Asian Grocery Stores in Zurich, Part 6: Thanh Hung and Nishi's Japan Shop

The final installment!  To tell you the truth I'm getting a little tired of this series - I'm ready to move on and tell you about our fabulous trip to Turkey and also some of the delicious things I've been making lately.  Nevertheless, I hope you've found these write-ups to be useful and inspired you to venture beyond your usual Coop or Migros in search of tasty Asian ingredients!

See also *deep breath* Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5.



Nishi's Japan Shop
Schaffhauserstrasse 120
8057 Zurich
044 363 11 63
Mo-Fr 9-18:30 | Sa 9-16



The other stores I have mentioned, in particular Yumi Hana, also carry a number of Japanese items, but Nishi's Japan Shop is the only Asian grocery store in Zurich that specializes exclusively in Japanese food and housewares.   The store is smaller than I had imagined, about the same in floor space as Yumi Hana, but without the restaurant section at the front.   There are perhaps 5 shelves of dry goods (no real aisles) with a couple small-ish refrigerators and freezers at the back and in the middle of the store with prepared foods (no produce section).   There's also a shelf full of Japanese pottery, dishes, and a few cooking implements.
I am really not very familiar with the staples of Japanese cooking, so I can't tell you what special ingredients only this store carries - except for some delicious mochi (not cheap at 9 francs for 4 pieces).
The ladies behind the counter were cordial but declined my request to take a few photos inside the store, hence I can only show you the facade above.

Maki also wrote a bit about this store, here's what she had to say:

There's only one totally-Japanese grocery store in Zürich, Nishi's Japan Shop, Schaffhauserstr. 120 (Tram lines 7 and 14, stop Guggachstrasse, or lines 7, 9, 10, 14 stop Milchbuck) It's small but stocks most of the basics, including rice from Japan and California. No fresh produce here except for the occasional nagaimo or something. All the fish and meat etc. are frozen, but that seems to be pretty standard for Asian groceries in Zürich. Recently started carrying real fresh tofu made in St. Gallen or Spain! (Previously they only had the hermetically sealed Morinyu type, which I dislike so much it lead me to making my own.) Also has a small selection of takeaway sushi and such.



Thanh Hung Asiatische Lebensmittel
Wehntalerstrasse 280
8046 Zurich
044 371 38 77
Mo-Fr 9-18:30 | Sa 9-16



Thanh Hung is the most inconvenient of all these store to reach - it is by far the furthest from the main station, involving a tram and then a bus ride to get to, and consequently it is not very well known.  However, is is well worth paying a visit to this large and airy store with a selection that is perhaps even better than New Asia Market.  The shop is divided into two large rooms.  You enter into the frozen food and produce section.  Here you will find a large variety of frozen seafood and meat as well as frozen Chinese buns (some homemade), and refrigerators filled with herbs, vegetables, fruits, tofus, dairy products, and curry pastes.



A connecting aisle brings you to the dry goods room, with four long aisles of anything and everything you could be looking to add to your Asian pantry. In addition to Chinese and Thai ingredients, they also carry some Japanese, Indian, and even British imports like Bird's custard powder.  As with the other Asian stores there is a large choice of spices at very reasonable prices.  In the drinks section you can try a whole host of strange-sounding sodas, and also your choice of sake, plum wine, and other choice beverages including imported beers. There is also a wall of dishes, cooking utensils, woks, electronics like rice cookers and steamers, and even customary items like the decorative red envelopes that are exchanged at Chinese New Year.  I was able to find a number of items at Thanh Hung that I couldn't find elsewhere, specifically the various specialty flours and starches needed for certain dumpling wrappers in Andrea's book, and Malaysian palm sugar.

The Chinese grandma at check-out scrutinized me and then my purchases, asking me with a penetrating look what I planned to make with this bag of wheat starch and this can of bamboo shoots and that packet of banana leaves.  Fortunately I was buying the items with certain recipes in mind and after a couple explanations, she gave me a broad smile and ceased questioning.  I guess I passed the white-girl test!



Even though it's a bit further out, it's more than worth stopping in at Thanh Hung if you're looking for something special, particularly if you couldn't find it at New Asia Market.  If you have a car it would also be a good place to do a stock-up of your pantry as they carry a number of items in bulk, particularly rice, and there are convenient parking spots right in front of the shop and in the surrounding neighborhood.