New York Daily Photo Analytics

Friday, March 07, 2008

Kalustyan's

Kalustyan's website has 45 pages of spices - 1,322 items. Perhaps you are interested in choosing from a selection of 41 varieties of coconut or over 100 types of lentils or dahl. If you want this breadth and depth of selection, you had better have a large number of patrons - your casual visitor or curiosity seeker is probably not interested in Tamarind paste or an extensive selection of Ghee. NYC delivers the patrons.
It is unlikely you will find a selection like this anywhere else. Kalustyan's, at 123 Lexington Avenue, was established in 1944 by K. Kalustyan and is now owned by Sayedul Alam and Aziz Osmani who have expanded the selection to create an international specialty food market, with a concentration of Middle Eastern and Indian food. They have thousands of varieties of food items - herbs, spices, teas, coffees, pastries, baking products, oils, nuts, seeds, breads, beans, chutneys, etc. Upstairs there are cook wares and a small deli with prepared foods and a couple of tables.
Another nice thing about visiting Kalustyan's is that it is in the heart of an Indian district (one of two in Manhattan). This is the destination if you are interested in having Dosas - try any number of places specializing in them like the Dosa Hut. Also, you can visit Foods of India next door.
Kalustyan's, is my favorite ethnic market - it's pleasant to shop in and is truly exotic with a selection that is wide and deep ...

Related notes and postings:
If you are interested in ethnic neighborhoods and food, I would highly recommend a trip to Jackson Heights, Queens. I made a pilgrimage there last year and did 4 postings on various merchants and aspects: Indian Gold, Jackson Heights, The Patel Brothers, The Jackson Diner.

If you like Middle Eastern food, you really need to try an authentic Ouzi and Ful Mudammas. I recommend First Oasis in Brooklyn for either dish (or Moustache in the Village for Ouzi.)

4 comments:

Blogger said...

the concept idea of this photoblog is amazing! I liked it!
I've done something similar... I live in Paris, and I'm doing shots about city's street arts. I need some advices about photo-techiniques! could you help me? with some critics?

Brian Dubé said...

nikola;
Eric of parisdailyphoto.com started this whole idea. I've veered somewhat from the original blueprint, away from strictly a photo site to something with much more written content.
Regarding photo tips I would look at sites like photo.net They have an enormous amount of info. Also, books are a great source. Try ICP.org for their book list.
Network with other photographers. Look at work like Flickr, e.g. and strive to figure out how others achieve the quality work.
I focus more on composition and making a photo than the volume approach which is so common today with digital cameras.

Virgile said...

hi hi..
I like you blog this is very nice. I am doing the same kind of blog, but about reykjavik, in Iceland. Keep going :-)
Virgile

Stefan Jansson said...

Wow, I would probably be stuck there forever, should I buy this one or that one...