Experience Authentic Vietnam at Asahikawa Ekimae Building! ‘Cho Vet Asahi’ – A True Vietnamese Grocery Store

Cho Vet Asahi Vietnamese Food Store

📍 Address: 3897 Miyashitatōri 7-chome, Asahikawa, Hokkaido 070-0030, Japan

Step onto the first floor of Asahikawa Ekimae Building in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, and you’ll find an exotic atmosphere entirely different from Japanese supermarkets. ‘Cho Vet Asahi Vietnamese Food Store’ is a truly ‘authentic’ local supermarket that supports the lives of Vietnamese long-term residents and international students living in Asahikawa.

The store isn’t a tourist-oriented antenna shop, but rather feels as if authentic local food culture has been directly brought in. Run by a young Vietnamese couple, there is hardly any Japanese signage inside. However, the store manager, who is fluent in Japanese, kindly explains how to use the products, making it a deep spot where local Japanese and those looking for Asian ingredients can enjoy shopping.

Almost Zero Japanese Labels! A Selection of Authentic Local Items

The shelves are packed with an array of seasonings and ingredients essential to Vietnamese cuisine. Classic items like ‘nước mắm’ (fish sauce), sweet chili sauce, coconut milk, and rice paper are abundant, as are beverages such as local ‘333 (Ba Ba Ba) beer’ and the ‘Vietnamese version of Red Bull’.

Of particular note are the canned ‘chè’ (a traditional Vietnamese sweet soup) and a rich variety of local snacks. These allow easy enjoyment of authentic Vietnamese flavors and are popular among local residents. Furthermore, fresh produce, frozen meats, and tropical fruits – essential for daily cooking – are also available, making it a lifeline for long-term residents to recreate the taste of home.

Vietnamese Spoken Aloud! The Energy of a Real Local Community

The greatest charm of this store is the ‘local energy’ you feel through shopping. Most customers are Vietnamese living in and around Asahikawa, and lively conversations in Vietnamese constantly fill the air. Step inside, and you’ll feel as if you’ve wandered into a local market in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.

While the wife doesn’t speak Japanese, that very local feel adds to the spice of a simulated overseas trip. Enjoy communicating with the friendly, Japanese-speaking store manager and asking questions like, ‘How do I use this seasoning?’ or ‘What’s the recommended way to eat this?’ – that’s the secret to enjoying this supermarket 120%.

Tips and Notes for Shopping at Asahikawa’s ‘Vietnamese Supermarket’

For first-time Japanese visitors or short-term tourists, the fact that price tags and packaging are entirely in Vietnamese might feel a bit daunting. However, it’s precisely why you’ll find a wealth of ‘niche items you can only buy there’. During your shopping, utilizing a smartphone translation app to check ingredients and product names is also part of the modern joy of exotic shopping.

Moreover, authentic Vietnamese restaurants are increasingly appearing in the same building and within Asahikawa city, and this grocery store functions as a hub for that community. ‘Cho Vet Asahi Vietnamese Food Store’ allows you to breathe the air of a foreign land and procure rare ingredients in Japan, all while in Asahikawa. If you’re looking for a little spice and an extraordinary touch in your daily life, be sure to visit.