How Fairfield’s Asian Mart Became Famous for Its Hard-to-Find Snacks | Eater SF

"Just off Highway 80, sandwiched between a karate studio and a dentistry office, this family-run shop has become a Bay Area epicenter for social-media-friendly Asian snacks and staples. Opened in August 2023 as a straightforward market for soy sauce, rice, and spices, it evolved through manager Eric Fragola’s constant solicitation of customer requests—from specialty chile oils and gluten-free tamari to hard-to-find candies—into a highly curated “hybrid store” where you can get everyday essentials and also discover innovative, experimental treats. Shoppers treat its 26,000-plus-follower Instagram like an in-store guide, and on weekends people arrive from the Bay Area, Stockton, Modesto, and even Reno to hunt the latest drops; influencers trek here, too. The early frenzy started with Amos Peelerz mango candy and exploded when it became among the first local shops to stock Propitious Mango ice cream, a mango-shaped pop with a white-chocolate shell that sold out for months before shipments steadied; Fragola even visited the Hong Qi factory to test new flavors, bringing in The Aiko Grape, peach- and strawberry-shaped ice creams, Samanco fish-shaped sandwiches, and the trompe-l’oeil Not Fried Chicken ice cream. Walking around, I saw shelves of rice, condiments like bulgogi marinade and Jufran banana sauce, and a ramen-and-soup selection so big it nearly covers a whole aisle—Buldak, Shin, Nongshim ChapaGuri, Nora Kitchen gintaang monggo, and Koreno among them—and watched a shopper on a video call make a friend pick from a lineup of Hello Kitty marshmallows. It all adds up to the dependable-but-always-new experience Fragola promises, the reason people show up with Instagram open and leave with both pantry staples and the latest viral find. Open 9 a.m.–8 p.m. Monday–Friday and 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Saturday–Sunday." - Dianne de Guzman