5 International Food Stores to Shop in RVA
A few Sundays ago, I was preparing a vegetarian quesadilla dinner, when I discovered two critical ingredients were missing from my pantry: quesadillas and rice. As I looked out from my front porch, it was starting to rain, the 1 o’clock NFL games were about to end, and the thought of getting in the car and driving to a jam-packed Kroger for only two items seemed ludicrous. That’s when I remembered the Hispanic food market on the corner (shout-out, Oaxaca Latin Market!) that my coworker had raved about during the last staff meeting.
Within two minutes, I had a fresh bag of rice, a big stack of corn tortillas, and a bonus freshly ripe mango in my hands. Goodbye, traditional quesadilla; hello, mango-inspired quesadilla.
My visit to Oaxaca and perusing its rich offering of Hispanic food items and fresh produce got me thinking: What other international food markets am I missing out on in Richmond? Turns out, there are a lot of great options and specialized food markets all around our region, most of which have loyal followings and serious fandom. Here, I’m going to break down a handful of the fan favorites.
— by Andrew Knight, Contributing Writer (and the brains behind RVA James River Fishing Report. Follow him @rvajamesriverfishreport!)
Oaxaca Latin Market
In honor of the inspiration for this city guide, I’m starting with Oaxaca Latin Market, which also happens to be the closest option to my humble abode on Park Ave. Located on Shepherd St, Oaxaca is easy to miss living in the shadow and raucousness of Buddy’s and Shepherd Street Tavern. But it’s lack of in-your-face marketing is a sign of it’s “if you know, you know” factor.
Once you’re inside, you’re greeted by a nice array of fresh produce, ranging from mangoes and limes to plantains, tomatoes, and avocados. The market also has every kind of dried chile you could imagine and a wonderful selection of spices, sauces, salsas, and canned veggies. If you’re like me, every time I need canned chiles, the traditional grocery stores always seem to leave me empty-handed. Oaxaca, not so much.
What I also found really helpful about this market is their variety of canned poblano peppers and jalapenos. I’m a big fan of adding some spice to a chicken chili or casserole, so having additional options is helpful. They also have massive stacks of flour and corn tortillas (I’m talking 50+ to a pack) and all kinds of sweet treats for dessert.
Location: 610 N Sheppard St (Museum District)
Hours: Found here
New Grand Mart
According to the RVA Reddit community, when it comes to international grocery stores in the city, “New Grand Mart is all you need.” I hadn’t personally heard of this market, but after a quick recon mission, I understood the hype.
Picture Costco with only international foods, produce, and some of the largest bags of rice on the planet. The market has entire aisles dedicated to Asian noodles, ramen, rice, spices, and sauces. When it comes to international produce, New Grand Mart delivers the goods, too. I came across many fruits and vegetables I had never heard of before, such as kabocha pumpkin, malanga, acorn squash, chayote squash, Korean pears, and many other colorful items.
Conveniently located near the checkout, the Choco-Pies and Custard Cream Cakes are hard to pass up, along with the dozens of other boxes of imported chocolate and sweet treats.
New Grand Mart describes its offering as a “variety of fresh produce, fish, meats, and ethnic specialty items that are hard for other markets to match,” with a mission of delivering “high quality, great value, and selection to our customers.” As seen from the photos above, the market delivers on providing all kinds of visual ASMR.
Location: 7415 Midlothian Tpke (Chesterfield) and 9035 W Broad St (Henrico)
Tokyo Market
When it comes to Japanese-focused markets, Tokyo Market is your best bet. Their marketing is simple, and their Facebook page says it all, “The best Japanese gifts, teas, and groceries.” Think noodles, spicy noodles, thin noodles, egg noodles, and MORE NOODLES. You’ve probably walked by this Cary St staple many times, but have you stepped inside? Its colorfully packaged items are charming, and while the food labels are hard to read for non-Japanese speakers, their friendly team will take care of you and point you in the right direction.
What makes Tokyo Market extra unique is the wide array of tea options and gifts that can spice up any gift-giving this holiday season. I’m not very well-versed in my Japanese cooking skills, but the vibrant spices and rows of produce make me want to start preparing more dishes — along with the book Crying in H Mart (a great read, especially if you want to have mouth-watering cravings for Japanese food).
Location: 2820 W Cary St b (Carytown)
Hours: Found here
Europa Food Market
While this “international” market stretches the definition of international, featuring a large selection of New York-inspired food items and other major US cities’ signature offerings, the store does have an impressive number of European food items spanning Italy, Germany, and Poland. It’s hard to include all the European countries well in one small shop and not have a few gaps — but this market gets it done.
And there’s its other special attraction: fresh bagel sandwiches. Richmond’s bagel scene hasn’t exploded with competition yet, and the lines at Nate’s Bagels and Chewy’s Bagels can get long. How about visiting Europa Food Market for some cooking inspo and a hearty bacon, egg, and cheese sammie while you’re at it?
Location: 5243 W Broad St (Willow Lawn)
Hours: Found here
Mediterranean Bakery & Deli
This guide wouldn’t be complete without at least one Greek-inspired food market, so look no further than Mediterranean Bakery & Deli. This is less a full Mediterranean grocery store and more a delicious restaurant and deli where you can grab a chicken shawarma sandwich, or a falafel wrap while you also shop the store’s fine selection of imported olives, fava beans, stuffed grape leaves, eggplant dip, Tahini paste, and other signature Mediterranean items. I’m personally a big sucker for cheese boards and bread dipped in olive oil — both of which jumped out on the list of items at this spot.
Mediterranean Bakery & Deli also has specialty nuts and seeds, imported coffee, grains, yogurts, and honey. So, expand your palate and get out those Greek cook books. And if you are new to Greek cooking but tasked with making a Greek dinner, I recommend chatting with the store’s helpful staff to help you prepare a meal that dazzles.
And if you need more convincing to make a pitstop here, over the years, Mediterranean Bakery & Deli has received many accolades, including being named a “Neighborhood Favorite” by Nextdoor in 2022 and the “Best Middle Eastern Restaurant” by Richmond magazine readers in 2014. The folks know how to keep Richmonders happy and are constantly expanding their offerings to satisfy your needs.
Location: 9004 Quioccasin Rd (Regency)
Hours: Found here
For more to eat & sip:
