Short answer: shop Asian Super Market at 4601 S. University Ave for the biggest, cleanest, most modern experience and the deepest Vietnamese selection. Shop Mr. Chen's Oriental Supermarket at 3901 S. University Ave for sheer volume of Chinese and general Asian pantry staples. Stop at Sam's Oriental Store at 3704 S. University Ave for curated Korean and Japanese specialties and house-made kimchi. All three sit within roughly a mile of each other near UA Little Rock, so most serious home cooks treat them as complementary rather than competing.
Asian Super Market — 4601 S. University Ave
Opened in 2023 by Kevin and Linh Nguyen, this Vietnamese-owned store is one of the largest Asian markets in Arkansas. Think somewhere between an Aldi and a Walmart in footprint, with wide, clean aisles, updated fixtures, easy navigation, and a big lot with plenty of parking. If you have been intimidated by cramped specialty markets in the past, start here.
The produce, meat, and seafood departments are the strongest reason to make the drive. Fresh lemongrass, Thai basil, galangal, daikon, bitter melon, whole fish, and cuts of pork and beef sliced for hot pot and pho all turn over quickly. Vietnamese staples run deepest — rice paper, fish sauce, dried noodles, condensed milk, coffee filters, snacks, teas, and spice blends you would otherwise have to bring back from Vietnam — but the store carries a genuinely broad range across Thai, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Indonesian, and Indian aisles too.
The Vietnamese deli counter is the sleeper attraction: bánh mì, pho, egg rolls and spring rolls, and other prepared items to take home. It is also one of the few places in Arkansas pouring fresh-squeezed sugarcane juice. Hours generally run about 9 a.m. to 8 or 9 p.m. depending on the day, and reviews consistently praise cleanliness, helpful staff, and selection, landing the store in the 4.5 to 4.6 range.
Mr. Chen's Oriental Supermarket — 3901 S. University Ave
Mr. Chen's is the longstanding heavyweight, a warehouse-style store frequently described as one of the biggest Asian grocery options in the state. The feel is utilitarian and busy rather than polished, and older reviews note dated fixtures and crowded aisles, but the volume is unmatched. After the attached restaurant, Mr. Chen's Authentic Chinese Cooking, permanently closed following December 30, 2024, the owners used that footprint to expand product selection and remodel. The grocery side stayed open the entire time.
Come here for hard-to-find imports: sauces, vinegars, spices, dried goods, an instant ramen and ramyun aisle that goes on far longer than you expect, and a deep frozen section. The Chinese ingredient selection is the strongest in town. There is also fresh produce, herbs, meat, and a well-known seafood and fish section that has historically carried live and fresh options like crab and tilapia. The tradeoff is that the sheer volume can feel overwhelming, and the merchandising is less curated in places than at the newer store up the road. Hours generally run about 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Sam's Oriental Store — 3704 S. University Ave
Sam's is the smallest of the three and the most tightly packed, a true mom-and-pop shop that longtime shoppers defend fiercely. What it lacks in volume it makes up for in curation and quality, especially on Korean and Japanese items. House-made kimchi, kimbap, and, by some accounts, sushi-grade fish are the standouts, alongside a solid mix of other Asian goods. It also now accepts cards after years of being cash or check only, which trips up first-timers who remember the old policy.
Which Store Should You Choose
If you want a modern, comfortable trip with excellent produce and seafood, strong Vietnamese depth, and prepared food you can eat in the car, go to Asian Super Market. If you are restocking a pantry, hunting a specific import, or buying noodles and sauces in quantity, go to Mr. Chen's. If you want the best kimchi and Korean or Japanese specialties in a small, well-edited shop, go to Sam's. Locals routinely hit two of the three in one afternoon, and the drive between all three takes only a few minutes.
Local Insider Tips
Go on a weekday morning if you dislike crowds; weekend afternoons are the busiest at all three. Bring a cooler if you are buying seafood or frozen goods in summer, since you will likely make more than one stop. Prices on rice, noodles, and sauces are dramatically lower than mainstream grocery stores, so buy pantry items in bulk. Ask staff for help identifying unfamiliar products, especially at Mr. Chen's, where the labeling can be inconsistent.
Selection and stock rotate constantly and hours can shift, so call ahead if you are driving across town for one specific ingredient. All three markets anchor this stretch of University Avenue for the local Asian community, UA Little Rock students, and home cooks chasing ingredients that mainstream grocery stores simply do not carry.
