My mouth is on fire, and I like it.

[badseed1980]

I just got back from Super 88 a few minutes ago. For you non-locals, Super 88 Market is a chain of Asian supermarkets in the Boston area. They primarily focus on Chinese stuff, but also have items specific to Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, and even some Indian cuisines. I've been craving some real, good Chinese flavors lately. Here's what I picked up:

Produce:
gai lan (Chinese broccoli)
long beans
dried shiitake mushrooms
Japanese cucumbers (similar to the Persian or Armenian type)
Chinese eggplants (the long, bright purple ones)

Meat/Seafood:
pork sirloin
extra lean Chinese sausage (made with chicken!)
dried fish strips with sugar, sesame oil, chili, and seaweed (a snack I ate on my way home)
Japanese fish cake

Condiments:
fermented black beans
chili paste
hoisin sauce
lower-sodium organic miso

The biggest challenge was not buying EVERYTHING. So many things looked good to me, and I kept thinking, "Oooh, I wonder what I could do with this!" It's all so tempting. When I got home, I was still hungry. The dried fish was good, but not quite enough to fill me up with the light breakfast I had. I sliced a cucumber in thin slices, added a drop of sesame oil, a pinch of sugar, some rice vinegar, and some of the chili paste. I mixed it up and gobbled it. Man, the heat of that chili paste REALLY sneaks up on you. Yowza. SOOOO good.

I'm glad I got the dried fish. I'd been tempted to get a pork bun to nosh on, but when the guy in front of me at the bakery counter was taking a long time, I lost patience and regained willpower, and got something healthier for me instead. Yay, me! Incidentally, I have lost about 3.5 pounds this week. Gnarly.

Comments

[brontosproximo.livejournal.com]

Which one is this? The one in Chinatown has been closed for renovation. Is it reopened?

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Not that I know of. Last time I went there, it was still closed. This is the one in Malden, which is actually just as convenient for me (longer walk from the T stop, but just one T stop away).

[brontosproximo.livejournal.com]

Gotcha, thanks!

[seabeast-ahab.livejournal.com]

Super 88 <3

[saffronrose.livejournal.com]

Out here, you'll shop at Ranch 99 Markets

[she-of-emeralds.livejournal.com]

Super 88 = WIN! But most of the time I don't know what the stuff is and therefore am too chicken to even think about buying it. I mostly go there (to that same one in Malden) to get soy sauce and chopsticks. *sigh, squawk squawk squawk*

Wanna go there together some time and you could help me learn good stuff to take home?

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Sure! I find that a lot of stuff IS labeled in English (either on the packaging, or on a label they slapped on the package), so it's not too much of a risk.

I think I'd like to get a Chinese cookbook sometime. I don't think I'd have much time for the really involved stuff, but just having an idea of what flavors they put together, and of how to use some of the more unusual ingredients, would be helpful.