Grocery Shopping: An Adult Guilty Pleasure That I’ve ALWAYS Had
There are two kinds of people, and you’ve probably heard of this: the people who eat to live, and then there are people who live to eat. Well, I’m proud to be in the latter half of the population. If you know me, you know that it isn’t just “fuel” to my body; it's an integral part of my life, infused with memories and meaning.
I believe that food, thanks to our taste buds, could be the greatest medium to experience different cultures. My family and I love to travel, and it’s obvious that the food is what we’re eagerly waiting for! Doing our little homework on local eateries and food markets is practically a family sport. It's also a must that we go to the local grocery stores and small bodegas to pick up some snacks, drinks, and candies that originate from the place we are visiting. It’s a foolproof method since you’re only going to get the authentic stuff, and it rarely ever disappoints.
And speaking of grocery stores, there will always be one such gem that holds a special place in my heart: Q Mart. Tucked away in a distant corner of the city. It was so different from what I was used to seeing in the grocery stores that my mom usually went to, in the sense that it wasn’t just Indian groceries and snacks. Q-Mart, at the time, was probably the only store that (IMO) was a treasure trove of exotic ingredients that I only saw on cooking shows. I instantly fell in love and practically begged my dad to take me there every Sunday afternoon. My first time there (mind you, I was only 9 or 10 years old), I remember spending nearly two hours fangirling over things I saw on TV but actually saw IRL for the first time.
Those thirty-minute drives to Q-Mart with my dad were some of the most precious few minutes of my life. I was still pretty young, and my dad worked long hours at the office, so I barely saw him until the weekend. Those thirty precious minutes in the car, just the two of us, were like gold dust in an otherwise busy week. It was our time to bond, share stories, and indulge in our mutual love for all things culinary.
My favorite part of those weekly trips, other than the fact it was a tradition I shared with my dad, was going to the baking section. I wanted to buy everything—the fun ingredients and flavors, the pans, the cute, patterned cupcake liners, the sprinkles, and anything baking-related you can imagine. I also remember seeing the cookware there and dreaming of the day when I would have a kitchen of my own to fill with the things I loved. I was so in awe of the produce and the spices that Earth made for us humans. It was here that my passion for cooking truly took root, nurtured by the inspiration for the endless possibilities of the abundance we were provided.
At this time, one of the first things I learned to make were cupcakes, and I think I had collected over 15 different nozzles to frost. I probably never even used half of them because, truthfully, I was terrible at frosting, and the audacity of 11-year-old me to think I could pipe cute flowers on a cupcake, ha!
The way walking around the city with a grocery bag and flowers made me feel like the main character *reminiscing the whole act of it.* 
The first thing I did on my 23rd birthday was go to Trader Joe's for snacks, produce and flowers that I needed for my first ever dinner party!What more could you expect from a girl who watched more cooking shows than cartoons? I blame my dad for this; On the weekends, he would wake up early and put on Fox Life or Travel and Living Channel (TLC.) Since the drawing room was right outside my room, I would wake up to the sound of Maeve O'Meara from Food Safari. The next thing you know, I was lying down next to my dad on the couch with my blanket and pillow waiting for the Best Food Ever to air next. We usually ended our binge-watching session with Paul Hollywood City Bakes, then got dressed by noon to go to QMart.
Quickly enough I basically took over the TV in my house to watch MasterChef Australia (the best one in my opinion,) and I want to credit the channel TLC because it introduced me to people like Chuck Hughes (my first celebrity crush,) Nigella Lawson, and Ina Garten to name a few! I learned a lot about food from these shows. They inspired me to cook more and be creative with food. Hence, grocery stores got me so excited!
Did I mention I'm a sucker for asian grocery stores and this is what heaven looks like to me?I was going to that store so often that at one point, my mom got mad at my dad for buying me so many pans that we didn’t have a place for. She ended up having to use the oven itself as a storage space for some of my pans. My family always made fun of how often I went to Q-Mart, that they started referring it to as “Rhea’s playground,” which honestly, I kind of took pride in, and still do!
It’s my first time saying this out loud but every time I made something I would lock my kitchen door and secretly act as if I had my own cooking show with my ingredients all measured out in tiny little bowls, I would even go as far as to narrate the thing out loud, like the way we see it on T.V shows and YouTube videos.
Tiramisu was all the hype in 2010, I saw it everywhere, the TV shows, and the five-star restaurants. I couldn't wait to get my hands on a great recipe and try making it myself. But I don’t think I ever found the ladyfingers and mascarpone cream in my local supermarket until I spotted them in Q Mart. On one of my weekly trips to QMart, I got the ingredients home and followed Laura Vitale’s recipe from YouTube. I was so focused on getting the measurements and the steps right that I don’t think I ever put in that much effort with my homework. I made it, hoping it would be close to as good as the ones they serve at the restaurants.
Now I don’t want to toot my own horn, but I think I made a pretty mean batch of tiramisu that day. I couldn’t have been older than eleven or twelve which made me so proud of myself. At the time, I thought it was one of the biggest achievements of my life because I had made it for my dad’s party, and every single guest there couldn’t believe that it was not store-bought, let alone that it was made by an eleven-year-old.
I used to be so in love with cooking that I thought I already knew what I wanted to be and do in life at a very young age. I planned my whole life based on it. And in case you wanted to know what it was – I finished high school, go get a business degree (because my dad wanted me to know the basics of a business if I ever wanted to do something on my own, and the funny part is I didn’t even go to business school,) then go to culinary school, work for some renowned chefs and restaurants before I finally move to Paris and open a very pretty dessert bar in the very happening part of town. But that’s ok, because I’m never going to stop being passionate about cooking and baking, thanks to my journalism background and this platform, I can at least share my experiences with food over here, with you!
P.S.- Years later, after living abroad for more than four years, I found myself back at Q-Mart. With my parents occupied and unable to make the trip, they sent our family helper to their place to pick up what we needed during the time that I was gone. This also made me realize that these trips that my parents showed so much interest in, were really not because of the store itself, but because I enjoyed it (this is making me super f*cking emo.) My first visit to Q-Mart after returning home was particularly special. The staff recognized me immediately, warmly inquiring about my family and expressing curiosity about our prolonged absence. Q-Mart has now expanded with newer, fancier branches. However, despite the upgrades, I found myself drawn back to the OG store. The familiar faces, the genuine interest in our well-being—it all made it feel like home. And in that moment, I realized that it wasn't just about the products; it was the sense of connection and belonging that kept me coming back.
Just felt like you'd might want to put a face on the people in this story, aka my parents and younger sister!BRB gonna cry while I shower!