Hong Kong Market

I have often shopped at the Hong Kong Market (formerly Super 88) in Allston, with mixed results. The produce seems to stay on the shelf until it's either bought or gone frankly bad. As for seafood, if it's whole fish, you can tell if it's fresh. Unfortunately, with some items, you can't.

I was burned today buying scallops. They were not labeled as having been treated with chemicals (in fairness, they were not labeled as not treated, either). When I rinsed them, they produced a little sudsiness. Oops, I thought, but dried them on paper towels and sauteed them in some olive oil. Just a couple of bites proved them to be bitter and nasty tasting. I tossed them out.

Lesson learned.

Update: I should explain that the Allston Hong Kong Market is still the go-to market in my area for packaged, frozen, and dried Asian foodstuffs, and the food court can't be beat. The fresh produce is hit-or-miss, but they reliably have things like lemongrass as well as Asian fruits and vegetables you never see in Stop and Shop - you just have to pick out the fresh stuff. The meat section regularly stocks animal parts you don't see in American markets at pretty low prices.