Lee's Oriental

Tony Chen

2.05 months ago

This was my first visit to Lee's Oriental LLC on a Saturday afternoon, and unfortunately, it left a very poor impression. As soon as my friend and I walked in, a woman who appeared to be the owner immediately approached us and asked what we were looking for. Since it was our first time, we politely explained that we were just browsing. Rather than leaving us to shop comfortably, she continued to follow us around the store, which made us feel as though we were being suspected of shoplifting. It was an uncomfortable and unwelcoming way to be treated as new customers. At one point, my friend asked me (in Mandarin) whether the store carried fishcake. I translated the question and asked the woman about it, genuinely hoping to ease the tension and engage in a normal shopping interaction. Instead of being helpful, she became visibly impatient and curtly told us to give her space to move past. That was enough for us. We left the store shortly after and have no intention of returning. It's a shame, because we were genuinely interested in exploring what the store had to offer. A little courtesy and trust toward customers, especially first-time visitors, goes a long way. I hope the management takes customer service more seriously in the future.

Nate Ruhter

4.08 months ago

Great spot of your looking for Japanese and/or Korean products. There is a decent amount of frozen goods from brands like bibigo. Some produce, but not much. Lots of cute dishes if that's what you're looking for.

Cloud Galaxy

2.0a year ago

Good selection of Japanese products. Priced pretty high and weird policy about paying with cash for orders less than $10. Too bad! Because it seems pretty clean and well kept.

J M

1.0a year ago

I’ve had a disappointing experience at this store. The items are VERY OVERPRICED, unless you need something urgently, I recommend ordering through WEEE. Additionally, many products on the shelves are expired, so be sure to check the dates before purchasing. The owner lady is also extremely rude and unprofessional. Whenever you ask a question, she responds with immediate sarcasm and cynicism, and becoming offended for no reason. Her behavior is not only dismissive but also insulting. What makes it worse is that she seems to treat fellow Koreans in particular with unnecessary hostility, which I found very strange. It must be some kind of insecurity issue. I’m usually very friendly and nice to others. I always say “hello,” “thank you,” and “goodbye,” but she completely ignored me to my face. That says a lot about this person, tbh. Overall, I would not recommend supporting this store, especially with the way customers are treated. There are better options out there, so I’d suggest avoiding it. Especially if you are Korean. I feel bad for other people who have no idea how much this store is ripping them off. RIP.

Andy Giesler

5.05 years ago

The negative reviews about this store puzzle me. I'm not a "regular" but I've been shopping here a few times a year for the last decade or two, and I've always gotten helpful, friendly service. The shopkeepers are certainly on the quiet side, but so am I. I don't take that as unfriendliness. And yep -- they have a credit card minimum. That's not bad service, that's just survival. When you're running a small business, you do what you can to stay fiscally viable. Credit card fees can make a big difference to a tiny independent shop that's already operating on thin margins. I love their variety of Korean and Japanese items that I can't get anywhere else conveniently. Highly recommend.