Supermarket gourmet

T&T offers aisle upon aisle of hard-to-find tastes
Ottawa XPress

Article By: Colleen Johnson
Photo By: Ben Welland

For many people, grocery shopping is a chore. It’s easy to get into a rut buying the same things week in and week out. If you’re looking to break out of the same old routine, it’s time to check out Ottawa’s new Asian grocery store, the T&T Supermarket. They have an incredible variety of specialty ingredients, very fresh seafood, and plenty of delectable and affordable takeout to boot.

Though the eat-in area feels more like a cafeteria than a restaurant, one can’t complain about the prices and variety of the take out options. Alongside the sushi, you’ll find banh mi and fresh Vietnamese spring rolls. I picked up a package of cucumber maki and fresh fruit spring rolls. The sliced strawberries, kiwi and dragon fruit made for a refreshing combination alongside the tamago, lettuce and crabstick filling.

Barbecued meats and stir-fry are available in combos that come with rice and soup starting at just $5.99. Though the soup was little more than a well-flavoured chicken broth, the stir-fries proved to be well worth ordering. The beef with green beans was beautifully tender, the spicy chicken well balanced, and the sweet and sour pork pleasantly tangy. The star of the bunch was surely the sea bass in hot pepper sauce; the moist fish was perked up with whole peppercorns and liberally seasoned with whole red chili peppers.

There was a huge selection of dim sum up for grabs as well. I settled on some sweet lotus bean balls and some fried dumplings with juicy pork and ginger; both were satisfying. Towards the end of the day, the entire selection is available at a reduced price. For the DIY crowd, ready-to-steam dumplings are available as well, with bamboo steamers just aisles away.

Foodies will find the trek out to Hunt Club well worth the effort. Much of the seafood available is still swimming: live cod, bass and tilapia swim in tanks next to oysters, razor neck clams, mussels, Dungeness crabs, spider crabs and absurdly big lobsters. The countless varieties of noodles make even ramen seem interesting. The meat department reveals all manner of creature, though it’s the dark bluish-black Silkie chickens that will demand your attention. Adventurous choices abound (fermented duck egg, anyone?), but if you’re not sure where to start, meal kits are available to help you prepare unique dishes with confidence.

T&T Supermarket
224 Hunt Club Road
(613) 731-8113

Sushi and Vietnamese: $1.59-$5.99
Barbecue and stir fry combos: $5.99-$7.99
Dim sum: $1.99-$7.99