Oriental Pantry

I was here on January 17th 2020
It's a cute small place with hundreds of items to choose from and buy all along the walls.
The food was average. Nothing over the top. Haven't been back all throughout the rest of the year here in 2020 but it was meh...
The food wasn't anything memorable and I ordered three different items.
It was all bland.
Nothing to memorable. Nothing bad. Just meh.

First of all I want to say PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES!!!

This is such a cute little market. It was my first experience in an oriental market, so I didn't feel too overwhelmed being that it was wall to wall and not aisles. Everything I was looking for I found. They even had fresh kimichi which I was super excited about. You can buy it in a small, medium, or large container. Both females behind the counter were very pleasant.
They also have a small menu of food items you can order. Now I came in with no intentions of buying a meal but I couldn't resist from the smell, not to mention I had not eaten yet. So I figured hey why not, "when in rome...".
I ordered the beef bibimbap. You may eat it in their small sitting area or take it to go. It was my first time trying and I will definitely be searching to have this again. It was very fresh and tasty. It didn't leave a heavy feeling. It had a good balance! Def a must if you never had it before.
Can't wait to see what the kimichi taste like, I'll def be coming back here.

I got the mandoo (dumplings) in pork and they were quite solid. They also have limited asian snacks and frozen goods that you can also get at this shop. It is run by an old Korean grandma so I loved supporting back local businesses that work hard. Local mom-and-pop shop that is very sweet and caring to their customers. They also do have a gift section that you can indulge in buying, however, is quite limited.

Got the bibimbap without the egg and with tofu to make it vegan, it was very good. She gives you enough so that you will be satisfied but not stuff. If you are looking for food food, then this isn't it, but don't be gluttonous. Enjoy the melding of the spices and sesame oil with the fresh acidity of the vinegar, rich umami of the tofu with a perfectly steamed portion of rice that will make your doctor proud.

As I am American my only gripe was that I wanted more of it!

Come here!

My first time here and been curious! Went there and tried the Bulgogi Bab (Marinated Beef with Rice & Kimchi). It was delicious. Just a simple rice (seems fried rice), marinated beef and the kimchi.

I'm not a fan of Kimchi, but when i ate that it felt sooo good. Probs i'll buy a jar of kimchi when i back there. Thanks!!

One cannot give less than 5 stars for this neighborhood treasure. So glad I live a block away - and one of the best reasons why SoHu is all that and the best place to live in all of East Rock! Be-bim-bap oh yes indeed, but so much more. A wide array of asian groceries, spices, both ground and fresh. Wonderful selection of interesting household and gift items - AND you can eat in!

This place is amazing!! It feels like a home cooked meal in the best way imaginable: comforting! It always hits the spot when you need a pick-me-up; you just can't help but smile when you taste this food. My favorite is the unagi rice, a simple dish of rice, bbq eel, pickled radishes, and a delicious sauce. The eel is unlike any I've tasted before, rich, buttery, and soft. My partner loves the beef bibimbap. Everything is delicious but you don't feel weighed down by it afterwards which is perfect for lunch on a work day. The shop has many cool items for sale, such as beautiful chopsticks, bulk rice, cute gifts for the whole family, and handmade dumplings which I am eager to try! I would give Oriental Pantry a 10 star rating if I could. 100%....A+....one of the most consistently delicious places I've been.

I love this place. Sure, it doesn't have AC and it's not a real asian grocery store, but I love the feel of this place. Really, it's just a nice Korean lady running a small cafe/gift shop. She makes the bibimbap fresh for you. Super sweet. The food is solid and the kimchi is good. Also, if you're looking for a super cute asian gift, this is the place.

Came here for the first time. My last post was kind of heated due to a bad interaction with Yelp employees.

Anyway, came here. Store is small. The lady is very nice. We came 40 mins before closing time and all she had was bibimbap. It was good. The store is very small but carries a lot of Korean products like japhae noodles and hard to find Korean brands. She also sells banchan not a lot but a couple

This is a hidden gem of New Haven, and I'm so glad I discovered it during my last few months here! We had the bibimbap and black bean noodles, both of which were delicious and flavorful. The owner is very nice and the place has a nice homey feel. Will definitely be back!