STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — In a rather short span of less than two years, the Asian Food store at 2343 Forest Avenue has bid farewell to its Staten Island location. This Mariners Harbor specialty market served its last customers last week during a store-wide sale. The store was a treasure trove, filled with fresh and frozen Asian-centric ingredients, a prepped meal section, and an expansive seafood section. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

Asian Food's Journey and the Changing Food Scene in Staten Island

Asian Food's Initial Venture and Its Move

It took Asian Food a remarkable six years to open its new 9,990-square-foot venture. Originally anchored on the West Shore, it closed its South Avenue operation in 2018. The new iteration then opened in the Roman Plaza strip mall in spring 2023, bringing a wide range of Asian products to the area.The store's owner's unavailability for comment adds an air of mystery to this chapter in the local food scene.

The Impact of the Asian Community's Growth

Asian Food was highly anticipated as it made its move from Travis. Fans of both the new and former locations cherished its inventory specific to Chinese and Southeast Asian diet regimens. However, on the East Shore, there has been a significant growth in the Asian community. In just a few years, the population has increased precipitously, and with it, the food options have expanded. HL Supermarket at 2380 Hylan Blvd. opened in the former Excelsior Grand catering hall in November 2022, attracting a flurry of excitement and traffic jams. It presents its dry goods and refrigerated products around expansive fish and produce departments. C-Town at 2071 in Concord further supplements shoppers' needs.In the Asian food genre, Costco, Met Foods, and ShopRite have also picked up the pace, offering global pantry ingredients. The augmented options have been a boon for customers, providing a more competitive marketplace and the convenience of shopping locally.Pamela Silvestri, the Advance/SILive.com food editor, can be reached at silvestri@siadvance.com. She has been closely observing these changes and documenting the evolution of the local food landscape.