With the Vietnamese population in Sudbury growing, it only makes sense that they now have their own Asian supermarket in the city.
An Mart opened six weeks ago near the main intersection of Falconbridge Road and Lasalle Boulevard, at 1355 Falconbridge Road.
The market offers produce, packaged food, meals to go, bubble tea, Vietnamese white coffee and more.
Hoang Anh, is the owner and chef behind the Asian market. It’s a far cry from the baby store she used to own back home.
Hoang Anh arrived in Sudbury to build a new life with her children and husband in 2021, after visiting a number of other North American cities.
“People are always surprised when I say this but I really loved the difference of the four seasons here in Sudbury. It’s why we stayed here,” she said.
Anh said once she settled in the city, she saw the need for an Asian market that could cater to the people of Japan, Korea, Vietnam and China.
“People wanted products from their homeland. Other Asian people come in looking for their flour to make cakes or kimchi (a dish made with fermented cabbage) or Japanese candy varieties,” she said.
Hoang Anh’s daughter, Anh Trinh, who goes by Sugar, is one of those who loves the candy varieties, especially the hard and jelly candies of Japan.
Sugar graduated with a masters of hospitality in Switzerland this year and is now home to help get the new family business off the ground.
But it’s not all just about the sweet treats. On Fridays, they get shipments of produce and vegetables like leafy green water spinach from Toronto.
“We are trying to match the market prices of Asian supermarkets in the Toronto region,” Sugar said.
The store also has a hot serving area with homemade Vietnamese sandwiches, breads and other traditional foods that are made daily upstairs in the certified kitchen.
The Vietnamese sandwich uses pork like ham or pork ear, topped with fresh green onions, cilantro, cucumbers and pickled radishes.
An Mart also sells fresh homemade summer rolls, which are like spring rolls beautifully wrapped in rice paper and served with a peanut sauce.
“We have tried other varieties of our summer roll in the north but nothing was very authentic and up to standard with our style of rice paper and we wanted to share that quality with the community,” Sugar said.
On weekends, Hoang Anh makes a batch of pho soup. They plan to launch a bigger hot food station in the weeks to come due to the demands of the community.
Sugar said the family also plans to open another location later this year to cater to the South End and downtown communities.
An Mart is open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fall and winter hours may fluctuate. An Mart is preparing to launch social media accounts and a web address.
In the meantime, customers can stop by at 1355 Falconbridge Rd.
Anastasia Rioux is a writer in Greater Sudbury. Let’s Eat! is made possible by our Community Leaders Program.
