Unearth The Voyage
Super Cao Nguyen is Oklahoma City’s treasure trove where grocery shopping meets cultural adventure. Tucked away on North Military Avenue, this sprawling Asian market has been drawing curious foodies and homesick expats alike for years.
With a bustling food court serving authentic dishes alongside aisles packed with ingredients you won’t find anywhere else, it’s become the go-to destination for anyone craving a genuine taste of Asia without leaving Oklahoma.
The Food Court That Feels Like Street Dining in Asia
Walking into Super Cao Nguyen’s food court hits different than your typical mall dining experience. Steam rises from woks, the scent of lemongrass and five-spice fills the air, and vendors call out orders in multiple languages.
You’ll find everything from Vietnamese pho to Thai curries, Chinese dim sum to Filipino lumpia, all made fresh throughout the day.
Prices stay remarkably affordable considering the quality and portion sizes. Most meals clock in under ten dollars, making it easy to try multiple dishes without breaking the bank.
The seating area buzzes with conversation, families sharing meals, and first-timers asking regulars what to order.
Don’t expect fancy décor or trendy Instagram backdrops here. The focus stays squarely on authentic flavors prepared by cooks who know these recipes by heart.
Many vendors have been serving their specialties for years, building loyal followings among Oklahoma City’s diverse communities.
First-time visitors often feel overwhelmed by the choices, but that’s part of the fun. Ask questions, point at what looks good, and embrace the adventure.
The vendors appreciate curious eaters willing to step outside their comfort zones and usually offer helpful recommendations.
Produce Section With Vegetables You’ve Never Heard Of
Bok choy, daikon radish, and Thai basil are just the beginning in Super Cao Nguyen’s produce department. Rows of fresh vegetables stretch across refrigerated cases, many with names that’ll stump even adventurous cooks.
Dragon fruit sits beside bitter melon, while bundles of fresh herbs perfume the entire section.
Shopping here becomes an education in Asian cuisine. Small signs sometimes offer English translations, but not always, creating opportunities to ask fellow shoppers or staff about unfamiliar items.
Many customers happily share cooking tips or recipe suggestions when they notice newcomers examining produce with puzzled expressions.
Freshness matters here, with deliveries arriving multiple times weekly to keep inventory rotating. The turnover means you’re getting vegetables at their peak rather than sad, wilted greens that’ve been sitting around.
Prices often beat regular grocery stores, especially for staples like cilantro, green onions, and ginger.
Seasonal items appear throughout the year, reflecting harvest times in different Asian regions. Winter brings specialty citrus varieties, while summer showcases tropical fruits at their best.
Regular shoppers know to check what’s new each visit, discovering ingredients that inspire completely different meals than they’d originally planned.
Seafood Counter That Rivals Coastal Markets
Oklahoma sits hundreds of miles from any ocean, yet Super Cao Nguyen’s seafood section would impress shoppers in coastal cities. Live tanks bubble with tilapia, catfish, and various shellfish swimming until purchase.
The fish counter displays whole snappers, mackerel, squid, and catches you’d struggle to find elsewhere in the state.
Staff behind the counter know their products inside and out. They’ll clean, scale, and portion fish exactly how you need it, often sharing cooking methods specific to each variety.
Some customers bring in photos from recipes, and the fishmongers help identify which species works best for that particular dish.
Frozen sections expand options even further with imported seafood from multiple countries. Packages of fish balls, shrimp paste, and specialty items support authentic recipe preparation.
The selection makes it possible to recreate restaurant-quality Asian seafood dishes at home without compromise.
Prices fluctuate based on availability and season, but generally stay competitive with regular grocery stores while offering superior variety. The turnover keeps everything fresh, and the knowledgeable staff ensures you’re getting quality products.
Even landlocked Oklahoma can enjoy ocean bounty thanks to this well-stocked department.
Sauce and Condiment Aisle That Goes On Forever
Entire walls dedicate themselves to sauces, pastes, and condiments at Super Cao Nguyen. Dozens of soy sauce varieties line up beside fish sauce, oyster sauce, and hoisin sauce in every imaginable brand and size.
Hot sauce enthusiasts find themselves in paradise with options ranging from mild to face-melting intensity.
Understanding the differences takes time and experimentation. Some soy sauces work better for dipping, others for cooking, and specialty versions serve specific regional dishes.
Reading labels becomes challenging when many remain in their original language packaging, but staff members can usually explain what distinguishes one product from another.
Curry pastes, miso varieties, and fermented bean products occupy their own sections. These flavor foundations form the backbone of countless Asian recipes, and having authentic versions makes all the difference in final dish quality.
Prices stay reasonable, especially for larger containers that last through many meals.
First-time visitors often grab whatever looks familiar, but returning shoppers develop preferences and discover new favorites. The selection encourages culinary exploration, making it easy to recreate restaurant dishes or try cooking styles from different Asian regions.
Your home cooking transforms when you’re working with the real ingredients instead of watered-down supermarket substitutes.
Noodle Selection That Deserves Its Own Zip Code
Forget the three pasta shapes your regular grocery store carries—Super Cao Nguyen stocks noodles in forms, widths, and materials you didn’t know existed. Rice noodles come fresh and dried, thick and thin, straight and curved.
Wheat noodles range from delicate ramen to hefty udon, while glass noodles made from mung beans add yet another category.
Each noodle type serves specific purposes in different cuisines. Pad Thai demands one width of rice noodle, while pho requires another entirely.
Chinese stir-fries work best with certain wheat noodles, and Japanese soups call for their own varieties. Having the correct noodle isn’t just preference—it genuinely affects texture and how well sauce clings to each strand.
Fresh noodle sections keep refrigerated options that cook in minutes with superior texture to dried versions. These perishable products don’t last long at home, encouraging frequent visits and spontaneous meal decisions.
The convenience makes weeknight Asian cooking as quick as boiling water.
Instant noodle sections could occupy an entire article themselves. Beyond basic ramen, you’ll find premium instant options, regional specialties, and flavors that never made it to American mainstream markets.
Some customers stock up on childhood favorites from their home countries, while others treat it like a tasting tour through Asia.
Snack Aisle Adventures for Brave Taste Buds
Pocky and Yan Yan barely scratch the surface of Asian snack possibilities at Super Cao Nguyen. Entire sections overflow with chips in flavors like seaweed, wasabi, and shrimp.
Candy incorporates ingredients like red bean, taro, and lychee instead of standard chocolate and caramel. Rice crackers come in dozens of styles, some sweet, others savory, many combining both.
Reading packages becomes an adventure when familiar snack categories take unexpected turns. What looks like a cookie might contain dried fish flakes, and that innocent-looking candy could pack serious heat.
Grabbing random items to try at home turns into a fun tradition for many shoppers, discovering new favorites alongside occasional misses.
Kids especially love exploring this section, finding treats that make them the most interesting person at lunch. Pokemon-themed snacks sit beside character-branded treats from Asian pop culture.
The variety keeps children engaged during shopping trips that might otherwise feel boring, and introduces them to flavors beyond standard American junk food.
Prices range from pocket-money affordable to premium imported treats. Many snacks come in bulk sizes perfect for parties or sharing with friends.
Bringing a sampler pack to gatherings always sparks conversation and gives everyone a taste of something new and unexpected.
Frozen Food Cases Hiding Restaurant-Quality Meals
Super Cao Nguyen’s freezer aisles pack more variety than most restaurants offer on their entire menu. Dumplings in every style imaginable fill case after case—pork and chive, shrimp and bamboo, vegetable medleys, soup dumplings that squirt broth when bitten.
Buns, spring rolls, and other dim sum items let you host authentic Chinese brunch at home.
Beyond dumplings, frozen sections stock complete meal components. Pre-marinated meats save prep time on weeknights, while frozen vegetable mixes combine ingredients already chopped and portioned for specific dishes.
Desserts like mochi ice cream, red bean popsicles, and Asian-style cakes offer sweet endings without requiring baking skills.
Quality varies by brand, and regulars develop strong opinions about which products deliver restaurant-level results. Staff recommendations help newcomers avoid disappointments and find the gems worth freezer space.
Many items come from the same suppliers serving actual restaurants, meaning you’re getting professional-grade products at retail prices.
Cooking instructions sometimes remain in original languages, but online translation apps make this minor inconvenience manageable. Most items follow straightforward preparation—steam, pan-fry, or boil—making them accessible even for inexperienced cooks.
Having a well-stocked freezer of these products means authentic Asian meals stay just minutes away anytime cravings hit.
Kitchenware Section for Authentic Cooking Tools
Cooking Asian cuisine properly sometimes requires specific tools, and Super Cao Nguyen stocks everything needed. Woks in various sizes and materials line shelves alongside bamboo steamers, rice cookers, and specialized knives.
Clay pots for hot pot cooking sit near stone bowls for bibimbap, while chopsticks come in materials from bamboo to ornate lacquered wood.
Prices undercut kitchen specialty stores significantly while offering authentic products rather than Americanized versions. That matters when tool design affects cooking results—a proper wok with the right curve distributes heat differently than a flat-bottomed pan.
Traditional steamers create better texture than makeshift steaming methods, and using correct implements makes recipes turn out like they should.
Smaller gadgets solve specific cooking challenges. Dumpling presses speed up wrapper folding, mandoline slicers create uniform vegetable cuts for pickling, and specialized graters handle ingredients like ginger and daikon.
These inexpensive tools make cooking easier and results more consistent.
Tableware sections let you serve meals with appropriate presentation. Ramen bowls, sushi plates, tea sets, and serving dishes help complete the dining experience.
Eating pho from a proper bowl or sushi from the right plate somehow makes food taste better, and these finishing touches don’t cost much but add authentic atmosphere to home meals.
Cultural Hub Where Community Gathers and Connects
Super Cao Nguyen functions as more than just a store—it’s become a cultural meeting point for Oklahoma City’s Asian communities and anyone interested in exploring these cuisines. Weekends see families making it their regular shopping destination, catching up with friends while filling carts.
Languages from across Asia float through the aisles as people greet familiar faces and share cooking tips.
Newcomers to Oklahoma City from Asian countries often discover Super Cao Nguyen early in their relocation, finding comfort in familiar products and fellow shoppers who share their background. The store helps ease homesickness and culture shock by providing a space that feels familiar.
Meanwhile, non-Asian visitors get welcomed into this cultural experience, with patient shoppers and staff happy to answer questions and make recommendations.
The diversity of both products and people creates unique learning opportunities. You might overhear a Vietnamese grandmother explaining the best way to prepare a particular vegetable, or watch a Thai cook selecting curry ingredients while discussing recipe variations.
These organic interactions teach more than any cookbook could.
Events and seasonal celebrations bring extra energy to the space. Lunar New Year transforms the store with decorations and special products, while other cultural holidays get acknowledged through inventory and atmosphere.
Super Cao Nguyen has earned its reputation as Oklahoma City’s premier destination for authentic Asian food and cultural connection.
