Saraga's

[clevermanka]

Yesterday I mentioned my Favorite Grocery Store Evar: Saraga's, in Indianapolis. The enormity of the place is difficult to convey. It's in an old K-Mart building, and fills the entire space, if that gives you an idea of the size. Produce is in the front right of the store as you enter, the refrigerated section is in the back, and the meat counter is on the far left wall. Everything else is haphazardly arranged and seems to change from visit to visit (I only make it there twice a year at the most).

There are entire aisles of nothing but various types of rice noodles. Entire aisles of bizarre spice mixes and seasonings. Aisles of alarmingly-colored Japanese candy. Last time Nana and I went there alone (nobody else has quite the shopping endurance that we do), we spent three hours. Nana walks a little slowly, and loves to look at everything, which is fine with me--as long as I don't have to stay too long in the refrigerated section.

I took some photos at Saraga's last time I was in Indy.

Walking in the front door. That's Nana in the blue sweater:


Refrigerated section of Asian noodles and packaged seafood:


An aisle of almost all Goya brand products:


I can't wait to go back in April!

Comments

[ms-danson.livejournal.com]

That looks delicious.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

It's the best store ever in the history of the world. Last time I wound up checking my bags for the trip back home because I couldn't lift my suitcase (full of rice and canned curry blends) above my head

[normalcyispasse.livejournal.com]

Oh man, all those packages in photo 2 are Korean. I know them well. Bean soup, little dried fishes, flat noodles, noodles meant to be served in a cold soup. . .

Man, I'm glad that there are more options in miguk--er, America.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I know! And this is in Indianapolis, Indiana! Awesome.

[cskippy2000.livejournal.com]

I wish we had a store like that here. You'd have to go to nine different stores to get what you could in one isle there. It's so frustrating how difficult it is to find healthy things in a grocery store. It's as if the harm many of those foods cause is negated by profit margin. I go into a third degree dog-lock every time I walk into a hen-house, and everything is compounded by the necessity of eliminating sugar in my diet. EVERYTHING has tons of it, and if it doesn't it has chemicals instead.

Sorry. I ranted. Clearly I have shopping issues.

My original point was, that place looks awesome.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I know. I really really really wish KC had something like Saraga's. I don't know that the city is big enough to support it, though. Indy is heavier populated and has a much larger ethnic demographic.

[slinka.livejournal.com]

Your comment that you can't wait to go back in April makes me realize just how lucky we are here that we can get pretty much anything just across the street at the grocery store or, failing that, in Little India or China Town or wherever, whenever we just feel like it. Even just traveling down to my parents' (about 4 hours South) makes grocery stores difficult to navigate. We once tired to make my parents a curry and couldn't find Asian noodles anywhere. I forget how lucky we are sometimes. But, my yes, that store does look delightful.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I sometimes think it would be nice to live in a more...culturally diverse part of the world, but then I weigh the convenience of that against the incredibly cheap cost of living here in Lawrence. Our monthly house payment is probably less than the rent for a one-bedroom apartment in most big cities. Because of cheap living, I can save up my pennies to travel.

It helps that I don't mind being a secretary for a living. So I can pretty much do that anywhere, and I make a decent wage for this part of the country. I consider myself lucky, too!

[slinka.livejournal.com]

That's a REALLY valid point. My mortgage in Windsor was less than half of what my rent is now. I sometimes wonder if moving to a smaller city would be better for us because ALL of our money gets sunk into rent. But would we sell as much or be near suppliers? I weigh the pros and cons on this issue a lot and haven't really come up with a satisfying answer.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Not that I've looked into it, but it seems to me (looking from the outside) that living in a less metropolitan area would be a detriment to La Bidness. I think having your faces present in the scene probably helps a lot, as much with income as inspiration.

[chronovore.livejournal.com]

We split the difference between urban convenience and cheap living. We're out of the city proper, but near an express train line which can get us downtown quickly.

Actually, recently we got our own foreign grocer's about 10 min. away by bicycle. Of course, "foreign" for me means I can get American / Thai / Indian / Mexican, here in tenpura-o-rama land.

[cmt2779.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's really overwhelming. Too much food!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

That's why I can spend three hours there. You'd go crazy with the camera opportunities.

*Drool*

[the-themiscyran.livejournal.com]

Does it have a website? I just need the address - I'll be in Indy in August.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

They don't have a website, but Yahoo maps gives this info:

Saraga International Grocery
(317) 388-9999
3605 Commercial Dr, Indianapolis, IN 46222

I'll email Mommy to confirm the address.

Pack an extra suitcase. Srsly.

[the-themiscyran.livejournal.com]

Oooooo! Thanks! :)

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Mommy says that's the correct information and you should have no problems finding it with Mapquest--the directions they give are correct.

[jimmy-hollaman.livejournal.com]

Kind of reminds me of a store i got to go to in Minneapolis Minnesota. Tho it was more american type food they still had 12 feet of marshmallows. A fruit and veggie area that would take and make any farmers market look like a small selection. Of all the things other than people i know up there, i miss seeing it. heck there over head music system was a guy with a piano near the front of the store...

I'm in awe of this place. i think i could spend some time in there as well. it looks like it could take 3 hours to look at every thing. great now i am hungry....

[the-themiscyran.livejournal.com]

I think I've been there. Is it the one with carpeted aisles?

[jimmy-hollaman.livejournal.com]

yeah, thats the place. glad to see other people have seen it and i'm not just crazy.

[stuology.livejournal.com]

Wow.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

You would go crazy in there. It's faboo. Not the least of which, you come across things like this:

8-D

[stuology.livejournal.com]

I've got your soup mix right here!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_luaineach/]

oh!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I. KNOW.

Road trip to Indy sometime?