One thing I love more than going out for Asian food, is experimenting and cooking my own! That's…read morewhy I love Dano! There are bigger Asian supermarkets in Bristol, but none that make me as excited as Dano. I used to go in to buy the instant noodles and some sauces. But after chatting the guy that runs the place, I buy dumplings, spices, curry paste, sushi ingredients and equipment and lots of other Asian delights. The guy is so helpful, he'll go out of his way to show you where stuff is or read the packaging to tell you what's what. I'd recommend going in there without a specific dish in mind, chat to the guy and see what you come out with. I almost guarantee you'll leave excited and with stuff you've never cooked before. That's what it's all about for me!

Dano is a small Asian supermarket which stocks a large variety of authentic oriental foods. The…read moreshop is a little on the pricey side, but that is to be expected. To be honest, most of the things in there I have never heard of and have no idea what they do. I mainly visit because they do really good noodles for stir fries, and also a really selection of Chinese sauces which aren't available in regular supermarkets. Staff don't tend to interact with you unless you go up to them and ask, in which case they are really helpful in pointing you in the right direction.

Nowadays, Pukka are an international herbal supplier, but there was a time when Sebastian Pole, an…read moreAyurvedic practitioner, set up a little business making and selling 100% organic Ayurvedic herbal remedies and teas. They've gone far since. I buy their delicious and refreshing detox teas - full of flavour and odd combinations of herbs and flowers of great benefit to one's health. They have an online shop and everything they use (including packaging) is sustainable and fairtrade and organic. The factory is based at this site, but as far as I'm aware there is no physical shop there - you can source their stuff in some supermarkets and in several health food shops across the city.

I really don't know how I got through the day before I discovered Pukka teas, in fact I'm drinking…read moreone as I type - the aptly named Pleasure tea. Yes it is. If you, like me, always liked the idea of herbal teas (reducing your caffeine intake and upping your water intake while taking in some anti-oxident full herbs) but just couldn't stand the blandness of the teas on offer on supermarket shelves then take note. Pukka do an impeccable range of mouth-watering teas, from green tea with flavours to spiced chai teas and range of wellbeing teas. There is literally a tea for every occasion with Pukka. A relax tea, a clarity tea, a harmonise tea and a detox tea (which ate amazing for hangovers, seriously, forget Lucozade and a fry up - this will do it!). I've lost about a stone in the past year and I put it largely down to ditching the coffee for 6-8 cups of these bad boys every day. And it's catching on, Erin Connor the supermodel is a new convert to the Pukka cause. If you want to try before you buy you can find them in certain cafes in town, including the Folk House. The best place to buy the boxes of tea is from the website direct.

This supermarket is certainly Vietnamese. That said I have never been to Vietnam so I don't really…read morehave a basis for comparison but the whole place is very definitely not British and very definitely Asian. The smell of the place for instance is immediately overwhelming and unlike anything I have encountered before (except, bizarrely, in Essaouira, Morocco) - a strong dried salty fish flavour. The aisles are rammed with goods and products I couldn't even begin to identify. I recognise the rice and the vast, overwhelming amount of different noodles on offer. Then I am lost again amongst packets of what at first appear to be a frozen bit of meat, but is in fact a vegetable. The whole process smells of fish and I'm overjoyed to recognise a Spring Onion in the small vegetable section at the back. This place is always full and teeming with people who seem to know what they're buying. If it's Vietnamese food you're after and you know what you're buying - I'm sure this is a good place to come.

As far as I know, this is the only Vietnamese supermarket nearby and is definitely worth a visit if…read moreyou fancy a trip into the bizarre. Not a lot of the stuff looks particularly appetising, but mainly because I don't like fish. There were lots of non-fishy items which looked quite nice, and their rice crackers are delicious. Everything seemed pretty cheap and there are baskets of £1 goodies- mainly biscuits. However, I was too busy staring with slight personal disgust at the frozen fish items at the sides of the shop. There were red-fin snappers for £2.25 and cuttlefish for similar price. What struck me most though, was the entire, whole squid that was on sale for only £5.75. For the adventurous types out there then this bizarre supermarket is the place of imagination.

Like Kin Yip Hon's chinese supermarket (see previous review) Wai Yee Hong is a stupendous supplier…read moreof all things chinese! From easter Drinks (get yourself loaded up on Saki) to Wok's of all shapes and sizes, and I haven't even mentioned the food yet! But before I get to the food, for those who prefer the eastern methods of healing to our bog-standard western approaches there is a great selection of tonics, and general 'wellbeing' herbs and tonic type things (it's all very precise with me!) And now the food! Well, in a nutshell... to much to comprehend! I never thought I would see so much foriegn writing in one dose in my life, make sure you know what you are after, and check before you but (even though there are guidlines it might not be quite what you were hoping for)

A paradise of Chinese shopping, this supermarket contains just about everything oriental you could…read moreever want. It's not just restricted to Chinese produce either, this is a whole pan-Asian experience. The other glorious thing is that it's all so damn cheap. Even if you're not exclusively seeking oriental ingredients, you can pick up useful basics at a respectable price indeed. It's a little way out of the city and not particularly close to any train station (regrettably), however it does neighbour the Eastville retail lot containing an enormous and very, very cheap Tesco. So if you're after good value eats, make sure you head way out East.

The shop close to, and on the same side as the McDonalds drive through, but the new shop sign makes…read morethe shop harder to find as the shop looks closed, I think a led 'OPEN' sign is needed. The patrons are always friendly, and helpful. The shop provides groceries of English, Indian, East Euro, Turkish quite a mix, and getting a tin of Chickpea Chana Masala, to eat with rice or some naan...just lush. The store is like stepping into Dr Who's Tardis :-)

Nowadays it's very important to back the smaller stores as opposed to the larger, faceless…read moreorganisations (in my opinion anyway) and with the International Food Centre it couldn't be easier. Like the Sweet Mart in Easton this is a store that is all about the customer. They buy in only the best quality fruit and vegetables, for example, and sell it at reasonable and affordable prices. It's all organic and locally sourced where possible - stocked full of love and good energy. The Asian food section is immense with every type of spice and raw bean imaginable. It's a good place too to find adverts and posters for local and ethical happenings. A great store that comes highly recommended.

If you're looking for fresh, organic, and vegan food look no further than The Better Food Company…read more They have a free water station sparkling or still; How cool is that!? They also have a variety of fresh pressed juices which will get your immune system pumping and your energy going. You'll be able to run faster and jump higher!! If coming to an organic food restaurant was good enough, attached to this lovely establishment is also Health food store where you can get a variety of dry bulk foods as well as medicines and fresh produce.

Already well-established in St Werburgh's, the Better Food Company's shop in Clifton follows the…read moresame formula as its big brother, offering a cornucopia of foodie delights. There are surprises down every aisle, with 90 per cent of the food for sale organic, and much of what sits unpackaged on the shelves grown on 25 acres of organic farm land in Chew Magna. Befitting a former off license, there is a fine selection of drinks. The smell of fresh bread fills the air. And there are also cook books and a deli counter serving cheese, olives, cakes and coffee, which can be drunk in on a small selection of stools in a corner by the front window.

I found a Filipino food store! Hurray! I forget that Asian food stores here in the UK tend to…read morespecialize in Indian products meaning I cannot recreate my favourite dishes! The funny thing about location of this store is that I have been in the car park or the area a number of times and it was only on the most recent time that I noticed it. The store is quite small... and by quite small, I mean I left one of my bags in the center of the store to get between one of the freezers and the shelf to get a closer look at some of the items. There is a small section of toiletries, lots of snack items, cooking ingredients (large variety of seasoning packets), sweets, baking ingredients, frozen goods, some baked goods, and drinks. I didn't find everything I had hoped for, but I found enough to fill my grocery bag :). I did ask about a couple of items, like Polvoron and other baked goods and they did say that they do carry them, but they sell out very quickly. I believe they also offer phone cards, information about travel agents specializing in travel to the Philippines, and carry the "Hello Philippines" newspaper for expats. The prices are inexpensive which is probably going to be a bad thing for me! Will be doing a lot of Filipino cooking this weekend thanks to Kabayan!

I had some clue that this Waitrose existed, thanks to Mr. Snarky, however, I had never been to it…read more One night we drove by it and I saw one of the buses that stops just outside. So after wandering about one day, waiting for Mr. Snarky to finish at work so we could head back to Bolton, I decided to take the bus out to Waitrose after looking up that they had a cafe that I could perch in. My experiences with Waitrose haven't been very many as I have often been in towns that don't have a Waitrose. However, this one is impressive and makes me wish this was down the street from the apartment. Firstly, this one is on the canal with seating outside. It was a gorgeous day and a really good move on Waitrose's part as those walking along the canal may stop in for coffee and cake. There is a juice/smoothie bar at the front of the store as you enter while there is a bakery with coffee shop at the back of the store. There is a little bar area where you can sit and enjoy or just take a break from shopping. The shop offers a nice variety of items, but yes, some of it is a bit pricier than the discount stores. However, you are probably more likely to find those specialty items you need to make that recipe you saw on t.v. here than in one of those discount stores... so pros and cons. There is a small toiletry area, but no housewares, etc. As I was walking through the beverage and alcohol aisle, I did notice a small "bar" where it looks like there might be wine tasting??? It was hard to see as there were a number of men in suits crowded around, but I swear they were having a late afternoon drink. There are self checkout kiosks if you prefer those, but it seemed like the majority of Waitrose customers prefer the staffed tills. Free loos through the seating area of the cafe. The cafe does offer different desserts than the bakery at the back of the store and they also offer hot food. You can sit inside... or you can sit outside, overlooking the canal. The set up is really quite nice. I took my tea outside to one of the picnic tables along the canal and admired the plants and gardening items they had on sale outside. Love this store and wish it was my regular store!

It's a great store. Very polite & helpful staff, lovely new store with a good selection of…read moreproducts. I like the juice bar & coffee bar by the bakery. Whilst Waitrose food isn't the cheapest in my experience it is very good quality with good ideas for meals too. I would say it's possible to get reasonably priced products there & some of their offers are easily as good as the other major supermarkets. It is definitely worth a try.