New York Mart – 128 Mott St.
This huge market was crowded with shoppers even on a Monday morning. It has all the essentials for Chinese cooking, from fresh produce to canned goods, and is definitely a lot cleaner than the average Chinatown stand. There’s also live crab, fish and frogs (!) in the seafood section. The prepared foods area sells lunch boxes, freshly baked Chinese breads and cakes (most of them under $1) and drinks ranging from bubble tea to Red Bull.