Foreign Affairs Oriental Market

I like the selection and atmosphere of this store. This is very much an Asian grocery, so don’t expect the sorts of pristine aisles that you’d get at the supermarket. I’m from Los Angeles, and of Filipino heritage — so they have a lot of brands that I know and trust. And anything they don’t have in stock, they’ll usually order for you. The downside of this market are the prices. In LA, the Asian population is much higher than here in Asheville, so the Asian market experience is not only a place where you can get exotic ingredients, but also a great deal. Since Asheville’s Asian population is much much smaller, the store has a much higher markup than I’m used to, which is why I only gave 4 stars. The staff however is personable, friendly, and always willing to help, which certainly goes a long way.

Customer service is outstanding!
All I wanted was ramen. Nothing special. I was given practically a museum guide quality tour into the world of ramen noodles!
No doubt they want you as a customer.

Foreign Affairs so so cool. They sell truly authentic Asian food and gifts. I love the variety they have and the employees are very friendly and helpful. I had a question about where to find something and they directed me right away along with answering any questions I had. They were very knowledgable about all the products. The store is a little small for everything they have packed in there, however, it’s worth checking out and I really enjoyed my experience and will be coming back.

I love, love, love Foreign Affairs. This tiny family-​run shop is basically running its own little Pony Express for PanAsian ingredients. They bring in fresh, yummy treats from the markets in bigger cities in the Southeast. They take special orders, too.
In the springtime they sell live kalamansi trees and kaffir lime trees in little pots outside.
The store is only about the size of a small 7 – 11, and it’s busting at the seams with treasures. They sell San Sebastian spicy «Spanish» sardines in Olive Oil. Which are, in fact, from the Philippines, not Spain. But, more importantly, they’re the most delicious sardines in the entire world. Spain *wishes* they could make Sardines this good. Be sure to get the spicy ones in olive oil. The mild ones in corn oil are just ok. It’s the spicy ones you want!
Just as I write this, they’re down in Atlanta picking up 24 bottles of these sardines for my family (split 3 ways between my mom, my brother, and me).
Everyone who works here is from the same family (mom and 2 or 3 kids), and they’re all sooooo sweet. They’re open every day. I shopped there on New Years, so apparently even major holidays aren’t a reason to close their doors.
There may be bigger, fancier Asian grocery stores within driving distance nowadays, but nobody — NOBODY– can match the heart and soul of this amazing little store on Tunnel Road. I’m a loyal customer for life.

The service I received was Super Friendly! I got turmeric there today, it was fresh. The prices on fast selling consumables seemed reasonable. There were a few items (such as sauces), with a longer shelf life that were higher than some of the much larger stores I have been to (such as the Super G, in Charlotte). BUT, I think that is reasonable when a small business uses shelf space to stock variety. The idea being that it will cost a little more (to make it worth sticking), but be close and available instantly if someone needs it. I also purchased garlic jam, which, 100% of the money paid for jam went to the widow of the man who made the jam and passed away this past summer. They had a raggedy envelope they were using to keep «that money» separate. Which made me feel like «yeah-​this is the kinda place I want to support with my business»

Foreign Affairs is always a nice place to stop for your hard-​to-​find needs, or if you’re looking for something new and interesting to eat!
I was needing some gluten-​free noodles to make dinner, so I stopped in to see what they had. The man there was very nice and thoroughly explained the different kinds of noodles and what dishes they would be best for. I’ve also been stocking up on random instant-​noodles from them for whenever I don’t have the time to actually cook.
I ALWAYS get a drink from the cooler. They have brands that they pretty much always carry that I like (some fruit juices and tea drinks), but they also try out new brands, so I can always find a surprise (like the Aloe waters. Yum!)
Their prices for some items might seem a bit expensive, but most of what they order looks like it comes from overseas — and customs are friggin’ EXPENSIVE.
Everyone I’ve seen at the register has always been very polite and helpful, and a are usually more than happy to conversate with customers. All in all, Foreign Affairs is a nice little family-​run business with exotic food-​finds.

I am truly surprised by these other reviews. I can’t really argue with these price checkers because it’s not worth it to me to drive all other town to save $ 1.50. All I know is that they are always stocked with what I need (e.g. Indian eggplant, kaffir lime leaves, Thai basil).
They are open everyday and they have stayed open for me several times (45 min after close!!) when I was running late and needed an ingredient to make dinner. They are super nice and will talk your head off if you let them. They have offered me recipes and advice and really are interested in Asian cooking techniques and styles.
Don’t listen to the haters!

In contrast to the review above, I’ve found Foriegn Affairs to have some of the best prices on international foods in the Asheville area. They are very knowledgable about the entire array of cuisine opportunities that they offer, and, without fail, I have found them incredibly eager to give advice and share their knowledge. For me, the most difficult part of shopping there is if I’m visiting on a tight time frame, because I want to stay and learn more about all the different foods! They make knowledgable choices on what foods to import, taking care to keep track of the politics of safe food processing standards of their sources, as well as forming direct relationships with some if not many of the farmers with whom they buy their fresh produce from. They also eagerly aid my curiosity in simply explaining various uses for any of their random products, and they never seem to run out of food items that peak my curiosities! They are also the only place in Asheville that I have successfully located tamarind. I would recommend them to anyone, despite ones budget or particular international cuisine interest.

I do not like Forein Affairs Oriental Market at all.
The food’s quality is more or less the same as other shops carry, but the service and public relation of this place is the worst.
The woman at the counter and owner is regularly rude and very unfriendly… Moreover, she overprices a lot of items comparing to other shops in the other areas.
There are 4 Asian Groceries stores in Asheville, + the stand at the Smiley flea market. They all sell more or less the same stuff. packages-​dry food, spices, herbs, frozen food including meat, sausages, fishes, noodle, etc. I guess customers just go to where it is close to their home.
Unfortunately, I live in the area where Foreign Affairs Oriental Market is located, so sometimes for laziness I just stop by there. But when possible I would go to Fairview, or West Asheville to do my Asian grocery shopping.