, and just about anything you
didn't know you needed. Dried fish, anyone?
Lucky Oriental Mart is open Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Lucky Oriental Mart
8356 Bird Rd., #D-1, Miami
305-220-2838
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