This may be a blog about my life in NYC, but living in NYC means sometimes getting out of the five boroughs. Leaving gives me fresh perspective on the city, even if it is just by going across the river. So, I've started this new category for whenever I leave NYC, and my first entry is about
Mitsuwa Marketplace in Edgewater NJ, a Japanese-food supermarket chain/mecca, which I used to frequent in LA.
Miss Fashion, who lives in Hoboken and has a beautiful car (ah! how I miss driving!) was kind enough to take me. We were like two kids in a candy store--almost literally. My taste buds were raring to go the minute we entered the store. Could be because there's a food court filled with udon stands, curry places, bento shacks, bakeries....the list goes on...right at the entrance.
We started off getting matcha manju at the mochi place. Check out their wares:
The matcha manju we had were wrapped up like so....
...and put in a pretty little bag for us.
Gotta love the Japanese--every little thing is done beautifully. The motchi was sooo perfectly flavored--mild, with a hint of the more astringesnt matcha--and the softness of the motchi combined with the silky manju inside was just heaven, and heaven is a good way to start any trip.
The stall next to the mochi store sold French-style Japanese cookies (like everything else, the Japanese have made French pastries all their own). Creme-filled pirouettes, financiers....yum!
We also had some black sesame soft serve ice cream--nutty, sweet, but not too sweet--so good!
We finally made it out of the food court and into the market part of store. The fish selection at Mitsuwa is amazing, and Miss Fashion did stock up on her sushi fish, but let me tell you, by the time we made it to check-out, our shared shopping cart was filled with a kaleidoscope of Japanese junk food. After gorging on yummy sweets, you'd think we'd have had enough, but I alone came home with shrimp chips, lychee candy, sweet green tea powder, spicy cuttlefish, rice crackers, chestnut manju, green tea chocolate, green tea McVities, some banana shaped cake thingy that Miss Fashion vouched for and a few non-snack items, including ume (mmmm!), enoki mushrooms, a bento lunch, a curry vegetable kit, and two boxes of mabo tofu, which we sampled here:
In true Japanese supermarket-style, Mitsuwa had at least 3-4 sampling stations available on Sunday. Who doesn't like samples? As you can tell from my excessive use of "yum!" and superlatives, I left happy. I wish shopping for groceries were always this much fun.
At the end of th day, I had forgotten
my grandma cart at home, so it was me impersonating a pack mule again...and that PATH train is slow on the weekends! I complain about the MTA a lot, but after taking the PATH, I think I found a newfound love for the subway system. Going to Mitsuwa made me nostalgic for my car and for the days I could load the trunk up with a couple weeks worth of groceries and drive home. Anyhow, it was pouring like crazy when I left Hoboken, but the gods were shining on me. By the time I got to Manhattan, the sun was shining and there was not a drop of rain. It was good to be home. :)
On Friday, I stumbled upon my first Holiday market just outside the Bowling Green stop, in front of the US Customs House. A "mini" version of the markets you'll find at Bryant Park, Union Square or Columbus Circle, its highlights are an Italian sausage stand and Breezy Hill Orchard's apple cider and gingerbread stand, but as you know, I'm obsessed with food. Also lots of scarf and hat and jewelry vendors. 
So yummy - perfectly chewy, just the way I like it. They have gingerbread women too.
This woman sold German delicacies, hot apple cider and Gluhwein...oh and a German Advent Calendar. 
This market's got your requisite scarf and hat vendors (though I passed on a purchase, as the quality of the product seemed more suited for tourists who need to keep warm for a week than a native who needs cold protection for a whole season). Also craft vendors, like Vernakular, who sold journals with great NYC-centric photo covers (at $25 a bit pricey) You can buy jewelry, candles, toys, baby clothes, pocket hand warmers, games, and other knicknacks.
