i always shop there, in fact, as much as possible. the produce is always fresh, and i can usually get a week's worth for $10 - $15. you just have to learn to be pushy. at least in the NY chinatown.

FYI, bitter melon is NOTHING like zucchini. in bitter melon the texture is more dense, there is much less water and the flavor is nothing alike. i don't know that i could really compare bitter melon to any other vegetable. i personally don't care for it, but know many that do. the longer you cook it, less bitter (and more palatable in my opinion) it becomes. in the past i made a vegetarian version of this recipe http://www.maegabriel.com/riceandnoodles/index.php?showimage=72

I don't shop in Chinatown enough. I live in Boston now and miss the Chinatowns in the Bay Area. Great prices for vegetables and fruit!

I agree with VillageVegetable about bitter melon--it's not like zucchini at all. But I do love it in one certain dish. Bitter melon sauteed with marianated slices of beef (or chicken, or tofu) with a garlic black bean sauce will knock your socks off. Have it with rice and you're all set.

As for the fuzzy melon, it's great in a soup. Peel it, dice it and put it aside. Marinate some slices of pork in soy sauce, a little sugar, and rice wine. Put this aside. Put water (or chicken broth) and a handful of sliced ginger in a pot. If you're adventurous put a little washed dried tiny shrimp (you can find it in Chinatown) in, as well. Bring it to a boil. Put the fuzzy melon and pork in the soup, bring to a boil again. When the pork is cooked and the fuzzy melon is tender. Your soup is done. Enjoy!

The silk squash (chinese okra and whatever other names there are for it) tastes kind of like dirt and cucumbers to me. I might try it again, but I wasn't impressed. They sure do look neat though!

Durian? Noooooooooooooooooooooo! The only way one should open a durian is with a grenade.

I love cooking with gai lan. The leafy bits are somewhat bitter, so if you don't like collard greens this might not be the best choice.

Growing up Filipino, a lot of this stuff has come across the dinner table in our household. The long beans, what we lovingly call 'string beans' at our house was awesome broken up into smaller pieces, stir fried with garlic, onion, soy sauce and some pork and eaten with rice. Absolute heaven.

But there are some things that will scar me for life. That bitter melon is definitely one of those things! There was never such an appropriate name for a vegetable. My parents would cook the vegetables and also eat the leaves. I remember getting a mouthful of that stuff and having it be so bitter my eyes would water. I wonder, like putting salt on eggplant, is there any way to prepare bitter melon to make it less bitter? I'd be willing to give it a try again (with much reluctance)!

Growing up Chinese, Chinatown was (and still is) the central shopping spot for groceries and other food items. Many of the produce items at the regular grocery store were a mystery to me (kohlrabi, kale, collards, etc) until the internet arrived to enlighten me.

Oh and bitter melon is horrible. It's one of those things that you either love or hate, and I'm a hater. It shows up in Indian cuisine too.

I know a lot of people are put off by the smell of fish in a market, but as long as you see things being washed and iced on a regular basis, you should feel confident about shopping. Additionally, a busy market means that the product is being turned over on a regular basis. Chinatown fish markets are among the best places to get a variety of fish at good prices. In the S.F. Bay Area, there is an asian grocery chain called Ranch 99 and people from all nationalities come just for the fish. They will scale, gut and cut it for you free at your request, as well as fry it for an additional cost. The fish mongers are usually Latino and Chinese, and are a helpful crew. There is a slight odor here as well, but it is the norm from every fish market (Honolulu, S.F., Oakland, Seattle, New York) I've been to. Don't let a little bit of reality get in the way of a good shopping opportunity!

Bitter melon. Gah... vile stuff. I think it's something you have to grow up on.

Chinatown is a good place to go for two essential pantry condiments:

1. Sriracha

2. Sambal

But is such a valuable resource for so many other things.

You can get chickens and ducks with the heads and feet still attached. Great Chinese barbecue. Party supplies (lanterns, chopsticks, deocrations). Peapod leaves. Unusual fruit when it's in season (asian pears, litchi, pomelos). Dried mushrooms and seafood. Cool candy.

The Boston Chinatown is a great resource. I often go to Haymarket first on Saturday mornings, then stroll over to Chinatown for other groceries, and pick up a Vietnamese sandwich...and find that I likely haven't even spent $20.