Maharaja Imports

Though I’ve never been abroad aside from a jaunt to Australia, this place smelled like the spice markets I’ve seen on TV and read about in various publications. Unfortunately, the spices were drowned out by some noxious fumes (customers) and an essence of rotting McDonald’s. On top of this, the normal staples of an American bent taint places like this (though I understand the necessity to carry them unfortunately). In a strip mall of markets, I guess these shops are a representation of the neighborhood’s ethnic coexistence and evolution. The sign out front of Maharaja is primitive to say the least, but the place doesn’t need to attract new shoppers, so I don’t foresee them taking any strides accordingly.
I received narsty glances from the consequently loyal patrons, perhaps ’cause many folks of my kind have been roaming the aisles since a fairly recent Times piece was published regarding the allegedly extensive spice offerings here (I, for one, could not locate said spice-​dedicated area – receiving no service whatsoever, coupled with an assault on my olfactory nerves, I fled).
Listed as Maharaja Asian Supermarket in the NYT and by a few names on Unilocal (one or two of which you can’t check in to, hence my review of this listing), it doesn’t seem quite Asian (more Indian, but whadda I know?); it’s apparently open Monday to Saturday, from 9 – 9 and Sunday from 10 – 8. Their barebones site (not listed in the article) is at