Chinese supermarkets in Chinatown

[artgirl]

rec for supermarket(s) or small shops which sell more than basic ingredients for cooking Chinese

[Querencia]

I like Pearl River at 477 Broadway, between Grand and Broom and about 1 1/2 blocks north of Canal on west side of street. It is like a 3-story Chinese dime store with a huge array of cooking utensils at good prices and supplies and some dry grocery products (teas, sauces). They also have a website---just google Pearl River Store.

[jacobcohen]

I live in Chinatown. Specifically, the Fujianese side of Chinatown East of Bowery.

For spices and specialty ingredients of all kinds: Asia Market wins
https://plus.google.com/111928553666332284448/about?gl=us&hl=en

For fish, the market that's under the Manhattan Bridge has the best overall assortment of creatures from the sea. Most of it is still alive when you buy it. It's on East Broadway and Forsythe, walk through the Mall.

For everything else there are two stores near Hester and Elizabeth.
Hong Kong Supermarket (already mentioned
)https://plus.google.com/112841261278266179227/about?gl=us&hl=en

and
Deluxe on Elizabeth (which is smaller and more specialized
)https://plus.google.com/113883290773292007152/about?gl=us&hl=en

For fresh tofu:
https://foursquare.com/v/fong-inn-too...

Or their "tofu factory", which is the oldest in New York, at 87 Division.

[artgirl]

thank you. I appreciate this list of unusual places. The tofu factory really has me intrigued.

[jacobcohen]

It's a pretty fantastic place. They do their whole business out of there and I live pretty close by. I've become friends with the owner and his workers. They provide nearly all of the tofu for restaurants in Chinatown.

[buttertart]

Totally cool! I love the really soft, barely-set douhua...

[amstrgy]

I think Hong Kong Supermarket on Hester is the most comprehensive and therefore maybe the best place to start. I get lots of bedrock items, especially packaged staples or ingredients, there. I've been to the supermarket under the Manhattan Bridge - seems a little grungier and so I haven't been induced to buy there yet. Although both the product and fish sections of Hong Kong look perfectly fine, I tend to go elsewhere.

eluxe is a hoot, especially because it's this narrow semi-subterranean block-through place that is consistently jam packed (at least when I'm there on weekends). I must say that the prospect of fighting the crowds for each item has deterred me from trying but I suspect that doing so would be worth it. The one area in Deluxe I regularly patronize is the counter to the left immediately after you enter on Elizabeth which has roast pork, roast duck and other delicacies sold by the pound.

-----
Hong Kong Supermarket
157 Hester St, New York, NY 10013

[Pan]

In addition to the places mentioned in this thread, I'm surprised not to see Deluxe's name. It's the biggest store in Chinatown, so though most of what I remember there is fresh (vegetables and fruit, seafood and fish, meat) or cooked, I'm sure they've got plenty of packaged ingredients.

If you don't see the cooking tools you want in any of these supermarkets, Pearl River on Broadway between, I believe, Broome and Spring in Soho has beautiful ones at various price points, and there's a more low-end store on Bowery between, I believe, Pell and Doyers.

-----
Deluxe Food Market
79 Elizabeth St, New York, NY 10013

[buttertart]

The one on Bowery is useful for all manner of cooking things - their half-sheet pans are the cheapest I've seen anywhere and are excellent.
I've only ever bought meat at Deluxe - just remember meat and fish and cooked food - are there dry goods too?
Pearl River does have a great selection - rather better on the (mostly Japanese) serveware than the cooking utensils, but there are plenty of those too.
And for Yixing teapots, you can't beat Jade Garden Arts and Crafts, 76 Mulberry nr Bayard. Wide selection and excellent prices.

[Pan]

I can't swear to what dry goods Deluxe sells. I'll try to remember to walk through again soon.

[JungMann]

I can't recall dry goods at Deluxe. It is more of a meat and seafood place with prepared foods available for purchase. The vegetable section is rather small, so I usually exit the store on Mott to head to the more comprehensive vendors on the street.

[scoopG]

Correct. Meat, seafood, prepared foods, semi-prepared meats, frozen goods etc. The amount of dry goods there could fill a bag (boxes of cornstarch etc...) and they are all located near the Mott street exit.

[buttertart]

Latest Pearl River find (Japanese, sorry, but irresistibly cute, the handles have tiny pawprints in gold on them). Also come in white background.

[Querencia]

Pearl River has a website! Google Pearl River Store.

[loratliff]

Not to hijack, but where's the best place to buy fermented black beans? It seems like they're pretty readily available (or should be), but I haven't seen them.

[buttertart]

Look in the section with dried mushrooms etc, they're sold unrefrigerated in plastic/cellophane packages about 5" x 5" x 1 1/2". The ones I get have yellow and red printing on the outside and are labeled in Chinese and English - salted black beans I think.

[thew]

i usually do hing kong market if i'm in chinatown. outside of chinatown i go to the big korean market, which has plenty of chinese goods as well, in koreatown. 32 between 5 and 6. i cant think of the name, but it's in the middle of the block on the north side of the street.

[buttertart]

H Mart? That is a nice store.

[i8NYC]

re: Kam Man/HKSM, listen to buttertart

re: H-Mart, there is a Super H-Mart in Fairview NJ. The one in K-Town NY sucks.
Sorry for digressing. Topic is Chinatown, after all :)

[kathryn]

What exactly are you looking for?

Chinatown fish market
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/693080

Fruit stands
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/654432

Grocery stores
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/693064

[artgirl]

thank you for these links. I'm looking for packaged ingredients, like soy, vinegars, sauces etc. Also, cooking tools. Not so much fresh ingredients.

[buttertart]

Kam Man on Canal and Hong Kong Supermarket on Hester are the main ones I patronize. They have all that and more.

-----
Kam Man
200 Canal St, New York, NY 10013

Hong Kong Supermarket
157 Hester St, New York, NY 10013

[small h]

I also like the one inside the Manhattan Bridge, which I think is called American Supermarket.

[buttertart]

Hey I didn't know about that one, where is it exactly? Oh boy new Chinese market!!!

[small h]

Walk into the southern bridge tower and through the fruit market. It's a pretty good size store (there's also an entrance on Henry Street). The address is probably something like 79 East Broadway. I'd send you a nice link, but every time I try to get a Google street view, it takes me up on the bridge!

[buttertart]

Thanks!

[JungMann]

The prices for packaged goods at the market inside the bridge are a little higher than at Hong Kong Supermarket, however the prices for fresh seafood and meat are significantly lower with a larger selection. Quality has been variable in my experience.

-----
Hong Kong Supermarket
157 Hester St, New York, NY 10013

[buttertart]

I'll have a shuftie, can't resist a new-to-me market. Thanks for the pointers in any case!

[artgirl]

Did Hong Kong Supermarket use to be on East Broadway, like 10 years ago and move to this location about 3 years ago?

-----
Hong Kong Supermarket
157 Hester St, New York, NY 10013

[JungMann]

The one you're thinking of burned down in a fire.

[buttertart]

The one on Hester used to be the Dynasty market but HKM bought it. Was closed for a while being renovated and it just about killed me.

[i8NYC]

There's always that one that goes through Mott and Elizabeth. They sell Gator meat there but it's always a madhouse. Aside from groceries, decent meat/fish selection and they sell cooked food too.

[artgirl]

Thought my mind was slipping. I was a Dynasty shopper and was there, 3-4 years? ago and the shelves were bare. I've been out of town since and in a state of despair. Feel so much better.

[buttertart]

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/755992
Lots of recommendations and discussion.