Hing Long Supermarket

keys for a productive experience:
Speaking the language would help…
knowing the proper pronunciation doesn’t hurt…
finally, certain things google translator just doesn’t help with…
over, its not a bad experience!!!
haha
D

Just from the endless crowds that frequent this supermarket day in and out, one would think there would be more love for the prominent Hing Long (aka X&L) supermarket. The people, from customers to staff might be the root of many problems here but for Main Street and all things considered, it still is a solid place to grocer it up.
It’s true, the produce selection isn’t so great, but the prices are reasonable. Couple that with a lack of quality variety when comparing non-​Chinese but Asian products like Korean ramyun or Vietnamese cha lua and now the place feels limited. Stick with the weak produce and things will likely get better from there. There is some decent action at their pseudo-​smelly seafood section, where I’ve been able to score a few fresh catches of the day.
Then there are the people. Saturday afternoons are crazy, with lines in random spots (let alone the register), and people often bunching in places they shouldn’t (aisle traffic anyone?). The worst is when people are snatching anything from fresh stalks of kale to ripe melons. I’m looking right at you, Chinese granny.
Like any mega Chinese supermarket, don’t expect much help from the staff unless you can speak some semblance of the language. Cashiers are there to take your cash, not bag your actual groceries of which you’ve purchased. Another handy little tip? Take a picture of any item that is on sale so this way the disputes at the register are minimal. (This has saved me at least 3x — trust me!)

Live frogs and turtles. Plentiful gourds and melons. Fermented mystery foods in barrels in the back: Meats? Fungi? Fish?
They had dragon fruit (got it) as well as mangosteen (skipped it) and durian (Never Trying Again). I was hoping for rambutan – which I’m not even sure whether is found in China – but they didn’t have it. So sad.

Due to my experience the other night, Hing Long went from three stars down to one.
They had this fish tofu, the sign was «2 for $ 5.00.» When I went to pay, the cashier rang up both packets of fish tofu for $ 2.99 each. Okay, one dollar more, but still. When I tried to point out what the sign said, I was ignored.
Guess I’ll ignore this market ever existed.

Also known as X & L Supermarket.
Dollar bag of veggies were not so bad. There were bruises and some not so good parts to the squash and oranges, but I juice them up anyway. It makes a great deal to me!
The good fruit and veggies were also very cheap. I bought some for eating and they were firm and fresh for very little. Who says you can’t eat healthy in the city? Go Asian.

Decently maintained Chinese supermarket with reasonable prices, competing against the many markets sprawled along Main St. Vegetables and fruits are usually fresh, as well as the seafood (look for tell-​tale signs like clear eyes in fish). The selection of preserved goods are not as extensive as other supermarkets and you won’t find the wider Asian (Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese, etc.) ingredients as other markets. The cashiers up at the front can be quite rude, sometimes yacking on the phone and taking their time to get off when there are customers waiting to pay.

I love love love fresh produce and this place lured me in by the beautiful fruits and vegetables displayed on the street and they had gorgeous cherries today for only 1.49 lb which I had to wait on a short line to get as a worker had to bag them up they did not allow anyone to pick their own cherries and aft fer getting them home I saw why there were more than a few yucky mushy ones as well as some of the cherries looked very weird oh well most them sweet and firm. I also scored some spring roll wrappers, light soy sauce, mushrooms and nappa cabbage. They have a pretty wide selection of stuff from fresh seafood to frozen. I browsed their frozen section for a long time looking for veg dumplings but they only had pork or seafood so I passed. The prices here are great I will definitely come back again. If you like to cook authentic Asian food this place seems like a one stop shop.

This is my favorite supermarket too. Is very convenient since is
middle of flushing. Since so many new super markets opened in flushing that’s why they lower their price down.

The best way to find grocery stores in Flushing is to follow an old Chinese woman who trails with her a shopping bag. And that’s how I found this supermarket. The front half of the store is just all fresh produce, from greens to lotus root to fruits. The back left of the store is fresh meat and seafood from whole head-​on fish to ground up pork for $ 0.89 a lb and yes, this is 2008. So inflation adjusted, the prices are almost ridiculous. They also have a large frozen food selection ranging from quarter inch wide short ribs (perfect for Korean bbq) at less than $ 5 a lb to a selection of rice buns ready for steaming. And, they carry plenty of fresh noodles though I couldn’t find my favorite shanghai noodles.
Anyways, here’s what my bounty consisted of:
3lbs of Vidalia onions —
1 lb of Baby Ching Con (family of bok choy) —
And 1 bag of shallots —
Total $ 3.72
And no, they didn’t make a mistake in pricing. Honestly, I don’t know how you can beat that. And as far as why I need 3 lbs of onions, I’m making fresh raviolis (caramelized onions and blue cheese/​ricotta are a favorite).