Amazing Oriental supplies varied & fresh outdoor products from the East

Tokos (Asian shops in the Netherlands) can be found nearly everywhere throughout the nation, but Amazing Oriental exploits supertokos in various larger cities. They distinguish themselves from regular tokos through a large supply of fresh produce, in addition to their large size. Much, but not everything on the fresh produce shelves, is fresh daily. Surprisingly, thousand-year-old eggs lie between sweet potatoes and plantains. “We want to surprise consumers by offering typically Asian products,” says branch manager Li Ying Hu.

The Asian supermarket chain, which opened its first shop in the Netherlands in 1986, currently has 20 branches (two of which are wholesalers) in twelve cities. The latest supermarket to open is in the centre of Rotterdam, on the West-Kruiskade 28. Within the chain, the branch was named branch of the year 2016. With innumerable Asian restaurants in the neighbourhood, it is almost a bit like China Town. That wasn’t the reason to open the supermarket at that location, according to regional manager Johnny Li. “This is the fourth Amazing Oriental in Rotterdam. When deciding a suitable location, we mostly look at accessibility, and not so much at the composition of the quarter. We are actually in all major, but also in mid-sized, Dutch cities, but not yet in other European countries. The Netherlands is a country where people are not afraid to experiment in the kitchen, they are truly open to that. Each branch has its own target audience. For example, our branch in Eindhoven draws many (Asian) customers from Belgium.”

“About 50 per cent of our customers are Asian, but more and more other cultures are also discovering us. Western customers buy their chicken feet from us,” Li Ying says. “Because people are traveling more, and restaurants are becoming more diverse, home chefs dare to come out of their comfort zone. Anyone can stir-fry. We personally develop easy recipes based on products available from our shops. Asian cooking is actually very easy, and many recipes are finished within 20 to 30 minutes.”

The vegetable department, which can be found directly behind the shop’s entrance, is doing very well, according to Li Ying. Asians eat many vegetables. On the right is a counter where a number of women remove ugly leaves from delivered leafy vegetables, portion and pack them, and place them in the cooling. Li Ying: “We make it ready-for-use, and by using bags, the products stay fresh.” The philosophy behind that is very Asian. “Everything you buy can be used, customers have to throw nothing away.” The cooling is filled with Asian leafy vegetables and delicate plant parts such as banana blossom, water cress and many types of mushrooms.

Vegetables that are a bit hardier are in blue crates outside the cooling area, on shelves. These are carrot and tuber-like vegetables, such as taro, cassava and sweet potatoes.

After the vegetable department, the shop widens out, and it looks much like a Western supermarket as regards organisation. Wide aisles and orderly shelves with snacks, tea, herbs, hundreds of kinds of sambal, ready-made sauces for stir-frying, bales of rice (up to 100 kilograms), and 150 kinds of instant noodles, but also cooking utensils. The assortment is tailored to both catering and home cooking. 

Fruit is dependent on the season in Asian countries. In Dutch supermarkets, lychees are mostly sold in December, while we sell them in summer, because that is when they are sweet and contain tiny seeds. In the winter months, the fruit supply is smaller. That’s when we mostly have Asian pears and pomelos on the shelves. 

Most products are available throughout the year. During the rainy season, the supply of fresh herbs is somewhat smaller. The majority of the herbs comes from Asia. “These are so much better, qualitatively, they have much more flavour, and a richer odour. Thai parsley, coriander, could be smelt from two streets over, as it were,” Li Ying says. They sell coriander with roots, because they can be processed into sauces and soups.

Amazing Oriental mostly buys outdoor products. During the winter period, these mostly come from Spain. “Flavour is the most important. You can just taste when a product comes from open fields, the colour is better, and they are firmer.” Vegetables from Dutch soil or from greenhouses can hardly be found at Amazing Oriental, especially during the winter season: no potatoes or bell peppers, but bean sprouts based on soybeans cultivated especially for Amazing Oriental. There’s no disputing about tastes, it just has to be good, Li Ying continues. Asian consumers have more knowledge of the products in general, and just demand quality.

More and more consumers want to eat healthier and more varied. The Asian kitchen is capable of all that. Li Ying: “All nutrients are included, it contains many vegetables and little or no meat, and it is not heavy on your stomach.” Li Ying emphasises the healthy value and experience each time he points out a herb or vegetable. “Indian lotus root is good for your immune and digestive systems. Contrary to the Dutch, Asians make clear soups with pure flavours, for example, soup from Indian lotus root with blanched celery, which is deliciously crunchy.”

Amazing Oriental also has an online Asian supermarket, for customers who live too far away form the supermarkets or prefer convenience. As of recently, fresh and frozen products can be ordered as well. These are delivered at home once a week. Distribution is taken care of by the wholesaler’s in Duiven, which can also service customers in Belgium and Germany. Amazing Oriental is putting itself on the internet map through various social media channels. They let consumers come into contact with Asian products through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Youtube videos.

More information:
www.amazingoriental.com