Cai Lay Market — Local services in Port Charlotte

Were looking for some ingredients to make homemade sushi and the store didn’t disappoint! No fresh fish or ready meals, but plenty of things to make a meal if you like to cook and craving Asian cuisine. I’m saying Asian, because they have products from Japan, China, etc. Seaweed wraps see bought for sushi were so so much better than Publix. Rice (look for the red label) - perfect sticky delicious rice that can be used for sushi or any other dish. We also bought miso soup concentrate. $7 can make you about 30 portions of this delicious soup (seaweed and tofu needs to be purchased separately). Oh! Lo Mein noodles in freezer section are delicious! Ask the owner for the sauce. We made ours with shrimp and veggies. It was delicious! Can’t wait to go back and get some steam rice...

I was honestly surprised to see some of the negative reviews here. I think a lot of it might come down to cultural differences in communication. The owner may come across a bit direct, but my experience showed me that behind that is a genuinely kind person.

When my card didn’t work during checkout (on my very first visit!), instead of making me leave my groceries behind, he insisted that I take them and just pay next time. That kind of trust and generosity is rare.

On top of that, the prices are fair, the vegetables are fresh, and the store—while small—offers a wide variety of items you don’t easily find elsewhere.

If you come here with an open mind, you’ll see it’s not your typical Publix, but that’s exactly what...

Very rude cashier/employee. I went in looking for some noodles and took a picture to send to my husband to make sure they were the ones he needed. Cashier said I am not allowed to take any photos. I said sorry and then he proceeded to follow me around the store til I got so uncomfortable that I just left. The store also was not well kept and looked dirty. Very disappointed as it is the closest one to my home. I would however highly recommend the one in gulf gate. Huge selection and the people are great there; I was simply trying to avoid such...