O Little Saigon : Asian Garden Shoppers Can Break With Tradition and Save

In many ways the holiday season at Asian Garden Mall in Westminster is no different than at any other mall.

Christmas carols blare over the loudspeakers. Stores are trimmed in lights and garlands, and poinsettias decorate a stage where a holiday music program takes place Christmas Eve. Children sit on Santa’s lap.

Still, those who want a different holiday shopping experience head for Asian Garden Mall, in the heart of Little Saigon, which has the largest Vietnamese population outside of Vietnam. Part bustling street bazaar, part traditional shopping center, Asian Garden Mall is like no other mall in Orange County.

The first sign that things are different here: large white statues of the Happy Buddha and the gods of longevity, prosperity and fortune that greet shoppers at the mall’s entrance. Inside the two-story structure, colorful shops bear signs in Vietnamese and English. Many stores and kiosks overflow with a hodgepodge of merchandise.

(Shoppers who visit the mall between now and Little Saigon’s Tet Festival Feb. 3 to 5 will find the shops even more packed with goods in anticipation of the annual lunar new year celebration.)

Bargain hunters can find kiosks stocked with look-alike Chanel, Gucci and Dooney & Bourke handbags ($20 each) and inexpensive costume jewelry, including some Austrian crystal earrings and necklaces like those seen at fine department stores. In the upstairs “island,” crowded stalls are filled with children’s clothes, unusual imported toys, hair bows, lingerie and designer name T-shirts (three for $10).

“This is a little bit different from your typical mall,” says Zyta Sulek of Irvine, who brought two friends visiting from Canada to search out bargains and experience the culture.

Many shoppers come here seeking gold. One entire wing of the top floor is devoted to jewelry--112 individual merchants who sell 18- and 24-karat gold jewelry, jade, pearls and other gemstones.

“You can get much better deals on jewelry here,” says Debbie Falcon, a Garden Grove resident who recently visited the mall with her husband, Jerry.

Merchants’ cases are filled with gold baubles, making traditional jewelry store cases look sparse by comparison.

“They have a unique way of displaying a lot of merchandise in a small space,” says Kathy Buchoz, manager of Asian Garden Mall.

At Hoa Phung jewelry store, a pair of 24-karat gold hoop earrings sell for $50. Leather goods are also popular; a $600 designer leather handbag might be $100 cheaper here than in other malls, Buchoz says.

People come from all over, lured by the prospect of bargains or to find that odd gewgaw one can’t find any place else. Looking for a glow-in-the-dark statue of Our Lady of Fatima? It’s here. Buddhas of every description? They’re all over. Bolts of silk and velvet from Asia? You’ve come to the right place.

There’s also more typical mall fare. Isana carries authentic name-brand perfumes and leather goods, including Pierre Cardin shoes and Christian Dior belts for men (usually at 20% off). Sunstation has assorted designer sunglasses from Calvin Klein, L.A. Eyeworks and other well-known makers (a pair of Donna Karan wire-rim sunglasses is $245).

Some shoppers, especially those who have trouble fitting into regular sizes, come here for custom-made suits, shirts and shoes. The mall is ideal for people who wear petite sizes. Several shops carry fine Italian suits of 100% wool.

Such amenities have drawn shoppers from outside the Vietnamese community, Buchoz says.

Dave Nguyen, director of the Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce in Westminster, warns shoppers to be careful if they are the first to visit a shop in the morning. Should they pause to admire an item, the shopkeepers will expect them to buy it--not to do so will mean bad luck for the shop the rest of the day. Uncooperative customers risk disappointing the shopkeeper.

Buyers also discover that much of the merchandise has no price tag. In this mall, shopkeepers expect customers to bargain for their wares.

“You need to look at the quality, the price, then bargain,” Nguyen says. The shopkeeper “will look at your face and attitude” to arrive at a price.

Shoppers also need to check their purchases thoroughly; quality can vary from store to store, Nguyen says. Isana, for instance, offers authentic leather handbags from Courregees of Paris, Guess and other well-known lines. However, at a kiosk downstairs, the faux designer handbags often lack the quality of the real thing, but with a $20 price tag, many shoppers simply don’t care.

“My daughter bought 10 of them,” Buchoz says.

Lower prices are due to lower overhead: Not only do stores pay lower rents than at most other malls, says Buchoz, but often they employ family members to work the store. In addition, most inventory is imported from Asia, where labor is cheap.

There’s one other distinguishing characteristic of Asian Garden Mall, Buchoz says: The mall is open 365 days a year.

“We may be the only mall open on Christmas Day,” she says.