Finally, a Chinese restaurant and Bubble Tea bar in Greenville that goes beyond the usual General Tso’s Chicken and Beef and Broccoli. Although we love our Chinese American fare, we have sorely missed the freshness of authentic Chinese cooking.
About Asia Pacific Supermarket
I first visited Asia Pacific Supermarket with a good friend from Hong Kong, now also based in Greenville. She knows about my hankering about finding an authentic Chinese restaurant in the Upstate. I have been back many times since, to shop and to eat, and have never been disappointed. Most visitors come to visit the aisles of the 14,000-square-foot supermarket, but the real gem is the non-descript restaurant quietly located right behind the cashier.
The restaurant is bright, spacious, and very clean. The staff is efficient and friendly. You may find your supermarket cashier sometimes taking your order after she rings you up at the aisles. You will also probably meet gracious Alva Mak, the proprietor, who hails from Hongkong, hence the predominant Cantonese flavors in their dishes. Alva mentions that they’ve only been open for six months and the response has been good. Located a few blocks from Greenville Technology College, she says they are frequented by students and Asian regulars.
Cantonese cooking consists of wok-fried and steamed dishes. But what I miss the most are the roasted meats. And yes, they have roasted duck and Char Siu or roast pork. We’ve tried the duck and it’s to die for!
Other dishes we’ve tried are their pickled mustard with pork and bean sprouts and eggplant with pork. Unlike Western cooking, the vegetables take center stage alongside the meats and chopped up in small bites.
The eggplant dish was delicious and actually overshadowed the pork (in a good way of course).
On their menu is a long list of seafood items, beckoning for me to come back. Pan-fried fish with tofu, spicy salt and pepper grouper, seafood with rice noodles, spicy salt, and pepper shrimp, and so on. I’ve tried the fillet Tilapia fish with black beans. The saltiness was jarring at first till I remembered that it must and should be eaten with white rice. Dishes are priced between $10 to $12.
Chatting with Alva, she points out that their menu is a work in progress and consists of daily specials. If you don’t find one to your liking, there’s also the option of having fresh seafood from their fish tanks and have them prepare it as you wish. Now that’s really bringing me back to Asia!
Plan your own visit
Asia Pacific Supermarket:
Asian Grocery, Chinese Kitchen, Fish Market, and Bubble Tea Bar
420 N. Pleasantburg Drive, Greenville SC, 29607
11 am to 8 pm
864-603-1377
Have you checked out Asia Pacific Supermarket yet?
