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She Lumps, She Lumps

Photo by Christopher Gardner

Cheap Chow: Ranch 99 Market

Ranch 99 is in my heart

By Todd S. Inoue

In the Asian community, news about Ranch 99 Market is spreading with earwax-rattling intensity. It's a spanking-new Asian food megastore--complete with bakery, butcher shop, meticulously clean fish tanks, aisles of goods, and a deli that's serving up righteous chow for chump change.

Fourteen chafing dishes keep yummy, oily concoctions simmering. On two recent trips, the fare included pork tofu, spicy eggplant, chicken wings, roast pork, barbecued spare ribs, beef broccoli, salted prawns, tofu stir fry, stir-fried asparagus and pot stickers. Novices can settle on sweet-and-sour pork (or chicken), but no fortune cookies. Sorry, Charlie.

The downright po' can dine on three hot-from-the-steam-basket char siu bao (pork buns) for $1.25--or part with just $2.99 for two items from the above list accompanied by a choice of chow fun, chow mein or fried rice, and a cup of egg flower soup. Warning: the lunch ladies lump on the starch like they're at the Carnegie Deli, but it's as good as it is filling.

Three items cost $3.69--the way to go. There's enough to satiate immediate cravings and leave some for tomorrow's sack lunch.

For a few bucks more, Ranch 99 has such specialties as fresh-from-the-meathook roast duck and glistening strands of char siu (roast pork). My tip: go with the comforting chow fun, the delicious spare ribs, the addictive salted prawns and the spicy eggplant. Then heat up some leftover rice, boil water for tea, and flick on the Golden State Warriors game. For the next two hours, there's no better place to be.

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Ranch 99 Market is located at 5625 Snell Ave., San Jose. 408/227-8899. Open daily, 9am-9pm. Deli open until 8:30pm.


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