Lee Lee Oriental Supermarket offers variety, convenience and accessibility for valley cooks that seek ingredients that cannot be found in regular grocery stores.
Perhaps the most pointed and beneficial characteristic that Lee Lee’s brings to the valley is that it provides meats, produce and grocery items that cannot be found in regular grocery stores. For example, if I wanted to find ground chicken at my local Fry’s, I may or may not be able to find it, but it is always available and always fresh at Lee Lee’s. Lee Lee’s offers blue crab, a whole ocean of different fish varieties, and cuts of meat that cannot be found at regular grocery stores. They offer gai lan, nira, several different types of tofu and kimchee, three different types of eggplant, etc.
Finding imported ingredients is easy in Lee Lee’s because their shelves are organized by country and are kept in clean order. For example, if I wanted to look for a particular type of Japanese-style buckwheat noodle, I can venture to the Japanese aisle and easily find what I am looking for. Within each aisle, items are organized together according to function and type. For example, dried food items such as specific types of rice and noodles can be found in one area within an aisle, while sauces and flavorings are found in another.
Located on the cross streets of Dobson and Warner in the East Valley and on Cactus and 75th Ave in the West valley, Lee Lee’s offers convenience and accessibility for valley residents. Most residents; however decide to make the trek to these locations on the weekends and so it can be really crowded. This perhaps is the only drawback of this grocery store, as navigating a filled cart around droves of weekend shoppers can be cumbersome.
All in all, I would recommend this grocery store to experimental cooks who are tired of making spaghetti every night. I think that Lee Lee’s offers diversity and a flavor that the valley is truly grateful for.
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