- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee & Tea |
- All
Sunrise Markets
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 7:30 am - 6 pm
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
24 reviews for Sunrise Markets
Review Highlights
-
"They have the best priced produce in town, hands down." In 14 reviews -
"They do have some good deals for their large selection..." In 3 reviews -
"For the most part, I found 99% of the things I needed in..." In 3 reviews
Loading...
24 reviews in English
-
Review from Robin M.
12/21/2011 10 Check-ins Here
I don't come to Sunrise for the best "grade A" produce, I don't even come here for the second best ('B' produce?) -- I come to Sunrise for the cheapest groceries to be found in all of Vancouver. Hell, they're the cheapest to be found *anywhere* in Canada. SEVENTEEN CENTS a pound for zucchini??! Oh heelllls, yes.
After shopping here, I don't know how I could ever go back to the zombieland that is the quintessential Whole Foods / Safeway / IGA et al experience. There is no lame holiday music playing during that dreaded end-of-the-year season, there is no irritating smooth jazz lulling shoppers into an automaton state of buying bliss, there is no person in an apron and nametag asking customers if they've found everything they're looking for. We're all here for the same reason: to buy or sell food. Period.
Word to the wise: go early for the best selection -- even then, you'll have to pick around a bit, but (and this is a big 'but') isn't that the way it's supposed to be? Don't you find it strange that every single broccoli crown you pick up in your average chain grocer is perfect? Don't you think it's time you start choosing something a bit more real?
Go in with 20 dollars, come out with bags upon bags of groceries of your choosing. Now that, my friends, is a deal.Listed in: East Van, Dinner at Home?, Grocery Shopping, No Frills, Extra Good, Locals Only
-
Review from Kwoky L.
5/13/2012 2 Check-ins Here
$1 watermelons? 50 cents for a pound of red/yellow peppers? 2 LARGE bags of garlic for $1? Are you freakin' kidding me? This place is absolutely insane.
OK, remember the saying, "If it's too good to be true, it probably is"? Yeah unfortunately many ultra cheap products at Sunrise are at the verge of moulding or expired. The cheap garlic has mostly sprouted and the frozen garlic sausage on sale was expired two days prior. But all it means is, you might have to sort through your bag of produce and take out the bad ones and hopefully there's not too many of them to make your purchase worth it. Or just eat them up very very quickly because some of them are really not bad but it won't last more than 2 days.
That being said, Sunrise doesn't just sell rotten food. Their fresh produce are also very cheap compared to your neighbourhood IGA or Safeway. The meats are also cheap in comparison. They also carry food that are not staples of Asian cuisine, e.g. dairy, health food products, cheese etc. You can probably find most of what you need here.
If you are on a budget, Sunrise is a great place to check out. -
Review from Elton R.
11/21/2011
Living in the North end of Strathcona, this is a grocery store I come to often. I find going into Chinatown really cumbersome for whatever odd reason, so I frequent this place rather often.
I would be lying if I told you everything here is not only cheap but fresh. It is cheap always. Fresh always it is not...
There's a certain level of digging around and hunting for fresh produce, but if you put some effort into it, you get some real great produce for about 1/3 of the price you would at regular chain grocery stores. I think this has got to be part of the charm.
In my experience I found that the quality of produce really varies from week-to-week so, you may want to return if you don't find what you are looking for to take a gander again. For the most part, your staples are very consistent, so that's decent. Never bought meat; I just go down a block to big lou's if I do ever eat meat.
Some tips: avoid bringing a bulky bag (I often have to as I drop by after work) because the aisles are very narrow and cramped. They have huge bags of almost gone bad produce for a buck, so if you don't mind cutting away the bad parts, you can get a real steal. Cash or debit (over $5) only. Open 10:00-18:00 everyday. -
Review from Hootie J.
Vancouver, BC
10/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
I love the Sunrise market, and there is always a crowd in there. Tonnes of fresh (or almost not fresh) fruit and Vegetables here, don't buy any that you are not going to cook (Yes COOK) That day, I do not know where they get the stuff but it is RIPE.. and cheap.
If you wonder what people eat in asia wonder the isles because I bet you will see things that you did not know were :
a) food
b) available for sale in Canada
c) and sooo damn cheap!
CASH or DEBIT Only! -
Review from Ellen L.
11/23/2011
My parents used to come here for cheap produce. 4 to 5 heavy bags of groceries for like $20? Completely doable! The caveat is quality - nothing is fresh here. You will see employees restocking the stands with old rotten vegetables and they cut away the rotten/inedible bits; or open up a crate of fruits where 70% has moulded over, and the employees pick out the "better" ones to sell. EWWWWWWWWWW!!! When something has gone bad, the whole thing is contaminated even if you remove the bad part. You can't even pay me to eat things from here!!! Blech.
-
Review from David L.
3/26/2011
Sunrise Market on 300 Powell St. was the first store to sell Sunrise Soya products. They do have some good deals for their large selection fruits and vegetables. You'll find a large selection of Asian variety of fruits and vegetables and produce from North America and other parts of the world too.
I don't know why Sunrise Soya products sold at this store are priced a bit higher priced than other places? I would expect the lowest prices for Sunrise Soya products, but nope. The Sunrise Tofu factory is minutes away too.
I've seen some well-known Vancouver chefs shop at Sunrise so their produce has to be pretty decent right? Yes, their stuff is good, but not perfect. Some of the produce isn't the best quality, but the prices are cheap. -
Review from Larry L.
3/26/2011 1 photo
I remember coming here as a kid. My father would bring me here to get veggies and meats and whatever else they had.
I still come now and then.
I also remember it was used in a number of movies back in the 80's and 90's.
Nostalgic? Yup.
Great deals and hidden finds? You betcha! -
Review from Cait j.
Vancouver, BC
5/8/2011
Sunrise Market was the first secret revealed to me as a new Vancouver import a couple of years ago. I couldnt believe it! 1 Dollar for a perfectly ripe pineapple?! Sure you basically have to eat the produce that or the next day (unless youre like me, and like to chop and freeze for later use), but thats small beans when considering the price difference.
Perfect escape, and far more interesting of an experience than the often absurdly over-inflated produce and otherwise at other "Markets", lets say they rhyme with Chesters, and Voices.
I was a little put off by the meat department, but have purchased ground pork and beef a couple of times and avoided any sort of bacteria related illness, so, that was nice.
If you dont mind being bustled around by old, and surprisingly aggressive Chinese women, Sunrise Markets awaits you! -
Review from Erin U.
10/4/2011
Sunrise has the absolute cheapest fruits and vegetables in the city, hands down. Sometimes you have to pick around to find the best stuff but hey, probably better than a hormone injected banana is a slightly bruised one. It is so damn cheap you wont even care. They have special marked bags of prechopped stuff for a dollar most days and the tofu is very cheap and good variety. Just look around the place yourself, the staff dont all speak English and they are very busy so you have to just wander and get what u like. Also they run out of shopping baskets very quickly so bring a cloth grocery bag or 3 when you go. 3 because you wont be able to resist the prices!!
-
Review from Jenn L.
Vancouver, BC
11/12/2010
Ten dollar groceries for the week? Check!
Exotic fruits for under a buck? Check!
Pulse raising hunt for good looking items? Check!
Oh Sunrise: What can't you do? (Answer: Cheese and processed meats)Listed in: Real "Super" Markets
-
Review from Haedis L.
8/2/2010
God! I'm so sick of regular grocery chains, they bore me to death. I'm sick of walking around and seeing everyone selecting their perfect little things in their too nice little stores where jazzy cool music infuriates the bored working teenagers making them hate the corporate power more.
Instead I give you a well kept secret, replacing the jazzy cool music with jarring noise of heavy chinese yelling over the savings galore.
Sunrise is one of Vancouvers best-kept secrets.
Coming here will make you think "holy shi** is (insert main grocery chain name here) ever ripping me off!"
In the middle of the Downtown Eastside, it's the sort of grocery store you would ever only find if you were specifically looking for it, unless of course you happen to take leisurely strolls the area infamously known as Pigeon Park.
For me however, I sought out the greener pastures of having more cash in my wallet and thus stumbled upon Sunrise Market. It's always a magical adventure of course, but only if you have your wits about you and aren't afraid of bumpin' baskets with people averaging a net income of less than 10k per year.
Need to find a specialty item? Look for it! Seeking out a special Thai curry? Use your brain and search that baby out. Any questions directed towards a worker might warrant you a weird or bewildered look, depending on whether or not the person in question is offended you think they know where every item in the store is.
But...I regress. They have the best priced produce in town, hands down. My mother once bought a fresh 15 pound box of asparagus for $1. Weird? Yes. Bragging rights of a deal? Yes. Did she have stinky pee for a week? Probably, I don't smell her pee though.
I believe the concept of sunrise is they get the last end's of produce from other places and thus are able to sell it to us at killer prices. Great if you're looking for a bargain and don't mind venturing into new places and sometimes encountering bruised fruit, but maybe not so great if you enjoy leisurely browsing safeway with a starbucks in hand.
If you're into raw foods, go here. If you're a vegetarian/vegan then for the love of god, go here. If you love saving money, then go here!
They have enough variations of tofu with sales to make you fall in love with stir-fry's over and over again. Or soup. Or sandwiches. The possibilities are endless.
Two packages of smoked tofu for $2? Touché my friend, touché..
Chips for $2.50, a magical variety of soda/juices for .89cents, packs of strawberries for $1.. He-llo, the 90's called and they want their prices back..
So as I stroll down to Sunrise I'm always happy to go. Whether it be the chinese cashier arguing with the old man, or the homeless woman buying one pork chop for .40cents, or the flippant who-cares attitude of most of the cashiers, or the way I always talk with the security guards and somehow fall in love with their sad eyes, or the way one of the produce stockers and I always pat each other on the back....something about Sunrise has made me fall in love.
Tips:
They don't accept Visa, but there is an ATM.
If you need help with an item ask one of the cashiers, not just any of the workers milling around.
If you need wholesale produce this is the place to go. Just ask one of the cashiers for a box of ----. (I've bought a box of manilo mango's for $30.)
If you enjoy juicing this is the place to go.
Go early (9am) if you want to avoid a line.
Take time to search the shelves. They have a lot of great stuff waiting to be found.
They have GREEN household cleaners for decent prices hiding in the corner of the juice section. -
Review from Frank N.
Vancouver, BC
3/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is a market with a grocery store and europeans will recognize this kind of produce market.
The produce sold here is mostly second/third quality or close to rot. But you can get good deals. A bag of 3 pound bell peppers for $1 is unbeatable.
I must admit that in many other markets in Vancouver the quality of produce is lacking and therefore I shop in more places to get the best deals. If you want a single stop to get all your produce and don't want to risk choose another market. -
Review from Rachael T.
Toronto, ON
4/12/2009 ROTD 2/4/2010
Asian market style supermarket with lots of fresh produce along the front and sides of store. Inside, there are lots of selection of oriental foods and also a meat section... but was there for the produce. For the most part, I found 99% of the things I needed in the freshest quality possible at awesome prices.
I'm just going to tell you what I bought and you be the judge of the wow factor in price:
- 1 garlic - 69 cents
- 3 oranges 69 cents/lb
- 5 bananas - 69 cents/lb
- 5 limes - $1.00
- 1 pack of strawberries - $1.00
- 1 pineapple - $2.99
- 1 bag of gai lan - $1.99/lb
- 2 peppers - $1.29/lb
- 1 red onion - 0.69/lb
- 2 bunches of asparagus - $1.00 (are you kidding?)
- 1 giant carrot - 0.59cent/lb
- 4 medium sized potatoes
- 1 pack of enoki mushrooms - 99 cents
Total = $16.00
Have a nice day :)Listed in: I need to make dinner tonight!
-
Review from Mathieu Y.
Vancouver, BC
Sunrise is a market located next the fire hall and Police museum downtown. At night it's an empty white building in a run down part of town, but during the day it explodes with business! The place is packed with people of all ethnicity, picking out fruit, meat, and canned goods for the cheapest possible prices. I go for small grocery runs, and rarely ever have to pay more than $20 for a back pack full of food.
A helpful hint though, most Asian-ethnic people are lactose intolerant, so don't expect to find a selection of milk, cheese, or yogurt here or anywhere else in Chinatown. Im surprised they even call it lactose INtolerance, is should be noted that very few ethnicity in the world "blessed" with the ability to digest lactose.
With that said, you should be able to find anything else you are looking for here. Exotic herbs and spices, which they've dedicated an entire section of their store to, baking ingredients like shortening and corn yeast, fish, poultry, beef, exotic fruits such as the winter melon, their selection is very expansive, much more than the typical supermarket/grocery store. If you cant find an ingredient that you've been looking everywhere for, check here as a last resort. Or a first, if you want a lot of quality food on the cheap. -
Review from Takeshi T.
Vancouver, BC
8/19/2011
Sunrise marke is cheapest to buy especially some vegetable super market around China town i guess. It's nice place n usually go to there. but be careful! some of stuff are bruised.
-
Review from Thu N.
3/8/2010
Although I only live a few blocks away, I tend to not walk around here looking for bargains. I heard about this store from a few friends and finally decided to stroll there after the rain ended! WOW its FULLY stocked with everything you ever wanted from an asian/ethnic grocery store. I'm glad I had a shopping list to go by because I wanted to buy everything - its all so cheap.
I bought a mixture of fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs, tofu, and canned goods which will last me a good 2 weeks for $20!! Love it, will definitely be a regular customer now. -
Review from Cyndi H.
Vancouver, BC
10/16/2010
Sunrise Market, oh so cheap and bountiful, I could buy endless vegetables with twenny bones!
Here's my advice when it comes to shopping here:
-Dig through the produce. Stuff here can get pretty gnarly, but the stuff that isn't is a seriously killer deal.
-Don't make this your go-to stop for pre-packaged goods. For the most part, the packaged items aren't a steal. Sometimes they are a steal though (like the Naam dressings- yeah baby!)
-Watch your purse. I've had regulars of the store warn me to hold my purse close. I've never had a problem, but it can't hurt to pass that advice on to you.
-Shop with an open mind. There are lots of neat things to try that you may have never tried before. Try some new things. Heck, the internet will teach you how to cook it, just buy it!
Have fun at the register when you see how cheap your bill will be. My fave part of all : ) This one time (at band camp) I bought four incredibly heavy bags of produce for $18. It was insane. It's not always that cheap, but it's always a good deal.
Smile at old people. Just because.Listed in: East Side wonders!, Asian Wonders, Cheap Eats Baby!, Cheap Produce
-
Review from Corstian P.
Vancouver, BC
8/2/2010
There is definitely some good deals here. Being raised by a gourmet grocer kinda family it was a little out of my comfort range.
The butcher shop has a great variety and prices half of what you'd see at big name grocers.
I've tried buying the produce but have always found myself throwing away half of it since it spoiled a few days later. I'd say buy today-eat today.
Overall great selection and price you just need to be picky as to what come home with you. -
Review from kath r.
2/18/2009
I got the inside tip on this place when I first moved into the city. I was looking for a cheap place to buy produce that had an expansive selection and.... did I mention it needed to be cheap?
I love this place for all it's craziness. The produce is apparently set out in tiers, the closer to the street, the cheaper (lesser quality) it is, the closer to the inside of the store, the more expensive and less bruised it becomes. It's a bit of a mind trap to figure out and I have no real idea how the cashier knows which tier the produce came from, suffice to say I can stock up well for less than $20 and have plenty of fresh produce to last me a couple of weeks.
The butcher in the back is ok, although a bit of a pain that you have to pay at the back register, however, they will put your meat aside for you whilst you wander the store.
Their Asian grocery section - in the room off to the left of the butcher's counter has a plethora of sauces, noodles, rices and seasonings. You can find a good selection of organic yoghurt/eggs/tofu in the fridges. On the shelves in front of the butcher is a selection of 'random western foods': Annie's salad dressings; canned tomatoes; couscous and JIFFY Corn Muffin Mix (man, I've been looking for this for so long, that I had to have it shipped to me from Baltimore). If you can't find what you're looking for...ask, each cashier seems to have a stash of goodies behind their register.
Oh and my most recent find and best deal? The bag of precut stirfry vegies for $1! So far that's gotten me 3 meals and the bag's not finished. $1, people! -
Review from Whitney L.
Vancouver, BC
2/2/2009
Okay so it's definitely a dodgy part of town but if you're ever in the area and feel brave enough to stop in then the market is worth a visit- and hey, any grocery store with a security guard is a guaranteed experience.
I had no idea why or how this market could be one of Vancouver's landmarks until I finally ventured inside- not only is it a fruit and vegetable market (don't be afraid I have watched trucks drop the fresh produce off daily) the place also offers cereal, canned goods, teas, nuts, a deli counter and other strange and wonderful things that you would regularly find in Chinatown.
Think of the place as the Winners and outlet of groceries with best before dates that haven't expired!
The forth star I have admittedly awarded to the market bc of it's dt eastside location, the historical factor and bc of the curiosity that it evokes.
But really, check it out- super cheap and you'll obviously find something that you need. -
Review from Noushi E.
Vancouver, BC
11/29/2009
Sunrise is an unpretentious market with an impressive selection of produce. It offers fresh vegetables, herbs and fruits at a significantly cheaper price than anywhere else in the city. It also has a meat section with a good variety. Their prawns and Basa fillets are very inexpensive. I have found many of the hard to find authentic cooking ingredients in there for a fraction of the price they would be sold any where else. $20 goes unbelievably far here; oyster mushrooms $1/pack, stash of basis $1/pack, green onions 3 for $1 ... etc.
-
Review from Peter V.
Vancouver, BC
1/3/2010
Incredibly cheap local produce shop in Chinatown/DTES. You will likely have to hunt for the better looking produce in the bins on the sidewalks, but hey, if you're shopping in this part of town, you won't mind working a bit to find the good stuff. That being said, everything that I have purchased has been in excellent condition. The meat counter is oriented towards more of an Asian clientele, but this is a good thing. Lots of meat for very good prices. They do tend to sell out of a number of items though later in the day. Grocery section is surprisingly well stocked with a lot of staples. The multicultural aspect of the neighborhood is reflected in what they carry here (though again, lots of Asian influence). Sunrise closes at 8 PM daily for those who can't find the hours online.
-
Review from Alex D.
Vancouver, BC
6/14/2010
Shortly after moving to Vancouver I was walking around the city to try and discover new things. During one of these walks I stumbled across this market and have been shopping there ever since. The fruit and veg is ridiculously cheaper than you will find in any grocery store. You can find all your Asian grocery needs here as well from fish sauce to pickled garlic. The butcher also very well priced and you can pick up pork belly and other Asian favoured cuts here ,such as Korean cut short ribs. as well. The area it is located in can make for an interesting outing. I saw a near fight between a drunk and another customer, someone shoplifting their whole grocery basket and another drunk being brought down and dragged out for stealing all withing 30 mins. It is all part of the experience, trust me.
-
Review from marc m.
Vancouver, BC
5/23/2009
Well priced veggies, good variety. They stock a lot of things I am used to paying quite a bit more for. For example, galangal, HUGE amounts for $1, a sizable green papaya (enough for four big bowls of Som Tam) $3. Some of the produce is what I call death's door vegetables, but those are priced much lower than the fresher versions and are great if your going to use them the same day, can or freeze them. Worth the detour.
