One of the great things about New York City is that even after living here for well over a decade, we are constantly discovering new places. Gothamist found ourselves in Chinatown last week, entertaining some out-of-town relatives over soup dumplings at Joe's Shanghai. On our way home, we wandered back towards the subway, hoping to do a little grocery shopping before we went underground. Chinatown generally is a very economical option for groceries -- we've found that we can get a week's worth of produce and meat or seafood in the neighborhood of ten or fifteen dollars, assuming you've got a decently-stocked pantry at home. Evengrand Trading is no exception.
We were first enticed by the produce on the outside corner, where for just a few dollars we ended up with some broccoli, a mango, a kiwi, some plums, and a bunch of scallions. Next, we entered the store, and started perusing the shelves. Not only is there a butcher counter, but Evengrand is stocked to the brim, its aisles bursting with noodles, spices, teas, dumplings, dried fruits and mushrooms, sauces, Chinese candies, and more. We weren't even sure where to start.
Images of rice noodle stir-frys danced in our heads as we tossed noodles and sesame oil into our basket, a package of frozen roast pork buns next, then some crunchy peanut and coconut candies. Onward for some jasmine tea, and finally, some rice. It's certainly no Whole Foods, but then again, there are times when you just can't fight with your budget, and for those times, Evengrand Trading is a great place to stretch your dollars.
Evengrand Trading, 274 Grand St., Chinatown (212) 925-6363
