Are gerkins, kimchi, fancy Dutch gouda and Chinese shumai on your shopping list? Then the House of Rice is the store for you.
This tiny Scottsdale grocery and kitchen supply store stocks Asian and Dutch food. The combination might sound odd at first brush, but actually makes perfect sense: The Dutch colonized Indonesia for years.
The food items are pretty limited--so don't plan on a one-stop grocery shop. Still, where else are you going to find fresh gyoza, red cabbage, mochi, fine Lindbergh cheese, almond fingers (filled with marzipan), dutch beef rolls and crunchy Asian snacks all in one place?
And they don't just sell food items--an entire half of the store is dedicated to stocking difficult-to-find Asian cookware. We found microwave rice-cookers, dumpling crimpers and hot-pots (used to boil broth for a Chinese fondue-like dish). Want to make sushi? You can buy all your supplies here--and a book to teach you how to do it. And then there are the random items--brightly-colored origami paper, parasols and Japanese slippers.
And yes, they do sell Dutch clogs in all their yellow, plastic glory.
The House of Rice is located on Hayden just north of Thomas. Business hours are 9:30-6:30 Monday through Friday, 9:30-6:00 Saturdays and 11:00-4:00 Sundays.