I’ve been without a kitchen for two months now thanks to a remodel. And, while of course I’m looking forward to a beautiful new space, the process is slow, and our cooking situation is pretty desperate—no stove, no microwave, no sink. We’re down to a fridge and toaster oven, which makes nightly meals a huge hassle. Eating out every night lost its luster after about two weeks, and toasting for two isn’t as glamorous as it sounds.
Enter our culinary savior: Super King Market. The Glassell Park location of this small grocery chain, specializing in ethnic foods (specifically Armenian and Mexican in this locale) has been saving us from a fate of frozen pizzas for a few weeks now. Super King’s service deli is filled with all the fixings for a nightly mezze feast, including a top-notch selection of hard-to-find cheeses—I recommend the pungent and creamy Bulgarian Feta—and olives. I’m also partial to their dips, especially the jajukh (cucumber-yogurt dip), garlic spread and muhammara, a thick and smoky concoction of roasted red peppers, bread crumbs, walnuts, olive oil, and red pepper flakes.
Last time, we tried the freshly made boeregs, Armenian pastries stuffed with cheese, spinach or ground beef. My favorite was the rich and savory beef, the perfect companion for that garlic sauce I mentioned. Admittedly, these pastries are too much for nightly eating, so usually we just grab some whole wheat pita from the rather spectacular bread section, which features lots of beautiful loaves from local bread makers.
The only hitch is the horrendous parking lot, so be prepared to be frustrated. Inside, it’s not much better, so be prepared to be pushed and pushy. The produce section is always so insanely crowded, that I’ve never braved it, but still, I think the array of nuts and dried fruit makes up for the mayhem.
–Valentina
Super King Market (Map It)
2716 N San Fernando Rd
Los Angeles, CA 90065
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Super King market is great btu you should try Sasoun bakery. Been eating there since 1986 and it hasnt changed a bit. ITS AMAZING!
http://www.yelp.com/biz/sasoun-bakery-los-angeles#query:Sasoun%20Bakery
@paul: Yes! I know of Sasoun, and I agree, I do need to go! I’ll make it a point in the coming weeks.
Oh my gosh, my head almost exploded when I read “no stove, no microwave, no sink.” Something tells me you can’t make quinoa in a toaster…
Or can Super King’s Service Deli produce that little miracle too?
@Diana–it sucks! We even gave up on our camping stove because propane is EXPENSIVE. Sadly, I don’t think Super King sells ready-made quinoa…mostly legume-based treats!
Ow! I feel your pain! But have you considered a hot plate? Or, even better, a crock pot? Much can be done there. (Cheesecake, stews, soups, mmmm….) And maybe you SHOULD pick up a microwave – $100 can warm up plenty of meals and even cooks fish and rice nicely.
That said, I ADORE Super King – and if one store can get you through life without a kitchen, it would be that store. (And do try the produce if you can, it’s stellar!)
@Ohiogirl–Our microwave broke about 2 weeks ago, which really stalled our cooking creativity. Beyond that, we don’t have a sink, so that kind of puts a damper on the crockpot option. I think our kitchen is going to be done by next week, so we’ll be back to our old life very soon!
I think I’ll still be going to Super King, though. And I’ll try the produce, just not on a weekend. Yikes!
Super King also has great discounts on liquor and you dont have to microwave it…