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| - Have you ever shopped at Asian supermarkets? If you have, it won't surprise you to hear, that the very first thing you'll notice about them is their very characteristic smell. If you're a man, you'll easily be able to imagine it, when I tell you it's like the smell of a public urinal, which hasn't been cleaned in a very long time. Add to that a couple of dead fish sitting in the urinals and you got it.
The really unique thing about the smell at Mekong Supermarket is not the smell itself; it's that it permeates the ENTIRE mall in which it sits and not just the store itself. Ironically, the one place is does not get into is the public restroom!
Smell aside, this supermarket is a gem for anyone familiar enough with Asian foods, spices and other wares. In comparison to Lam's -- which I usually go to, because it's on the west side of the Valley -- this place is far and away larger and has much more of a selection (in fact, this store could swallow Lam's and still have more than enough room left over for another store inside of it). Now, to be fair, while the selection of foods and spices are much larger than Lam's, this really wouldn't mean a whole lot to someone like me, who is not all that familiar with how to use most of the products and who limits his purchases to about a dozen different spices and sauces, some bamboo, mushrooms and pasta. And while I'm sure 10 different kinds of tofu might have some kind of significance to those in the know, for the novice like myself, it can be overwhelming and irrelevant.
Mekong is also significantly cleaner than Lam's and a lot more orderly. They also have a section of dinnerware, pots, utensils and even a grocery area, that blows Lam's away by a mile! The only thing Lam's MIGHT have on this place is the variety of other cuisines: Yes, I saw some Mexican, Thai, Indian and other foreign products here; but it seemed to me, that Lam's has a much larger selection of "other country" products. Without doubt, Mekong's meat and fish selection was much larger than Lam's and looked more appealing.
The downside? They're in Mesa; I'm in Goodyear. Do the math!
So, in conclusion, if you're out in the area or live in Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, etc., this is a great place to go to buy your supplies of Asian produce, meats, sauces, etc. And you can have a nice meal in the same plaza from a number of restaurants surrounding it. If you live in the West Valley, however, you can be just as easily satisfied at Lam's. Unless you're really experienced in cooking Asian cuisine, you probably wouldn't miss all the extra things at Mekong that they don't have at Lam's. I didn't know any better before. And now that I do, I'm still okay with shopping at Lam's rather than driving one hour each way.
P.S.: Unlike Lam's, the 10% discount is available automatically at Mekong. At Lam's, you'll have to ask.
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