Sunrise over Knoxville

So last week I finally made it to Sunrise, the new-ish Asian market in Knoxville. I had resisted it's slick, supermarkety charms for a long time as I was pretty loyal to the "Oriental Supermarket" on Sutherland, which was of a more Korean bent. (And has Hannafuda cards for sale for playing Koi-Koi!) But I had finally heard enough rave reviews to check it out, and subsequently made 3 visits last week. This place really is a supermarket. Not a Super Target, or anything like that, but when I was a kid, this would definitely have qualified as a supermarket. The vegetables were all very fresh, and cheap beyond belief. I was finally able to pick up a good carbon steel wok on the cheap, enough chopsticks to last months, and I actually got to watch as they refilled the crab bin with live blue crabs..... MMmMmMmm. The selection of foods was outstanding, even including those a bit exotic to the western table, such as fresh goat meat, pickled snake heads, and more eels than you can shake a stick at. This store is more focused on Chinese foods, so no Hannafuda cards, but a manager was nice enough to introduce me to Bai Tu Sac (or Si Se Pai) cards. Played like MahJongg or rummy, you form varied sets to score points. The only downside to the store is the amount of bleach they use to cover the seafood smell from the deli counter, which, rather than creating a clean, pleasing smell instead makes a horrid funk. Well worth it, I say. Anyway, an odd post for my first in months, but I wanted to let my friends know about this little gem.