There are things in Delaware that even some Delawareans don’t know are really cool.
One would be Historic New Castle, a town right out of central casting for a Revolutionary War action drama. Another would be the leafy valley where the Brandywine River slices through Wilmington, giving strollers a scenic and shady escape from the bustle. 
Now, there’s a new insider attraction in Greater Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley: A totally ginormous and endlessly amazing Asian supermarket.
Occupying an old Toys R Us near Christiana Mall, Hung Vuong Food Market is just as full of browseable potential. And, like all good attractions worth a day trip, there’s a little something for everyone: Yummy temptations appear in every aisle, along with a few discoveries that may prove just as puzzling as they are appealing.
It pays to start with instant gratification, which lies just inside the front doors. Vendors along the main hallway lure shoppers in with aromas of roast duck, visions of succulent stir-fries, fresh pastries, and quite possibly the best Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches in the state. Grab a plate, then grab a table to pre-game for what’s to come.
Inside the market itself, it’s certainly not your grandma’s Superfresh: Live fish glide in the bubbling tanks along the back wall, near baskets of snails and shellfish. Meat cuts are fabulously diverse, and any offal lovers in the family will be awfully glad they came.
The rest of us will keep an eye out for those familiar pleasures with an exciting new edge: In the freezer section, intriguing heat-and-eat goodies fill the cases, from chewy Asian dumplings to chilly ice cream. Toward the front of the store, on either side of the registers, you’ll find the main sweets-and-snacks sections – one filled with fabulous Asian chips and candies, the other with delicate pastries.
To me, that’s what makes Hun Vuong the shopping revelation it is: At long last, Delaware has a supermarket where you can begin the trip with a meal, and end it with dessert. In a way, isn’t that really what the American dream is all about?
