Far East Oriental Food Store Preston

You know that feeling when you walk into a shop and immediately feel happier? The air smells different. The colors are brighter. Your wallet suddenly feels lighter—in a good way. That’s the Far East Oriental Food Store in Preston for you. It’s not just a shop; it’s a portal to another world, and I’m not just saying that because they sell instant ramen that costs less than a bus fare.

Let me set the scene. You’re on the corner of Moor Lane, minding your own business, when you spot the sign. Step inside, and boom—you’re hit with a wave of soy sauce, chili oil, and pure culinary magic. The shelves are stacked floor to ceiling with treasures. We’re talking crispy prawn crackers in bags the size of pillows, colorful packets of matcha KitKats (yes, they have the purple sweet potato flavour—fancy, right?), and enough varieties of instant noodles to make a university student weep with joy.

Now, don’t panic if you can’t read the labels. That’s half the fun. I once bought a bag of snacks thinking they were spicy seaweed. Turned out to be wasabi-flavored pea crisps. My sinuses cleared for three days. No regrets.

But here’s where it gets really good: the fresh produce. You’ll find daikon radishes that look like albino carrots, bundles of lemongrass so fragrant they’ll perfume your entire kitchen, and enoki mushrooms in little clusters that look like something from a Dr. Seuss book. The owners are so friendly, too. Ask them for a recommendation, and they’ll point you toward frozen gyoza or a jar of fermented tofu that will change your dinner game forever. (Pro tip: don’t open that tofu jar on a first date. Trust me.)

I’m also obsessed with the snack aisle. It’s a danger zone. You walk in for rice vinegar and walk out with lychee jelly cups, a pack of cute little fish-shaped cakes filled with red bean paste, and a bag of shrimp-flavored puffs that your friends will pretend to judge but secretly devour. The prices? Absurdly reasonable. Your tenner goes further here than it does at most chain supermarkets. It’s like the store is saying, “Go on, treat yourself. You deserve that oversized bag of prawn crackers.”

Flickriver: Photoset 'Chinese takeaways, stores and restaurants in

And for the home cooks? They’ve got everything. Sesame oil that smells like pure gold. Panko breadcrumbs for the crispiest chicken katsu. Little jars of gochujang (Korean chili paste) that’ll make your stews sing. Even frozen mochi ice cream in flavors like mango and taro. It’s a supermarket and a vacation rolled into one.

So next time you’re in Preston, skip the boring big-box shop. Pop into the Far East Oriental Food Store. Grab a bag of weird snacks, a bottle of something you can’t pronounce, and maybe some chili crisp to put on everything. You’ll walk out with a full bag, a happy belly, and the feeling that somewhere, a little dumpling is smiling at you. And honestly? That’s the best kind