RED ALERT ! - authentic AZN

i order chinese take-out at least once or twice a week, religiously. singapore mei fun, szechwan shrimp, curry vegetables, general tso's tofu - i can't get enough. i must concede, however, that sometimes the local happy garden/golden chopsticks/panda queen/lucky dragon/ect. just doesn't cut it; sometimes i want REAL chinese food. don't get me wrong, i love the americanized stuff, but it lacks the ethnic flair i so often crave.

if you really want to pure stuff, you've got to go to the source - CHINATOWN. beyond the knock-off watches, cramped streets, and foreboding language barrier exists a culinary cornucopia rife with exotic treats on the cheap.

communication can be an issue for outsiders, but it shouldn't be a deterrent; many establishments try their best to extend themselves to anyone with an adventurous palate and the ability to point and say, "that, please. one". a great place to start is "Deluxe Food Market".

Deluxe Food Market
79 Elizabeth St. (Grand-Hester Sts.)
212-925-5766

a block-long behemoth; half quick-service food depot, complete with steam tables, roast meats and a sweets station, and half asian supermarket.



i went in with $20 and left with a hefty bag of asian goodies and $2 change.

-1- pork bun the size of a large fist - moist, delicious and under a dollar.

-1- handful of the most amazing pork dumplings, ever - dough so fluffy you'd have thought they were pancakes.

-1- half order of roast duck - plentiful and indulgent.

-1- sizable order of scallion tofu - for health

© 2009 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable" - http://missioninsatiable.blogspot.com/