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Aji Ichiban USA
Category: Food Specialty Food Candy Stores Candy Stores [Edit]
37 Mott St(between Mosco St & Pell St)
New York, NY 10013
Neighborhoods: Chinatown, Civic Center
(212) 233-7650
- Nearest Transit:
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Canal St (J, N, Q, Z)
Canal St (4, 6, 6X)
Chambers St (J, Z)
- Price Range:
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$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
47 reviews for Aji Ichiban USA
Review Highlights
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"We browsed through the candies and dried fruit and squird." In 6 reviews -
"Its the go to place to sample asian snacks." In 3 reviews -
"they have a lot of free samples." In 4 reviews
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47 reviews in English
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Review from Rina L.
Quincy, MA
5/18/2012
Happy cola!! Fizzy cola!! Giant happy cola and cherry cola!! None of it stale (unlike this disappointment of a candy store in Amherst... but I digress...)! Dried fruit and jerkies and squid and everything delicious!! It's pretty expensive but there are soo many delicious candies etc. and you just need to pay attention to how much you're getting. I love and eat all the samples.
The employees hover annoyingly, but I kind of just ignore them, eheh. In any case they don't deter me in my quest for happy cola, although they do hinder my sample trying at times.
My favorite used to be the egg gummy candy but as of late it's always been tasting like mango. WTF? -
Review from Kevin W.
4/23/2012
I won a $100 gift certificate at a charity poker tournament. They thought by offering me a gift certificate to such a weird place that i would never use it and hence the owners could profit from said gift certificate. Unfortunately they severely underestimated my frugality.
If you like weird Asian snacks (like sour dried plums or mini spicy crabs), you've come to the right place. More traditional stuff includes gummy bears and beef jerky. (I'm eating the beef jerky now, which is pretty good, as is their pork jerky).
They offer mini samples of everything. Occasionally there'll be a tiny bug or fly milling about in one of the sample trays, but that can't really be avoided. There's 3 of these similar stores/chains in Chinatown, but this branch seems to be the least weird/most organized. -
Review from Allene T.
3/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
While there are some candies and such that you can find here that would be hard to find elsewhere, I've got to admit this place is a bit overpriced. As a few have mentioned, some of the things you get in there, you could get a whole bag of it for half the price down the street.
I got some milky/fruity/chewy candies (not sure what they are called) and some of the flavors were stale (hard to chew kind of stale). Didn't like that. Did anyone else notice how dense and heavy the bag you put the candy in is? Or maybe I'm just being super cheap and thinking they're trying to rip you off by having a heavy plastic bag, haha. -
Review from Vivian H.
3/8/2012
That fat kid will always live inside of me. I am an obligate snacker, it is encoded in my DNA. Needless to say, I really like this place. They carry all sorts of Asian-inspired snacks and reminds me of when I was a little kid. Their prices aren't the best, but since Fa Guo San has closed, I have no choice but to patronize this store.
I stopped in today before heading to a group lunch. Here is the rundown:
-I like that they have samples for everything in the store. So if you're wary or unsure of purchasing, you can easily find out.
-Dried mandarin peel (An Asian staple, get the saliva going); $6/half pound
-Dried slice plums pitted (dried plums of all kinds are a Chinese thing, my mother used to always have some around. Some are sweet, some very sour. I like mines extremely sour!) ; $8/half pound
-Dried spicy mango (I usually get mines from Sahadi's but haven't been able to make it there) ; $6/half pound
-Some other things that I like but did not purchase today are dried cuttlefish, dried squid, all sorts of dried plums, dried yams, dried ginger, gummy bears, wasabi peas, jerky of all kinds except fish, and sorts of Asian candy.
I love this store, you have to drag me out of here or I will spend everything in my piggy bank on this place! -
Review from Lisa Jane C.
Brooklyn, NY
Aji Ichiban USA is the perfect store for the choosy candy lover - I mean, someone who wants to choose one of each item, and no more, because that is exactly what I did.
This store has a wonderful selection of dried items, jelly candies, flavored marshmallows, sour belts and too many others to mention. The prices are reasonable and I got an assortment of exactly what I wanted for $2.08.
Sugary candy is $3 per quarter pound, dried fruits are $6 per half pound, dried fish (?) is $13 per half pound and chocolate is $5 per quarter pound. Think these prices are fairly standard.
Sampling is permitted for the dried items - these are on top of the jars - but not the candies. Also has "nostalgia" candy such as Pop Rocks and Warheads, as well as some English ones (Malteasers), but have seen them cheaper elsewhere.
Service is friendly and nobody will give you a weird look when you choose one of each flavored marshmallows. Sure the staff has seen that plenty of times before.
Worth a visit if in the neighborhood.Listed in: Candy Girl
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Review from Michelle W.
New York, NY
3/2/2012
Why is it that everyone else was allowed to get their own food but me? The lady only hounded me, followed me and insisted on getting my food, while everyone else was just free to do what they wanted.
This place used to be so good when they first came out but the quality has since dropped significantly. They used to be all over the place but I think this is the lone survivor.
Pretty pricey, but they do have a few unique things that I really like, but I'm not sure if it's worth the "special" treatment. -
Review from Alma S.
Queens, NY
3/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
Bought some dried fruits in here to munch back home. The store is filled with a lot of array of endless variations where one can hardly choose from. The price is just good for the quality you get, area is rather small and gets crowded easily once you get in with other customers who browse through same as you, they have free tasters with every selection, which gives you an idea of what you're getting first. Cool and worth every penny, def. worth a second visit...or more.
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Review from Julia B.
10/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Having time to waste before meeting some friends for dim sum at Nom Wah, I popped into this candy store, hoping they'd stock one of my favorite Asian candies - White Rabbit. Guess what! They do! For $3 per 1/4lbs, it might be a little pricey but hey, I want my White Rabbit!
They have everything and anything from dried fruits to candies. My little piece of heaven. -
Review from Paul H.
*TIP: Credit Cards accepted $10 and up*
Attention Sweet Tooths. Avoid this place or you will find yourself walking out with a bag of candy and a smile on your face.
I came here with Yelper Hans H. after a yummy dinner at Nom Wah Tea Parlor (http://tinyurl.com/3fv...). The selections were broad and nostaglic.
Munchies Paradise not only offer dried fruits but also dried squid which makes mouth drool just thinking about it. At $3 per 1/4 lb, it is pricey as Dana F. mentioned. My favorites were the chocolate rocks, all their gummies, sour belts and white rabbit. -
Review from Wilson T.
Manhattan, NY
10/15/2011
Where else in chinatown can you get such a huge selection of sour gummies and candy in one place! Variety is the spice of life. The ladies are very helpful at the store too!
check it out! there are all sorts of other chinese treats and dried snacks! -
Review from Dana F.
5/1/2011
You know how I know that I'm an honorary Asian? Because that thrift gene kicks in ALL the time. Seriously: Why are you going to pay $2.50 for a pack of Hi-Chew at Aji Ichiban when you can go next door and get the same flavors for $1.35.
I will concede that the selection of dried fruit, gummy candy, and hard candy is impressive for such a small store. Not to mention the store has a very clean and bright feeling, which I cannot say for many of the candy stores in this area.
PS - The sign on the awning reads "Munchies Paradise." At least that part is accurate. -
Review from Ron C.
Aji Ichiban is always consistent with the quality and assortment is good. Though you can find most the goods here in Chinatown under different names or brands. Why waste time going from store to store when you can get it all here. I especially like the samples. You can try them before you buy. You can't usually do that in other shops.
This location is on Mott Street. It's surrounded by bakeries and Ice cream shops. It's a great area to grab a snack and walk around. -
Review from Cynthia M.
Long Island City, NY
5/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
Nice little candy and treat stop that has tastes available for many of their dried items. Nice assortment and next time I am in the mood for savory items, I will go back and try out the little dried fish that is reminiscent of my childhood memories. Filipinos love those salty lil treats!
Btw, if you like banana candy, definitely go for the the banana belts. Yum-o!Listed in: Jury Duty Eats
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Review from Josephine L.
Boston, MA
5/31/2011
The thing that makes this candy store stand out from amongst the thousands of others in Chinatown selling the same brands is the plethora of free samples they offer for all their dried goods.
Never had dried squid? Step on up! Curious as to what that green chunk labeled an olive is? Give it a try! Dried plums with salt? Mmm!
As for the candy parts, I recommend the pebble chocolates and the new year's candy. Can't ever go wrong with either. -
Review from Karen S.
5/29/2011
I never thought I would be able to find this store outside of Asia. I used to buy snacks at this chain a lot when I was growing up in Hong Kong. Discovering this store again brought back many good memories.
The boyfriend & I picked up some Chupa Chups & some spicy dried squid; nothing too out of the ordinary.
The service was good but it was because I spoke Chinese (I saw how non'Chinese-speaking customers were treated). There were too many sales representatives in a very small space which made me feel like (1) I was walking into people @ every turn & (2) I was being watched like a potential thief. -
Review from Julia L.
New York, NY
3/27/2011
WHAT. HAPPENED. TO. THE. MINT. GUMMY. BEARS?!
I can't find these anywhere and I am getting really frustrated and mad because I would've bought them by the truckloads if I found out they were discontinued/hard to come by. Seriously, the mint gummy bears were the best things in that store.
I'm not a big fan of the preserved stuff, so I beelined straight to the candy section. I like the self-service, but I'm always paranoid I'll go over the weight limit and I'll have to shell out $3948394 for a little bag of candy. Maybe it's just me, but I feel like the Asian women in that store always judge me by what I scoop.
Who cares?! I like my Coca Cola flavored gummies! Leave me alone.
It's a rather expensive place, so I'd only suggest going here if you want to splurge a bit for some snacks. -
Review from Belle L.
Albany, NY
4/23/2011
Aji Ichiban is a chain Asian candy store with a large selection of goodies! You can try samples of various items. In addition to candy, they also sell dried fruit, dried squid, and other strange dried variety of food that is typically found in Chinatown.
It is a self-service, typical kind of candy store where you can throw in random crap in a bag and weigh it. Be warned though: it can get expensive! Don't be tempted to throw everything in that bag, because God knows how many times I had to empty my wallet for a plump bag of candy.
But, it's always fun to stop by here to browse the selection, try some free samples, and purchase a bit of munchies for walking around Chinatown. -
Review from Sasha L.
New York, NY
2/28/2012
i loved coming here back when i was younger to sample things i couldnt afford. dried squid, dried fruits, dried everything. i'd literally come in here, pick at a couple of things and walk back out. shameful yes i know but to a young child how much can you possibly afford. it is pricy when you go and pay but there are a few things i dont mind shelling money out for. some candies can be purchased per piece as well so it wont hurt your wallet as much.
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Review from Coty S.
8/29/2010 2 photos
By the name, you would suspect that they would have more of a Japanese candy selection. They did have some, but they have candies from all over Asia. There is a large selection of candies from Thailand in flavors of coconut, durian, ginger, and mango. My favorite of all is the corn gummy candy that tastes like sweet corn, of course.
I was hoping that they would have some Japanese flavored Kit Kat bars, since I am having trouble finding those. The price was pretty low for everything we purchased. The entire selection of individually packaged candies run about $2.50 a pound.Listed in: NYC- Manhattan Chinatown
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Review from Jacob Y.
10/13/2010 1 Check-in Here
Yes, I know...dried squid is not for everyone. But it is definitely one of my favorite Asian snacks, and I am glad they have it here at Aji Ichiban.
But let's face it...I can assure you that a lot of Asian munchies can be quite overwhelming for westerners.
Coming from my traditional Chinese upbringing, I am used to eating dried plums, dried melon seeds, and practically any sun dried fruits. And the one thing I can appreciate about Aji Ichiban is how neatly displayed the items are and how easy it is to just bag your goodies.
But that's not all...I am a huge fan of Japanese jelly type of candies, and they have a great selection.
With that said, I always make sure I make a stop here when I am in Chinatown to stock up on my favorite munchies! -
Review from Nicole C.
8/16/2010
AJI ICHIBAN! It's so fun to say! ..and even more fun to stop in and peruse all the different Asian snacks.
They have all types of candies and other sweet treats from Hong Kong & Japan, but that's not what I usually go for. What I love about this place is the wide variety of dried seafood jerkies and preserved/pickled fruits. They have samples of everything that you are free to try before you decide on anything. I usually come in, try all the samples, and then pick my favorites.
Some of the treats will probably look, smell, and taste a little... intimidating for the unacquired palate, but come with an open mind! You're bound to find something yummy.Listed in: Chinatown, NYC
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Review from Ed U.
Like I really need to go into a candy store after a high-calorie week of restaurant food on my business trip to New York and New Jersey. But here I was in Chinatown in my last few hours in Manhattan before my flight back home to San Francisco, and I couldn't help notice this out post of the Hong Kong-based Aji Ichiban confectionery chain. The first thing that strikes you is all the plastic bins of God-knows-what (see photos) guarded by what appeared to be a dozen, no-nonsense Asian women ready to scoop whatever you decide tickles your fancy.
Now understand I prefer self-service gas stations, so I handle my own pump. However, these women really wanted to maneuver the nozzle into my tank. Have I carried this metaphor too far? Anyway, a power struggle was about to ensue. Regardless, chances are that you will be as overwhelmed as I was by the ludicrously expansive selection of goodies from jerky made of all sorts of animals and marinaded every flavor possible to dried and candied fruits of all subtypes to shrimp crackers to dried fish to packaged candies from all over Asia. Shop with caution as your stomach will never catch up with the visual stimulation of all this store has to offer.Listed in: Green Acres Ain't the Place to…
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Review from Arthur Z.
Brooklyn, NY
1/6/2011
Eh, yeah this place has just about every Asian munchy you can find, but the prices are outrageous. It is clean in there, and they do have plenty of free samples, but once again the prices are ridiculous. They would easily get a 5 star if they didnt cost so much.
Theres a review a couple below me that says candy for 2.50 a pound. Are you sure its not like 1/4 a pound? Because they sell close or nothing at a pound. -
Review from Dennis Y.
7/28/2009
I can't stand it. Can someone please stop me from going in there everytime I am in Chinatown? PLEASE HELP!
All I can say is, I am addicted to Chinese snack food since I was little. (Thanks Mom!) Aji Ichiban's being there doesn't help with this addiction. They have things that I can't get at Chinese grocery stories (like all kinds of dried squids and dried fish, and a whole array of dried plums). Because the ladies at the store keep asking me to try this and that, I have to exercise extraordinary willpower to stop myself from getting more... and more... and more...
What bugs me: They have a minimum charge for credit card.Listed in: Chinese Food…
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Review from Christopher I.
New York, NY
5/15/2008
Since I first did a little "tasting tour" here a few weeks ago, I've noticed them all over the place. There must be three or four in Chinatown. I haven't actually bought anything, but it's a great place to sample some strange preserved fruits--a ton of different varieties of preserved plum, so many, in fact, that you'll be wondering what the hell the difference is between them all. Just taste!
I also tried the lemon rind, very good, and the preserved olive, which didn't really taste like an olive anymore. I don't know if that's good or bad, nor do I know if there is a preserved olive expert to tell me.
It's pricey, but come for some free tasting--and don't forget to say thank you! -
Review from Hank C.
9/8/2009
A selection of preserved fruits, jerky, and candy, it's probably better to buy the candy at a local grocery store (it's $2.50+ a quarter-pound here, incredibly expensive!); the jerky and preserved fruit/meat ends up being approximately the same in price.
Service is pretty inefficient and the register lady was slow. The problem is that so many people dig through the candy and more for the choice bits they want... I preferred it when they used to serve you as opposed to let it be self-serve. They do serve little trials of almost everything, though.
I recommend getting a bit here and there, but definitely get some bigger packs of candy, etc. at the local groceries, your wallet will thank you. -
Review from Jean L.
4/26/2010
How can you not like a place called "Munchies Paradise?" My NY resident friend left saying how she'll need to come back.
Aji Ichiban is the first place I've come across where I've been able to find dried preserved plums... I suppose I should actually say a variety of dried preserved plums, among other interesting goods like dried sea scallops, fruit beef jerky, sesame marshmallows, and roasted mini crabs. Clear boxes line the three walls of the store, filled with munchies and they have samples of most of the dried products in little bowls on top of the associated boxes. I sampled all around the store and settled on a few things including the dried preserved plum king, dried strawberries (not with extra sweeteners of sugar or honey like I usually find at bulk dried fruit stores), and spicy beef jerky.
The salespeople were helpful, scooping my choices into their cute cellophane bags. When I was about to scoop my own strawberries, one came up to me and said "the strawberries tend to be sticky, let me scoop them for you." I feel like I got a lot and it came out to just under $20. My kind of place. -
Review from Carrie K.
Brooklyn, NY
1/12/2006 2 photos
This is a great shop for little goodies. The best part about this place is the free tasting. They put almost everything out for you to try. And each item is, indeed, very tasteful. Yet, while it looks great as a gift packet, it is way overpriced. What they really do is just repackage other products into their own bags. But hey, it works for them. I guess people just like to buy expensive things.
This place has a wonderful design and used to have a little tea shop on the side. But it was overpriced and had to close down due to lack of customers.Listed in: The Places I Go Out
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Review from Joanna G.
New York, NY
7/15/2008
I love to go in here and look around at everything and try a few things. The prices are a bit high, but the selection is great and you can buy just exactly what you want.
in addition to the gummies and normal candies, there are salted plums and mangos, squid snacks and everything you could want. -
Review from Julie Y.
11/17/2009
Who doesn't love a candy store?
Interesting little place in Chinatown. We browsed through the candies and dried fruit and squird.
A litle expensive but it's clean and fun to kill some time and try something new. -
Review from Andrew D.
11/23/2009
I love me some candy stores. Especially when they're tucked into one of the elbows of Mott street I like to wander around.
The best part of this place is that they have samples of just about everything they sell available. They have about three dozen kinds of candied plums and prunes and everything from dried kiwi slices to candied rose petals. Mmm. They even sell dried durian fruit, but wouldn't let me crack into a bag to sample.
The worst part is that when you candy anything, it starts to just taste like candy. The candied rose petals were only marginally different from the strawberries, and the pure sugar of most things just overwhelms some of the subtleties of the fruit itself. Alas, candy!Listed in: Chinatown
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Review from Dario B.
4/30/2010
Definitely requires an acquired palate....
I'm working on it but some candied fruits tasted horribly weird :(
Would have loved to find the fermented buddha's hand lemons that I loved in Taipei but alas, the closest thing I found tasted moldy.
However, I found this preserved/mentholated citrus fruit good for your throat and loved it, until I chomped on some plastic and dirt. -
Review from Kwame J.
Newark, NJ
8/14/2010
Truly a must for any age. Quiero Aji Ichiban.
American and Chinese imported candy/sweets.
Prices are reasonable too.
Stop ya whining. -
Review from Celia S.
Los Angeles, CA
4/6/2009
I love candy and this place will always be close to my heart!
Thank you samples, they have so many different goodies to try you are forced to go back time and time again just to try them all!
Mochi of every flavor, hard candies, dried fruit ah, I always leave this place spending way more than anticipated!
The girls who work here a super helpful and always make it a pleasant experience getting me to try and buy there new goodies--but you dont really have to do to much convincing with sweets!
Cute shop, great sweets, check em out! -
Review from Matt D.
Brentwood, NY
7/10/2011
Went for the first time this past weekend. Clean and well lit. They carry all sorts of different candy and dried fruit.
I liked the free samples they had for most of the things they sold so you can get an idea of what you may want to take home.
Never heard of or saw dried BBQ squid. The only time I used squid was for bait and I never thought I would actually eat the thing. But there it was,little dried bits in a glass sample bowl so I said what the hell. Not something I decided to buy, but not as bad as I thought it was going to be either lol.
Stop by and check this place out. -
Review from R. P.
Brooklyn, NY
3/6/2011
ICHIBAN! It reminds me of this commercial Joey Tribbiani from Friends did in Japan for men's lipstick: http://www.youtube.com...
This place is very clean. I've passed by it many an occasion without going in, but since I was with friends who aren't as familiar with Chinatown, figured this was a good opportunity.
There are scads of candy, dried fruit, dried squid innards, et cetera. Erring on the side of caution (and to avoid grossness), I went straight for the candy.
At $2.50 for a quarter of a pound of candy, you initially think, "hey! that's the cheapest marker in the store! what a deal!" But it cleverly deflects the fact that you can go into any Asian supermarket, buy a few bags of candy for cheap, pour them into partitioned sections, and charge them for $10 a pound.
They had green tea latte candy, and other rarities, so I'm not complaining. You can mix and match the candy, so I got one of their nifty bags and bought the green tea latte candies, thai durian candy (more on that in a bit), coconut candy, and some ginseng candy. It call came out to a quarter of a pound, which amounted to $2.50. No tax. You get to taste the rainbow and not suffer from hyperglycemia for a little more than a subway ride.
The durian candy was interesting. I've always been reticent about durian because it smells like funk, but it has a certain nice acquired taste to it. I gave my friend a piece and she spit it out because it tasted sulfuric. But hey, it was goood candy. -
Review from Melanie T.
Manhattan, NY
4/30/2011
I only got a small amount of snacks, but I definitely plan on coming back. I got dried plums (can't remember which kind) and dried mango. I love how they have little bowls of samples for the dried fruits, dried fish, beef jerky, and even some of the candies. The dried mango is definitely the best I've ever had. It tasted like actual mango, unlike the type you buy in stores that's over sweetened. I want to come back and get more now!
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Review from black p.
Annandale, VA
10/21/2009
i am soooooooooooooooooooo glad i didn't puff prior to entering this joint. for i would've purchased a lot of unnecessary candies and the such.
this place is neat. just plain ole freaking neat. all types of interesting Asian candies and snacks in kewl little packages (mmmmmm packages). if i had brought my good camera, would've loved to have gone a little nuts (mmmmmm nuts) in here on the creativity tip (mmmmm tip).
apparently, candy makes me randy, too.Listed in: i heart NY...
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Review from Far East M.
Paterson, NJ
2/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
Its the go to place to sample asian snacks. I usually do not go in here. I buy my snacks at hong kong supermarket or h-mart where its cheaper.
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Review from Hazel L.
OZONE PARK, NY
9/27/2011
One of the best spots to get my treat fix. im not really for ordering edible items so i can get all my asia treats FRESH from here. the dried fruits are so addicting and honestly the prices aren't really bad at all. i have made a few birthday & holiday baskets with all they have there. i can personalize everything. such a great place. the people there are helpful too. i dont so much need them but its nice to go somewhere where they dont act like im going to steal from them.
