Asian food store in northern NJ?

[hitmanoo]

How about on-line?

http://www.freshwasabi.com/

←

Very interesting site... "After approximately 18 months to 2 years, the Wasabi plants will be ready for harvest. "

It's no wonder that the root is so hard to find, and also so expensive. According to the site, all too often, the wasabi we are served is just horseradish with green coloring.

[Catfood]

I had the same experience the last couple of times I was at Top Quality too. The smell wasn't nearly as bad as East West and the store felt much cleaner to me. Maybe I just got them on a good day!

Top Quality's new owner seemed quite nice and eager to please. I hadn't noticed any deterioration in the store -- nor the smell, the last time I was there. (A couple of weeks ago?)  There is, of course, the odor of dried fish and vegetables from their packaged goods, but you get that in Chinatown -- just on the street!

←

[wilsonrabbit]

Well, no one has mentioned it yet, but I often go to King Fung in River Edge but that might be too far north for you. They're right on Kinderkamack Rd. They're not as large as Han Ah Rheum (or however you spell it) in...that big complex...uh...off Rt 5 and Broad Ave and..I dunno. Anyhow, they're a Chinese market owned by mainlanders but they have some Thai, Phillipino, Indonesian/Malay, and Japanese stuff. You can also get hot food there and baked goods, but the baked goods are freshest on the weekends after about 11AM. Not so sure about the weekdays.

I thought I once saw fresh wasabi root being sold at the Mitsuwa in Edgewater, but I'd only say once! By the way, Mitsuwa is also a chain. I've been to their Chicago store. They're Korean owned now as far as I know. It used to be Yaohan until they went bust from overzealous expansion.

Oh, there's also a market in Fort Lee off Anderson Ave where the Shoprite used to be. Sorry, I don't the name. It used to be Japanese but are now Korean owned. Next to them is a very small Japanese market that I've never been in. On Lemoine Ave near...the Diner I think is a Korean market that I haven't been in for ages. It's on the side going towards Main St (southbound?). Sorry, I don't know the name of that either.

[Ike]

i don't know the name, but it's on the southbound side of washington ave. the people who own it went on to open Brookside Thai in Bloomfield...

I've gone past there once or twice. Looking it up on superpages.com, I think the Thai place may be called Quynh Nhu Food Market, at 390 Washington Avenue in Belleville, and just down the street is a decent, cheap Indian grocery, Shree Ganesh Foods at 364 Washington Avenue. They're both small and I'm not sure I've ever been in the Thai place (although I love Thai food... I'm just not sure I'm remotely competent enough as a cook to do it any kind of justice). I wonder if the Thai place has tea dust, for making Thai iced tea. Anyway, Shree Ganesh is a nice little place that has really great prices on nuts, like almonds.

I didn't know that the Brookside Thai folks owned that grocery. Cool, I like Brookside, though they're not as good as Sripraphai in Queens--but then, who is?

Also, there's an interesting little Filipino market called Masagana Enterprises Inc., at

80 Franklin Street (not to be confused with Franklin Ave.--somebody really need to re-name one of those roads) in the Silver Lake section of Belleville (the southern panhandle of Belleville). They have a steam table and the last time I got dinner there, it was $3 for two or three items over rice. Lots of food. Once it was great, but another time it was pretty fatty and greasy (as Filipino food can often be) and there was a weird vegetable in there that tasted a bit like earwax. Anyway, Masagana's not far from the great Giordano's Bakery (mmmm... bagels) and the Bloomfield Stop & Shop.

Recently I noticed that downtown Bloomfield has a nice new little Indian grocer, too, on Glenwood Ave. I think, on the east side of the street, just south of Bloomfield Ave. Got some good $1 snacks and some pappadums there.

I guess this is getting pretty far off-topic for sushi-related items, though.

Edited October 7, 2004 by Ike (log)

[AlisonA]

From what I remember, the present Kam Man on Rt 10 in Hanover used to be Maxims and was owned by a couple from Hong Kong. They had another short-lived store in the Brunswick area.

When they divorced, she sold that location in Hanover to Kam Man (who then enlarged and upgraded it) and she ran the Maxims on Rt. 46.  Then she sold that off to new owners who changed the name to Top Quality. Where the HongKong lady went next, I don't know.

Top Quality's new owner seemed quite nice and eager to please. I hadn't noticed any deterioration in the store -- nor the smell, the last time I was there. (A couple of weeks ago?)  There is, of course, the odor of dried fish and vegetables from their packaged goods, but you get that in Chinatown -- just on the street!

The smells in East West are another kettle of fish!  Pun intended. The have the musty packaged goods smell, of course, but even before they went into fish and meat, the place had its own odor. The fish made it worst.  When they first opened up, the refrigeration under their vegetables was non-existant. You had to be there when produce arrived to get anything fresh. The first time they had meat and fish was pretty bad. The fish eyes were not clear and the meat --- well, let's say --- I didn't buy any. When they expanded to an extra room, they had refrigeration for their vegetables, but there wasn't the care for them that even the smallest store in C'Town had. There was plenty of ice under the fish and the meat looks fresh, but I have never bought any, altho I see plenty of Asian housewives buying meat & fish. The floor is always wet in that area.

I do get jarred and packaged things at East West, and rarely some dough/noodly things. The Chinese owner, Mr. Ho is very nice, but he should get a clue.

Kam Man is the place I go to most of the time for all my stuff. Not as much fun as Chinatown, but it has everything and they are helpful if you need to ask a question.

←

I find myself stopping at Kam Man everytime I am on route 10 to pick up some dumplings or buns to nosh on. Their leek and pork dumplings are pretty good. Don't bother to get there before 10:30 though, they usually aren't ready.

On the grocery side I have had mixed luck, but mostly because I would benefit from some guidance on what to get and look for. One day I'll drag my friend out to shop with me.

AlisonA

[jo-mel]

If you are having a problem in a Chinese store, just ask a housewife who is also shopping.

At Kam Man, when I've had a problem locating something, I find the manager, or someone who seems to be circulating. Always have been helpful. Most of the stock people don't understand you or they aren't Chinese and so can't help you.

[PPX]

Oh, there's also a market in Fort Lee off Anderson Ave where the Shoprite used to be. Sorry, I don't the name. It used to be Japanese but are now Korean owned. Next to them is a very small Japanese market that I've never been in. On Lemoine Ave near...the Diner I think is a Korean market that I haven't been in for ages. It's on the side going towards Main St (southbound?). Sorry, I don't know the name of that either.

←

The small Japanese market is part of a chain called "Daido"--in a pinch they have the basics, but at that point you're so close to Edgewater that you might as well head on over to Mitsuwa.