Asian supermarkets in Manchester and Liverpool: area guide

Our directory lists 25 Asian supermarkets across Greater Manchester (15) and Merseyside (10). By main category that's 14 Chinese, 8 pan-Asian or international, 2 Korean and 1 Thai; 5 stock Korean food and 4 Japanese. This guide groups them by area, says what each is best for, and picks out which open late, which open on Sundays and which have parking.

For the full list, map, phone numbers and open-now status, use the Manchester and Liverpool city pages; this guide helps you decide where to go.

Manchester: Chinatown and the city centre

Manchester's Chinatown shops sit within a few streets of each other in M1, on George Street, Faulkner Street and Charlotte Street, so one walk round covers fresh herbs, seafood, frozen food and kitchen kit.

Woo Sang Supermarket on George Street is described on its listing as Manchester's first Chinese supermarket, trading since 1973. It is a medium-sized shop for noodles, spices and cookware, with fresh, chilled and frozen food and a Hunan restaurant upstairs.

Also on George Street, Hang Won Hong is a large store with fresh Asian produce, drinks, snacks and homeware. Its listing records more than 30 years of trading, same-day local delivery and nationwide delivery through Tuk Tuk Mart.

On Faulkner Street, Wing Fat Supermarket is the one for herbs: its listing highlights exotic vegetables and oriental herbs, frozen dumplings, and catering kit such as woks, cleavers and steamers.

Blue Whale Supermarket on Charlotte Street is the upmarket option: around 5,500 sq ft, with fresh fruit, vegetables, fish and seafood, Japanese as well as Chinese groceries, premium pricing and the Aka Sushi restaurant.

For Korean food, Oseyo Arndale Centre in the Arndale's Halle Mall is listed at around 13,000 sq ft and billed as the largest Korean supermarket in the UK, with kimchi, chilli seasoning, mochi, fermented drinks and K-beauty.

Manchester: Oxford Road and the university end of town

Oseyo Oxford Rd. at 8 Oxford Road is a smaller Oseyo for Korean foods, snacks and ingredients, open 9am–9pm daily: handy for an evening top-up.

W.H. Lung Supermarket on Upper Brook Street (M13) is a large supermarket with a warehouse for bulk purchases, a bakery, and Chinese, Korean, Thai and Japanese products at budget to mid-range prices, with the Tai Pan dim sum restaurant upstairs. New to the city? Our international student guide covers what to stock up on.

Manchester's superstores and wholesalers

Wing Yip Superstore Manchester on Oldham Road in Ancoats is the place for a big shop: a superstore listing more than 4,500 fresh, frozen and canned products, plus cookware, tableware and trade supplies. Its listing notes lots of halal products, no delivery and a free car park with time limits.

Chinastar Wholesale on Whitworth Street East in Openshaw is a budget-priced wholesaler focused on meat and fish, open 24 hours every day according to its listing. Ring ahead before a late-night visit.

Chi Yip Group Ltd in Middleton, on the Greengate Industrial Estate, is a large wholesale and retail business trading since 1980, with wholesale meats, labour-saving catering products and nationwide refrigerated delivery.

Elsewhere in Greater Manchester

You don't have to go into the city centre:

Liverpool: Chinatown and London Road

Chung Wah Supermarket on Hardy Street (L1), at the Chinatown end of the city centre, is a large Chinese supermarket with fresh vegetables, meat, tofu, frozen fish, spring rolls and wontons, plus sauces such as black bean and oyster. It has a free customer car park.

On London Road (L3), Sida Chinese Supermarket is a large shop with Chinese, Korean and Japanese groceries, herbs, spices and kitchenware at budget to mid-range prices.

Further along London Road, YYUK CHINESE SUPERMARKET sells Chinese groceries and keeps long hours: 11am–11pm daily.

eJoy Asian Foods on Devon Street pairs groceries with a street-food court serving Cantonese dim sum, siu mai, noodle bowls, roast duck and Happy Lemon bubble tea.

Liverpool: Myrtle Parade, Kensington and Old Swan

eJoy's second branch, eJoy Asian Foods on Myrtle Parade (L7), has the same dim sum, roast duck and food court.

L7 Village Market on Prescot Road is an international supermarket on a former Aldi site, listing 15,000 to 30,000 products: Asian, Middle Eastern and Eastern European food, fresh produce, a bakery and a halal-certified butcher, with free onsite parking.

Dales Cash & Carry on Newton Road in Old Swan is a cash and carry trading since 1957, for seafood, fresh and frozen meat and poultry, vegetables, fruit and catering groceries.

Wider Merseyside: north Liverpool, Bootle and Huyton

W H Lung Supermarket on Blackstone Street (L5) is the Liverpool W.H. Lung: a warehouse-style wholesale and retail store, trading since 1979, with Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Malaysian products and the Tai Pan restaurant above.

Late opening and Sunday shopping

8 shops close at 9pm or later on at least five days a week:

On Sundays, 22 of the 25 shops with full hours on record open (6 close by 5pm, so go early) and 3 stay shut. The table below gives each shop's Sunday hours.

Where you can park

Only 3 listings record parking. For the other 22 we hold no details, so plan on public transport or a pay car park.

A suggested Saturday route

Times are each listing's Saturday hours; the order puts early openers first and fresh fish and meat last.

Manchester on foot

Liverpool

Every store at a glance

Shopping tips

If you can't get there

4 shops in the two counties list a delivery service. Terms change, so check with the shop before ordering.

Shop by cuisine in Manchester and Liverpool