Beef Jerky, Chinatown Style

How do you not go inside a shop called Malaysia Beef Jerky Inc.?

I happened upon this Chinatown store the other day during my wanderings. Evidently, I'm not the first. The clipping from Zagat's and Village Voice in the Elizabeth Street window praise the business' way with handmade, Asian-style beef jerky.

You can order chicken, pork and beef jerky, in both regular and spicy formats. It's not cheap. But, then, jerky never was. And this stuff isn't a dried piece a cardboard that tastes of preservatives and gives your jaw an unpleasant workout. It's fresh, succulent and juicy.

Inside, the setup is like a butcher shop. The jerky is in a glass deli case, cut in squares about 3" by 3". You buy as many slabs as you wish, and, as many of the types are priced the same, you can mix and match the jerkys. I chose beef and spicy beef as my introduction to the shop's wares. They put them in a wax paper pocket and bag them.

I'd love to know how old the shop is, but could not discover that information. Not too old, I'm guessing. Still, that awning doesn't look it was hung yesterday.