AZ International Marketplace

Updated : this store is closing on December 1 ,2024 Loved it. Many Asian food items. It is very big and well stocked and reasonable. Almost like the mini Costco for all things Asian. It has an exclusive gift shop with Chinese goods including bamboos in small pots. You can eat in the food court some good Asian food including Japanese sandos.

My wife and I have shopped at AZ International Marketplace located in Mesa, Arizona several times over the last few years. They have a wide variety of food that is typically consumed in various countries across the world. We've always been happy with the variety and quality of food, with the exception of the fruits and vegetables which always seem to age quickly after we bring them home. We recently learned that International Market will be closing soon and everything is marked 40% off. We decided to visit the store one last time. Not surprisingly, many of the shelves were bare and some shelving had been broken down and removed. The seafood section was completely empty and no longer staffed. I never noticed before, but much of the food typically consumed by American customers was significantly more expensive than at competing grocery stores. One example is that a can of Campbell's condensed soup had a price of $2.98 compared to $1.77 at the supermarket by our house. I'm not sure how much longer the doors will remain open here, but it's always sad to see a business closing.

Great supermarket with a large variety of goods. It's extremely sad that it's closing Dec 1, 2024, after being open for 40 yrs. =( They started their clearance sale a few days ago & everything is bare already.

Pretty good selection of import goods. You'll find a wide array of ingredients, noodles, snacks, and products from Asia. There's a huge frozen and refrigerated section and a mini bazaar of knick knacks, most of which appeared overpriced or unlicensed anime/sanrio products. There's a couple restaurants inside including one that sells $13 Japanese sandwiches. The other one looked to be standard Chinese food. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get much help in finding things around the store since only one guy seemed to speak English. I came here looking for import beer and a dessert for a party. No go on the dessert, there's no bakery on site so the only cakes they had were of the frozen variety. I settled on Korean cookies, which were okay. As far as import beer the selection seemed random but I managed to find a couple decent ones I was unfamiliar with. Overall not a bad place to look for something different.

I don't come here a lot, but the times I have visited this location it seems like the food is very expensive. Now, being imported you'd expect a premium added to the cost, but some of the items that I can find in other stores is MUCH chapter for the same thing. As such, I don't come here very much (I'm also not interested in British and South African items, and this international market is far more Asian focused).

It's Very nice to find a store that is well stocked and Friendly employees that are helpful. 4/22/23 store Is very clean and easy to find everything and when I had a question employees were very helpful the prices were great on fruit like strawberries $1.99 a basket best in the Valley to this date.

The AZ International Marketplace surpasses Mekong in many aspects. Unlike the small and crowded Mekong, the AZ International Marketplace offers ample open parking space, drawing people seeking a more comfortable shopping experience. The well-organized aisles make it easier to find everything you need.

One of my favorite stores when I'm in AZ. Go get a wok here...best pan I have and I use it daily. Meat market is amazing. Check out the pork belly!!! So many cookware and utensils, gifts, produce, just everything. They give coupons for your next trip based on what you spend. Such a nice benefit.

I'm sad to hear that this store is closing. I recall when they opened years ago courtesy of the operators of Mekong Plaza. I'm told that at the end of November the doors will be closing. Shoppers are grabbing deals now though much of the merchandise has been depleted.

This Grocery Store is my go to for tropical fruits They have a wide variety of fruits and vegetables I love the quality and the prices

This place is located on the NE corner of Dobson and Broadway. It has a large parking lot. It is similar in size to Lee Lee. It has a different selection. It has a larger fruit area (see photos). It has many Asian options but little to no Indian food. I went there to find some different types of chili sauce and they do have a huge selection at least 2 aisles worth. They also have a selection of meat and seafood. They also have a decent selection of Asian beer and alcohol but no Orion beer.

A lot of parking lot the store has a lot of stuff but mostly food. No beauty products or hygiene. The prices are ok for some items but not much different for non-international stores. I was a little disappointed because I purchase a chili sauce that is about to expire in two weeks. My fault for not checking but I did not think I had to because most store keep their items up to date on that. The service was not bad but not friendly, workers are kind a robotic. The bamboo selection is pretty good, and they do have some jewelries too.

Durian is rotten. There is no expiration date on the box either! Customer service is bad. We called them right after opening the box, just 1hr after buying, they said no change or return accepted after opening the box! How to know it's rotten without opening! Very disappointed!

I'm so very glad this dump of a grocery store is shut down for good their items were out of dated and the two lady mangers were horrible good ridden to this grocery store and something brand new will take its place and I used to work there thank goodness I quit

I thought I would try this store as it is typically less crowded than my usual Asian market. While I didn't find what I was looking for, the store is huge, clean and tidy. You can find most of your fresh and frozen Asian groceries here. They also carry spices and dry goods. There is free ice to keep your frozen food and perishables cold. Free parking outside.

What an interesting store to say the least it has some crazy and interesting stuff that I've never seen in a store but honestly I'd shop here it has stuff you won't see in your standard grocery store. I stumbled upon this place that is in the same strip mall as LA Crab Shack after my birthday dinner the other night. However the Inside seems very bare maybe the store is under construction I'm not sure but I'd return if it wasn't for the fact that it's way across town.

Really big market with a TON of stuff to look at. Not as busy as h mart or Mekong plaza has been the few times I've gone. I did actually go to try fat boy sandos but that part was very very busy so I'll go back to try another day. The market is huge, well organized with a lot of very cool products. Good amount of delicious sounding veggie options too. I'd come back for sure.

The biggest selection of everything you could possibly want in this market place. We went a like cray and bought a ton of snacks and fresh produce. The range of the products vary from Asian to Mexican and the value is quite attractive. We typically come here for our Asian greens and for the most part, they are priced quite similarly to those markets found in New York and California. We were even able to find a huge selection of hard to find Cantonese sauces to make anything from braised chinese beef and mapo tofu. Definitely a good find if there aren't any standards H-Marts or GW supermarkets near you.

Not as pack and Mekong Supermarket. Definitely has more space and more organized. Clean floors and friendly staff. I just wish they have more love blue crabs like in Mekong so we don't have to go for multiple trips.

I have been here dozens and dozens of times...I like the manager the staff are mostly great. The fish counter is my go to, but, sometimes depending on which fish you like that fish may not be in the best condition. But overall I love having them cook my fish 'regular' fry no salt. And their fruits especially on clearance are a great value...plums, peaches..

Massive store of Asian foods and American food. Didn't try much, but they have tons of noodles and I ended up with rice noodles, frozen green onion pancakes and a below average coconut bread slice.

Mismatch in product price and company failed to honor it. That's really unfortunate because I was a loyal customer. I loss either way because they owned all the markets.SMH!

This store has everything international! The prices are great, especially if you're shopping for a family! Anything Asian- it's there! Check them out!

I found this place while on my way to H-mart and Asiana (my two go-to Asian markets). This place is far bigger than both those stores and has a true assortment of international foods and items. While the store was clean (for the most part), the prices here were not as competitive as those at other establishments on Dobson Road. I didn't leave with much, but will likely be coming back soon!

I am far from an expert on Asian/International markets, but I am definitely an expert on walking through every aisle of a store and making impulse buys out of hunger and curiosity. This is totally how I spent a good chunk of time in AZ Int'l, and I came home happy. What I loved: The produce section. I picked up Bok Choy, Pomelos, Rambutans, and Shiitakes. I'm also big on the aisles of spices and sauces and snacks from around the world. I snagged samosas from one, fish sauce in another, and at one point found myself purchasing bags of chips from throughout the East. Crawfish Lay's are my new favorite, and we should sell them nationwide. What I liked: Some of the premade items in the meat section. The Squid salad was as good as any, even if the octopus and the seaweed salad were lackluster. The star of the meats was the kalbi pork, which was thinly sliced and perfectly seasoned. It pan fried nicely! Eastern grocers can feel overwhelming to newcomers like myself. But something about this market had a real fun factor. It could be the helpful staff, the careful organization of limited space, or just that my trip here made me more excited to cook than I have been in a long time. I'm excited to return, and I'm definitely recommending this one to my friends!

Unbelievable selection here with so much to choose from. They have a great number of exotics here as well as some frozen items that are hard to get. There are commercial cooking wear here and the prices aren't bad. I will be back again. This is a great international market. One of the best I have been too!

I went to this year's Lunar Food Truck Festival held in the AZ International Marketplace's parking lot. It was advertised as starting at 6 but I think it started a lot earlier because we got there right at 6 and it was a madhouse trying to find parking. We lucked out and got a spot in the marketplace parking lot but I saw other cars parking along the side streets and others circling around and around for an open spot. The festival is in an enclosed part of the parking lot but they had a good number of food trucks and booths. I also saw a climbing wall and a stage off to the side where they had someone singing when I was there. There was a sectioned off area with a good amount of seating for enjoying your food truck meal. There were a ton of people walking around so if you don't like hanging out in large crowds this isn't your place. Some of the vendors I saw were The Lemongrass Shack, Flippin' Rice, Pho King, Happy Honu Shaved Ice, The Luau Hut, Fiiz Sodas, Beignet Babes, Later Tater, and Curbside Crepes. Their Facebook page noted that there wouldn't be any mooncakes for sale at the festival (Although they were available at the market if you wanted a box). Since it was advertised as a Lunar Festival it would have been nice to have a booth for people to purchase them. Maybe next year! I loved how this was a dog friendly event too and there were so many cute pups walking around with their humans. I think it's great that AZ Marketplace hosted this event and there was so much representation of Asian food here. They seem to hold these food truck festivals here every few months so if you missed the Lunar festival one keep an eye out for another in the future.

Az international true to it's name is the first of it's kind in the valley. It's a five minute drive from Mekong supermarket which is a sister concern and my go-to Asian grocery store. First impressions a) Hugeeee place, it takes a while to explore the aisles. b) Neatly labelled and very organised. c) Ample of parking space. d) lot of 'hard to find' ingredients are available. e) They have a small section for Daiso products Score! (that alone is reason enough for me to go back) f) Indian aisle is pretty decent This place is less crowded compared to Mekong but the seafood section there has more variety in terms of shrimp, fish, crabs etc. Note - $5 min to use credit/debit cards. Cheers!

Don't expect to get great customer service here. Employees walk around, stare at you, and they don't say a thing. This place is huge and they sell a variety of items. (Hispanic and American products as well) Prices though seem to be much higher then the other Asian markets that are around the area. I stood 5 minutes at the dairy counter even though there was an employee right in front of me and two which seemed to be managers, standing next to me talking. I got a stare and that was my que to tell him what I wanted. No "how can I help you?" Nada. I didn't even get a thank you. The cashier was no different. Rude. Never coming back. This was my first and last time, byeeee.

Great selection of Asian foods. Well organized store. Right in the heart of Asian stores and eateries.

I can tell by the way the 1 star reviews are written that the reviewers were coming from a place of entitlement. Maybe they've never gone a day without an employee answering to their every beck and call. Sounds nice, but having worked in retail for many years, it's not because they were nice themselves. In any case, I've been shopping here for years and have never had a bad experience. Yes sometimes the produce goes off, but the owners purchase from big stores like Safeway to help minimize food waste. They work with independent small businesses to provide fresh local staples. Can't be said of other grocery stores. They offer coupons based on the amount of money you spent, and almost everything is on sale. The coupons expire after a month or so of having been issued so if it's expired they won't accept it. As a white person myself I have never once felt othered or not welcomed. Every employee is either eager to help or finds someone who can. You just have to ASK POLITELY. They are busy people with lives that exist beyond you so if you don't ask for help they won't assume you need it. Having lived in Arizona my entire life I'm intimately aware of how white Arizonans love to make everything about themselves, but maybe recognize that you're stepping into a world that doesn't belong to you and be respectful.

One of the things I am not used to saying about an international market is it was clean. What a great use of the space there. Lots of Asian ingredients with a Hispanic section as well. It really did have a broad selection. However. They did not have what I went there for which was a Brazilian cream cheese (Catupiry). Was fun to take my 8 year old into.

This is a good Asian market. I like that they have different meat and fishes. This store can be a one stop shop. For groceries.

I love it here so much. I always go to this place and Mekong on the same day. Phenomenal selection employees are always fantastic and I get everything I need and always try something new each time

This store is delightful to visit! I love the different foods they have made available, all different countries represented. There is food to eat inside at the restaurant, boba teas, and snacks galore! I will be back often. Their service is also top notch.

Watch out for the produce. I have purchased shallots there that had mold in the inside. Some of the cashiers don't speak to you until its time to tell you the total. Management isnt extremely friendly but prices are better than most of the Asian markets.

I've known this store has been here for awhile but I hadn't been there until yesterday. Let me say I am pleasantly surprised. After reading what seemed like split reviews, i will side more with the positive reviews. Came for just a few items. After my last trip to Lee Lee's I was quite unhappy and frustrated because of my inability to find the things I needed and the 2 young men at the newspaper/bamboo counter being SUPER RUDE. Apparently they are the complete opposite of the friendly owner. Anyway, we found this store spacious. If you're expecting like an Asian Safeway store, it's not that. Prices are reasonable and comparable to Lee Lee's and Mekong. Two things that stood out were ORGANIZATION and overall friendliness of those working there. I interacted with 2 workers, and one repeatedly for help. One spoke 2 Chinese languages and the other some English. These 2 things alone was much better than either Lee Lee's or Mekong. It's important when you have a multicultural store to be organized because often ingredients and names of products are in different languages. Those Lee Lee's and Mekong do have some organization, this market is much better at it. Aisles for the Asian sections are wider. I was able to find my items with little help because it made sense to me. Even after MANY times over the past years going to the other Asian markets, if I need anything new, it takes so long to find it because there could be a half dozen places it could be in the store. At this market, it's basically one location and if it's not there, they don't have it. The produce section is huge. The stuff looked fresh to me. I only bought a couple items here. Didn't buy any meat, so I can't comment but it didn't smell bad when I was in the area. I think at least the next few times I need Asian food, I'm coming here instead. Mekong is down the street but every aisle is so crowded it's hard to do social distancing.

Definitely worth a trip if your looking for more Asian inspired things. Not necessarily international. Has hot food and a meat department as well. Really liked it.

I went to this place this morning. To get my some fresh ingredients for cooking. They sell the past due food. It was so disgusting.

Az International Marketplace is similar to Mekong supermarket and its is just 3' minute away. I usually go to Mekong because I get used to the way they set it up in places. The place is bigger and has more variety in Mexican food, home storage and alcohol beverages. The price is similar but the food at Mekong is fresher. The customer service is not that great. The female cashier overcharged me for avocados. When I figured that out (its $7 dollars different), not even a word "sorry" or "thank you" afterward. She was rude by throwing money on the counter instead of giving me by hand. Well, what am I expecting? Whole Foods's customer service? lol, I guess she had a bad day. This is one of the reasons why Mekong is always busier.

My husband and I always shop at Mekong for our asian groceries, mainly because it was familiar. The other day I suggested that we stop by AZ International Marketplace just so that I can check it out and confirm my asian grocery store of choice (besides, it is only five minutes from Mekong)! I was pleasantly surprised at how spacious this store is! We visited on a Tuesday, so there were not many people in the store at all, but the store is so expansive that the displays had a little breathing room. I appreciated that not everything was crammed into the space. Prices on produce seemed comparable to Mekong. They also have one small aisle dedicated to Daiso products, which is amazing. I do wish their meat department was a little larger. I was looking for pork bones for my soup and only had about two packages to select from. Now, a lot of yelpers mentioned that service is bad here. I didn't get the same impression. I think at most Asian grocery stores there is minimal interaction, no small talk. Just get your groceries and get out. I didn't experience any rude employees. But again, this was only my first time visiting. Most likely I'll return and continue comparing prices and experiences to what I have experienced at other asian grocery stores and update the review as needed!

I had time to kill so came here to check the place out. Its a large store with a big lot outside with plenty of parking. That makes it easy! I shop at stores like this at home. Whats nice as you can get most anything! Prices are good on some things. I just got limes 10 for 98c . Other prices are hit and miss but for Asian and Latin customers there are a lot of products, esp fruits and vegetables to buy here that the normal grocery chains dont carry. They have some kind of a points/coupon program if your going to be shopping here regularly get on that. I was impressed with a big barrel of ice at the exit door. Yes it gets hot here, and some that live out of town bring coolers to stock up, especially for meat and fish so thats a nice extra that most similar stores dont do. I live in Atlanta where it can get hot too. We have a dozen or more of these Asian megastores and NONE have ice at the exit. They also have these Asian BBQ things that are basically a metal bucket with bricks. Very popular In Thailand,Laos, and elsewhere. I see them for mail order but shipping is so expensive! Cost here is less than shipping. A big bag of Chinese generic Q tips 1.59. I quit buying generic as they fall apart but these looked fairly well made.

I'll give it 4 stars. It seems there's not really an Asian market to satisfy everyone, but this is probably the closest that it gets. It's a huge store. Large enough to find the little things that you might want, plus you can browse for something new to try. They also have a section with traditional American grocery items if you need to pick up some Prego with your Pokki. I'm a bit picky about my fresh meat and vegetables so I might stay with the other shops for those items. Really convenient location, endless parking, clean store.

This is the worst Asian market ever. No wonder why this place is so dead. They sell stuff that's expired and on top of that customer service here is the worst. I'll never come back here again. Even management it horrible. They don't care about their customers at all.

Wow ... what a huge market indeed. This is the sister store to their smaller Mekong Market around the corner. It is definitely about 3-4 times bigger and has a larger selection as well. There's even have extra space to expand for more products in the future. Tractor supplies? I've stopped in here a few times since they opened and this place just keeps getting better and better. The different ethnic sections are more organized and the Feng Shui flow of the store is starting to take shape. Usually come here for Asian ingredients but this store has so much more. The place is basically split into two sections with the produce and fresh meat / fish sections positioned in the center. The Mexican / American side has all the items you need to make your favorite Mexican recipes as well as the typical American items that you would get at a regular grocery store. The Asian side is packed with everything you need to create any type of authentic Eastern dish. All you need is a recipe and a good list of ingredient and you are ready to go. Not to mention some good appetites. Stopped here last time to get stuff to make Vietnamese Lemongrass Street Tacos. This is a great fusion recipe that we found in the local AZ Republic newspaper and it has become a big hit at our house (see link). Tangy marinated Pork with a garlicky fish sauce cooked with lemongrass and topped with pickled cucumbers, carrots and all sorts of other goodies. http://www.azcentral.com/story/life/food/recipes/2014/09/09/vietnamese-street-tacos-recipe/15300555/ What is nice about this store is that you can get everything you need without having to make multiple stops. Even my wife was excited to hear about that since she was doing the shopathon that day with me. YES! Come on over and check these guys out. They have a couple different smaller restaurants inside if you decided you need to refuel before shopping. There are also bigger restaurants in the parking lot that you can enjoy as well. It's kinda like going on a vacation to a foreign land and not having to deal with the airport hassles. See you there next time when we are trying out a new recipe at the house. It's always fun to cook with family and friends and what a better way to bring your favorite people together. HUNGRY! 3.75 STARS

I really wanted to give this place a '4 star' rating. I was kinda disappointed in the fruit/ veggie section in the store, the restaurant as well. This store is huge and pretty empty though. Not sure if I'll return to this location...

I'ts been a year since our last visit. At the time I noted numerous problems with this store compared to its sister store in the Mekong Plaza less than a mile north of there. Visiting again I can say there has been much improvement. The store aisles didn't have pallets of stuff making them almost impassible. I still think they rely too much on pallets on the floor, but at least they weren't a major obstacle this time. The organization seemed to make more sense now, so it was easier to shop. The produce area is still large, and it seems to feature really fresh items (mostly Asian, but some Latino). They seem to have everything old Mekong has, plus all the Latino stuff. I have a feeling we will start coming here more than old Mekong. Old Mekong may very well be on its way out now.

Great New Find And Good Prices! We were on our way to Mekong Market when we saw this HUGE new market! Staff was friendly! Manager girl was friendly! Super clean and organized! Good prices! Nice Military Discount! This is my new go to market! Stop in and give them a try!

Since their grand opening in late April, I kept seeing fellow Yelpers' check in one after another. I couldn't wait to come check it out this new store. I walked every single aisle, up and down, checking everything out.. I must say many of the food I purchased on that day was cheaper than other Asian grocery store nearby. They have nice selections, if I am home more often, I would have purchased more food. They sell some bakery, I wish selection is larger but other than that, they had everything I could think of that I normally purchase from Asian grocery store. They have cafeteria serving Chinese food and boba drink store inside. Boba I had was just standard, nothing special but price was very reasonable. i like the fact they have herbal tea too. Fresh vegetables and meats I purchased was pretty good, I already used everything within a few days after I purchased from this store last weekend. I would definitely be back.

Came back to retrieve items that I needed. Found items and I enjoyed the variety of spices available. We also had a boba tea which was really good. I did find some extra items that I will try. I did receive a coupon that I saw someone use ahead of me. What a bonus if you shop here often.

Really huge international marketplace that is reminiscent to giant international grocers like Zion in San Diego. With a plethora of international products, food to housewares and even a small food court AZ International has it all. I appreciate the cleanliness and brightness of the store and how organized it is despite the massive amounts of items it holds. Walking down the aisles may be a bit confusing as housewares are located on the far right and left and produce located smack dab in the middle. Though, past the housewares are heavier, frozen or bulk items. Aisle signs are also a bit small to read. However, pricing here looks pretty typical to any other ethnic grocer I've seen in the Greater Phoenix area though the vast variety here is one to commend. I recently got to their their boba tea here and found for a small shop in a grocer to be quite good. I got a Wintermelon Green Tea with boba and really enjoyed it, very reminiscent to Gong Cha's except really on the sweet side. I would suggest ordering half sweet here at iSnow (from what I recall). The boba itself was very good, perfectly cooked, soft but chewy and tasted like brown sugar. Price was also very reasonable. Flavors remind me more of the legit milk tea/teas I'm used to and fond of. They also serve shaved ice and ice cream here as well. Parking is easy here as the plaza it's located in is large with not many store fronts to compete with. Though I did find drivers here were particularly aggressive in getting the closest parking spot or driving a bit too fast. Sorry, I'm not going to delve into the Asian driver jokes here- the diversity of customers surpasses that of solely Asians O:-)

First visit was on 6/5. The store was very large and it was fun exploring. There were many housewares like mentioned in other reviews. The parking lot is very large so it was very easy to find a spot and get in and out. The produce was extremely cheap! Orange bell peppers were 3lbs for $0.98, 4 bunches of green onions for $0.98, etc. They had Café Du Monde Coffee on sale for $4.58, and 30 eggs for $1.78. I believe they also offer a 10% discount like Me Kong, but not for sale items (not 100% sure on that). Some of the items were overpriced but I feel like that is the case with most stores. Will definitely return to check out any new products and sales. *I am also on the hunt for my favorite candy. It is called Meiji APOLLO STRAWBERRY Chocolate Japanese Candy Cones. I purchased it at Me Kong a few years ago and fell in love with it. When I returned to order more I did not see it stocked on the shelves. I tried to find it at this market as well and did not see it. Does anyone know of anywhere local where it is currently for sale?

Normally about 2% to 5% of the veggies and fruits are rotten, and normally the ones I am actually interested in buying are about 10% to 35% rotten, I just try to sift through for the reasonable ones. Today I noticed something that has been there for the longest time but finally got tired of it enough to leave a review as they can't seem to address it without being put on the spot. The whole shelf is moldy but I took some close shots. As you can see on the shelves and signs that there is mold everywhere. As the water sprays around on the veggies, it mixes in with this mold and drips down to the veggies, they need to get this health safety issue. The next time I come in and see this, I will directly be reporting this as a health code violation. For shoppers, please be aware and choose carefully, for the seller, get yourselves sorted out. This is very unsafe.

Do Not Go Here! They didn't honor my $44.00 coupon during Covid 19 today. I felt being white made prejudice happen and they tore up my coupon just to make me upset. I was robbed today, the manager had a smirk after they ripped the 44.00. They lost face, and they slapped mine. Covid 19 and China doesn't like Americans anymore, not our money either!

Continually overcharged at register. They won't honor prices advertised on-shelf. I'm sorry, this is really poor and deceitful! All the sections have had dwindling stock. Frozen indian section almost non existent. I'm done with the place.

I love this market place. I live in Laveen and ride all the way to Mesa. I can always find just what i need.

The customer service here is terrible. Even the manager is terrible. They don't want to help the customer. This is why I don't shop here. People remember the little things you do for them and it keeps them coming back. If you can't even help with the little things why should we even come back? No one this place is always dead. And I heard from people who work there that when stuff expire they get rid of the expiration date! If you see no expiration date I would pass on it!