United Oriental Food — Attraction in Pinellas Park

Nice store with a variety of items. 3 stars for all the ladies in the bakery/ kitchen area. They are all very nice and I can tell that they enjoy what they do! They can for sure cook and always break away to help customers with a smile. Could have been 4 or 5 stars if not for the guys working in the meat department. When asking questions, it seems like I’m bothering them or they are annoyed as indicated by the tone of their responses. I could be overly critical, but I wanted to provide an honest feedback from my experiences there. The front end employees are good though. Fast , efficient, knowledgeable, and friendly . The owner/ manager is actually...

Local Asian Supermarket, somewhere near the good stuff

Dropped by this cozy little Asian market for a few essentials — and as always, walked out with more soul than I planned.

First off, the vibe: The owner is kind, warm, and sincerely helpful. You get the sense they care about what you’re looking for — even if you’re just browsing incense or staring at a wall of canned coconut milk wondering which one’s your childhood. The staff? Same energy. Nobody’s rushing you out, but they’re there when you need them.

Incense Report: Today I was on a mission to find incense — specifically a shorter type. Most available were the tall ceremonial ones. The one I got was labeled “88” — shortest they had. It’s still a good 10-inch stick, which is the local standard, apparently.

If you’re after something truly short — you might have better luck downtown, where small things tend to congregate. Just a thought. 😏

Aisle Highlights: – Frozen Apple Snail Meat: Priced fair at $4.99, quality looks clean, perfect for Lao-style jaew or Thai stir-fry – Mae Ploy Coconut Milk: Always reliable – Vacuum-packed silkworms: For the brave or homesick Korean uncle – Mama Ramen (shrimp flavor): Instant nostalgia, in every sense of the word

Verdict: A charming, compact market that punches above its size. Great for Southeast Asian pantry staples, Vietnamese odds-and-ends, and the occasional surprise (both in the freezer and in the back shelves).

Staff makes you feel welcome, prices are honest, and yes — you’ll probably leave with more than you came for.

แวะมาซื้อของเข้าบ้าน เจอทั้งเจ้าของและพนักงานที่มีอัธยาศัยดีมาก ช่วยเหลือจริง ไม่ใช่แค่ยืนยิ้ม

วันนี้ตั้งใจมาซื้อธูป — ส่วนใหญ่มีแต่แบบยาวๆ เดินวนอยู่พักใหญ่ สุดท้ายได้กระป๋อง “88” ที่สั้นที่สุดในร้าน… แต่ถ้าอยากได้แบบ “สั้นจริง เล็กจริง” คงต้องลองไปเดินแถวดาวน์ทาวน์นะครับ เขาว่ากระจุกกันอยู่แถวนั้น 😏

ของแช่แข็งก็เด็ด มีทั้งหอยแอปเปิ้ลเนื้อแน่น รังไหมเกาหลี วัตถุดิบเอเชียครบ ราคากลางๆ ไม่โก่ง

สรุป: ร้านเล็กแต่น่ารัก อบอุ่นจริงใจ ของครบเกินตัว —...

As always, when we travel we try to find and support local Lao establishments. We knew that this place was a market /deli. However when we got there we could not find the deli. We walked around a few times and saw a hidden sign with an arrow that said Deli. We were disappointed to find there was no place to sit and enjoy the food. The workers didn’t speak English or Lao. The food we got was good. They have sticky rice available too. Aside from the deli food, the grocery store itself was very clean and organized. They also had a large variety of Asian food and snacks. Outside there was a man selling fresh...