Chef' market, a review

Aks(y) and I went to Chef Market last weekend and had a great time exploring a new store. Quick review.

I had been recommended the place by people who presented it as an alternative to Costco without the need to get membership, and a restaurant supply store. It's much more of a restaurant supply store than anything else. One can buy a year's supply of onion, two years' supply of sweet rice, a whole battalion worth of soy sauce and rice vinegar there. If I was running a crappy restaurant with high margins, the sort that excels at serving reheated frozen foods, this would be my top choice for getting my supplies.

But getting retail quantities here is almost pointless: the items available in retail quantity are priced not very cheaply, they don't have a wide variety of wholesale issues either, and all things considered it clearly doesn't carry higher-end brands like Costco does. What Costco is to, say, Whole Foods, this place is to Grocery Outlet. I don't say that as a compliment to any of the parties involved.

I'm glad I went there once, bought some bananas, frozen fruits and apple cider. The apple cider that I got here was fantastic, there's a separate review incoming soon. Everything else was well-priced. It was fun to explore a new grocery store, a wholesale market at that, but it's unlikely I'll go to this place again. What a pity, I had high expectations from it.