A Dong Market — Attraction in Salem

I've been to this store on occasion for the last handful of years and I think it's come along. The staff there are friendly and emphatic & one of the big draws for me is their homemade banh mi sandwiches that they make and package on site. For a reasonable price (under $5) and decent size it steps up their market and is one of the deli snack treasures I can't find at any other Asian market in Salem. I recall some years ago a very pleasant and nice woman who had just made these sandwiches and was sealing them up for sale. The back area has changed now with a freshly made sushi counter which I haven't tried yet but looks good...

My rating is closer to 3.5 stars. Pros: friendly staff and a wide selection of teas. Cons: Quality check is needed. The frozen stuff seems a bit freezer burned (I took home a package of frozen peeled and cut taro root and the quality wasn't so good after it thawed), and the fresh aisle was lacking the last time I was there. There was one package left of my favorite egg noodles in the fridge but the package had a hole in it. Not every item is checked for quality. Needless to say, after getting home from my purchase I saw that my plum sauce exceeded its best by date. I'll probably return in another blue moon, most likely to quickly slog down their banh mi but maybe not so much for the other goods. I'm okay checking out the other market down the road in...

It's very difficult to express just how awesome the customer service is here. Noi definitely went beyond what a big box store would do. She is an exceptional shopkeeper. When my toddler became extremely messy from his ice cream melting outside faster than he could eat it, she brought out a dish of water and some paper towels so I could clean him off. She smiled all the time. It was as if she was my own grandma tending the store. It was very hard to peel my six year old off her because he was charmed by her as well.

The store looks very small, but it holds quite the variety of sauces, rice, spices, noodles, and much more. I was very impressed with how they made great use of what looks like a small space. The shorter aisles than regular stores allow for much easier social distancing during this COVID-19 time as you can easily see anyone headed your way.

I usually don't rate beyond four stars, but she really sold us on coming back. She even held the door for us coming and going and gave me a printout in English on a food I had never tried before when I purchased it.

Her English is also much better than what I would have expected as we were able to carry a short conversation beyond just shopping. I came for the joke of what dong means in English, but I'll return for the customer service. Count me...

I loved the man working there - super helpful, super friendly. However, I was seriously overcharged when I was in there yesterday. I totaled the products I had bought and it was around $40, but I was somehow charged $68. I didn't get a receipt so I don't know how to get my money back, but I thought I should warn others.

Moochi Ice cream (2): $14 Vietnamese coffee: $6 Coffee egg rolls: $2 Shrimp crackers: $2 Seaweed rice crackers: $2 Sesame balls: $3 Durian wafers: $2 Coffee can 4 pack: Unknown

Unless the 4 pack of coffee cans were $37 then there is a serious miscalculation here. I love going to different markets and trying new foods from around the world but this was...