This New Asian Supermarket In Michigan Doubles As A Massive Food Hall Worth The Trip

Grocery shopping and dinner reservations rarely share the same roof. This Madison Heights megastore makes them hard to separate.

Thirty thousand square feet of imported products fill thirty-eight aisles from end to end.

A live seafood counter stocks tanks of fish and crab. A bakery turns out sweet rolls by the dozen every morning.

The real surprise sits in the back. Six restaurant vendors occupy a brand-new food hall.

Cheng’s fires up Hong Kong dim sum. Mala Town serves Chinese hot pot with slow-simmered broths.

Oishi Ramen pulls noodles to order. Dishes range from four dollars to thirteen.

The market opened in twenty-fifteen and keeps expanding its reach. Named one-sixty-eight for luck, the space draws weekend crowds who browse aisles of frozen durian and ginkgo nuts before settling into a booth with a bowl of noodles.

Michigan shoppers who want authentic flavors without the chain markup found their answer years ago.

Experience The Live Seafood Selection

Bubbles, silver flashes, and rows of tanks make the seafood department feel closer to a coastal market than suburban Michigan. Live fish and shellfish share the area with fresh whole fish and specialty choices such as conch and razor clams, giving seafood cooks an unusually broad starting point.

Visit the counter before filling your cart, especially if you hope to select a particular catch or ask about preparation. Availability changes, so treat any specific species as a welcome find rather than a guarantee.

Some seafood purchases may be eligible for on-site cooking, but confirm the current rules, price, and wait before ordering.

Bring an insulated bag or cooler for the ride home, and shop for seafood near the end of your visit. Keep raw items separate from produce and bakery purchases.

The tanks attract attention, yet freshness, safe handling, and a clear dinner plan matter most.

The Giant Market Breaks Up John R Road

168 Asian Mart sits at 32393 John R Road in Madison Heights, Michigan, along the busy commercial stretch just south of 14 Mile Road. John R is the road to stay with on the final approach, with the market occupying a large roadside property rather than hiding inside a mall.

The last stretch is packed with shopping centers and chain businesses, but the market’s scale helps it stand out. Once the broad storefront and large grocery footprint come into view along John R, you are at the right place.

Pull into the property from John R Road and use the customer parking lot in front of the market. From there, head straight for the main entrance; the food hall is inside with the rest of the store.

Savor Hong Kong Dim Sum At Cheng’s

A bamboo steamer opening at Cheng’s releases the sort of warm, savory cloud that can rearrange lunch plans instantly. The food-hall stall focuses on Hong Kong-style dim sum and street-food favorites, including steamed dumplings, soft bao, and crisp spring rolls made for mixing, matching, and sharing.

Start with two or three small plates instead of ordering the entire menu in one burst. Steamed and fried choices provide useful contrast, while a shared table lets everyone compare fillings and textures without becoming full too quickly.

Since food is prepared to order, allow time for hot items to arrive.

Dim sum also works as an opening course before ramen or malatang, not only as a complete meal. Ask about ingredients when allergies or dietary limits apply, because fillings and sauces can vary.

Napkins are wise equipment here; enthusiasm tends to outrun tidy eating when a fresh dumpling lands.

Build Your Own Malatang At Mala Town

Choice is the main seasoning at Mala Town, where a malatang bowl begins with ingredients selected by the diner. Vegetables, tofu, noodles, meats, and other add-ins can be combined before the kitchen cooks everything in broth, turning lunch into a hands-on lesson in balance.

Resist piling in every appealing item, since dense noodles and tofu can make a bowl heavier than expected. Choose a few vegetables, one noodle, a protein, and contrasting textures such as mushrooms or bean curd.

Spice levels are customizable, so be honest about your heat comfort rather than treating lunch as a contest.

Before building, confirm how ingredients are priced and whether the broth contains anything you avoid. Keep similar cooking times in mind when possible, although staff handles the actual preparation.

A moderate first bowl leaves room to understand the peppery, numbing character that makes malatang distinctive without exhausting your taste buds.

Enjoy Oishi Ramen’s Comforting Bowls

Steam rising from an Oishi Ramen bowl offers a quiet pause from carts, freezer doors, and the bright puzzle of unfamiliar labels. The stall serves Japanese noodle bowls built around rich broth, noodles, sliced chashu pork, and toppings that make a satisfying anchor meal during a long market visit.

Read the menu for broth style and included garnishes before adding extras, since a loaded bowl can become filling fast. Taste the broth first, then mix in condiments gradually rather than covering its character at once.

Noodles are best enjoyed promptly while their texture remains lively.

Ramen makes practical sense before grocery shopping, especially if hunger encourages wild snack purchases. If several food-hall dishes are calling, share a bowl and pair it with smaller dim sum plates.

Current recipes, toppings, and availability may change, so the posted menu should guide the final order rather than an old photo online.

Sweeten Your Visit At Yuan Yang

Sweet tofu pudding has a soft wobble that looks almost too delicate for a busy food hall, yet Yuan Yang gives it a cheerful stage. The stall offers Asian desserts and drinks, including sweet soups, tofu pudding, bubble tea, and fruit drinks, alongside savory snacks such as skewers, fried chicken, and spicy potato bites.

Use this stop as a flexible finale rather than assuming dessert must be heavy. A cool fruit drink can follow a spicy malatang bowl, while pudding provides a gentler finish after fried foods.

Ask about sweetness choices and toppings when ordering a drink, since small adjustments can change the whole experience.

Groups gain the most by sharing one dessert and one savory snack, then deciding whether another round is needed. Check current menus and prices at the counter because offerings can shift.

Carry drinks carefully through the market, where an exciting snack aisle is no friend to a loose lid.

Uncover Fresh Bakery Treasures

Crumbly pineapple-bun tops and glossy rows of packaged breads make the bakery a dangerous place for anyone carrying an empty basket. Sweet and savory choices can include pineapple custard buns, meat floss buns, chicken curry buns, Swiss rolls, and other soft breads suited to breakfast, dessert, or the ride home.

Look at labels for fillings, allergens, packing dates, and storage directions before choosing. Freshness deserves attention with every prepared product, so inspect packaging and check sell-by information rather than buying only because a bun looks charming.

Refrigerate items when the label directs, and contact staff if anything appears questionable.

For useful variety, pick one filled bun, one plain or lightly sweet bread, and a roll that can be shared. Place bakery goods near the top of the cart, away from frozen boxes and heavy produce.

Future-you will appreciate that small act when breakfast arrives intact instead of flattened.

Wander Through Thirty-Eight Grocery Aisles

Thirty-eight aisles can humble even a confident shopping list. Shelves at 168 Asian Mart move through soy sauces, gochujang, chili crisp, noodles, snacks, frozen dumplings, Filipino lumpia, Chinese shumai, and countless pantry staples, while other departments add kitchenware, household goods, beauty products, and playful collectibles.

Photograph a favorite product label before visiting if you need an exact brand, flavor, or size. Comparing shelf tags also prevents similar-looking sauces from becoming accidental substitutes.

Frozen goods should wait until late in the trip, particularly durian, ice cream, dumplings, and anything facing a long drive.

I find one-new-item rules helpful in enormous markets: buy a single unfamiliar snack or sauce, research it, and return for more if it earns cupboard space. Check ingredient lists, dates, and cooking directions before checkout.

A list keeps the cart sensible, but leaving one blank line invites discovery without turning dinner into homework.

Notice The Market’s Community Spirit

Saturday conversation supplies its own soundtrack here, passing between families, couples, old friends, children, and solo cooks studying labels. Founders Cindy Wang and her late husband, Ricky Dong, shaped 168 Asian Mart into more than a place to refill the pantry, and the expanded market continues bringing different generations together through food.

Move patiently around family groups and give shoppers room at crowded displays. Some visitors are exploring, while others are finding ingredients tied to home cooking and memory.

That mix makes respectful curiosity more valuable than loud commentary about products that may be unfamiliar to you.

The food hall offers an easy meeting point when companions shop at different speeds. Agree on a table or department before separating, since the large floor can swallow a group surprisingly well.

Sharing dishes and comparing grocery finds turns an ordinary errand into a social afternoon without requiring any special event.

Survey The Food Hall Before Ordering

The first delicious mistake is ordering at the nearest counter before seeing what waits around the corner. Several food-hall vendors serve different styles of food, so take one slow circuit, read posted menus, notice portion sizes, and compare cooking times before spending anything.

With companions, divide the mission: one person checks dim sum, another studies ramen or malatang, and everyone meets before choosing. Ordering from different stalls creates a broader meal, but confirm where each vendor expects customers to pick up food.

Keep receipts handy and listen for names or order numbers.

Menus, hours, and vendor availability may change independently from the supermarket, making a quick same-day check useful when one dish matters greatly. The market itself is open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., according to its listed hours, but individual counters may operate differently.

A backup choice keeps disappointment from spoiling lunch.

Leave Plenty Of Time To Explore

An 80,000-square-foot market does not reward a ten-minute schedule. Between the food hall, fresh departments, bakery, prepared foods, freezers, household supplies, and long grocery aisles, a first visit can easily stretch beyond an hour, especially when labels and snack flavors keep requesting closer inspection.

Plan to eat and shop as separate parts of the outing, then decide which comes first based on hunger. Arriving earlier may allow calmer browsing, while weekends can bring a livelier community scene.

The store is located at 32393 John R Road in Madison Heights and lists daily hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Bring reusable bags, an insulated carrier, and a list divided into produce, pantry, chilled, and frozen sections. Before leaving, check dates, containers, and receipts, then secure hot food away from cold groceries.

Time is the best tool here because it lets curiosity remain fun instead of becoming a race.