Dayton Asian Market — Local services in Kettering

This is a long Larry review, feel free to click off at any time.

First? This venue just opened so it is a work in progress. Give them some slack as they may take a little time to gain some traction.

The lot was huge and well lit the closer you parked to the building. The dining area was small, but very clean. No music but they had the Chinese dancer channel on the TV with the sound off. How do people move like that????

You know when the place is packed and I am the only non-Asian diner that the food will be authentic and delicious. They did not disappoint.

Having said that.....

They don't serve tea? You betcha... They don't serve tea. I never experienced this from an asian restaurant before. I'm going to bring my own tea bag next time.

Zoey offered hot water. I said yes with lemon please. You guessed it. No lemons yet. Gang, they are next door to Walmart Kettering which sells both lemons and tea bags. Just saying...

No alcohol license. (That's what El Rancho Grande, Capri Lanes, and Palermo's all less than a block away is for).

The printed menu has a few typos, but the hostess/server/cashier named Zoey was so pleasant and helpful that it did not matter.

For example, the printed menu says soda-$1.50. What kinds? Coke? Pepsi, Sprite, Dr Pepper? Well folks, Zoey was so patient as I heard her repeatedly rattle off the different types to diners being seated. By the time I left, even I had it memorized.

I ordered the beef noodles for $11.95. Man was it worth it as it was BANGING!!!!

The portions were very generous and came out made to order piping hot. They had the fanciest chopsticks I have ever seen for a restaurant that didn't have 5 stars. Gold tipped black ebony.

They are so new that they don't have a lunch menu yet but you can call in a "to go" order. If you order for lunch, you better be very hungry.

The place has no cloth decorations and echoes like yelling into a metal trash can. Do not even get me started on the noisy air hand dryers in the restrooms. With a place this small and has a huge echo, I think paper towels would give the other diners some peace.

For a brand new place? 5 stars. For a typical asian venue I'll have to give it 3. How about 4 for now.

Now for old guy historical rantings from Larry. This place in the 50s-80s was a big swing band supper club named the Colony Club. This was big time. I heard that Capone dined here. Think of the old MGM movies like Holiday Inn or White Christmas. Ladies in mink coats, big hats, white gloves holding very long cigarette holders with their husbands in suits sucking on stogies. Everybody smoked a drank way too much, but man, they were so happy! I would be curious if they even had DUIs back in the day. I guess if you made it home and didn't kill anybody, you were safe.

Interesting tidbit to only me.... In my late teens? I was their bass player for a few years. I was the youngest player by at least 30 years as they called me "the kid". Good times baby!

Oh... Back to the review. The Kung Foo dining room was the old Colony cigar humidor.

Bogie said it best at the end of Casablanca....  "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful...

I have concerns about the way the staff interacts with American shoppers at this store. They appear to be impatient when answering American questions about products and often ignore me when I ask for help. A young Asian lady, who seems to be a regular staff member, has consistently told me that she doesn't have time to assist me. This behavior is disappointing and gives me the impression that this store's business model is not designed to cater to Americans, but rather to Asians.

One major issue with this grocery store is its shelving system, which is far from intuitive and rather convoluted. Unlike most stores that organize products alphabetically or in a similar manner, this store presents a sea of labels that share the same colors and have similar prints. As a result, it becomes incredibly challenging to distinguish between products, especially when it comes to items like soy sauces. The lack of separation between products makes it nearly impossible to grab what you need and go. The owners should prioritize setting higher standards in order to improve the shopping experience.

It's also worth mentioning that this store has a minimum purchase requirement for credit card transactions, which can be frustrating for customers. Additionally, it's important to carefully check the expiration dates on items that you frequently purchase, as I have come across expired products multiple times. While this seems to be a common issue in many Asian stores, it remains a disappointment.

On a positive note, there is another Asian market located near Wright Patterson Air Force Base on AirWay/Colonel Glen/Woodman Dr. that offers a completely different experience. Their aisles are organized in a similar fashion to regular grocery stores, with clear separation between products and shelving based on product types. This consistency greatly enhances the shopping experience, regardless of one's ethnicity.

Lastly, I strongly urge people to understand the differences between expiration dates, best buy dates, use before dates, and expired on dates. These distinctions are crucial when shopping at Asian grocery stores, as they adhere to American labeling standards and laws. It is essential that we advocate for improvement in this area to avoid stagnation or further...

Great, small asian grocery store. Very niche goods available here that you won't find at most other stores on the area.

Produce all seemed fresh. Live fish tanks and such were clean, (you will be embraced by the seafood aroma if you go in the right/north end entrance so keep this in mind if you're not privy of, or capable of handling strong seafood aromas) and overall the store itself was well stocked, neat and organized.

I didn't really speak with any of the employees busy stocking and working around the store personally, but they were kind and well mannered.

If you're looking for some hard to find, Korean, Chinese, japanese, or other asian specific food goods, chances are you will find them here.

Can also find alot of those popular, different flavored chips, snacks and such, popular in the "kpop scene" and such.

I just needed some specific ingredients to make some Army Base JjiGae (부대 찌개), BuDae JjiGae, which this place had everything I was looking for and then some.

Also bought some things here widely available but they seemed quite fresh, and I like to support local businesses when I can.

Overall just a neat little grocery to check out for a fun...