What is the produce like in chinatown, san francisco?

Good, walk down Stockton St, around 10 am for the best selection, no you're not in Hong Kong although it may seem that way...

The prices are set. The produce is good and fresh but you have to get there earlier in the day because all the little old grandma's get there early and pick all the good stuff over. The reason it's so cheap is because Chinese people are extremely competitive (especially in Chinatown) and so they undercut each other by price. It's the same with the restaurants too. If you go inside there and buy noodle soup or pastry you will save lots of money by buying there too. They don't pay their employees much so they save there too. Don't compare Safeway or other supermarket. Safeway's employees are part of a union so they get guaranteed wages and salary increases over time, these Chinese get no such benefits. Many people are starting to discover how cheap asian produce is and are starting to shop there. The quality is not worse than regular supermarket, you just got there too late. Incidentally I was born and raised in San Francisco Bay Area and I can tell you that Safeway's produce in San Francisco Bay Area is the worst in that particular region. Their fruits and veggies always look great on the outside but taste like crap on the inside. I'd be willing to either pay more at Whole Foods or goto asian supermarket. Safeway in Seattle is a different story, however, the produce here is not bad.

Many of us are suffering under these bad economic conditions so awhile back one of the local newspapers suggested that produce and groceries purchased in the Asian markets are a bargain. As at any produce table or counter, you need to look at your veggies and buy the freshest ones (in season for the cheapest). If the particular veggie or fruit has a short shelf life, don't buy more than you can use. Since you live right there, you can just go out on the street and buy it when you need it. That way, you know it's fresh. Avoid Waste: What makes perishables expensive is purchasing too much, bringing it home and then later having to throw away something because it spoiled or otherwise became inedible.

Is it fresh? In general, yes, but as everywhere else, the buyer has to evaluate the quality of the produce. My suggestion is that you check out the prices of 2-3 stores for comparison. Why is it so cheap? The polite answer which is also true is that there is a lot of competition so the storekeepers keep prices low to compete. Chinatown has been a popular place to buy produce for over 100 years. The less politically correct answer (and also true) is that many of the shoppers are on welfare (how else could they have the time in the middle of the work day to leisurely shop while the silly taxpayers are slaving away to give em food stamps, free housing and free medical care?). Many of the shoppers are immigrants (not Chinese-Americans from Kansas) and are used to paying lower prices so the stores cater to them to get business. Don't you just love yahoo answers, where you get straight answers?! I have never seen ppl bargain with the shopkeepers for the produce. Unless you buy several crates (e.g. like restaurants do).

cheap- but far from fresh. They usually display the produce in cardboard boxes stacked up along the sidewalk. Who knows what germs/pollution contaminate it during the course of a day? The prices are set- unless you're buying several cases of something- they might be able to offer you a volume discount. I'd stick to a grocery store instead.

cheap as hell... Try mexican market- they are cheaper..