U & M Produce

U & M Produce is my «alternate Plan B» for fresh vegetables. The store is clean and air-​conditioned. They offer Asian condiments, sauces and domestic or imported sausages (lup cheong). The prices are competitive with the other green grocers around but may even be slightly cheaper with some items.
Service is fast but sometimes you’ll have to «put up with» those old Asian women who squeeze their way in front of the line or push you with their pull carts. Cash only is the rule of thumb with these vendors.

I come here for the lup cheong or «lap xuong» as we Vietnamese call it.
I used to stock up on these California Sausage Inc. brand whenever I’m visiting family in Santa Ana.
I’m so stoked that I no longer have to beg friends and family to bring me back some. U & M Produce has ample amounts of them located to the left of the cashier area. You’ll see it front and center as you enter the shop.
Sure, other shops in Chinatown carries them, but theirs aren’t as fresh as this place. Theirs are usually stale and brown-​looking.
Stick to U&M, they seem to get their lup cheong shipments in pretty regularly. Notice how red and bright these sausages are? Just as if I’d bought them straight from its shop in Westminster (where they’re made fresh daily).
There’s two varieties:
— Pork (red label)
— Pork & chicken (blue label)
I’ve cooked with both, they both taste similar, so it all comes down to is the preference of meat you want.
They’re pricey at $ 8 a pack, but it’s well worth it once you bite into these savory tender sausages. There’s a nice sweetness to it that you won’t find in the other brands at your local asian marts (the same brownish links you sometimes see at Times or Safeway). Once you’ve tasted these, you’ll be hooked.
U & M is also my mom’s go-​to shop for affordable fresh produce. We just paid $ 10 for 2 massive lotus roots and 3 bag-​fulls of gai lan and scallions. Scored!