Kubo has been at the top of Knowles Avenue in Kensington for some four years. But a year ago, Brenda and her husband Froy took over this small but friendly Filipino market.

It sells the kind of TV snacks I can never resist and need to buy "strictly in the interests of research", like La-La Salt & Vinegar Crackers.

In the frozen cabinet is a wide range of fishes that were unfamiliar to me, like bangus, jalagang, and tulingan. Also frozen are sweet longaniza sausages, jackfruit slices, huge lumpia wrappers, pure calamansi juice, frozen sweet rice and more.On the shelves are dried noodles, cans, jars and spices, boxes to quick-make Kutsanta and flans, as well as sacks of sweet rice and sticky rice.

You'll find raw and salted duck eggs, and baked goods from New Jersey-based Fritzie's Bake Shop, like ensaimada macapuno, suman, cassava desserts and more. There are others wrapped in banana leaves, sold with a sugar syrup. And to add to your own baked goods, flavor extracts like mango, pandan, buco pandan, orange and pineapple.

Kubo, 10414 Knowles Ave, Kensington, MD, 301 933 4783