The Pirate Review - 99 Ranch Market

Good produce, bakery and fish departments, but beware the butcher block

I love the Great Wall Shopping Mall in Kent, Washington. I love saying the name to friends in a pseudo-Asian accent, because I'm a complete dork; I love the fact that the whole mall was set up and built using the principles of feng shui; I love the restaurant that serves seafood dim sum all day long, tempting me with yet another plate of siu mai and steamed shrimp dumplings; I love the Chinese apothecary and the Japanese snack store and the absolutely charming proprietor of Forbidden City who sold me my magic dragon tea set. The place is just fun.

Among all the pan-Asian goodies to be had in Great Wall there is the anchor store, a local branch of the Chinese supermarket chain known as 99 Ranch Market (no, I do not know where the odd name originated). 99 Ranch is a full-sized, full-service supermarket catering primarily to Chinese tastes, but with plenty to offer shoppers from Southeast Asia and Japan as well as curious gwai louhs like myself.

First stop: the produce department. If you're unfamiliar with the fruits and vegetables of east and southeast Asia, it's time to drag out your culinary sense of adventure--or at the least, a handy copy of A Cook's Guide to Chinese Vegetables by Martha Dahlen. Barring this, you could try looking up a fruit or vegetable on the Shopping Tips section of the company website (they have recipes!). If you're less shy but still unsure about the proper culinary use of a particular vegetable, try asking an employee or striking up a conversation with a fellow shopper; you're almost certain to get a good tip or two. 99 Ranch offers all sorts of delicacies in their season, from the well-known to the obscure, at some very good sale prices (a few weeks ago I picked up some sugar snap peas for a song, and as of this writing mangoes are on sale at a rock-bottom price). Those of you who are freaky enough to love durian will find it here on a regular basis, frozen for shipment to bring down some of its, erm, pungency.

Speaking of pungency, as you work back through the produce department, you will next hit the butcher block--if its scent doesn't hit you first. I can remember exactly one time when the meat department at the Kent 99 Ranch did not reek of slaughter and steer manure, and on that occasion it smelled heavily of bleach. Due to its distance from my house and the undeniably off-putting odor, I have yet to purchase anything from the meat department at 99 Ranch Market, so I am in no position to review the particulars--other than to suggest to the store managers that more scrupulous cleanliness might be in order. Yech.

On to the fish market, which is usually considerably cleaner. You can choose from standard steaks and fillets, or go for the "very fresh" route and choose a live fish or shellfish from the tanks. Whenever we pass this area, my niece always begs me to buy something live, hoping she'll be able to take home a pet sturgeon (ehhhh, no). Compared to the average full-service supermarket, 99 Ranch has a wide variety of fish to choose from; a few species, such as golden thread and yellow croaker, were completely new to me. There's also a fresh case containing all the necessary accoutrements for sashimi and other raw fish delights, and a selection of frozen, dried and preserved fish as well.

Rounding the corner, you will come across the in-store bakery and deli (which, unlike the meat department, always smells heavenly). The bakery is filled with beautifully decorated cakes, rolls, cookies and desserts, and we almost always end up giving in to temptation and buying something to nibble. I cannot vouch for the deli, as there are so many food options in the Southend that we're rarely hungry by the time we get to 99 Ranch, but they seem to have a fair selection of dishes at the steam table (not to mention brown and succulent roast ducks waiting to be taken home and devoured).

The main aisles of the store are packed with a hodgepodge of Asian foods and other necessaries: noodles, soups, canned fruits and vegetables, spices and sauces, sodas and drinks, teas, frozen treats, snacks and candies, and a surprisingly large stock of housewares. If you don't already have a wok or a bamboo steamer, 99 Ranch isn't a bad place to pick one up.

A note about "shopping while non-Asian" is perhaps in order: I have gotten the occasional puzzled glance from the regular shoppers at 99 Ranch Market. On my last trip, the man ahead of me in the checkout line kept glancing back at the fresh longans in my basket and finally turned to ask me how on earth I had become familiar with this fruit (I explained that my husband had developed a taste for it during his time in Singapore). For some reason I find this amusing rather than embarrassing. At the very least, it's started an interesting conversation or two.

I don't visit 99 Ranch Market that often simply because it's not within easy driving distance, while the Bellevue Uwajimaya is practically within walking distance. But if you're in the Renton/Kent/Tukwila area, it's worth checking out; this market does have a lot to offer, even though I can't in good conscience recommend the butcher block.