Lotte-Assi Plaza

131 -09 39th Ave
Flushing, NY 11354
(718) 321-8000

Store hours: 8AM - 10PM

http://www.lotteplaza.com

This has got to be the largest Asian/ International Market in the NYC area with branches scattered about the United States (check website for addresses).

Mainly Korean, the store also carries a large variety of sauces and ingredients from China, Japan, and the Philippines. They also sell a few kitchen and home gadgets and small appliances.

Produce, seafood and meats geared towards Asian cooking are also sold here at average to pretty good prices. I was lucky to grab some packaged beef short ribs at $2.59 per pound before they went into the deep freeze section. This week fresh crab is selling at 99¢ per pound! Click my photos to see larger versions.

The staff is Korean but they pretty much understand and speak English and the signs above each aisle are printed in English.

The store is brightly lit and clean and a short walk from the 7 train to Main Street.
All major credit cards and food stamps are accepted.

Krystal's Cafe 81

81 East 7th Street

(between 1st & 2nd Street)

NY, NY,10003

(212) 473-4900

Visited this East Village branch of Krystal's Cafe in Queens last night with some Filipino friends for a late night bite. The bar/pub atmosphere is inviting with many Filipinos and non-Filipinos gathered at the bar while Filipino and Spanish novelas air on the flat screen TVs.

We grabbed a table and preceded to order, lechon kawali (crispy roast pork), pancit sotanghon guisado (Filipino version of Singapore noodles), tokwa't baboy (tofu and pork), and halo-halo with ube ice cream (shaved ice mixed with an assortment of colorful ingredients)

The food was good as well as the service. Good prices. Nice atmosphere but I hear that it tends to be more crowded earlier in the evenings.

Ihawan

40-06 70th Street
Woodside, Queens 11377











This Filipino restaurant is located on the second floor with a small bakery downstairs. Great home cooking and prices! Instead of a turo turo where you point to dishes that are sitting in heated restaurant pans, you order from a menu and the dishes are cooked to order. Service could be more cordial but you come here for the food and not the decor.
A view of the menu can be found here.





Small tables line the spare wooden floor with a waiter or two walking about taking orders.











Pinakbet (pumpkin & string beans stewed in shrimp paste) Sinigang Na Baboy (pork and vegetables in tamarind soup), Lechon kawali (roast pork), pancit bihon









Avocado milk with ice...refreshing!

Krystal's Cafe

6902 Roosevelt Ave
Woodside, NY 11377
(718) 898-1900









This Filipino bakery also offers delicious food and has seating downstairs and upstairs where you will find the all you can eat buffet for about $8. Sodas are included that you pour yourself from plastic pitchers. The variety of dishes offered changes daily. Flat screen televisions broadcast ABS-CBN Filipino shows. This is one place that has great rice congee like "arroz caldo" which is made with chicken. It's good with "tokwa't baboy" which is vinegared pork ears and fried tofu.
Pleasant staff.

Casa Manila Newark

665 Newark Ave
Jersey City, NJ

(201) 386-8900 ‎


This restaurant is quite noticeable from the outside with it's large windows. This place is a "turo turo" like many of the Filipino restaurants and offers a variety of dishes that you can have with a side of rice. I had the paksiw na lechon (stewed roast pork) and pinakbet (stewed pumpkin, green beans and eggplant in shrimp paste) with a side of rice for about $5. Pleasant staff and clean decor with a large flat screen television broadcasting Filipino Variety shows. Lots of seating.

Fiesta Grill Newark

655 Newark Avenue
Jersey City, NJ 07306
Phone: 201.656.7060






This restaurant is the Newark New jersey branch of the chain. It is not as glamorous looking as the West Side Avenue branch but offers the same homemade Filipino cooking. This place is a "turo turo" or "point point". A variety of Filipino dishes are in metal pans kept warm from below and you point to what you want. Prices are average for the neighborhood (about $5 for 2 dishes and a side of rice). Odd that EVERY dish offered had a chili pepper or two stuck into it for garnish. If you are allergic to peppers then beware of this place. Food was tasty but the decor is lacking.

Phil-Am Food Market

(201) 963-0455
683 Newark Ave, Jersey City, NJ 07306







I reviewed this food market before but this new review is about the food that they serve next door.
You enter through the main doors and walk around the corner to the right to see a cooked food station that serves 2 main dishes with a side of rice (or noodle) and includes a can of soda for only $5.25!
Dishes vary every day so it exciting experience each time I visit. On this particular day, I had the pata (pork knuckles braised in sweet sauce), kangkong (sauteed water spinach) and palabok (rice noodles with shrimp). I chose a can of iced tea.
Everything was tasty and the meal was filling! Other Filipino restaurants in the area offer the same turo turo (point point)for about $5 but this place you can also buy the ingredients to make it yourself at home.
You can also buy food to take out (they offer whole grilled milkfish $8 and fried whole tilapia $4) and the varieties of Filipino dishes are all delicious!
Comes in handy if you go with a Filipino friend who knows the dishes but the servers all know English.

This place has quickly become one of my favorite places to eat /shop at in NJ.