Kowloon Market — Local services in Ottawa

Our family shopped at Kowloon for many years. The customer service at this place is less than mediocre at best, but since it is located near our home and has a decent selection of Asian groceries, we still went often. However, after an incident, I have never went back and will probably never again in the future.

For all the groceries stores that I’ve visited, the precaution is for people to line up outside if the store is at its permitted capacity. For the number of outflow of customers, the store employees will then let in the corresponding number of inflows. Which I completely understand is necessary to prevent people from contracting COVID. However, the weekend that my family went to go to Kowloon, I am not exaggerating that we waited in line for close to half an hour. I would understand that if the store is full, they should not let additional customers to enter. However, customers were coming out one after another and from the glass window it was obvious that there were only a few customers inside. (This was literally nonsensical when I think about it now. Were they trying to wait for every customer to come out before they allowed another group to go in? If the argument is that the store was at full capacity. I'd be questioning why the store was at full capacity even when several groups of customers already came out. This would mean that they allowed too many people in the store at once and did not follow safety guidelines)

The worker at the door did not inform customers of why he wasn’t letting people in when people went to ask, and even lit up a cigarette while he was watching the door. In the case that he may not be fluent in English, we went and asked him in Mandarin. He didn’t bother to give a clear explanation and brushed us off. Being frustrated that we’ve waited for so long and the rude attitude that the man gave us, the feisty little Asian woman that my mom is told the man off for his rude attitude. The man allowed us to go in, but he then came in from outside and was yelling after us and was literally watching us while we shopped. We wanted to quickly get the things that we needed and ignored him. By the time we reached the cash, the man was still watching us and was yelling things along the lines of “if you don’t like my attitude then don’t shop here”. I don’t want to be a "I want to speak to your manager" type of person, but in this case we had to ask for a manager or speak to another employee. However, not only was there no manager, the other employee for some reason thought we were the ones at fault (???) and told the girl at cash to not go through with our purchase and made us leave the store.

I don’t know why we didn’t just leave when we were at the 20 min mark of waiting in line, I guess it was just meant to be the day that we finally broke ties with Kowloon. Point being, if you want to avoid human conflict, shop at a better environment and have nicer customer service, I’d do the trade off of driving the extra mile to...

I recently moved to Centertown, and have been looking for good places to get my groceries (hint: the independent on Bank/Somerset just ain’t it). So when I heard about Koowloon Market, I had to check it out.

The things I immediately noticed upon walking in were:

1. Stuff EVERYWHERE. It’s pretty tightly packed in here, wall-to-wall with tons of goods from across Asia, including fresh fruits and veggies, a small bakery in the front, shellfish and meats in the back, with isles of packages goods dominating most of the stores tiny layout. If you’re looking for something Asian that you haven’t been able to find elsewhere (I was looking for my favourite dried Jackfruit chips - which I found!), then I’d bet my last dollar that you’ll find it here.

2. The prices are actually pretty reasonable. To be fair, I didn’t buy any fresh fruits or veggies, but there was such a wide assortment of brands and goods that I was generally able to find what I wanted at a price comparable to or cheaper than T&T. In particular, the non-food items (bowls, cooking utensils, kitchen supplies, etc) were shockingly dirt cheap.

3. The overall vibe. It seems to be a place where mostly familiar locals from within the downtown Asian community shop. It was nice to see that shoppers could communicate with staff in multiple languages, and that service was fast and efficient. With that being said, this is a busy location - so I wouldn’t expect your cashier to stop and chat with you about the weather, if you know what I mean.

I’m pretty happy that I can get some unique foodstuffs and my favourite Asian goodies without having to go all the way to T&T. I might not end up buying my basic groceries there (milk, bread, eggs, meats and so on) but I will be frequenting Kowloon quite a bit...

Kowloon Asian Grocery is a fantastic store that has become my go-to for all things Asian food-related. The selection is extensive, with a wide variety of ingredients from different Asian cuisines, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, and Vietnamese. Whether you're looking for fresh produce, sauces, spices, noodles, or snacks, Kowloon has it all. The shelves are well-stocked with hard-to-find items that make it a perfect spot for anyone looking to try new recipes or recreate their favorite dishes from home.

The store itself is spacious, clean, and organized, making it easy to navigate despite the abundance of products. I was particularly impressed with the fresh produce section, which includes a variety of vegetables and herbs that are essential for authentic Asian cooking. Additionally, the frozen section offers a great selection of dumplings, bao, and other frozen treats that are perfect for quick meals.

The staff at Kowloon is generally friendly and helpful, though the store can get a bit busy during peak hours. One minor downside is that some items can be a little pricier compared to other grocery stores, but the quality and variety definitely make up for it.

Overall, Kowloon is an excellent spot for anyone looking to stock up on Asian ingredients. Whether you're an experienced home cook or someone looking to explore new cuisines, this store is definitely worth...