168 Market
Shrimp Dumpling
Crunchy Shrimp Ball
Fried Chicken Roll
Portuguese Egg Custard
Preserved Egg Pork Congee
Cheese Puff Pork Sung Bun
Red Bean Bun
Yudane Blueberry with Cheese
Japanese Butter Floral Roll
Taro Almond Roll
Fresh Taro Cake
More than once noted for its green and red glow on Jones,in the plaza across from Chada Thai, Asian BBQ and Noodles, and more, it was shortly after work that I finally decided to stop in at 168 Market and although the aisles contain any number of ethnic items and unique “oddities” it was in the Supermarket’s food court that the majority of my time and $20 was invested, five hot items and six pastries all showing far more strongly than a passerby might expect.
Known as one of the most prominent providers of Chinatown’s roast duck, produce, and offal – all prominently displayed and far more affordable in some cases than even the large local chains – 168 Market is equally striking in the cleanliness of its layout and friendliness of the staff, though those wishing to take pictures are encouraged to focus only on the products as some of the staff voiced understandable concerns with photographs subsequently deleted.
Striking in the breadth of options, the hot bar alone with at least forty items to be mixed-and-matched for a meal, it was mostly on dim sum that my fresh-made order was centered, the Har Gow unfortunately marred by small shrimp without much flavor while the fried balls coated in crunchy sweetness fared far better, easily on par with those at Ping Pang Pong at a fraction of the cost despite the lack of Kewpie mayo.
Rare to forgo Congee, particularly a big Styrofoam cup for $2 that was chock-full of preserved egg and sliced pork, another great bite was found in the fried chicken and mushroom stew pockets with a toothsome mochi-like exterior, the same to be said of still-jiggly egg custard tarts.
Onward to baked goods, three ladies working the small station simultaneously baking, bagging, sorting, and replacing items on shelves, the selection at 168 Market runs the gamut from standards to novelties and a wide selection saw five successes and only one failure, the ‘meat’ filling of the Pork Sung bun essentially hardened into a dry mass with a texture best described as ‘hairy,’ and a flavor that was not only overwhelmed by spice up front, but sour and acrid on the finish.
Moving on to better things, those fancying Taro will be well advised to investigate either buns or cakes sweetened by the brilliant purple starch and yet as good both these were they still couldn’t stand up to the high quality of a remaining trio of red beans, blueberry jam, or rich butter – the latter harkening both pull-apart dinner roll and croissant in its texture with a lovely residual sweetness left to linger on the palate.
FOUR STARS: Far more friendly and cleanly than other spots in Chinatown, and as much fun to browse as it is to partake in the goods, 168 Market is a place anyone interested in Asian Specialty items would be behooved to check out.
RECOMMENDED: Japanese Butter Floral Roll, Egg Custard Tart, Congee, Fried Chicken Roll.
AVOID: Cheese Puff Pork Sung Bun, Steamed Shrimp Dumpling.
TIP: Those planning to frequent the market are encouraged to sign up for the Frequent Shoppers Card as substantial discounts are displayed prominently throughout the store.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
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