Mekong Rainier

I love this place! The place to go to for everything you need to make real Thai food.

This place is seriously unbeatable especially in price. So much asian variety for my asian taste buds. Mekong Rainier has everything from fresh fish and vegetables to every imaginable sauce, spice and noodle. Have fun exploring!
Compare the prices of apples and other fresh produce with other large-​chain grocery stores like Safeway or QFC, and you’ll find them vastly cheaper here. The checkout lines are very quick.
The location is convenient and I love that they have a parking lot.

Seattle is a great place to find all kinds of specialty markets and I have been coming here for most of my Thai and Lao needs. This place is primarily a Thai market with the best selection of Thai products you can get in one location and also at a very reasonable price. What more could you ask for?
I like that all of the staff here are friendly and polite and will answer any questions you have. If you come across someone on the floor who cannot speak English you can always ask the people up front at the counter or the registers. The women at the registers are always pleasant!
One of the things I loves out this place is that their prices on both meats and produce are much cheaper than any of the regular supermarkets and most of the other Asian markets as well. I have always found their meat to be fresh and always properly marked.
This place has a wide selection of fresh herbs and greens including different types of Thai basil. If you are cooking Thai or Lao dishes you will most probably find all the fresh stuff you will need here. I have noticed the produce I buy here will stay fresh for a while in my fridge (unlike some other stores whose produce rots quickly).
While I was there a worker was putting cabbage up on the shelf and he was removing any of the outer bruised leaves that did not look fresh! So many stores just put the cabbages out with wilted outer leaves, but not Mekong!
I have never had a situation where I couldn’t find an item here. I have also called to check if they had an ingredient I couldn’t find at another market and they always had it. I have found this store to be far more reliable than many other markets in Seattle for constantly having what I need and not having to make several trips.
They also have a big seafood section with both fresh and frozen seafood. As with the meats, I have never had a problem or noticed any out of date products.
One of the really great things they sell is the prepackaged mix of fresh veggies and papaya needed for Som Tom green papaya salad. It is very inexpensive so you can buy several packs and make your own at home. If you want they also have the flavor packets to make the Som Tom seasoning. If you use the seasoning/​flavor packs I have found it is not as good as making the seasoning by hand but at least you have that option if you don’t have the time.
There is a counter where they make Banh Mi sandwiches. You can also check to see if there are some out in the front of the store by the counter so you can get them quickly and not have to wait. They will be prepackaged and marked. I really like their tofu sandwich here and have tried the pork and chicken too. They are always fresh! The woman making the sandwiches is so nice and she even brought my sandwiches up to the front for me. Such good service is always welcome.
Their selection of curry pastes, sauces, and mixes is limited to mostly Thai products but there are some other Asian staples as well. I use some of the Lobo seasoning packets and they are okay. If you have never made Larb you should pick up a pack and all the fresh ingredients here!
This should be the place for all your Thai needs. Thanks Mekong Ranier Market!

First they carry that coconut bread that I love OMG. Why is it so hard to find?! Well first off it’s your typical Asian grocery store. I found everything I needed to make a Cambodian dish for my husband and more. I did by some chicken that went bad almost instantly in my fridge, but that’s typical of Asian stores (must remember to freeze). The second time I came here the guy getting the shrimp grabbed the shrimp out of my bag with his bare hands when it was over the weight I wanted. I know I’m going to be cooking it and all but that made me concerned with what other practices they might have. The ladies at the register have been friendly so that’s was nice. It’s a clean store with amazing smells of all the different herbs. I’ll be back!

Thank you Mekong for carrying items that are hard to find at Lams, Viet wah, Ranch market etc. You are cheap and have tons to offer a girl like me ;) You are clean and never smell and that’s what keeps me coming back for more!
If only you were in the north end, I’d be all up in that. All day, everyday. Hah

This is the PLACE to go if you want great customer service and a wide selection of Asian items. I take my mom here once a year at least (she lives far away) and it seems like the buys the store! The owner and his daughter gave us top notch service. You can’t go wrong here. The place is clean and you can pretty much find any Asian items.
The reason I’m not giving it 5 star review is because their prices on certain items are more than the ones in International District. Otherwise, everything is great here! If you’re around the area give them a try and you won’t regret it.

Mekong Rainier grocery is a great example of ethnic groceries: narrow aisles, weird labels, and strangely good prices.
My friends have been getting into SE Asian cuisine and so of course we had to visit a store that doesn’t cater to white America. We needed kaffir limes, which they commiserating with us about the rarity of them in the US, once we found the owner who spoke better English than the stockers. The prices were much better than Uwajimaya (and for that matter, sometimes even better than typical yankee stores e.g. QFC) and they carried a reasonable selection of the same fruits and veggies that you can only find in specialty/​ethnic stores. Spiky fruit, anyone? The quality of produce was fair-​very good.
The next time I need ‘exotic’ foodstuffs for my culinary excursions, I’ll definitely be hitting up Mekong Rainier.

Good selection of difficult to find Asian ingredients/​food, etc., Some items of dubious origin, but you gotta take your chances sometimes, right? This is what sometimes lures me into this store.
.35 charge if you don’t spend $ 5? WTF.
The customer service in this place sucks. Please occasionally enjoy your job and treat people like customers, not a series of inconveniences.

Great store! They have everything and at the lowest prices in town! It’s not QFC, it’s an Asian store with all the business that comes with it, but you safe tons of money and find authentic stuff!

This would happen to me.
I’m in line and there is some complicated transaction going on with the lady at the head of the line. «We’re in a grocery! What could be going on??» I’m thinking.
After almost 10 minutes (can’t make that up) it’s the guy’s turn next. He was MIA because he was picking up groceries still (!) when he had some on the checkout counter *banging head on invisible surfaces* and checks out. Then, the guy behind HIM has done the same thing. He’s disappeared and returned with more groceries: What is going on?
I’m only in line to pick up some rice. I heard they have a good selection but I was out of luck. They only had 4 different kinds that I could see. But, they had other groceries like Asian fruits, veggies and all, but I really was hoping for a lot of rice to choose from. I had just come from Uwaji’s and held off on buying rice to check out this place.
The aisles are tiny and full of people. Everybody looked like they had a complicated grocery check-​out story, when I was there just to write a single line.
Finally, finally, finally, it’s my turn.
Then, the unthinkable happens: I saw some dried chestnuts that I was SURE were some mushrooms that I like, and lo and behold, I’m out of line looking at the package of chestnuts.
@!!*?#!

Unlike Uwajimaya, seems to focus more on offering East Asian products on its shelves, Mekong Rainier offers a much, much greater selection of authentic SE Asia goods. The supermarket is located on Rainier Ave… not in one of the upper-​end neighborhoods but looks safe enough for anyone to venture into! It doesn’t look as upscale as other typical supermarkets and is more like a large hole in a wall marketplace cramped into small space… but their products are clean, unique and in a good condition. I was able to find many SE Asian items that I couldn’t have found elsewhere as well.
Price-​wise, Mekong Rainier is competitive with other SE Asian markets and is definitely much less expensive than Uwajimaya for sure. Be wary of items on sale though. When I was there, I found many cans of curry paste, etc on sale. However, I found many of them to be expiring in a week’s time… so if you are planning to use it soon, it might be a great deal… but if you plan to keep them as stock ups… that’s probably not a good idea.
Definitely a place to go (over other Westernized market like Uwajimaya) if you are specifically looking for SE Asian ingredients/​grocery.

Great little Asian grocery! They have many obscure items you may not even find in the large Asian stores.

This is a great midsize Asian market in the central district. It used to be a tiny little place and they’ve expanded quite a bit over the years. Don’t expect a Metropolitan style market, but you can find fresh Asian herbs and vegetables. I come here often looking for exotic Asian fruits during the summer months — jackfruit, mangosteen, logan, lychee, etc. I also buy my rice here (gluttonous & jasmine by the 50 lb/​bag).
Rule of thumb: never buy beef at an Asian grocery. It’s usually pretty inexpensive because it’s tough meat. I guess it would be ok if you are making some type of roast which requires long cooking time. Fish is OK as long as it’s still swimming in the tank. You can inspect a fresh fish by looking into it’s eyes… just don’t get romantic on it.
I get Chinese donuts here freshly fried while I wait!
Great location., easy to find and plenty of parking.

We shop here all the time for asian ingredients and produce as we are right in the neighborhood. The staff here is super friendly and very helpful. They have a great selection of produce — I stay away from the meats — I bought steak here once that wasn’t that good and while I like low prices these ones are a little low to be credible. The best deal they have though is on coconut milk and spices — coconut milk is ¹⁄₃ the price of what you’ll find in other stores and the spices they have are about ¹⁄₁₀ the price you’ll find in Safeway/​QFC. I really like it.

Authentic asian market prices! Place is cramped, but selection is great! Where else can you get such a huge selection cramped into such a small space. Veggies look pretty fresh, and meat/​fish selection is great. Prices are competitive, and similar to other asian markets in the rainier area.
My only compaint are the hours. By the time I get home from work, place is closed, and I must head down to Viet Wah or (gulp) the rainier safeway to stock up on supplies.

Authentic Asian food. I love it. I grew up going to this supermarket… so that’s over 20 years :)
They are so sweet and so kind. they have authentic Lao sausages and they recently renovated so that they could have more products.
cheap meats, cheap asian noodles, and cheap everything. Oh and if you want fast food, they have some delicious hot foods like egg rolls, wings, and yummy tilapia.
Their hom bow and viet sandwiches are my FAVORITE!

This is my favorite market in all of Seattle! A little hard to find, but once you know it, you’re golden. Staff here is soooo friendly and sweet. TONS of items to choose from. And the most yummy treats waiting for you right as you check out. Clever clever clever.

There are bigger and better places in the greater Seattle area for Asian grocery; but Mekong does a commendable job given its location and size.
Pros:
— Local neighborhood convenience (for those living nearby).
— Low, low, low prices (take that Uwajimaya!)
— Surprisingly large selection of Asian style and Hispanic goods given how small it is.
— Very nice and accommodating staff — especially if you speak Vietnamese or Chinese (Cantonese or Mandarin). I’m told the staff also speak Thai, but I can’t confirm this since I don’t. Some staff also speak Spanish.
— Balut — if you have to ask, you won’t like it.
Cons:
— Though far from bad, their produce is not super fresh (plenty good if you’re eating it within a day or two).
— No premium produce (Ok, Uwajimaya — you win this one).
— Fee for using credit card if buying less than $ 10.
— Closes at 7pm everyday.

I like this place because it has a lot of the things my mom needs to cook up a storm. Lots of ingredients for Southeast Asian cooking. The prices are very reasonable. For under $ 100, my mom bought 2 weeks worth of groceries to cook with for a family of 4. I think the owners and employees there are Vietnamese mostly and a few Cambodians or mixed. It’s a fairly large market and decent in terms of cleanliness (though not like Uwajimaya kind).
A little caveat, location wise, it’s kind of out there… and the exterior doesn’t look that great. almost a ghetto like backdrop. If it weren’t too far, I’d go there more often than say, only when my mom visits…

This place is super spectacular!!! No, you won’t find organic produce like you would at whole foods, but then again, you won’t find the same prices. Last night I went and purchased groceries for 2 separate dinners (a tofu, leomongrass, spinich lafska with polenta on top and tom kha soup) and spent barely over 10 dollars.
Did you hear me, I said BARELY OVER 10 DOLLARS! Another reason to come here is to escape the banality of the shopping experience… here you’ll see new ingredients, shop with people of a number of different asian ethnicities (not many other white dudes like myself; not a problem w/​me!) and escape the confines of your predictable safeway, albertsons, etc. etc. experience.