I’ve already kvetched that there doesn’t seem to be much going on for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. As the month draws to a close, I’ve decided to celebrate in my own way, and what better way than with weird Asian snacks.

Most of you are no doubt familiar with the cool Asian convenience stores around town. There’s M2M, Sunrise Mart, and JAS Mart, just to name a few.

I frequent the M2M on 10th and 3rd (just a stone’s throw away from both Kiehl’s and Saint’s Alp, by the by). What I love most about this M2M is the humidifier that blows moist, clean (presumably) air at you when you walk in. Also, it’s nice and big and so never feels crowded.

I made the mistake of asking if I could take pictures, which involved my being passed from one register girl to a another one, to a guy in a baseball cap with a tenuous grasp of the English language, to a phone call to the manager. Jeez Louise! You’d think I was taking pix of the Pentagon. Eventually they let me though.

Really the Asian snacks are no different from the ones you’d find in Tokyo. There are unidentifiable drinks.

Mochi.

And of course Pocky.

What is “Men’s” flavor you might be asking? No, not that – get your head out of the gutter! It’s just dark chocolate, so bitter, I’m guessing, that only a man can take it. Whatevs.

And no piece on Asian snacks could be complete without a cornucopia of instant noodles.

This M2M has eat-in as well. This blogger thanked the establishment by buying a bowl of shrimp tempura udon. Mmm, tasty! And at $7 not a bad deal.

I go less often to the Sunrise Mart on 8th Street, mostly because once I hit M2M, I’m pretty much done. At Sunrise you’re greeted by a Japanese chorus of, “Welcome to our store!” or whatever it is they say, just like in Japan. The store seems trendier than its counterparts, with club music blasting over the speakers and the aisles overrun with Japanese hipsters (and at least one old white guy who reeked of young Asian girl fetish). But the merchandise is essentially the same.

Ditto for the JAS Mart on 23rd Street.

The one thing I noticed that this JAS Mart has that the others don’t are those curry donuts. I was hoping to take a pic of one – and of course stuff my face with it afterwards – while I was there, but they were sold out.

After writing this, I realized I totally neglected Chinese snackage. Ichiban (Japanese name, Chinese store) here I come!