About

In Chinese, Zao 早 means good morning, and ZaoZe 早 则 loosely translates to morning place.  ZaoZe is most easily described as an Asian market and café, but it is intended to be much more than that.  We want to be a connection point, connecting people, product and places through food.  Located behind Tao Yuan Restaurant, sandwiched between Canopy Farms (an aquaponics farm with the greenhouse above and the fish tanks below), and in front of a commercial production food kitchen, we are part bakery, part Asian deli, part café, part Asian grocery store, part food processor – a literal farm-to-table microcosm in a single building.  We offer cooking classes in our kitchen, host a lecture series from aquaculture farmers (think mussels, oysters, scallops, kelp, eels…), encourage usage from local students and clubs as a gathering and hang-out space, in a comfortable homey setting.  Our food and beverages have a uniquely Asian slant, with lots of snack like items, as well as an a la carte lunch service daily.  Our market includes a carefully curated selection of items we make and sell with an wide variety of fermented products – kimchi, sambals, pickles made from locally sourced farms and fisheries.

The reason everyone talks about locally sourced ingredients is because they taste so much more delicious than what is shipped in from large food processing purveyors.  And Maine has some of the best!  Moreover, making and buying food locally supports local farms and fisheries, is sustainable, and builds community.   For us, food is more than basic nutrition, it is a source of happy memories of shared meals with family and friends.  Come celebrate the joys of food at ZaoZe Cafe and Market, providing Asian inspired ingredients and prepared foods to nourish both your body and soul.