Article By XIANEASE
The holidays are coming, starting this month with Thanksgiving (for the Americans among us) and then kicks into high gear in December. However, if you’re looking to make some festive comfort foods, or just want some familiar treats to try to fill the homesick hole in your heart, you might have some trouble. It’s true that more and more international brands are getting their products in stores, but certain items can be elusive. If you find yourself on the hunt for something special from a far-off land, these five supermarkets might just have what you’re looking for.
Olé/blt
Different names, pretty much the same thing: Olé and BLT are small, gussied-up, import-mostly Vanguard supermarkets. It’s a great place for odds and ends, and a trip down the aisles will easily fill your basket with “Ugh, I’ve been searching EVERYWHERE for this!”, “OMG I can’t believe they have this!” and “I don’t know what this is but it’s in German and I must try it.” A great place to find imported booze and candy, just be sure to avoid the madness that is their produce prices.
Address: B1, Saga Shopping Mall, No.123, Chang’an Zhong Lu.
长安中路123号 赛格购物中心B1 (blt)
Phone: (029) 8932 8928 Hours: 10:00am-10:00pm
Address: B1, Wangfujing Shopping Mall, No.88, Nan Guan Zheng Jie.
南关正街88号 西安王府井百货B1层 (Olé)
Phone: (029) 8765 1821 Hours: 10:00am-10:00pm
METRO
麦德龙
Still accessible to foreigners with a passport (despite some rumors that claim otherwise), Metro has an absurd selection that also offers absurdly sized portions for some items. Cheese, meat, snacks, wine and more are waiting for you on their shelves—and if you can Chinese well enough to use their mobile app, you don’t even have to make the haul to their less-than-convenient locations.
Address: No.86, Chang’an Nan Lu.
长安南路86号 (电视塔西侧)
Phone: (029) 8525 8888 Hours: 6:00am-10:00pm
Address: No.958, Beichen Lu, Chanba Ecological District.
浐灞生态区北辰路958号 (浐灞二路)
Phone: (029) 6569 8888 Hours: 6:00am-10:00pm
JINKOU
A local web company originally founded by someone from the Isle of Mann, Jinkou has managed to stay open after being sold and has really exploded in terms of product availability. True to its name, it’s all imported items on Jinkou, from breakfast cereals to hygiene products, baking ingredients to Mexican food and more. You’ll be paying a bit of a premium, but the convenience factors of COD and same-day delivery in Xi’an can’t be beat.
Website: http://cn.jinkoulive.info
HE MA
盒马鲜生
He Ma is Alibaba’s foray into the supermarket business. While you could just head down to the supermarket yourself, He Ma’s big claim to fame is its integration into the Taobao mobile app, through which you have access to every product in the store and fast delivery right to your door. Not an “international” supermarket in the strictest sense, you will be able to find a healthy selection of foreign odds and ends, like Sriracha sauce and snack food.
Address:
No.305, Gaoxin Da Du Hui, Ke Ji Lu.
科技路305号 高新大都荟一层
Phone: (029) 8860 6086
Hours: 10:00am-10:30pm
Address:
B1, Intime Shopping Mall, Yanta Nan Lu.
雁塔南路曲江银泰城B馆 B1层
Phone: (029) 8986 6677
Hours: 10:00am-10:00pm (Mon-Thu)
9:00am-10:30pm (Fri-Sun)
BHG MARKETPLACE
Shiny and new, just like the rest of the SKP Shopping Mall that it calls home, BHG Marketplace is a direct competitor to Olé and BLT. You’ll find a similar experience here, but with a bit of a larger selection and some freshly prepared foods if you’re into that.
Address:
B1, SKP Nan Guan Zheng Jie, No.261 Chang’an Bei Lu
长安北路261号SKP购物中心负一层
Phone: 150 8669 3717 182 2525 2548
Hours: 10:00am-10:00pm
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