Pal-Do World Asian Market

entrance to Pal-Do World

The Pacific Northwest is home to a generous mix of Asian populations. It's natural that grocery and specialty stores would serve these vibrant and thriving communities. Pal-do World in Lakewood, Washington is one such store, featuring products from Korea, Japan, China, Viet Nam, and Thailand.

Inside you'll find a Japanese bakery, full service bank, beauty salon, nail salon, fine gift shop, Korean barbecue, DVD rental shop, and more. Go through the turnstiles, and you'll be in the grocery store proper. You can find fresh produce for as much as half off the regular local retail grocery store prices. The variety is short of phenomenal.

There are pallets and bins of bulk items [rice, crackers, snacks, beer, fruit juices, teas], enormous refrigerator cases of kim chee, tanks of fresh and live seafood, trays and bins of exotic fish, several delis and aisles and aisles and aisles of sauces and pastes. Here are a couple of samples of the mix available.



The shelves just groan with every kind of sauce imaginable! The shelves fill the center of the store and they are top to bottom loaded with teriyakis, sweet and sours, hot-sours, Wasabes, curries, soys, fish, hot-fish -- and so many others. You'll also find tempuras, pankos, and all sorts of batter mixes. Each type of course from all the countries represented in the store. You could have your chicken with Japanese panko, Korean barbecued pork, and Chinese style noodles and vegetables. You can buy everything you need at Pal-Do.

The last time I was there, I decided to try two new hot-sour sauces. I wanted to make my hot-sour soups and mixed vegetables an exceptional treat. But with hundreds to choose from, I wasn't sure which one I wanted to take home first. My niece suggested the Vegetarian Tom Yum paste from Thailand and distributed by Dragonfly. [She and her friends highly recommended it.] I then chose a bottled Vietnamese Hot & Sour Soup Base by Pagolac and made in Viet Nam. I tried them in soups, stir frys, and meats, sometimes alone, sometimes as enhancers with other flavors. [I discovered that beef or fowl quickly stir fried in teriyaki was a delicious contrast flavor in a hot-sour soup with fresh vegetables and rice noodles.] We found we loved both of these products any way we used them.

Next to the sauces, the sheer variety of noodles completely overwhelmed me -- buckwheat, rice, wheat, and from every country, each one made and packaged a little differently. The selection of rice was even more astounding -- 25 lb bags of every variety available on Earth -- stacked on pallets around the store. I love the variables and how easy it is to make a memorable meal from whatever you have on hand. An exceptional sauce is the key to it all, but having the right noodles or rice is the second most important ingredient.

We also found unexpected humor here and there, too, which really added to the friendly atmosphere of the place.

Click here for additional shopper reviews. Check out the Asian specialty stores in your area. You will be amazed! And I guarantee, you won't leave empty handed. There is always one more item to try. If you can't decide, there is always one of my other favorites to try -- Plum Candy from Korea. It's the perfect completion to any meal -- sweet and light or as it says on the package, "Plum in love." I agree!

Thanks for visiting!