Over the years I’ve been lucky to find Asian groceries in the cities where I lived. They’ve helped expand my repertoire beyond throwing a can of water chestnuts into a pan of chicken and vegetables with some soy sauce and calling it Chinese cooking.The stores and their offerings have evolved over the years with the location and successive waves of immigrants.

When I first lived in Dallas, there was an Asian grocery around the corner from my apartment complex. It dealt mostly with Chinese, Japanese, and Korean products. I don’t recall seeing any kimchi there, although I wasn’t adventurous enough back then to look for or buy it. By the time I moved back to Dallas in 1992, the store had disappeared. I think the building was razed to make way for the Cathedral of Hope church – or at least its parking lot.

Greensboro, North Carolina is a hotbed of Southeast Asian cuisine in the Southeast. Many Vietnamese and Cambodian immigrant families were sponsored by various local churches and charities, particularly members of the Montagnard ethnic group. Our default dining option in town was Saigon Cuisine, which actually made the Saveur magazine 100 around 2001. I recall one rather large grocery store where I was able to find all the herbs I needed for bun bo Hue, my favorite Vietnamese soup. I also frequented a tiny shop run by a friendly Cambodian woman who always offered interesting samples.

Here in the Seattle area we have a plethora of Asian supermarkets to rival some of the Anglo chains in size. A brief rundown:

Uwajimaya. This is the 800-pound gorilla of Asian groceries in town. The mother ship is in the International District of Seattle, and smaller branches are located in Bellevue and Renton. It offers a diverse spread, but its roots are Japanese. It’s a little thin on Southeast Asian products and herbs, but there are other options for those nearby.

Viet Wah is predominantly Southeast Asian. It’s up the hill from Uwajimaya, in the Little Saigon neighborhood. It has other branches in the south end of Seattle. You want tapioca starch noodles and sawtooth herb, they’re there. There’s also a small grocery in the same plaza as Viet Wah, next door to the Tamarind Tree restaurant. We’ll duck into the smaller grocery for provisions if we’re eating at Tamarind Tree.

HT Market took over what used to be Larry’s on North Aurora Avenue. It tilts Southeast Asian; however, it has the standard Chinese barbecue pork and whole roast duck deli.

99 Ranch is a West Coast pan-Asian chain that has branches in Renton and Edmonds.

We ran across HMart in Bellevue last Saturday. It definitely skews Japanese and Korean.

There are several Indian groceries on the Bothell-Everett Highway and at Crossroads Mall and in the Overlake neighborhoods of Bellevue. Mayuri is one of the stores.

Seafood City is a large supermarket at Southcenter Mall that carries primarily Filipino food. In the north end, you’ll find small groceries such as Manila Manila in Lake City and Fil Am in Shoreline.

Walking into an Asian grocery can be a daunting experience for someone who thinks broccoli is an exotic vegetable. Even for people with a bit of knowledge of the assorted cuisines, it can be confusing. My advice is to start modestly with items that at least look familiar. For example, buy a bunch of Chinese broccoli and experiment; alternately, buy a bag of frozen potstickers. Take along a friend who has some experience. Try some of the samples. (I nearly passed out when my sister, who dislikes most Asian food, took a sample of a bun stuffed with bean paste at Uwajimaya and said it wasn’t bad.) Julian and I will purchase “experiment foods” at Uwajimaya. Some of them are very good; others don’t get bought again. Don’t be afraid to ask the store staff for recommendations, especially when you’re facing a shelf of 50 different brands of fish sauce.She or he will be able to steer you toward items that match your needs.