It's a place to get an authentic bowl of bún bò huế, score a shiny new karaoke machine for drunken nights with friends, exchange cash for Norwegian Krone and book a trip of a lifetime across the Pacific Ocean spanning more time zones than we can count. Oh, and maybe sneak in a manicure and facial while you’re at it.
Did we mention the arcade was stuffed with nothing but claw machines? Some things you'll be giddy about and others may leave you questioning reality (barley grass cake sandwiches, anyone?). My mother, who's Vietnamese, has been coming here as far back as I can remember. The main point of destination is always Hong Kong Market, a wonderful pan-Asian supermarket treasure trove offering everything (and we mean everything) that you could ever possibly dream of in the vast world of Asian cuisine.
To us, the Hong Kong Market is the sun of Asia Times Square, and everything else is just circling its orbit. For someone of Asian descent, the sights, sounds and smells always bring to the surface something I can’t quite put a finger on. Whatever it is, it’s visceral.
Roasted Duck and Pork
When visiting, there are requisite stops before stepping foot into the Hong Kong Market. First stop, Che Hong Kong (suite 179). Here, you'll find everything from marinated pork feet to sweet rice and a wildly eccentric lineup of boba teas and smoothies (durian, lychee, taro and avocado). But our primary reason for stopping is Che Hong Kong's roast duck and pork, which are absolute must-haves. I vividly recall my mom bringing home roast duck and pork for the first time – it was a watershed moment, introducing a world well beyond the usual grocery store pork chops and oven-baked Tyson chicken breasts. 
Fried Sesame Balls
Our next target is the Hong Kong Bakery (suite 180), where the mission is to acquire a bag of fried sesame balls filled with coconut, red bean or mung bean (we grab an assortment of all of them). Fresh out of the deep fryer, these are divine – and dangerously addictive. Other Hong Kong Bakery items (this is just scratching the surface) include sticky rice, steamed yellow buns, roll cakes, egg custard tarts and chicken pies.
A Trip to The Grocery Store
Lastly, a trip to Asia Times Square always involves an in-depth shopping trip to the Hong Kong Market, where a thorough combing of the sizable market is a foregone conclusion. If there's anything you're after that falls under the immense culinary umbrella of Asia, odds are it's under this roof. The assortment of spices and sauces overwhelms, and the produce, and seafood and meat departments are second to none. Korean melons, Japanese and Thai eggplant, Korean daikon, a plethora of mushrooms you won’t find at your typical grocery store and the infamous durian fruit are among the items found in its extensive produce section. Meanwhile, as one walks the length of the meat and seafood counter, it seems endless. Pacific mackerel, European sea bream, cobia, black tuna, kingfish and grouper steaks, Chilean sea bass — it feels like they have the entire ocean here. Live lobsters, blue and Alaskan crabs, crawfish, tilapia, catfish and eel swim in giant tanks until purchased.
Like Hong Kong Market's seafood and meat department, the produce section is equally impressive.
Nick Reynolds
For stalls and restaurants, there’s Filipino fare at Cocina Elena, Korean corn dogs (Two Hands Corn Dog), Tokyo-style ramen and traditional Japanese at Sakari, dim sum at The Pearl Restaurant and Lounge, and pho at Pho Hung and Pho Ngon 999. To name a few. And don’t forget about that new karaoke machine.
Hong Kong Market Place, 2615 W Pioneer Pkwy, Grand Prairie. Daily, 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
