This 30,000-Square-Foot Michigan Asian Market Turns One Grocery Run Into A Six-Restaurant Food Hall Adventure

My first time walking through those doors, I got lost for three hours.

Not because the store is confusing, but because every aisle led to something I had never seen before: live blue crabs tapping against tank glass, bags of dried mushrooms I could not name, a whole wall of chili pastes organized by heat level.

The food court pulled me in next. Six counters, each run by a different kitchen, each turning out dishes that would cost triple at a sit-down restaurant.

I ate hand-pulled noodles at one stall, then circled back for dim sum, then debated a third round because the boba tea was calling my name. This is where you arrive for soy sauce and leave with a full stomach, a bag of mochi, plus zero regrets.

A single grocery trip through Michigan can easily turn into an all-day food hall adventure that rivals any restaurant strip.

Learn The Layout Before You Order

First impressions here can scramble your plans in the best way. One minute you are thinking about noodles, and the next you are staring at dragon fruit, kitchenware, and a bakery case full of buns.

A quick walk through the space helps. The market is known for carrying goods from Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Thai food cultures, so it makes sense to scout the aisles and food hall before spending your budget too fast.

Notice where the vendors sit, where the seating opens up, and which grocery sections you want to revisit later.

That short lap keeps you from ordering a full bowl at the first counter, then realizing five minutes later that dumplings, sushi, and dessert were all waiting around the corner, quietly changing your original plan.

The Grocery Aisles Cross Half Of Asia

168 Asian Mart is at 32393 John R Road in Madison Heights, Michigan, along the busy commercial corridor north of 13 Mile Road. Approach directly on John R Road and look for the large shopping-center property rather than a standalone market building.

The final approach passes closely spaced restaurants and plazas in one of Metro Detroit’s busiest Asian food districts. Slow down near the 32300 block and turn into the broad strip mall, where the market occupies a large storefront and expanded neighboring retail space.

Use the shopping center’s shared surface parking, then follow the 168 Asian Mart signs to the main entrance. The store also contains prepared-food counters, so the same arrival works whether you are grocery shopping or stopping for a meal.

Begin With Cheng’s For Dim Sum

Steam is part of the welcome at Cheng’s. The menu focuses on Hong Kong street food and dim sum, which makes it a smart starting point if you want something shareable and easy to pace.

Look for dumplings, fluffy bao buns, crispy spring rolls, and rice noodle rolls made to order. Nothing about that lineup feels heavy handed, so you can taste a few things without ending your adventure too early.

Cheng’s also sets the mood for the rest of the food hall. There is something cheerful about starting with small bites, especially when you still have a grocery cart waiting for produce and pantry finds.

If you are visiting with other people, split two or three dishes first. That keeps lunch flexible and leaves room for ramen, sushi, or dessert later in the same visit.

Build Mala Town Carefully

Mala Town can get ambitious fast. Because you choose your own vegetables, meats, tofu, and noodles before they go into the broth, it is easy to build a bowl that is bigger and pricier than you meant.

Start with balance, not excitement alone. A couple of greens, one noodle, one tofu item, and one or two proteins usually make a better bowl than piling in everything that looks interesting just because the tongs are right there.

The signature malatang broth is known for bold, numbing heat, and spice levels can be adjusted from mild to very hot. That matters more than people think.

If you still want to taste other vendors afterward, choose a level that lets you enjoy the flavors instead of spending the rest of the visit reaching for water and skipping dessert.

Save A Bowl For Oishi Ramen

Ramen has a way of taking over your whole appetite. Oishi Ramen serves slow-simmered broths with handmade noodles, tender chashu pork, and toppings chosen to build a full, warming bowl.

That depth is exactly why timing matters. If ramen is your main goal, consider making it your anchor meal and keeping earlier snacks lighter, especially if you started with dumplings or a few bakery items while shopping.

The broth here is the kind of food that slows your pace for a minute. In a busy market full of carts, shopping lists, and bright snack aisles, that pause feels good.

Sit down, eat while it is hot, and let the bowl reset your energy before heading back into the store. Afterward, pantry aisles and frozen sections somehow seem easier to explore with a satisfied stomach and steadier attention.

Treat Tabe Sushi As A Fresh Order

Sushi works best here when you order with patience instead of grabbing in a hurry. Tabe Sushi focuses on fresh fish, classic nigiri and sashimi, plus specialty rolls prepared by skilled itamae.

Because the market already gives you so many choices, sushi can be a smart middle ground meal. It feels lighter than ramen, more focused than a snack run, and easy to pair with a later dessert or a bakery stop.

I would keep the order simple on a first visit. A couple of pieces of nigiri or one roll tells you plenty about the rice, fish, and balance without filling the table with too much at once.

That approach also keeps room in your bag for groceries and leaves you curious enough to come back, which is honestly part of this place’s charm.

End Sweetly At Yuan Yang

After dumplings, broth, or sushi, Yuan Yang feels like the gentle landing. The stand specializes in Chinese and Asian desserts made fresh daily, along with bubble tea and fruit drinks.

Silky tofu puddings and traditional sweet soups offer a different finish than the heavy desserts people may expect elsewhere. That matters in a market visit where you have probably tasted rich broths, fried bites, or savory buns before reaching the final stop.

Choosing dessert last also gives you a useful pause before checkout. Sit for a few minutes, look over what you bought, and decide whether you still need noodles, fruit, or frozen snacks before leaving.

A cool drink or soft pudding turns the trip into more than shopping. It closes the loop neatly, like the market planned your afternoon for you and somehow guessed your sweet tooth correctly.

Shop Produce With Curiosity

The produce section can change your cooking plans before you even reach the pantry aisles. Seeing Korean radishes, kabocha squash, lychee, dragon fruit, and several kinds of mushrooms side by side makes ordinary meal ideas feel a little dull.

Go in with one practical goal and one playful one. Buy the vegetables you know you will actually cook this week, then add one unfamiliar fruit or mushroom to keep the trip interesting without turning your fridge into a science project.

Reading labels and watching what looks freshest helps, especially if you are new to some of the ingredients. I often pair a new produce item with a familiar sauce or noodle so dinner still feels manageable.

That way, the market becomes a place to learn by cooking, not just a place to marvel and walk out slightly overwhelmed.

Approach Seafood With A Plan

The seafood area announces itself before you fully reach it. Live fish, shrimp, lobsters, and specialty items like conch and razor clams make the section feel closer to a coastal market than a suburban grocery stop.

Planning matters here more than almost anywhere else in the store. Know whether you want a whole fish for dinner, shellfish for a special meal, or simply a quick look, because the selection can distract you into buying more than you can cook well.

Bring a cooler bag if your drive is long, and think through your recipe before choosing. A beautiful fish is not a bargain if it sits in the refrigerator while you wonder what to do next.

When you shop this section with purpose, though, the market starts to feel less like novelty and more like a genuinely useful food resource.

Do Not Skip The Bakery And Prepared Foods

A pineapple custard bun can quietly steal the whole visit. The bakery at 168 Asian Mart is known for fresh sweet and savory buns, and it sits in that dangerous category of food you buy for later and somehow start eating in the car.

Nearby prepared foods add another layer of temptation. Roast meats, boxed meals, and ready-to-go dishes are helpful when you want the flavor of a market trip without cooking a full dinner after unpacking bags.

Use these sections strategically. If the food hall lines are busy, bakery and prepared foods can turn the outing into a quicker lunch.

If you already ate at a vendor, they become smart take-home options for the next meal. Either way, they stretch the value of the trip, and they make the store feel like more than a place to restock sauces and noodles.

Give The Whole Visit Real Time

Some places are built for errands, and some are built for wandering. 168 Asian Mart belongs in the second group, especially now that the store has expanded well beyond the older footprint many longtime shoppers first knew.

You may come for noodles and leave with mushrooms, a bag of frozen dumplings, kitchen tools, buns, and plans to return for sushi next week. That is not bad budgeting so much as a sign that the market rewards attention.

Set a time limit only if you truly need one. Otherwise, let the trip unfold at a steady pace, because the pleasure here comes from moving between grocery shopping and eating without treating either as an afterthought.

When a market can feed you, teach you, and stock your pantry in one afternoon, it deserves more than a rushed lap and a fast checkout.