Real Deal

To me, the phrase real deal is a superlative. And like any superlative, one must use it judiciously for it to retain its meaning and impact. So when I tell you that Sunrise Mart at 4 Stuyvesant Street is the real deal, you know I am speaking of a place that is authentic and very serious. No artifice or posing in this place - the kind of place you would only find in New York, Japan or very large urban area - if you're lucky.
Sunrise Mart is a small specialized Japanese grocery store located in an area of the East Village around St. Marks Place sometimes referred to as Little Tokyo. There's no pandering to tourists here, although if you are in the area, I would recommend a visit to this very unique shop. The place is located on a second floor above St. Marks Bookshop and goes unnoticed to most except customers. Access is via a small elevator in a rather innocuous doorway. Also, the staff is Japanese as is most of the clientele. The products range from packaged to fresh foods, divided into various departments, including meats, produce, housewares, clothing and even DVDs. Japanese is spoken here as one might expect in a place that is the real deal ...