Market offers foods from around the world
Behind the foreign labels that fill the immaculate shelves and aisles at Good Choice Russian Food Market lie unique and flavorful foods awaiting discovery.
And to help shoppers along the way is Sergey Dzhelomanov, a friendly guide who can name the 80 different meat products or 30 different kinds of cheese behind the deli counter.
A native of Ukraine who has been in the United States for more than five years, Dzhelomanov and his wife, Dina, run the store tucked away in a small strip mall. They moved to Spokane from Sacramento, Calif., and opened the store April 7.
Opening a foreign foods store in Spokane is not without its share of challenges, Dzhelomanov said. The Russian food market is dominated by a few stores, and the local Russian-language newspaper makes it difficult to advertise, he said.
“So I said, ‘OK, I’ll take care of my advertising myself,’ ” Dzhelomanov said, moving through his English with a thick Russian accent. He’s put fliers on cars at church services and has tried to get people talking about his place. But it’s still hard.
“I know most American people don’t like to visit small stores,” he said. “Some people are afraid to visit a foreign store. Some like it, some don’t like it.”
The products, however, speak for themselves, he said. There are candies from Moscow, Poland, Finland and Latvia. Cheeses from Holland, Switzerland, Ukraine and Russia. Currently, Dzhelomanov is pleased with a batch of halva, a sweet treat made from sugar, crushed sesame seeds and vanilla flavoring.
Dzhelomanov said he hopes to expand the store, adding more shelving and perhaps more tables so customers can sit and enjoy food near the windows.
Ding How offering sushi
The Ding How Restaurant in Liberty Lake, 1332 N. Liberty Lake Road near Albertsons, is now offering sushi. The restaurant already featured Chinese, Thai, Korean and other Japanese foods, but the sushi bar is a new addition.
“We keep getting more people who like it and keep coming back,” said owner Yi Liu. The fish is shipped in often and is very fresh, she said.