Say Hi

A small, jam-​packed little place with imports from China and Japan, Say Hi is colorful and fun. The prices are low and the owner is very nice and helpful. It seems a bit cluttered with treasures, but if you come in the right mindset for that, you will find a variety of items including candy, canned goods, noodles, clothes, shoes, bags, some dishes, and decorative items.

I love this store. Cash only and irresistibly global.

Strange. Like forrrrrreals.
I try and visit places in my neighborhood, since I moved from south Austin last summer. The little mom & pop shops, thrift stores, corner stores, and all the restaurants.
I noticed Say Hi. It always looks closed, but I recently stopped in, and felt like I stepped into another dimension. It’s a small store, jam packed with shit, like from floor to ceiling.
Shoes? They got ‘em, just don’t touch ‘em. Vegan duck in a can? Yes. Butane? Yep. Fifty different kinds of ramen noodles? You Betcha. Teapots, origami paper, little statues, big statues, umbrellas, knick knacks, dresses, tiny glass animals, and bamboo shoots? Of course.
Everything is a little dusty, a bit unorganized, and almost like a treasure hunt. The man that was there was extremely nice and told me all about his son who makes origami using dollar bills, but they have to be the right kind, not the wrong kind, or it won’t work, but he is very good, because all the kids these days like the origami.
I found a few items for purchase, including a ½″ glass turtle. He rings me up, and I hand him my credit card.
Oops. No cards accepted. I became confused as to what decade it was, and apologized and left. I’ll go back when I have cash, because it is such a strange store. And that seems to be a good thing here.

If you think you know what shoe size you wear, you are wrong.
In the year 1996, I was first sent on a pilgrimage to Say Hi by my tai chi teacher. It was he who said, «A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.» Or shoe. Probably it was Confucious. Either way, I had to journey to this place that as Oscar wrote back in April, probably sells «Mogwais in the back.» I had to go to Say Hi to purchase my first set of tai chi shoes (which I’m told, in China, are not just used for tai chi).
Say Hi is a tiny asian grocery/​tchochke/​rice cookers/​chinese fans/​Thai hot sauce/​Mogwai dealership run by the owner, Pat. If you are looking for tai chi shoes, I don’t know if he still stocks them, but he will tell you that if you think you are size X, you are probably instead a size Y. It will be unclear to you young Skywalker, whether this is just a fact or, depending on your actual shoe size, some kind of flattery. But he had them, and did nail the size right on the money the first time. As I mentioned at the beginning of this paragraph, besides shoes, there are also asian foods and some appliances and figurines and martial arts uniforms and chopsticks and so forth.
If you want to visit Say Hi, be quick about it. I was recently in there again and rumor has it that Pat is going to hang up the Hi soon, after doing business in Austin for 20+ years. He has also cancelled his land line due to the price of keeping one, and he may not always be there, so snatch a card by the register next to the Ben Wa balls and use his cell phone number if you want to come over.
Jack Burton: «What does that mean? Huh? ‘China is here.’ I don’t even know what the hell that means.»

good selection of «Asian» knic knacks, food, cooking supplies, clothes, hell I wouldn’t be surprised if they were selling mogwais in the back…

Go and «say hi» to the owner, he is awesome! :)
Great selection of Asian «junk» as the owner says, he has a lot of stuff! Very small store, jam packed full of various items.
By the way, make sure you bring cash, he doesn’t accept credit cards!

I went in this place for the first time in 15 years. Back in the day the guy would yell at us for rummaging through his shoes. I used to buy Mary Jane’s there regularly. It is fun to see that he now has signs up telling you not to touch his shoes. LOL

I have to give this place 5 stars because it’s one of those places so much fun to visit I can have fun without even purchasing anything! But then I always do buy something, if only to help support the old man that runs it and help keep it in existence.
It looks pretty decrepit from the outside. One might almost think they were out of business by the state of disrepair. Inside it is almost magical. Full of cool stuff — foods, decorations, footwear, dishes and more from Thailand and elsewhere. The old guy that runs the place is a hoot and very friendly and fun to talk with. I always learn something new when I talk to him and usually buy something I have never had or tried before. Oh, and they have my favorite bowls (soup bowl size)! They’re about 5.99 each I think.
And besides, the name of this place cracks me up. I remember reading an article in Cosmo years and years ago where the woman was talking about an old boyfriend that used to, right after beginning an intimate act of sexual proportions, would always say to her, «Say hi.» Then when she broke up with him she found herself saying «hi» to new partners, who would just look at her quizzically. Then I saw the same of this store. Now this store always reminds me of that silly Cosmo article!!! There is another Asian store up the road (north on Burnet) with a similar-​sounding name, but this one is Say Hi spelled in English. (Hmmm…I wonder what it means in its original language?!)