Best all around asian grocery store

[porkified]

I've just started cooking and am in need of a good Asian grocer that sells ingredients and vegetables and meat/fish for all kinds of Asian cuisine. Particularly Pilipino food, as I am trying out my mother's recipes, and Chinese. I know Chinatown is obvious, but where? And as for vegetables, I'm looking for a wide array of greens that I honestly can't even tell you the name of, but they're certainly not to be found on the streets of Chinatown, so if any Pilipinos can tell me where they get their veggies for sinigang and the like, let me know. Also, I am not down for Queens shopping because of time constraints. Manhattan is greatly preferred. Thank you!

[ephramzz]

I love Hong Kong Supermarket for a great combo of pan-asian products, produce, meat, and fish, though it can sometimes be hard to find what you want there unless you know the chinese name for it, so I often just find myself wandering the aisles there in search of something, and find something else new and interesting. I know they have a few phillipino products there.

Asia Market is also great with less fresh produce, but a more helpful staff that speak english and will help you find whatever you need if they have it.

Ken Hing has some of the weirder greens and herbs, especially for vietnamese food, like thorny coriander (or culantro), mau om, rau om, vietnamese coriander, taro stalks, in little bags INSIDE the store in the cooler, not outside with the other produce. That may satisfy the need for the veggies you're looking for. If not, there's about 15 other chinese grocery stores on that one block of Grand that might have what you're looking for.

Good luck!

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Asia Market
71 Mulberry St, New York, NY 10013

Hong Kong Supermarket
109 E Broadway, New York, NY 10002

Ken Hing Food Market
247 Grand St, New York, NY

[JungMann]

I rely on Asia Market for all my Filipino (and pan-Asian) needs. It is Chinese-operated, but they deal with enough Filipinos to know malunggay from pechay, which is useful if you're dealing with recipes from the Old Country but don't speak chef's Tagalog. Also the Mama Sita's sinigang packets in the back will help you cheat if you decide cooking sinigang from scratch is a little too ambitious.

[doona]

M&M I think its called, 12th Street and 3rd Ave I think...

[JungMann]

M2M has a limited selection of primarily Japanese products. Sunrise Mart down the street has a much more expansive selection, but once again the focus is on goods for Japanese shoppers. Their shoyu and vinegars would not be ideal for Chinese or Filipino recipes; though I will say that for just generic Asian goods (e.g. Kikkoman, tofu, mochi, etc.) or a quick snack, I do love M2M.

[kobetobiko]

Just want to clarify, M2M is a Korean grocery store which happens to carry Japanese products. Definitely agree that Sunrise Mart has a lot more Japanese offerings, but both not ideal for Chinese or Filipino items.

[cimui]

The Han Ah Reum (Korean) market on 32nd St. between B'way and 5th is a bit expensive, but it's a great source for vegetables used in dishes across several different Asian cuisines, including daikon radish, taro root, and various greens that I couldn't name, either :). (It's also a good source for near-sushi grade fish, if you're looking.)

I don't know how authentic my sinigang is, but the recipe I follow (handed down to me from a Pilipino professor / friend of mine) uses mostly vegetables that are commonly available in the states -- i.e. tomatoes, green beans, radishes, and mustard greens. The only ingredient that might be hard to find in parts (though it isn't hard in NYC) is taro root.

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Han Ah Reum
25 W 32nd St, New York, NY 10001