Fong On Sweetened soy milk: I really love Asian soy milk, so I was looking forward to this housemade bottle from Fong On in Chinatown. The 16oz bottle cost a little over $2. I purchased the sweetened version, which tasted just like the soy milk you buy from street vendors in Taiwan; beany but loose in viscocity, very sweet but also thirst quenching. Overall, I liked it, but it was definitely on the sweet side - not something I could drink in a single serving. 3.0/5.0
chinatown nyc soy milk chinese fongon sweetened soy milk 3.0
Fong On Can't Go Wrong Tofu Pudding with Red Beans, Grass Jelly, and Taro Balls: Fong On is a small family-run tofu shop on Division Street in Chinatown, right next to the Manhattan Bridge. I found out about it from a profile in the New York Times a few months ago, describing how the long-standing neighborhood tofu shop, which had been open for 80 years, had recently relocated and reopened after the son took over the family business. They sell freshly made soy milk, rice cakes, and doufu hua, all traditional Chinese favorites. Doufu hua is kind of like getting frozen ... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended chinatown nyc tofu doufuhua doufu fongon can't go wrong pudding red beans grass jelly taro balls 3.5
Yi Fang Grass Jelly Drink: Purchased at the Taiwanese fruit tea chain Yi Fang in Chinatown. A classic Chinese drink, grass jelly has a slightly medicinal taste but rich sweetness reminiscent of molasses. This version from Yi Fang is much better than the canned grass jelly herbal tea that I resort to once in a while when I'm craving this taste from my childhood. Their grass jelly, which surprisingly is not included as part of the drink already, is also satisfyingly gelatinous - not too firm or soft, and fully flavored... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended chinatown nyc taiwanese yifang grass jelly drink 3.5
Calbee Grill-A-Corn Barbecue Flavor: Chinese corn chips that have a sweet barbecue flavor, a bit reminiscent of Shacha bbq sauce but more seasoned. The packaging suggests a grilled corn on the cob flavor, perhaps similar to that you can find, brushed with Shacha sauce, in night markets in Asia. Overall, a decent flavor, but not one I'd likely return to. Purchased from Hong Kong Supermarket. 3.0/5.0
chinese chinatown hongkongsupermarket calbee grill-a-corn barbecue flavor 3.0
Ling Kee Beef Jerky: Around the corner from the East Broadway subway stop on the edge of Manhattan's Chinatown is a small shop called Ling Kee Beef Jerkey (sic). The shop sells pork, chicken, and beef jerky by 1/4, 1/2, or lb sizes, each laid out in stacks under a bright heatlamp. The shop specializes in Malaysian Jerky, which I hadn't had before but remind me a lot of Taiwanese beef jerky, which is nothing like American packaged jerky. Typically, asian jerky is moist, with a glistening, sweet glaze rather th... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional nyc jerky manhattan chinatown malaysian beefjerky meat lingkee beef 4.5
Kirin Rich Green Tea: If you can believe it, I have a months-worth of backlog for snack reviews. I purchased this bottle of green tea back when I was doing a retreat at the Recurse Center. I liked buying large bottles of green tea to drink at work for cost-effectiveness, and I found that the best selection could be found at Hong Kong Supermarket in NYC's Chinatown. I typically purchased Ito-En teas, but I decided to give this slightly less expensive bottle of green tea a try. It was decent, but more bitter th... (read more) 3.0/5.0
drinks matcha chinatown kirin rich green tea 3.0