Whether we just want a hot Asian meal, stock up on Asian groceries or just enjoy the feeling of being in the majority, many of us make a habit of visiting Asian supermarkets and malls on a regular basis. Now that there are so many big impressive Asian shopping areas opening up all over America, most of us get to pick and choose where we go to indulge our Asian thing.

What's your favorite Asian supermarket or mall? Which ones are truly deserving of being named among the "Greats"?

I can't tell you which mall I think is the best, but I can tell you which one shouldn't be up there. Hong Kong City Mall. Yes, I said it Hank. Why? Because it has too many of the same stores or businesses. They have about 7-8 Asian jewelry stores (Thiem Vang), 4-5 Asian salons, 5-6 tappioca shops, 5-6 Pho/soup restaurants or shops, 4-5 sandwich shops, 4-5 cell phone booths, and the list goes on. In a way it's good for the consumer because they get alot of good deals because of rival competition. It's bad for the shop owners because they lose money on selling low and undercutting their rivals. When the shops close down (and I have seen a few), then ultimately the consumer loses. Obviously the owners of the mall let this happened so they could pay their mortage. I think the HK city mall could have been planned and devised better. Oh yea, the mall can get real filthy sometimes, especially the bathrooms. Don't get me wrong, I do like the fact that the mall does attract ALOT of people. Where everybody can meet, mingle, hang out, eat, shop or do whatever they want. I also like the fact that the mall attracts alot of non Asians to its establishments. As I call it, the non Asians weekly cultural experience excursions. Hahahah!

Hong Kong Mall is still an excellent resource that a major US metro can have.

I don't find that the Hong Kong Mall of Houston is too different than say the Focus Shopping Center (99 Ranch Mall) in the LA area (things that have the same cafes, jewelry, clothing, gifts, etc.). Hong Kong Mall simply has a more Vietnamese theme as opposed to Focus which is more Sino-centric. But at Hong Kong, you seemingly can do real estate and more things than at the Focus itself. And as far as what an Asian mall can offer in the one-stop shopping theme, there are a heck of a lot more bubble tea places at Hong Kong Mall than the Focus Center.

The design of Focus is very outdoor Mediterranean style, more interesting to be sure. But it is suited for the natural outdoor climate of California. There is a hot-pot buffet there that is so exquisite. A favorite of ours when in Los Angeles.

Hong Kong Mall is matched for the rather shifty Texas weather and if you're going to have an indoor mall, it may as well be like Hong Kong. I like the water walkaways and some outdoor seating there. The gargantuan Ocean Palace is bigger in size than any Asian restaurant I've seen in Cali. I guess things really are bigger in Texas.

I love both the Focus Center and Hong Kong Mall. Just wherever you happen to be, is all.

But SW Houston is the great epicenter of pan-Asian confluence in the USA. It is like taking half of the Westminster-Garden Grove area of the LA metro (the Westminster and Bolsa strips) and taking half of the Sino-centric SG Valley along Valley Blvd. and mashing it all together in a nice hybrid area.

See, in LA, you have to drive 15 to 20 or so miles to get to W. Covina (west) or Carson City (South Bay) to get to a substantial area of Filipino businesses from the more central areas. Westminster-Garden Grove are about 30 miles from Monterey Park/Rosemead/Alhambra. I have seen only two or three pho houses along Valley Blvd, no Filipino restaurants. While some Filipinos hang out in these areas, there are no discernible Filipino cafes or such in Westminster-Garden Grove that I've seen yet.

In Houston, Bissonnet St. offers a mix of Filipino, Nigerian and Pakistani (with some Chinese, Peruvian and other) is very parallel to the great Bellaire Blvd. "New Chinatown" offerings. Bissonnet further in is the great mix of Cuban, El Salvadoran and Mexican (and there's even a funky looking Korean cafe there). Beechnut is still yet another Viet-town diaspora. And it's great how the Bellaire Blvd axis is already almost comparable to LA's Valley Blvd. Houston is home to great subcontinental pop-culture and only some 3 or 4 miles away from New Chinatown is the exotic Hillcroft. I love Persian food as well as the other Central Asian/Middle Eastern stuff and that street is FULL of it. I heavily recommend Dharband Khabobi. Great Persian food which is not too spicy compared to Pakistani; that's for the nan bread fix and all.

Then there's the Wel-Farm plaza in Sugar Land that has some nice Asian knick knacks.

Outside of the SW area, there are of course, other Asian conglomerations in Houston. Such as the Little Korea there near Memorial City Mall along Long Point/Gessner; Little Saigon and Little Chinatown downtown and then the vast collection of pan-Asian (from Indian to Vietnamese to Filipino among others) businesses along Veteran's Memorial on the NW side.

In a Sun Belt sprawl's context, this mix is so geographically friendly in a way that's a little drive-time friendly compared to LA.

This post has been edited by worldlyman: Jul 8 2004, 12:20 PM

why isnt t&t on here?