My maternal grandpa's surname is a Sanskrit name. However, I am still very much an outsider. From an outsider perspective, this store is quite a bit different from other South Asian grocers I've been to in Houston. The array inside should not have surprised me since part of the store's name is 'Bazaar'! The non-food items here do not feel like after thoughts, nor hasty choices to appease complainers, unlike other places I've checked out. The food selection looks on the solid side to me as well. It's much more similar to shops I frequented in Brooklyn and Manhattan. I even noticed an item I only knew I could get at Bklyn's famed ParkSlope Food Co-op. Heck, so lucky this store is right off 59, in Stafford, even walking distance from my aunt and a few cousins.
I've been looking for a giant jar of pickled bitter melon, bc the grocer I had in mind has either closed down altogether, or moved. I never knew what the name of the store was! Here, there is only the one small-sized jar, like at four other stores I sought. When I asked the guy why this is so, he replied, "This item moves slow." So, Yelpers, if you enjoy pickle and bittermelon, pls request the BIG jar at any store. I'm still going to come here again and again for my kitchen forays, and some non-food items. It reminded me of the Indo-Pak blocks of stores I enjoyed in my last Bklyn neighborhood. I use to get some desserts there for myself and the financial firm I worked for at the time. Even got the big boss, a former football player for the Alabama Crimson Tide, into South Asian desserts. Though he was well-known to be very food conservative, he'd rush to the break room when I brought these in :D read more