O Asian Garden offers variety of cuisines, services

At first glance, the O Asian Garden International Market, 2535 O St., looks like it might be a plant store. It isn't, however -- it is a building with a whole lot of choices.

O Asian Garden has been open for four months, while construction still is continuing. Construction started six months ago but is in the final phase now, owner Tim Nguyen said.

The grocery store specializes in Asian food but has Asian, Indian and other cuisines available, he said.

The store only has been open a short time but gradually is building up customers, employee Jonathan Nguyen said.

The grocery store was opened by Tim and Kim Nguyen after they returned from Columbus, Ohio, where they helped Tim Nguyen's sister run an Asian grocery store.

"My family is Vietnamese and has been in Lincoln since 1978," Kim Nguyen said. "We grew up here and consider this our home."

After returning from Columbus, the Nguyens decided the Vietnamese community in Lincoln needed a place for gathering, Kim Nguyen said.

Although there are other Oriental markets in the Lincoln area, the Nguyens wanted a larger and roomier place for people to shop.

"The Asian stores in Lincoln only carry certain foods," Kim Nguyen said. "We wanted to have one international market with a variety."

And that is exactly what O Asian Garden has.

The market has several different types of noodles and rice from different areas of Asia, not to mention various types of candy and snacks.

Continuing past the market, one finds Thanh Thao Video Store.

Thanh Thao carries movies from Hong Kong and Taiwan that are translated into Vietnamese, Kim Nguyen said.

The video store also does money transfers and sells airline tickets to and from Vietnam, she said.

Across from Thanh Thao, a café is being constructed.

"We're going to have Bubble Tea sold here along with coffee and smoothies," Kim Nguyen said.

Bubble Tea, which will be the speciality of the café, is a popular drink in Hong Kong and Taiwan, she said.

The lower level of the building contains a banquet hall that is available to be rented out by those interested.

The rest of the upstairs contains a hair salon that will be opened up at the end of this month and also a restaurant.

"The restuarant will specialize in Vietnamese noodle soup," Kim Nguyen said.

So whether you need to pick up food or get a hair cut, O Asian Garden is a multipurpose building for all types of international needs.

"It's a one-center stop in town where people can come to get everything they need," Jonathan Nguyen said.