I could easily come up with a laundry list of reasons why New York does not need an Erewhon, but perhaps the strongest reason is because we have something way better here: Tashkent Supermarket. But to compare Tashkent to Erewhon isn’t fair. The fact that both are destination grocery stores is probably where similarities end. Tashkent, as you may surmise from the name, is a Central Asian supermarket. True to its original location in Sheepshead Bay, it caters to the Central Asian, Russian and Middle Eastern communities, with specialty deli items and pantry staples that range from Balkan cheeses to Armenian compotes to halal meats to Russian candies.

These days, Tashkent attracts people of all backgrounds for their prepared foods. After all, it’s the best buffet in New York City. It’s what the Whole Foods hot bar wishes it was. It’s like a child’s fever dream of a buffet come to life, sensory overload in the best way. Rows of food, lit up and glistening, almost too vivid to be real, and foreign enough to feel like an imagination (see: sushi salad). An abundance of pastries and desserts to tempt.

In Brighton Beach, the crowd is intergenerational, diasporic, multilingual. It’s a little intimidating for first time visitors, navigating the bustling aisles without getting in some auntie’s way. But after a few visits, it’s easy to start feeling like a regular.