ottawa foodies

As someone whose first apartment was above this market, I can confirm that they do have fish. At all times. My nose can confirm that.

To anyone who's been here it's no surprise that there is fish. It's usually the first thing you can smell when you walk through the door. They have a crazy variety. Shark, tuna, carp, Lake Erie caught fish (freshwater drum, white bass, walleye/pickerel) as well as many others. One that stuck out was the live lampreys and bighead carp (invasive flying carp in the Mississippi). I haven't bought any fish here as i usually go there for May ploy curry paste,mi goreng noodles, cheap herbs and yen fung ding dumplings. Love this place! Way more fun than going to loblaws.

The Kowloon Market in Ottawa’s Chinatown has become my favorite store for finding interesting new things and for stocking up on many of the Asian foods that are impossible to come by up here in the North. For quite a few years, I used to pass by the market on visits to Chinatown without realizing it was there. It was in a fairly poor state of repair with paper covering many windows for the longest time and it wasn’t until they did a bit of a cleanup that I noticed it last spring. Now, I make it a regular stop on every trip to the capital…

Read a full pictorial review at: sybaritica.me

I was in here today and it looked like a sorry state of affairs. Either they are remodelling the store or...... Anyone care to chime in here?

Decided to stop into Kowloon on Saturday. It has been a long time since I went in beyond the store front bakery shop, I have always gone to 168 instead. Kowloon is indeed cleaned up and expanded. The front section is still cramped shelves of stuff, but the back section is wide, clean and no longer smelly :)

They have frozen foods, meat & fish in the back, and produce behind the bakery.

I saw some of my stand-bys in the frozen section, and lots of things I'd like to try. I was after fresh herbs and there wasn't much there. I did get some nice bird's eye chilis, chive flowers and snow peas. There was a good selection of fresh looking baby bok choy too.

I didn't have much time, so I'll go back again next weekend.

Kowloon Market is finally getting a huge renovation. They are cleaning it up and expanding.

Uni Mart (in the plaza on Montreal road just across the bridge from Rideau Street) is like Kowloon, but bigger, cleaner and you can get some items (i.e. Jasmine essence and Pandan essence) that I couldn't find in Kowloon. Also, if you drive there is parking there. Same bakery products as Kowloon, as well as takeout duck, shrimp, chicken wings, springrolls etc which are convenient but only so-so taste wise.

I hate to go to Kowloon Market in the winter. The place stinks and my jacket absorbs the smell. They need a major cleanup inside to get rid of the odor!

Nan Ru (Nam Yu) flavoured peanuts from China .... Farmers Brand.

Unique (and acquired, for some) taste.

Thanks for the tip that they have the 3 chicken carcasses for $1 the same as 168 used to have!

I find their's a bit too salty. Will try again though, could-a been the batch.

They have powder for making instant dashi. Look on the wall of Japanese products to the right of the cashiers.