At lunchtime, I sometimes aimlessly wander around Goodge Street / Tottenham Court Road / Charlotte…read moreStreet in a fog of hunger, unable to decide what to eat, until I end up at one of my three fallback choices - Pret / Eat / Itsu. Today, I fought back against the hunger and wandered in Abokado, which is slightly outside my 500 yard wandering radius. Boy, I'm glad I did. Their offering is similar to Itsu; boxes of sushi, big tubs of soup and fruit juices, but they manage to deliver the same massive portion for about £2-3 cheaper. WIN. I grabbed a 'Simply Salmon' box (salmon sashimi, nigiri and maki) and a sweet chilli, salmon and fresh dill shwrap (same concept as a hand roll). Everything has the calorie, saturated fat and total fat count listed next to it on the shelf and by the looks of it, it was all fairly healthy. What did it all taste like? Fresh goodness. The rice was on the right side of chewy and not like the crumbly rice you get in Pret's pre-packaged sushi. The salmon was lovely - not quite melt in your mouth, but not bad for a lunchtime joint. The sushi box came with a rocket and carrot salad and I have to say that the rocket was quite strong, almost too strong. But that's clearly Mother Nature's fault, not Abokado's.

If you are looking for a quick & healthy bite to eat, then this is the place to come…read more I bought the salmon sashimi box with veggie dumpling soup, some fresh berry juice and popcorn. The salmon sashimi box comes with a salad (I didn't really want the salad just the salmon) it was good nevertheless, the salmon was a little warm, but that could have been down to having the soup on top =D The soup was really nice, to describe: miso, with veg and dumplings. Really filling and quite tasty. The juice was very random, it is fresh, so you do need to shake it up a few times, not sure if I am a huge fan of the juice, but it's cheaper than an innocent smoothie =) My order came to £11, which tbh put me off slightly, I would have preferred a meal at Wagamama if there was one near by :) not a cheap lunch if that's what you are after.

As well as being a cookery school, the Thai Cooking School is a great little Thai shop that…read morebasically sells loads of Thai vegetables, pastes, noodles, etc. Make no mistake, it's not exactly the most thrilling or innovative shops- there's no cool music or gimmicks here, but it does do exactly what it says on the tin and really has the most authenitc Thai ingredients that you can buy in Ealing. Personally, I love its no-nonsense approach to selling great ingredients, but really I just wish it was open more! Seriously, it's open about 3 days a week, for roughly 4 hours, to the extent that trying to buy a few sachets of the amazing Thai curry paste that it sells becomes a preciseley-timed military operation, usually ending with me giving up and buying a ready meal from Tescos two doors down! Having said all that, I've heard it's closing down, and if that is the case, I will be sorry to lose such an authentic and good value place, even if it was hardly ever open in the first place.

Do you like vegetables? Do you live nearby? Well, this is the place to come. A ludicrously varied…read moreselection of international fresh fruit and veg greet you both outside and inside the appropriately titled International Supermarket. In addition to all the vegetables you will undoubtedly recognise, which I'm not going to list, there are many pleasant surprises and all sorts of crates of exotic things. Among the pleasant surprises I include fresh whole rocket (big bunches of the mature plant, not the piddly little tips - big strong flavour great for making pesto), fresh curry leaves (in case you can't be bothered to walk the extra 10m to the Indian supermarket) and wonderful graffiti aubergines, striped in cream and purple. Exotic things include a whole load of vegetables that I can't identify, cassava and various gourds. In addition to the fruit and veg, the shop has a good selection of Turkish and Greek fresh produce, cheeses, Turkish sausages etc. There is an olive counter at the back, and an onsite bakery which periodically wheels metal stacks of freshly baked bread into the shop. There's an aisle of various pulses and grains, and a range of international tinned goods, juices etc.

As the previous reviewer does I give this place a pretty good rating. If you are an enthusiastic…read morehome cook you could do a lot worse than come here if you want to get in stocks for a Turkish cooking binge. There is a good variety of dry goods, but probably it's the fruit and vegetables that are the most remarkable aspect to the shop. Prices are OK, in this part of North London there's plenty of competition that means no one shopkeeper gets to take the mick out of it's customers. If you walked from Manor House tube station along Green Lanes and finished here, and got the Piccadilly Line back out from nearby Turnpike Lane station, you will have seen the best of London's Turkish, Greek and Cypriot shops.

The best shop in the uk and perhaps the world. I got a falafel wrap here like 3 or 4 years ago and…read moreI think about it twice every day because it was the most delicious thing I have ever eaten. All of the employees deserve a nobel prize for their contributions to humanity

Are you in need of a place where you can both indulge in a delicious Middle-Eastern wrap and…read morebreast-feed your baby? - Well, then you should come to Phoenicia! Phoenicia is a lot: it's a supermarket, a butcher, a quick-lunch place, as well as a place where you can come to and have a lovely chat with a friend while eating away at their delicious selection of baklava. As for the wraps/sandwiches, there are basically two choices: the Lebanese wrap (a plain flat-bread wrap) or the Moroccan wrap (a flat-bread with spinach inside). Once you've made this difficult choice, you have to make more choices...you can fill your wrap with salads (such as tabbouleh), spreads (such as humous) and meats (such as spicy chicken or merguez). But, if you don't want to choose, you might as well order two kinds of wraps as the prices of one is very reasonable. Later, you may want to top it all off with a nice baklava, which you might even get for free if you're really nice. In fact, speaking of nice, the service here is super-friendly. Everyone is very polite and they bring your food to the table... After your lunch (or whatever you've had) you should go check out their supermarket...you will basically find here anything you need. They also have a very nice selection of organic products.

Wonderful discovery! This place has a great butcher. Meats…read moreare super fresh (and halal if you care). Mergez are among the best I've had. Selection of fruits and vegetables is impressive. A suggestion? Try their fresh yogurt and honey from the middle-east with honeycomb. Plenty of fresh herbs if you are looking for a place with selection and good opening hours

This small convenience store is extremely convenient for those living in Chesterfield Gardens, or…read morethe road opposite, who can't be bothered to walk to do their shopping. The selection of products is ok, and there's even a small meat counter but the layout is overly crammed and chaotic, making finding what you need frequently a challenge. Not a bad selection of chilli sauces though. Their veg selection is average, and often looks a bit worse for wear, but if you just need a few onions or something then it's fine. They also do toiletries, washing powder and so on, and there's a unit full of Polish groceries. However, if you've ever needed to buy someone a glass sword full of Armenian brandy, this is the place to come. Hanging above the tills are various novelty glass shapes full of the stuff. I spotted a fish and a donkey as well, but the glass sword was always one I fancied for the living room, but, predictably, was never drunk enough to buy. Despite trying for the best part of 3 years, I singularly failed to get the staff to crack a smile. Come on guys, cheer up - you've got a sword full of brandy! How cool is that?!

Friendly service, open late most nights (11pm)…read more Good selection of fruit and veg too.

There is Lindt chocolate at Deli and Delights. I thought I saw this woman from a documentary about…read moreMI6 here. I was grooving to the Highgate frequency when I stopped in here to get a spinanch/hummus sandwhich and a soy shake, This store isn't that overpriced considering the location across the street from Highgate Wood. Deli and Delights has a nice selection of Blue Dragon soup, Seggiano sauce (makers of the best pesto sauce around) and loads of expensive chocolates. I felt fabulous shopping here.

Well we're not in Kansas (or Manchester or Brixton or Hull) anymore…read more You know you're growing up to be part of a demographic where you've found a shop local to you that sells your favourite vegan raw basil pesto. (I'm not actually vegan; the pesto is just wonderful!) You know that you've found indulgence when you've found a shop that sells tea in pillows rather than bags. You know when you've found love when you've found a shop that sells organic lime and tequila marmalade. The place is just outside Highgate Underground station and one of the first places I shopped when I first moved here. The place is small, not particularly pretentious but very artisan and supplies more simple things such as a small selection of frozen foods and toiletries. I try not to come here as I do tend to raid the antipasti and the weird and wonderful marmalade. So much quality so much temptation and worth a visit.