Top 5 Asian Grocers in Prague


 

Prague is one of the most visited cities in the world with numbers ever rising in the last two decades. The Czech Republic is part of the EU and Schengen, which is why it is no surprise that there is a plethora of European tourists. What is a surprise, however, is the rapidly surging number of visitors from Asia. Chinese and South Koreans are the most numerous, reaching up to 500-600 thousand from each country. Furthermore, Vietnamese people are the third biggest minority in the republic (after Ukrainians and Slovaks), which solidifies the Asian presence in the city.

With that in mind, it comes as no surprise that we have decided to review some of the best Asian grocers in Prague. Whether you are from an Asian descent and want a taste from your home continent or another foreigner looking for new and exotic experiences, you can benefit from checking out the places we will discuss below.  We are focusing on grocers, but in some of the cases (whole markets for example) there would be much more to see.

1. Sapa market

Sapa Market
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Some background

When it comes to anything Asian in Prague, from a grocery to a souvenir shop, there is simply no way to start with any other place than Sapa. What is Sapa you may ask? Only the biggest, most authentic, bustling, ever busy Vietnamese market in the city!

A little background here: when Vietnam and the Czech Republic were both under communist regimes, there was a huge exchange of workforce, which involved a lot of Vietnamese coming to work in then Czechoslovakia. After the fall of the regime many Vietnamese decided to stay and brought their friends and family.

As mentioned earlier, that made the Vietnamese the third biggest minority in Czechia, which beautifully diversifies that cultural and culinary aspects of Prague. That is best represented in Sapa market, which is the figurative heart of the Vietnamese community. It feels truly like a part of South Asia somehow teleported in the center of Europe.

Grocery

I cannot recommend a single place from this market – whatever you are on the lookout for, be it condiments, veggies, spices or fruit, just take a walk around and choose the freshest from among the stalls.  It is a classical style Asian market, with many tables crammed together, offering everything you can imagine and beyond. I cannot guarantee that the person selling would speak English, but I can guarantee the 50/50 percent chance that you might be able to haggle. So if you don’t necessarily agree with a price, try your luck.

That is, of course, if you’re shopping from the stalls. There are also a lot of Vietnamese groceries, which offer at regular prices the essentials for many Asian cuisines. Whether you are in need of Sriracha, fish sauce, oyster sauce, teriyaki, cilantro, rice noodles… you can find it and at a decent (read: not too overpriced) cost compared to places outside Sapa.

You can also enjoy exotic tropical fruit such as Korean pears, rambutan, pomelo and… durian. Don’t get me started on that last one, I can write a whole book on the reasons why it is terrible (still, you should try at least once).

And if you want to try something other than Vietnamese imports, there is also a Korean supermarket which represents the respective cuisine with products such as kimchi, Barley tea and gochujang.  There are also rice cookers, cheap utensils and pretty much every household item you never think about.

Food, food, more food

Vietnamese food is delicious and a great ambassador for the cuisines of Southeast Asia. Sapa is full of small, cheap and charming bistros where you can try anything from the classics like Pho to  some truly weird stuff like Tiet Canh (Blood Pudding).  The dishes are traditionally prepared, full of original taste, spices and aroma that can make you forget you ate just an hour ago. I can recommend restaurants that are popular among local Vietnamese, rather than non-Vietnamese visitors (obviously): for example Huế Xưa, a very reasonably priced, delicious place popular with the native community.

On that note, expect that most people will speak Vietnamese OR Czech, which, if you are a foreigner, doesn’t help that much. So either bring a Czech/Vietnamese fried or prepare for a small pantomime. What can you do, #justtravelerthings.

Oh and before we change the subject – be sure to try a Bun Cha while you’re there.

Getting there

Here is the tricky part. Sapa is pretty far from your average tourist district. In fact, it is in a place I didn’t even know existed in my first year in Prague. The market is found right next to the bus stop Sidliště Písnice, which is somewhere in the deep Prague 11.

Let’s say that our starting point is Wensceslas Square. Walk up in the direction of the National Museum until you see the sign for the red metro line – C. The metro stop is called Muzeum.

Take the metro to the stop Kačerov (direction Háje) and walk out to the bus station in front of the metro. Catch bus 113 and ride until “Sidliště Písnice”. Chances are there will be a a screen or at least a voice telling you the stops, but if you feel lost ask one of the locals. The trip to the stop should be around 15 minutes, 9 stops. Come to think of it, you can also just count how many times it stops.

Anyway, that’s the path to Sapa – all in all 35 minutes from the main square. Of course, there are other ways to reach it – if you have data just write “Sidliště Písnice” in google maps and follow your heart.

BTW, buy a ticket for the way back or send an SMS DPT24 to number 902 06 before your trip (if you have a prepaid card for T-mobile, 02 or Vodafone).

2. Shinfood

Shin food
Source: Personal picture

Shin Ltd. is a large importer of foods from South Korea, Japan and China. A family held business that started in 2001, Shin offers a plethora of Asian products to the EU market. They offer better-than-average prices for Asian imports and boast more than 1000 types of goods that are both durable and frozen. I have the impression that they offer primarily Korean products, but all in all they have diversity.

I really recommend Shin for snacks and frozen goods, although you can also find a lot of other interesting items like kimchi, sushi, okonomiyaki, tempura, miso, bulgogi…  Keep in mind that as it is a located a lot closer to the center than Sapa you simply can’t expect similarly low prices.

You can find the place on Korunní street 47/1186, Vinohrady.  Just catch tram 11 or 13 from Muzeum tram stop on the top of Wensceslas Square and stop at Vinohradská tržnice. Continue walking in the direction of the tram and turn right on the third street. Walk down and turn left on the second street – walk until you see it.

3. Thai’s Asian Food Shop

Source: Personally taken

I gotta admit that I am a bit biased on this one, as Thai is one of my favorite cuisines. Ever. Maybe that’s why I like this otherwise small shop.

So what is in this place? Don’t count on a lot of fresh fruit or veggies, but do expect a wide range of Thai spices, sauces, snacks and basic ingredients. In addition, there are imports from other Asian countries and a good selection of frozen goods.

One of the things I really like about this grocer is that they sell amazing shrimp, already cleaned, shelled and deeply frozen. And most importantly – they are not pre-cooked. This means that you are free to can make the shrimp any way you wish, which is simply not possible with the pre-boiled ones you would get from a regular supermarket. Or, if you find raw ones, they will be uncleaned, which is a journey none of us wants to embark on.

You can try a lot of exotic offerings from this little Thai shop. Let’s take for example the barbecued eel. I understand that it can be a bit too much for the average western taste, but it is a truly unique dish that I doubt you will easily find even at Sapa.  It takes some gut to make yourself try it for the first time: the secret is to not dwell too much on what you’re eating. Just take a bite and enjoy.

In terms of ingredients, you can expect Thai staples such as kaffir lime leaves, which add this specific taste to Thai curries. That goes well with  galangal, a root similar to ginger that fits perfectly with soups.  Additionally, you can find lemon grass, Thai grown basil, bean sprouts and a lot of stuff that will shoot your eyebrows further along your forehead than you ever thought they can reach.

I was truly perplexed by the sight and description of some of the items but hey – that’s what makes exotic shopping fun. With regards to some of the things I saw, it takes a person braver than me to try (the eel is my limit), but the majority are your basic South-Asian ingredients.

The shop is in the same area as Shinfoods, on Francouzská 66, 101 00 Praha 10-Vršovice. You can take tram 13 from Muzeum, on top of the main square,  and stop on Jana Masaryka. Then simply keep walking on the right side of the street, in the same direction, and you will reach the place – the park Bezručovy sady should be on your left.

4. K-shop

K-shop is a Korean grocery in the center of Prague. Convenient, plentiful, somewhat overpriced – it is everything you can expect of a specialized store in the center. If you have sudden cravings, or simply want to try cooking some Korean cuisine without much fuss, this is the place to go. You can find anything from condiments and spices to frozen foods and kimchi that would cover for the foundation of many Korean dishes. Although a bit overpriced, it is still really, really reasonable compared to some of the other stores I have seen in Prague.

In fact, the only drawback of the place I have experienced is the occasional problem with overexcited Korean tourists, who sometimes get a bit too determined to have a taste from home as soon as possible and get “enthusiastic” with the line. Nonetheless, great service and selection.

Apart from the grocery basics, you can also find  a lot of supplementary products. For example there are imported beauty cosmetics, as well as kitchen supplies, rice cookers, pots, etc.

You can find K-shop on the street V Celnici, Nové Město. Take tram 14 from the main square to the stop Masarykovo nádraží  and then walk for around 2 minutes down the street on the left.

5. U modrého slona

The name literally translates to “At the blue elephant”, which I’ve always found charming, for some reason.  I cannot describe it better than “a general store for generally Asian products”.  It is not specialized in one country or one cuisine, but rather covers the gaps that the import sections at Tesco and Albert fail to fill.

Source: 2gis.cz

The majority of the visitors are locals from the neighborhood with a tooth for Asian cuisine – make of this what you will. I would recommend it as a great place to get imported soy and oyster sauce, canned exotic vegetables and fruit, a wide array of spices and all the instant noodles you can muster.

To reach the place take a 10 minute walk from the main square to the main train station Hlavní nádraží. There you can catch tram 26 and ride for 5 stops to Kamenická. The shop is a 2 minute walk down the street, on the right. The address is M. Horákové 817/48, 170 00 Praha 7-Holešovice.

Parting words

Upon arriving in Prague I was genuinely surprised by how much Asian cuisines have influenced the culinary tastes in the city. There are a lot of other places apart from those I reviewed, encompassing many Asian countries, including Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines. And the restaurants… everything you can imagine. If you have time on your trip to Prague I’d advise you to explore beyond this list and see if you can find some hidden gem – that is the beauty of Prague, after all.

In the meantime, we at Discover Walks, can only wholeheartedly encourage you to visit Prague in the coming spring. So much so, that we are ready to offer you a special guided trip, with one of our professional tour guides. Stay safe and happy travels!

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