(This venue is closed.) The best time to visit Ally's might be after a visit to nearby Wat Buddhathai.
Even if you've partaken of food at the temple (or at Indonesian stalwart Upi Jaya, across the street from Ally's), you're sure to find something tempting, thirst-quenching, or just plain odd at this Thai-owned grocery. Don't look for the hard stuff, though; that "liquors" sign is a hanger-on from a previous tenant. (It has since been removed.)
The fish-skin snack shown below (70 g.; $2.75) certainly falls into the "odd" category, but I must give it credit for truth in advertising, even if I don't need ever to try it again. On a previous visit, I gambled (correctly) that Cofe brand coconut "syrup" (12 fl. oz.; $1) was suitable for sipping; it's probably great with spicy food, too.
Ally's Grocery Store
76-13 Woodside Ave., Elmhurst, Queens
718-426-5006
