It is STUPIDLY hot today! 40 Degrees = stinking uncomfortable in my book! On occasions like this I…read morerarely leave the airconditioned comfort of my penthouse apartment (The Scott Towers). What to do when one is hungry and ones fridge is empty? Walk around the corner to the local Asian Supermarket....of course! Thien Phat is my 'local', and I admit I only go there when I can't be knotted driving to a better one. It is a small store with an equally small stock base, but it still carries what I need most of the time. There is also a small butcher and fresh veg area, but I generally stick to the noodles and frozen steamables!

I love Asian cooking. My specialties are fried rice and pork dumplings. I like to make them from…read morescratch with fresh ingredients, and while it may take hours (quite literally) from start to finish there's just something so rewarding about it. Normally when I'm preparing a meal like the one above I'll visit this Asian grocer. It's pretty much just up the road for me, and while there are better stocked and friendlier stores around I guess I'm just a slave to convenience. That's the sad thing about the place. The staff seem very indifferent to you unless you speak their language. I've stood at the counter for sometimes up to 10 minutes because the person serving is speaking to the customer in their native tongue. It's never anything serious either as it always comes across as pleasant. Now I don't really care what language they're speaking (I'm an ESL teacher, so I understand how life can be dealing with another culture), but I do take issue to being forced to wait and then whisked out the door when it eventually becomes my turn. The store is well stocked, though it's a little smaller than other stores a little further out. Either way I manage to get my cooking needs here at good prices. I'm not a major stickler for customer service and it really does take a lot for me to notice, but I do notice this.

Fruit and veg shops have been suffering for years to stay in business with the supermarket giants…read morefrequently undercutting them. With that said, it's refreshing to see a recently opened fruit and veg market like George and Ben's. Out the front you have your "seconds", that is fruit and veg that isn't of the highest grade. A lot of fruit and veg stores do this, and there's nothing wrong with 90% of this fruit. I personally buy from the front of the store if I need some cheap fruit to make a smoothie with. As my girlfriend is on a diet I'm required to comply and join her lest I face her wrath. I have no problems doing this and that's probably in my best interests... Anyway, enough about that... Venture inside and you'll see "the good stuff". Fresh fruit and vegetables representing all the colours of the rainbow. Not only do they have some quality merchandise, but they encourage the use of boxes rather than putting the items into a plastic bag. There's nothing wrong with being environmentally friendly!

Trying to shut down local farmers type markets so they can corner the market, because they can win…read morecustom with the quality or price they offer

18/12/2011 This store proves that good things can be found…read morejust around your neighbourhood corner! IGA Food Stores has something for everyone...so whether you're in the mood to strap on your trackpants, buy some tasty snacks, take a little stroll through the local park, listen to the cars and neighbouring kids going past you, grab some energy drinks, take a break from your house - you can do it here at one time or another. Plus...it's so affordable, perfect for when you have less than $20 to spend! Take your iPod and your sweatpants, or take a family member for a walk - it's tough not to visit this place!

This place just opened up in Mawson Lakes in the past week or two. With that being said, it hasn't…read morehad much exposure yet. It's an interesting store to say the least. The front half is an Asian take away, while the back is an Asian supermarket. I have to say I admire the owners for mixing these two ideas. Then again, maybe they just couldn't agree on what they wanted, restaurant or supermarket. The take away food is nice, but it's only available from 11AM onwards. When you think about it, this makes sense as it works out to a bit before lunch time anyway. Like all Asian grocers they offer a slightly different variety of stock to the other places. I'm just happy I now have somewhere local to buy Choco Pies. If you've never had these Korean delicacies before then you must buy them. So that's Queen Phoenix. Go for lunch, then stay and do some shopping.

My new favourite place to get Vietnamese bread roll or occasional authentic Vietnamese food…read moretakeaway. They also have a good range of Asian groceries. It's very convenient if you live or work in Mawson Lakes.

Great stuff great people great atmosphere great service excellent enmities friendly peopleread more