ottawa foodies

This used to be my favorite stop for Asian foods whenever I got to visit Ottawa but the Kowloon Market just across the street has taken its place recently. That doesn’t mean that I don’t like Wa Kiu anymore, by any means, but I do have to note that the place has deteriorated a bit over the last little while…

Wa Kiu is not very large but it still manages to pack a pretty good selection of different Asian foodstuffs. One interesting feature is the Barbecue products they display for takeaway. They didn’t have a huge selection on this particular date but you can see a couple of delicious looking ducks and a whole barbecued pig’s head at the bottom of the display window. I keep meaning to try some of this sometime but every time I visit the store I am usually laden down with purchases and on my elsewhere to eat … maybe on my next trip to Ottawa?

Wa Kiu carries a fairly decent selection of dried goods – vegetables, seafood, soup-mixes, etc. – and plenty of sauces and seasonings. They have some fresh vegetables and also tanks for live seafood. On this visit, as on my last, there was actually very little fresh fish to choose from. One tank held only a single, lonely looking specimen. It was an unusual fish, though – one I have never seen before – and I am sorry I didn’t take a picture of it to show you.

Beyond the food, there is also a selection of cooking gear that is generally quite reasonably priced. There is not a lot to chose from though and there are other stores down the street with better variety.

Wa Kiu has, as I say, gone down hill a bit since I first visited 7 or 8 years ago, and you can see the rather decrepit appearance of the storefront in the first picture above. Still, it is always possible to come across something you can’t find elsewhere and is thus worth a visit.

See full review with pictures at: sybaritica.me

So... here's a little interesting tidbit of information. I have long been a fan of Wa Kiu's in house made roast pork and char siu. Today, as I'm passing by, I notice a Lavergne truck outside. I pop inside to ask why there is a Lavergne truck outside and am very pleasantly surprised to hear that their meat for roasting comes from Lavergne. Explains the deliciousness.

You can buy edamame at the Wah Kiu (sp?) grocery store (or as my 5 yr old son calls it "We will, we will, Wah Kiu") across the street from Kowloon Market. It is in the freezer near the BBQ pork stall. Just ask the guy at the counter. The package is green and has instructions how to cook them on the back.