Go Asia (Dongfang Chaoshi)
📍 Address: Zeil 90, 60313 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Located along Zeil, Frankfurt’s vibrant central shopping street, ‘Go Asia (Dongfang Chaoshi)’ is an indispensable food lifeline for Japanese and other Asian expatriates and students living in the city.
The store is spacious, and as a giant chain operating throughout Germany, it boasts an impressive network and sourcing capabilities, filling its shelves with ingredients from various Asian countries. What’s particularly delightful for Japanese residents is the extensive selection of Japanese seasonings, snacks, and dried noodles. With a product range comparable to supermarkets in Japan, it becomes a true savior when you suddenly crave a taste of home during your life abroad.
While block meat is predominant in typical German supermarkets, making it difficult to find ‘thinly sliced meat,’ here you can get thinly sliced pork, frozen shrimp, and gyoza wrappers for homemade dishes – truly strong allies for home cooking. As imported goods, prices may be higher compared to Japan, but the peace of mind that ‘you can definitely find it here’ is invaluable for long-term residents.
A crucial local shopping tip to remember is the ‘10% OFF Day’ held on the first Saturday of every month. On this day, many local residents visit to stock up on heavy, high-priced condiments like rice and soy sauce, as well as long-lasting frozen foods. Since checkout lines can get crowded on sale days, it’s recommended to go in the early morning.
Local Residents’ Guide: Smart Home Cooking Hacks at Go Asia (Dongfang Chaoshi)
When living in Germany, knowing how to utilize an Asian supermarket greatly influences the quality of your daily meals. Go Asia (Dongfang Chaoshi) offers not only Japanese ingredients but also a wide range of ethnic foods from neighboring countries, such as Korean gochujang and Shin Ramyun, authentic Thai curry pastes, and various spices, allowing you to infinitely expand your repertoire of Asian-inspired dishes.
Furthermore, the fresh produce section is not to be missed. You’ll find Asian-specific vegetables like okra, napa cabbage, daikon radish, and bean sprouts, which are hard to come by in local German supermarkets (like REWE or ALDI), supporting a nutritionally balanced home diet. Regarding rice, you can find varieties similar to Japanese rice (e.g., Koshihikari-style short-grain rice) produced in Europe, making it essential for daily bento preparation and comforting Japanese meals.
The store is located in the basement of a department store, with excellent access from Konstablerwache station, where numerous S-Bahn and U-Bahn lines converge. This superb location, allowing easy stops on the way home from work or during weekend shopping, is another reason why it has been loved by Frankfurt locals for so long.
