Ethnic Groceries: Where do you go?

[nerissa]

I thought it might be useful if Egulleters could reveal where they go for cheap produce, Indian, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, etc groceries (the list is endless)...

I'll start. I live in Chicago, so I am pretty lucky.

Indian groceries: I go to Patel Brothers on Devon and Campbell (?)..the big supermarket one. They Last night, I purchased chick pea flour, curry leaves, Basmati, and 3 types of pickle.

For cheap organic produce and good deli meets, I go to Hyde Park Produce, on E. 53rd St.

Edited June 9, 2003 by nerissa (log)

[MatthewB]

I would post, but . . .

Does anyone really care about ethnic groceries in Grand Rapids, Michigan?

[nerissa]

Hey, you never know...

It may be that I am in my mid-20s, but I still have no idea where I will end up... my boyfriend is pursuing his PhD in history; hence we go where ever he gets a job.

I mean, we can't all shop/eat in East Grand Rapids...

[guajolote]

I would post, but . . .

Does anyone really care about ethnic groceries in Grand Rapids, Michigan? 

I do

I (in Chicago) usually shop at a market in Lincolnwood which caters to an Orthodox Jewish/Eastern European/Asian/Latino/East Asian/Korean population. I also have a good fruit market (Eastern European/West Indian/Mexican) two blocks from my house. All of my meat is bought from a German butcher (Bornhoffens). My fish I get at the Fishguy Market. Every couple of months I head out to Mitsuwa in Arlington Heights to stock up on Japanese/Asian staples. In spring/summer/fall I by my produce from the Evanston Farmer's Market (mostly from Nicholls). Some people think I spend too much time shopping for food.

[MatthewB]

I mean, we can't all shop/eat in East Grand Rapids...

Thank god.

I'll compile a list.

[rstarobi]

I do my Mexican grocery shopping at Viva Ranch in New Rochelle, NY; ridiculously cheap prices, and fair-excellent produce. They've got a good selection of general produce, with a great selection of chiles (and a pretty good butcher in the back).

[fresco]

Toronto is blessed with food from all over the world. Within about a 10-minute walk from home, I can pick from Little India, one of several Chinatowns, Greektown, the city's only new-age shopping mall (complete with organic supermarket and a bunch of places that sell crystals, etc.), plus an upmarket speciality grocery, and on and on.

Further afield, Kensington Market provides everything from West Indian to central and South American ingredients. St. Lawrence market is good for seasonal produce from surrounding farms. Portuguese, Italian, Somali, Thai, Ethiopian? No problem. They (and dozens more) each have their own community and shopping district.

[MatthewB]

Okie doke.

Ethnic shopping in Grand Rapids, Michigan (according to Matthew) . . .

Asian

Saigon Market (primarily Vietnamese [!] at 28th & Eastern)

KB's (Vietnamese-owned but widely Asian, great produce & meat [tripe!]--3600 block S. Division)

Lee's (Korean-owned but widely Asian--3000 block S. Division)

(Various others along the 3000-4400 blocks of S. Division)

Indian

India House (3700 block S. Division)

Latin

Montezuma Foods (600 block of Bridge)

Italian & other various

GB Russo & Sons (all kinds of great stuff here; a regular Saturday AM destination--29th Street near Breton)

German

Erika's Deli (4500 block of 28th Street)

Middle Eastern

Pita House (on Wealthy in Eastown)

Middle Eastern Market (2400 block of Eastern SE)

I shop at all of the above, so if I haven't shopped there, it's missing. Soon, I'll be visiting a couple of Latin markets that I've not been to. I'll update after that.

And, a bit off-topic, but I'm adding meat markets for guajolote . . .

D & W Cascade (for seafood, too)

Van Ball's (3400 block of Plainfield NE)

Kingma's (2200 block of Plainfield NE)

Twentieth Century Market (600 block of Bridge)

Forest Hills Foods (at Cascade & Forest Hills--they've recently updated the meat department & I'm starting to pick up stuff here)

[guajolote]

Van Ball's is the bomb. I used to go to the same church as them. Great rib steaks.

[MatthewB]

Van Ball's is the bomb. I used to go to the same church as them. Great rib steaks.

Yup.

I never get out of there without buying more than I'd planned on!

[alacarte]

Noo Yawkers love Kalustyan's for Indian provisions.

If you're not lucky enough to live in NYC, here's the Kalustyan's website.

[rstarobi]

Noo Yawkers love Kalustyan's for Indian provisions.

If you're not lucky enough to live in NYC, here's the Kalustyan's website.

Although I'll chime in for Suvir and say that Foods of India next door is just as good, if not better in a lot of areas.

[NeroW]

I would post, but . . .

Does anyone really care about ethnic groceries in Grand Rapids, Michigan? 

Actually, I know several people who would most definitely appreciate this information.

[MatthewB]

I would post, but . . .

Does anyone really care about ethnic groceries in Grand Rapids, Michigan?

Actually, I know several people who would most definitely appreciate this information.

Need more info?

And where are these other people on eGullet?

It's so lonely over here.

[KateW]

Does anyone live in a really remote area and use websites for groceries? There must be some good mail order ethnic grocery websites out there.

[fifi]

Houston area, large scale...

Fiesta for south of the border fare and a good supply of imported stuff from elsewhere. Great prices on produce. They make fresh tortillas. There is a good selection of chiles, fresh masa, corn husks, banana leaves, hibiscus (Jamaica) flower. I have even found avocado leaves.

Hong Kong Market for all things Asian. Great prices on produce and sometimes the only place to find reasonable lemon grass, galangal, really fresh ginger. The butcher shop is awesome.

There are a lot of smaller scale "ethnic" groceries from all over. There is an Indian market near me that comes recommended. I will jump into that cuisine soon.

[Pan]

(1) Chinese foodstuffs:

A. When I'm in Flushing, I go to a huge supermarket on Kissena Blvd. across from the library. Excellent selection, cheap prices.

B. In Manhattan's Chinatown, Hong Kong Supermarket is king, but it's not as good as that place in Flushing.

C. There's a store on Mott (west side) between Grand and Hester that has excellent-quality lychees for $2/lb. When you go, leave some for me!

(2) Indian foodstuffs:

In the East Village, Dowel is best.

(3) Malaysian/Indonesian foodstuffs:

For those not available at general-purpose Chinese stores like Hong Kong Supermarket, the Thai-Indonesian store on Bayard between Mott and Mulberry in Manhattan's Chinatown is best, overall. The Thai store on Mosco St. is also good, but slightly more expensive. There's also a good Vietnamese store on Mulberry (west side) between Bayard and Canal that sells things needed for Malaysian and Indonesian food.

I love Kalustyan's, but seldom have occasion to be in that neighborhood. The last time I was there, I wanted to get Iranian pistachios, but I like them roasted without salt. I got the roasted/salted ones for my mother and got raw ones for myself, put them on a pan and roasted them in the oven.

There are a whole bunch of smaller stores in Chinatown that have many of the foodstuffs one might want; they're just not as complete as bigger places like Hong Kong Supermarket.

I also occasionally go to Atlantic Av. for Arab foodstuffs, but that's really just to get some snack foods.

[reddevil]

In London (UK), for anything Middle Eastern I go to Greenfields on Crawford Street. It has all the standard stuff, but most importantly they stock Sudanese plaited cheese.

Edited June 13, 2003 by reddevil (log)

[aliwaks]

Yo in Philly this is what I have discovered

The falafel/juice stand in Reading Terminal sells a variety of middle eastern goods, halvah, zaatar turkish delight pomengrante molasses etc. there is another middlle eartern shop around the corner from Genos that has good labneh & quite a few other things but it is a bit too dirty for me.

Bell's Market in the Northeast has outstanding array of russian goods + amazing amazing deli & cheese counter

#1 Oriental Market on Washington for all things Asain and really nice produce (thier meat dept is kinda scary though)

the Shoprite in Cherry Hill has a huge selection of Latino products, though there is a huge Mexican market supposedly around the Italian Market ('nuff said about where to find ilatian stuff) which I have been planning to locate some day for fresh chiles as for dry goods therea Mexican store in New Hope that has all sorts of Mexican pantry items & candies.

I've yet to find an Indian market in Philly for that I stock up when in NY at Kalustyans their array of spices is fantastic..it's the only place I've ever seen Urfa Pepper

[Pan]

What's Urfa Pepper?

[EJRothman]

What's Urfa Pepper?

Urfa Pepper - "Another exceptional dried red pepper from Turkey. A whole new flavor; absolutely, positively, worth trying."

[Pan]

Thanks, EJ.

[Aquitaine]

B. In Manhattan's Chinatown, Hong Kong Supermarket is king, but it's not as good as that place in Flushing.

Coordinates, please?

(When I'm in Chinatown, I'm usually either a) so flustered and watching where I'm going that I forget to look at the names of stores, b) beelining to a specific destination, or c) flummoxed by what I can't identify and/or have never seen before. I keep meaning to read Linda Bladholm's "Asian Grocery Store Demystified" before I go....)

There's a good source for Thai ingredients, by the way, on Moscow Street off Mott: Bangkok Center Market...212/349-1979; open to 8pm, or used to be....That's in New York City, by the way....

Edited June 17, 2003 by Aquitaine (log)

[MatthewB]

Does anyone live in a really remote area and use websites for groceries?  There must be some good mail order ethnic grocery websites out there.

Kate,

Have you browsed The Ethnic Grocer?

[KateW]

Kate,

Have you browsed The Ethnic Grocer?

Thanks--I'll look into it