m2m

Profile

When m2m, which bills itself as an Asian Convenient Store, opened in the East Village in 2002, the sprawling mega-deli brought with it a bit of Chinatown, a Japanese noodle and sushi bar, and various other Southeast Asian flavors. Unlike its near neighbor the Sunshine Market, m2m also carries standard corner deli goods, from beer—Japanese, American and Czech—to shaving cream, Nutella, and salsa. Aisles of funky melon-, milk- and tea-flavored candies, Pocky sticks, exotic energy drinks, pastel-colored cakes, and crunchy puffed snacks made from everything in and under the sea seduce gaggles of NYU students. Cooks love m2m's extensive selection of rice, dry and frozen noodles—including gyoza and egg roll skins as well as Philippine pancit noodles—soy and chili sauces, vinegars, panko, and miso. And there's more mochi, glutinous rice buns filled with ice cream or sweet bean paste, than you can shake a chopstick at. Better quality produce and seafood can be found elsewhere; the same goes for the noodle bar's udon and soba. But packaged sushi trays are always fresh, as are the Krispy Kremes in the front case and the Asian pop tunes over the sound system. Columbia students can check out m2m's Uptown location. — Colleen McKinney