Tashkent Supermarket

This past winter was unusually cold and long. Just when it seemed like the weather was getting better, it would get cold again, and I kept curling up from the chill. One day, I went out wearing light clothes and caught a cold. In other years, I would have been sunbathing on a southern beach, but since I had a trip planned for April, I endured the long winter in New York. While waiting for the weather to warm up, I bought two swimsuits. My mind is already at the beach.

During the pandemic, when I couldn’t travel, I used to sunbathe at Brighton Beach in Brooklyn. Around 9 a.m., I’d wear my swimsuit under a dress, take the Q train from 42nd Street, and after about an hour, I’d arrive at the last stop: Brighton Beach. I only brought a mat with me because right in front of the station was Tashkent Supermarket (Tashkent: the capital of Uzbekistan). They sell Central Asian foods and groceries including from Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Russia, and Georgia as well as about 200 kinds of hot buffet dishes. I would buy something for lunch there and head to the beach. I’d go in and out of the water, eat when I got hungry, and take a nap lying down. Around 3 p.m., before taking the subway home, I’d stop by the market again to buy groceries. I could live comfortably for three or four days without worrying about meals.

Although it's slightly fusion rather than traditional Korean food, to me, it’s practically Korean. They have carrot kimchi, pickled cucumbers, dumplings, and boiled pork belly, and many other dishes that taste similar to Korean food. Every time I went to Brighton Beach, I bought a variety of items to try, and I was never disappointed. Once the pandemic ended and I could travel freely again, I stopped going. But now and then, I’d find myself remembering the many foods lined up inside Tashkent Supermarket and licking my lips.

These days, Georgian food is trending, and on March 6, Tashkent Supermarket opened a new location near NYU (378 6th Ave. & Waverly Place). They didn’t have as many buffet items as the Brighton Beach branch. I squeezed through the crowd and picked a bit of everything. It wasn’t quite as delicious as what I ate during the pandemic, but it brought back memories, and I enjoyed it well enough.