Phil-Am Food Mart

"Any Filipino parent worth their fish sauce will point you to Phil-Am Mart in Woodside, where on the weekends lines of people stock up on pantry items that reflect the Philippines’ long history of colonization: canned Spam and Vienna sausages, Lady’s Choice mayonnaise and tuna spread, and instant noodles and soup mixes. The frozen section hides imported and hard-to-find kakanins - from suman sa ibus (suman steamed in palm leaves) to tupig (a grilled rice cake). Head to the back to find their array of homemade kakanins sitting aside their house-cured sausages and other meats - like kutsinta, pitsi-pitsi, and sapin-sapin, which all use different ingredients, but have the same smooth chewiness of mochi. Kutsinta uses rice flour and brown sugar while pitsi-pitsi has cassava as its main ingredient. My favorite is the sapin-sapin, which has an eye-catching tri-color of layered glutinous rice. I also make a point to add a few rolls of the tableas de cacao to my basket, for making thick Filipino hot chocolate at home - and you should too." - paolo espanola

"Renee secured a spot for his empanadas and siopao at Phil-Am Market, itself a community icon since 1976." - Caroline Shin

"Any Filipino parent worth their fish sauce will point you to Phil-Am Mart, where lines form on the weekends of people stocking up on pantry items that reflect the Philippines long history of colonization: canned Spam and Vienna sausages, Lady’s Choice mayonnaise and tuna spread, instant noodles and soup mixes. The frozen section hides imported and hard-to-find kakanins - from suman sa ibus (suman steamed in palm leaves) to tupig (a grilled rice cake). Head to the back to find their array of homemade kakanins sitting aside their house-cured sausages and other meats. They have kutsinta, pitsi-pitsi, and sapin-sapin, which all use different ingredients but have the same smooth chewiness of mochi. Kutsinta uses rice flour and brown sugar while pitsi-pitsi has cassava as its main ingredient. Our favorite though is the sapin-sapin, which has an eye-catching tri-color of layered glutinous rice. Also, make sure to add a few rolls of the tableas de cacao hidden behind the cashiers to your basket for making thick Filipino hot chocolate at home before you head out. photo credit: Alex Staniloff" - Paolo Española

"Phil-Am Food Mart is a lively Filipino grocery that carries all the essentials, including balut (fertilized duck egg) in the cold case and an array of sweet polvorón (shortbread) on the shelves. Head to the back of the store to find baked bun siopao, golden-brown, airy and filled with savory-sweet, soy-infused pork asado. Sometimes called “toasted” siopao, based on China’s cha siu bao, they’re an ideal on-the-go snack, sold in batches of four or six. Phil-Am Food Mart also stocks empanadas from Thursday to Sunday, and they’re freshest in the afternoons, staff say." - Hannah Bae

"Balut is a fertilized duck embryo. In the Philippines, people eat Balut for a casual snack in between meals. They might not devour one like popcorn during a movie, but the delicacy has a strong hold in their culture. For the iron-stomached food tourist, Phil-Am Foods in Queens offers an opportunity to eat Balut right here in NYC. Those interested should keep in mind that Balut is a small duck embryo and as such features two eyes that will look up at you while eating. That being said, the snack is supposedly an aphrodisiac. You make the choice, do the means justify the ends? Know Before You Go Accessible from 7 Train at 69th Street Station" - Oliver Hong