Dynasty Supermarket

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One of Chinatown’s reigning supersized supermarkets, Dynasty has deep, tall aisles that are neatly stocked with a staggering array of Asian household staples. Plenty of local shops may offer one or two types of, say, preserved cuttlefish, but Dynasty’s selection is vast, as it is for Asian-style jerked beef, chile and cooking sauces, seasoned and dried tofu, oils, vinegars, and fish sauces. As long as you know what you’re looking for, you’ll find it here. In the busy meat department, shoppers order from butchers or grab from a case where neatly wrapped stacks of rabbit and black-skinned Silkie chicken share space with duck wings, chicken feet, pork chops, Chinese bacon, and specialties like duck tongue and ox penis. In the refrigerator aisle, hungry lunchers peer through piles of prepared dishes–tofu with octopus, vegetarian duck, seaweed salad, fiery kimchee, spicy beef tendon, anchovies with chiles and peanuts, ad infinitum. Though Dynasty is mostly Chinese-focused, offerings include lots of foods from Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines, as well as a Pan-Asian candy and preserved fruit selection that’s among the largest downtown. The fresh vegetable section is meager, but shark’s fins, pickled turnip, and frozen shu mai dumplings abound; fresh fish destined for the dinner plate swim placidly in large tanks. There’s also a separate section devoted to herbal cures and cosmetics. — Jack Robertiello

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