I totally agree with what Lewis said about needing more friendly shops, and this one is certainly a…read morebreath of exotically-scented fresh air. The neatly stacked boxes of fresh produce outside the door drew me in immediately. Inside there is a fairly big Halal meat counter with lovely cuts of meat on display. There were a few other shoppers in when I made my visit, perusing the shelves of spices and picking up fruit. Some of the stuff I have never even heard of, to be honest, and it was a bit of an education for me. The staff do seem to be friendlier than the norm and asked if there was anything I needed help with. I didn't even realise this shop was new, but I hope it does well.

Hakims is great if you're looking for an ingredient that is a little bit more exotic than what you…read morewould find in your local Tesco. They have a huge range of fruit and vegetables, spices and rices. A little bit more unusual is the fact that my friend comes here for her cosmetic fix. Coconut milk is the only thing that she puts on her skin and tells me that since using it her skin is the best it's ever been. It's also allegedly very good for your hair so she slaps it on as a night time conditioner. I'm yet to try these tips for myself but I keep meaning to so next time I pop by coconut milk will be first on my list.

This is a great shop to get "real" traditional Asian ingredients. The thing I love most about this…read moreshop is the smell when you walk in, the mixture of all the aromas from the herbs and spices is great. I came here when me and a few other guys were doing a mini come dine with me competition and I am not a good loser so though I would go all out with my attempt at a chicken curry. I sourced most of the ingredients from here, apart from the chicken- herbs, naans, papadums and rice- and the results were incredible, the curry tasted delicious and I ended up winning the mini competition! The prices are, as you would expect a bit higher than you would expect to pay in the supermarket, but if you buy in bulk, such as the huge rice sacks they have, you could save quite a bit.

On the days that you choose to cook your Indian cuisine why not treat yourself to the proper…read moreingredients. Whether you are cooking your traditional food or trying something new, Super Asian Foods will keep you well stocked, with its wide variety and competitive prices. Take a walk down London Road to tantalise your taste buds.

Eurasia. I hang my head in shame. You see, a little while ago I stopped by for milk, you being so…read moreclose to my flat and all. You probably don't remember me because it was a quick stop and I didn't have a real look around but now I realise just how wonderful you are after my second visit. Can we be friends? Seriously, Eurasia is no quick stop. It's a corner shop but it's certainly no ordinary one. It's a funky one! With an eclectic and extensive selection of herbs, spices and other foodie bits and bobs. Truth be told, I'll need to have another browse because there's a lot on offer. I absolutely love the Indian theme of the shop. It's got all the essentials you need from a corner shop alongside many Indian delicatessen style items. I left with some handmade Mithai (Really tasty stuff, kind of like an Indian take on tablet!) and a box of Jalebi. (Oh, wow! There are no words! Run to your nearest Jalebi vendor! I mean it!) Now, in all honesty, I don't think there's anywhere else in Stirling you can find such delicious unique treats. So for that reason I think I'll be in Eurasia a whole lot more. Anywhere with Mango Lassi in their fridge is a hit for me! And in Central Stirling, it's not even that farther than walking to my own! Hooray for the local corner shop!

This was my first experience in a Chinese supermarket, and I was not disappointed. I'm surprised…read morethat people are saying it's little, because I thought it was actually quite large on the inside. Maybe it's been extended since the first review. Anyway, wondering round the aisles at this place was very much like a voyage of discovery. There were so many packets that had Chinese writing on, and so I was reduced to looking at the pictures to see what they were! One of the things I enjoyed the most was the aroma of this shop. Supermarkets rarely have an aroma, but this one smelt like a beautiful combination of different spices. The source of this was the sizeable spice range - I could have bought a massive bag of chilli, or many other spices. Apart from food, there was also a range of cooking equipment, with a good choice of different woks amongst many other things. I have to say, I didn't find that this place was overwhelmed with Amoy products - there was a good range of their sauces on show, but on the whole the shelf space this took up was not significant. I was impressed with what this supermarket had to offer. I do love a good Chinese meal, though I haven't had one in ages. Maybe this will give me the push I need to branch out.

Massive supermarket style shop compared to the other Asian food shops around Edinburgh. They have…read moreall sorts in here from well known product lines to really obscure items. If you want items in bulk then this is the place to come as they sell catering quanities for certain items. Gallon of tomatoe sauce for £2.00ish anyone? A more useful bulk buy would be the butchery section as they take orders for collection. If you were having a BBQ or similiar then this would be the place to come and get massive ammount of chicken or similair. Items of note: - Frozen rotis - giant bottles of soy sauce - Frozen edamame beans - bulk buy shin soup noodle deals - Biryani spice mix - All the cooking implements you would ever need for pennies - Frozen prawns - fresh vegetables from the usual pak choi through to galangal root

How to freak out a Vegan. Take them to See Woo and then wander through the aisles till you hit the…read morelive section in the back. Guaranteed. However, this place is stupidly brilliant. It is like a Tesco Extra dedicated to Oriental Foods. Need it and you will find it. We used to go to Chun Wing at Dobbies Loan but this place puts it to shame. There are only two cities that have a See Woo, London and Glasgow. Mainly staffed by Chinese and Poles, they can generally point in the right direction if you know what you want. The selection is impressive. Dry goods, frozen, seafood, noodles and spices, you will not find anything that matches this place till you hit London. Just go and wander, if nothing else to find out what things people will eat and insist on being imported for their consumption. Durian fruit or Shrimp Chips - everything is a gastronomic adventure. Think of it as a chance to experience something completely new and you just have to wander a little bit past the M8.

I love it when the husband concedes that we can take a trip to Seewoo - we have to limit our visits…read morehere as we seem to spend a fortune, even though everything is cheap. I get a bit like a kid in a candy store who happily throws the whole section of Japanese foods into the trolley, as well as endless packets of noodles. The supermarket is nothing fancy - bare concrete floors and a slightly odd layout can be confusing (I always worry I've missed something amazing). Over the past few visits we've managed to get some really good stuff though - they stock kewpie (delicious Japanese mayonnaise), cheap steaming baskets for cooking at home, frozen dumplings when you need a lazy dinner as well as a huge range of cheap herbs and spices. You'll never pay supermarket price again. I only wise they had more of a Japanese selection - but they do have a good mix of Asian food, as well as some European too. This is definitely a love-it or hate-it place, I can see that it might put some unadventurous people off, but if you like trying something different, have a look here and see what you can find!

Arden Caple Oriental Store seems like a typical newsagent. However, if you venture into the back of…read morethe tiny little shop, you will find a range of sauces and dried foods imported from China. I don't know if there is much of a Chinese community in Helensburgh but it is perfect for locals who want to whip up an authentic chow mein.

This friendly little newsagents offers the usual fare as well as the unique selling point of a…read moresmall section dedicated to a range of Oriental food goodies. While far from being the Helensburgh equivalent of Seawoo, the basics are here for a decent Chinese meal, which you can duly enjoy with a copy of Heat and a Wham bar from the primary section of the shop.

Bismillah Food Store is a great little Asian food store in the centre of Edinburgh, just off of…read morebusy Nicolson Street and around the corner from the University. It is an Asian, Arabic and African food store and is a great place to pop into to buy foreign ingredients. There is always an impressive and very tempting selection of fruit and veg sitting outside the shop, but sometimes some of the fruits look a bit withered such as the bananas. Bismillah specialises in halal meats such as lamb, chicken and beef which are always very fresh. They sell lots of fresh herbs and spices, as well as other ingredients which would be difficult to find in a supermarket such as lime leaves. I like to cook a lot of Asian style meals so Bismillah is a great place to buy the ingredients for the dishes. The staff in the Bismillah Food Store aren't always the chattiest, but they are very knowledgeable about what they sell and are helpful in assisting you with what you are looking for.

Bismillah Food Store is a great place to find Halal meat, a whole range of herbs and spice and many…read moreother Asian ingredients. I came in for a can of Coke on a roasting hot day about a month ago and it cost about 70p! This obviously isn't the place to find your standard daily supplies, but if you need special ingredients then it's excellent. The service isn't exactly lively, yet it feels like they have a communal atmosphere made up of regular customers. The staff know just about everything about all their produce, including where it's all sourced and how it's made. Bismillah is a great place to find unique ingredients with decent service.

I don't oft find myself in the fine burgh of Partick, but when I do, I get the underlying feeling…read morethat i'd kinda like to live here at some point. Places like Polish Taste, only act to cement this feeling. Whilst in the area at the weekend and having just picked up some awesome cakes and sausage rolls at Cottonrake (find review, read, love and visit!) I decided that the fresh white loaves in the window were just far too tempting to avoid. But hey, it's not just bread that's on offer in this kick ass wee deli. From perogies (spelling?) to awesome sausages, tinned good and fresh fruit. I've been back, I'll be back again and would advise anyone who's in the area to pop in for a nosey. Yes it's probably more expensive than the nearby T (ends in esco), but it's quality and unique. Yum.

Polish Taste, a Polish delicatessen on Hyndland Road is definitely worth a visit. And, trust me on…read morethis one, you most definitely do not have to be Polish to appreciate the magic of this place. The authenticity of this place, though, is perfect. Although I'm not Polish, I've spent quite a lot of time there and am a big fan of the culture. As soon as you step through the doors of this deli - you feel a bit like you're actually in Warsaw, and not in the West End of Glasgow. Wood paneling and straw baskets make this place undeniably cute, and as well as shelves and shelves of canned and tinned goods (all in Polish - obviously) you'll also find fresh goods. This includes a meat counter to die for (what can I say? I'm a carnivore at heart) as well as a mini bakery and lots and lots of cheese. All these products are delicious - and also very reasonably priced. I also love the fact that they sell Polish newspapers and magazines here. This definitely adds to the sense that a trip into Polish Taste is like a mini-holiday to Eastern Europe!

I love ethnic supermarkets. It reminds you how varied food can be, and how many different things…read morethere are to try in the world. Star stocksTurkish, Iranian and Polish food among others. A Halal meat counter stands at the back. An interesting section carries little pouches of spices and near the left side sit huge sacks of rice. At the front of the store, on your immediate left as you walk in, there are some wee cakes that I just had to try. I got a chocolatey-nutty one, which I managed to fit in my face in almost one bite. It was gorgeous, and pretty cheap too. This whole shop is a really good idea if you wnat to try something new.

Loads to choose from, but again, I have not learned anymore from the first time I was in till now…read more I wish I did know what to do with the the worldly foods that they have in here. It all looks so great and tastes good from restaurants when it is all cooked up and on your plate but for me, replicating this is near impossible. You can get fresh foods, packets, sauces, jarred things and loads of sweet things that I don't rightly know much about, but I would love to. If you are not to experienced in ethnic foods, get a cook book and then get shopping in Star. Actually for some recipies there will be ingredients you just cant find anywhere, Star is the mini-market you could be looking for!

A Hot Jiggly Belly Filler…read more I agreed with him when he says that the choice of name is perhaps a little misleading for this supermarket, but that's what Indian sub-continental stores call themselves across here. In any case, we stopped in on the way back from a day belly dancing, wanting to make some mezza bits and bobs that'd been flaunted in my face all day. I found it all, even though this is more Pakistani shopping than Moroccan. But just to get into the swing and not to discriminate I picked up a couple of samosas from their hot counter which satisfied my bouncing jelly belly. It's just a thought, but this Continental Supermarket reminded me of the International Supermarket in Hyde Park, but a wee bit smaller. They have a good selection of International sauces and spices, a butchery, hot food counter, chilled goods, fresh veg, etc... So it's well stocked, big and most importantly clean and uncluttered. The girl behind the till was very friendly too and embarked on a long conversation with my mate on how to keep a belly button jewel in situ while gyration was taking place. Odd? Not at all!