Fil'er Up

You should never judge a convenience store by its appearance -- no matter how cheap the awning, dim the lighting or close in proximity to the Ravenswood housing projects.

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Fil-Site Food Mart
23-25 30th Avenue

Astoria, NY 11102

From the outside, the Fil-Site Food Mart looks like your garden variety bodega, but you won't find malt liquor & loose cigarettes here. This sleepy Pacific Rim importer specializes in foods and products from the Philippines. They stock a sizable variety of dried noodles, fish sauces, house-prepared meals, and exotic sweets.

This order of sapin-sapin was $2.50.  Sapin-sapin is a layered glutinous rice and coconut dessert. It's made from rice flour, coconut milk, sugar, and water. It is often enhanced with coloring and toasted coconut flakes.

The overall experience is sweet, but mild and has a flavor and texture similar to Japanese mochi. The different colors are pretty to look at, but otherwise all taste the same.

© 2011 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable - http://www.missioninsatiable.com