Asian Foods' Jonathan Chan gives a tour of the soon-coming market. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Armed with a shopper’s reward program and promise of succulent Peking duck, a long-awaited Asian Foods is ready to pounce on New York City. Owner Jonathan Chan said after some final paperwork approvals, his specialty supermarket should be open by early October.

This new location for the expansive store is about four years in the works. Chan’s original operation on Staten Island at 1801 South Ave., Travis, closed in December, 2018. The new address is 2343 Forest Ave., Mariners Harbor, one of the anchors in a sprawling, new Roman Plaza built by Waldman Partners of West Brighton.

Asian Foods is an anchor of the Roman Plaza, a construction project in the works for several years on the land formerly owned by the late Roman Blum. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

A rep for landlord Waldman Partners said the shopping complex’s official grand opening will be on Oct. 6. Chan hopes consumers will start loading up carts at Asian Foods around that very time.

“I’m excited!” said a smiling Chan.

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Recently the market maven gave a tour of the 9,944-square foot digs, pointing out eco-friendly equipment and sleek, blonde-hued shelving. He showed off some of the kitchen’s bells and whistles — a special rotisserie for poultry, an oven dedicated to baking delicacies such as pork buns plus a special hanging station to hook and cure marinated pigs before their slow-roasting.

At the back of the store looking past the meat counter (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

Chan delighted in some of the details his employees soon will enjoy — ample prep space, a roomy back kitchen with a lofty ceiling and equipment choices on which they had input. One stainless, two-bay cart on wheels in the fish department, for instance, was designed by one of his fishmongers.

A custom-built, stainless steel bin for lobsters and crabs. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

“We can put lobsters on one side and crabs in the other,” Chan explained about the bin. It slides into a perfectly fitted home under one of the seafood cases. And, by storing the live shellfish separately, product can be properly rotated and appealingly displayed for sale events.

Tanks for various fish including whole creatures and crustaceans (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

Fresh water tanks will hold live seafood and crustaceans in a staggered case calibrated to various temperatures.

“Different fish need different temperatures. The lobsters need to be in really cold water,” said Chan, adding whole creatures like carp and red snapper, not so much.

Refrigeration stretching toward the front of the store (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

From his perch in the prepared foods department to the left of the front entrance, Chan moved a hand across the supermarket scene before him. He indicated that the inventory will unfold from the fresh produce department, a mix of bins, refrigerated cases and a bank of portable, reach-in freezers. A shopper can shift over to a meat counter staffed with a butcher, then to the fish department and, finally, to the frozen section. That area will include dumplings, meats, seafood and meals to cook and reheat at home.

Freezers in the produce department (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

“We have all the different areas of China, old-school stuff,” said Chan, noting attention to regional ingredients from Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland.

Shelving for dry goods like rice and flour (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

Chan’s family operation will extend a shopper’s reward program for loyal patrons.

As for staff, Chan said he’s ready to go with a core group of long-time employees including the manager of Asian Foods’ former Travis location. He welcomes new hires as well. Those interested in applying for positions can do so at HR@asianfoodmarkets.com.

At the exit of the store, a farewell (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

This will be the sixth Asian Foods in Chan’s grocery repertoire.

In other market news, Asian Foods is one of two major niche supermarkets in the works on Staten Island. The other, also specializing in an Asian inventory yet under different ownership, is underway at the former Excelsior Grand in New Dorp.

Pamela Silvestri is Advance Food Editor. She can be reached at silvestri@siadvance.com.

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