Chinese Supermarket in Dubai UPDATED NOVEMBER 2021
Do you get bored shopping at your regular supermarket? I certainly do and so was delighted to find an amazingly authentic Chinese supermarket in Dubai’s International City. NOW RELOCATED TO AL RIGA IN DEIRA just near the Clock Tower. Well worth a visit for all real foodies.
BUT check these Top Tips before you go on this delicious outing.
Where exactly is the Chinese Supermarket in Dubai? NEW LOCATION in Deira near the Clock Tower – easy drive and there is parking too. See map.
What did I buy at the Chinese supermarket in Dubai?
I bought fresh Kai Lan (Chinese broccoli) Choi Sum and Pak Choi all at around Dhs 3 to Dhs 5 per pack, a fraction of what I’d normally pay. I also got a large packets of sweet potato noodles, some ready fried tofu, steamed chicken dumplings for soup and all manner of baked rice snack items for healthier munchies.
There is also plenty of fresh LIVE seafood to buy too, giant, live lobsters seemed reasonable at AED 268 or so!
See how to make the dumplings yourself HERE
I wasn’t brave enough to try some of the more exotic and painfully authentic ingredients such as the chicken’s feet or sheep’s tongue but steer clear of these more squeamish items (to me) and you still have a huge, well stocked shop that boasts fresh ingredients regularly flown in very sensibly priced.
TIP
Do buy some of the exotic fruits like red dragon fruit, sweet melons and grapefruit pink flesh pomelos! We also loved the Chinese garlic chives and dark green leaves that look like spinach. The variety of mushrooms was incredible and these would make a super gift for any foodie! Pop in a dragon fruit for some extravagance, the mixed mushroom packs are only AED 6.50!
TIP
Alot of the servers speak English and or HIndi, so do ask if you need to clarify anything, BUT note alot of the labels of prodcuts are in Chinese.
TIP
Do buy some ready made pastes like chilli oil, I also bought 5 spice powder and and of course prawn crackers, a favourite with kids of all ages, just AED 3 per packet!
EATING at the WeMart
On the ground floor as you enter there are a number of “stalls” selling all manner of cooked Chinese food. You can buy what you like and sit at any of the communal tables in the middle. It’s not only Chinese food on offer, there is a huge array of very reasonably priced sushi too.
TIP
Go to the back of the ground floor and choose your vegetables, fish and or meat, weigh it and have it cooked up FRESH hot pot style. This is what my Chinese friend recommended and she was right to do so!
WARNING TIP
The little bit spicy sign will be super spicy (I just about managed) so maybe ask for tiny or no spice then add your own!
This way of eating, is fresh, completely customisable (we had heaps of fresh vegetables and various types of tofu with 2 large prawns each) it’s also super cheap, just AED 77 for 2 of us!
You buy your drinnks separately (mostly cold drinks, none hot!) and also buy a few dim sums from another stall, we liked leek fried gyozas and crystal prawn dumplings.
You’ll be shocked at how reasonable the dim sum baskets are too!
Cool shopping and authentic eats at this Chinese supermarket emporium in Deira, like going to a different part of Dubai you never knew existed! Do let me know if you have a favourite and as yet undiscovered restaurant you’d like me to review, and please share this post as usual.
Thanks, Monica.
Little Fat Sheep is another authentic and very popular Chinese restaurant in International City but there are so many hot pot restaurants in Dubai now.