Irina's Food Market — Local services in New York

A clean, well-stocked market. The plov with beef was excellent.

One criticism: While the cashier serviced me very well and was accommodating, they microwave takeout food in single-use plastic takeout containers which is potentially dangerous. These containers are not designed for the high heat of microwaving and can release harmful chemicals into the food.

Only after my request did she quite easily transfer the food to a ceramic plate before reheating.

Upon my respectful inquiry, her reasoning ranged from professed ignorance (“I don’t know, I’m from Moscow, we don’t have this plastic in Moscow”) to necessity (“we have to use what we have in the store”) to unhelpful suggestion (“you can bring whatever container from home and we can use those”).

But really, the solution was simple, and not hard.

Right above the microwave, is a stack of ceramic plates. One of which she used for me.

Please instruct your cashiers to do this for everyone, not just me. It shows you care about...

On the street there was a downpour, I went into the store with my seven-year-old daughter, asked if I could take sweets for a child on a credit card for $ 5.5 (it happens that there is no cash) the seller refused. I understand the owner’s rules for at least $ 10 for a credit card. but there are situations ... and everyone knows that any credit card accepting machine can accept even one cent ... but we are in a Russian store and that’s it. You can find the minimum for a credit card only in a Russian store. I have no complaints about the range and quality of products. It’s just that the seller could figure out that sometimes you can make an exception to the rules that you yourself have invented. Yes, probably the owners think: do not like it-don’t come and don’t buy ......

Tried the borscht from here, didnt taste the way they used to make it pre covid, unless it was old or a different soup they gave me, tried a cheese blintzes, the cheese inside was sweet, the outside tasted better then the inside & the potatoe & cheese pierogies, while they tasted homemade, were a bit on the bland side. Just wish the food tasted as good as it smelled upon walking in, I'd go back to try the borscht & maybe a few other things one more time to compare if the taste is the same or...