New Oriental Food Store

I love ethnic food...but I had never been to an Asian grocery store. Until TODAY! Oh my goodness. I went to the East Village, where there is a nice little grocery called The New Oriental Food Store. I wanted to buy it all. I was trying hard not to hyperventilate when I found the green and red curry in a can. Heat and serve! Now...I know that goes against my good 'ol home cookin' philosophy. But...it's green curry in a can! I am trying not to get too excited because Denise told me that it's going to burn my mouth off. I'll have to report back on that. I had to get it...it was only $1.79. Much less than the $10.00 I pay to eat it at my favorite Thai restaurant.

I also found coconut milk for 89 cents a can ($1.00 cheaper than my grocer), green curry paste for $1.89 for a large tub, organic soba noodles for $2.59 ($1.00 cheaper) and 2 cucumbers for 89 cents. There were sauces galore...including my favorite sweet thai chili sauce.

The store was large, bright, and well-marked. In the back they had freezers and coolers of lots of food that I can't pronounce. In the middle they had TONS of fresh produce. Chilis, bananas, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, lemongrass...and more. Even though it's not certified organic, any time I talk to the Asian vendors at the Farmer's Market, they assure me that they have not used any chemicals on them.

I will defnitely be back.