Hondo Trading Co

Hondo is one of three main oriental supermarkets in Liverpool. By far, it is definitley the smallest and dated. From observation inside and outside, the place could do with a bit of renovating.

In terms of the produce it sells, there is a wide variety of Asian foods to suit all tastes. Anything from canned meat to frozen fish and dried delicacies is reasonable in price. It is also an ideal place for buying products in bulk, especially for those running a business, such as a take-away. There is the large storage warehouse situated at the rear of the building for all customers to freely access.

One disadvantage is that the car park is quite frankly awful, being very tightly crammed and short of parking spaces. It is dark and has annoying pillars making it awkward for drivers to manouvere in and out of the cul-de-sac.

Apart from that, it is your average far-eastern supermarket where you can find more of the exotic ingredients that your local stores won't offer.

Hondo is a legendary Asian supermarket found in Liverpool's Chinatown district.

It's been around forever and is both a supplier to many of the nearby restaurants, Chinese community and Liverpool population at large. It's a place to come to just find some new curiosities for your kitchen cupboards or specific ingredients to recreate your favourite dishes. It's always a well stocked place in which you can find all sorts of dried, packaged and frozen goods although not neccessarily fresh food. But with the city's increasing trading partnerships with China more and authentic items can be found here.

Hondo Supermarket may look like your average everyday unassuming Chinese supermarket, but when you step into it, you immediately feel as though you've entered another world - a world where you can buy frozen rats, and something with the rather charming (and very probably poorly translated) name of 'Balkan Brand Essence of Cock'.


However, if you divert your eyes away from the various weird and wonderful food products on its shelves, you'll find that Hondo Supermarket really is the only place to go for all of those interesting and hard to find ingredients which make up the core components of Asian cooking. Best of all, it's all shockingly cheap - last time I was there, I managed to pick up a huge bottle of Chinese Rice Wine and a large pack of Szechuan pepper corns and have change from a fiver.


Hondo Supermarket reminds me of all the great Chinese food outlets I used to frequent back when I lived in London and was a regular visitor of its China Town. It's definitely a place that every Scouse foodie should visit at least once - even if it's only to pick up some 'Essence of Cock'.

This Oriental super market on the edge of China Town in Liverpool sells, not surprisingly, Oriental groceries, exotic produce, Chinese tea and spices, etc. They have pretty much everything you need if you want to make a Chinese recipe.

I found it interesting that not all the staff were Oriental, as is often the case in stores like this. I guess I would trust Oriental staff more because presumably they would know more about the products that they carry.

Prices are reasonable, and I spied a couple items, like plum sauce, that I have missed from the Oriental super market I used to shop at back in the USA. I also purchased a box of red date tea that I am looking forward to trying.

This is the only place I can find Kicap Kipas Udang Malaysian soysauce; I tend to go to Hondo to stock up of this product.
Don't fancy the parking. Not the best selection of Japanese produce, but having said that, there are not many shop stoking up Japanese product in NorthWest (mind you, I am comparing it with The Japanese Centre at Piccadily Circus London one of the best Japanese grocer/restaurant/bookshop/shopping outlet under one roof!)