Food, Drink shopping in Asia
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Carrefour Shopping Centre
For picnics, head to Carrefour Shopping Centre which has a good selection of imported foods. On the weekends, shopping here feels like being caught in a stampede.
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Bayon Market
Recently relocated to a bigger premises, Bayon Market has a good range of products, including some nice surprises that don’t turn up elsewhere in the city.
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Cheese & Fizz
It's fairly uncommon to entertain guests in Shanghai with wheels of brie and bottles of vintage Veuve Cliquot, but this French deli would be the place to stock up. It's not just French cheeses and imported wines - there's Swiss chocolate too. There's another branch at the Shanghai Centre (1376 West Nanjing Rd) and on the ground floor of the Superbrand Mall in Pǔdōng. Come armed with an expense account or an unsuspecting friend's credit card.
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H Karim Buksh & Sons
For self-catering, try H Karim Buksh & Sons. The supermarket (lower level) of this modern shopping complex has a tremendous range of local and imported groceries. Soup mixes, spaghetti, cream biscuits, cheese, fruit yogurt, cereal - you name it, they've probably got it. Prices are a bit higher than at 'regular' general stores, but the variety (and often quality) is superior. Very handy if you are staying at Regale Internet Inn.
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Yoser Lham Shop
The Yoser Lham Shop is the main outlet for the Swiss Farm. The shop sells the farm’s cheese, apple juice, peach brandy and apple or honey wine, as well as soft Gouda or hard Emmenthal cheese at Nu 250 per kg. This cheese is made for eating off the block, unlike the soft Bhutanese datse, which is used only in sauces. Honey is available in July and August.
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Pheam Ek
The specialty of the village of Pheam Ek is making rice paper for spring rolls. All along the road, in family workshops, you'll see rice paste being steamed and then placed on a bamboo frame for drying in the sun. The income earned is meagre - 100 rice sheets sell for just 2500r. The coconuts grown in this area are said to be especially sweet. Wat Ek Phnom is 5.5km further on.
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Ten Shang's Tea Company
Hailing from a tea-growing mountain community in Central Taiwan's Nantou, Mr and Mrs Chang have been selling organically grown oolong teas from all over Taiwan for a quarter of a century. Visitors are welcome to come in and chat over a pot or two of their exquisite high-mountain tea while shopping for tea and tea supplies.
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Meidi-Ya
Established in the 19th century, not too long after strangers in black ships started arriving on Japan’s shores, Meidi-ya specialises in higher-end groceries for foreign predilections. It’s a midsized store with a corresponding selection of goods. There are other locations throughout the city.
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Mai's Cafe
Vietnamese drip coffee is an acquired taste, and it can be somewhat addictive. You can keep your habit going for a few weeks after returning home if you buy fresh beans or grounds from this fine-smelling establishment. It ain't all that cheap, but if you're still reading, you're probably hard core.
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National Azabu
Deep in the ‘ gaijin ghetto’, National Azabu carries an impressive array of expat staples such as imported cheeses, wines, Vegemite and natural foods, as well as hard-to-find produce. Also notable is the pharmacy with English-speaking staff and the small bookshop upstairs.
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Galeal Supermarket
If the hot weather is just too much, duck into Swensen's for an ice-cream, although be warned it doesn't taste like the real deal. Upstairs in the same food court above the well-stocked Galeal Supermarket is Kantin Baik dan Murah turning out good, cheap Indonesian food at an affordable price.
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Natural House
Natural House serves the ecoconscious trendsters around Aoyama, meeting a growing demand for wholefood and organic produce. Along with bricks of rye loaves and pricey but nutritious bentō (boxed lunch), Natural House also peddles natural beauty products and health supplements.
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Norling Supermarket
The old town has a couple of Tibetan-run Nepali supermarkets selling everything from imported muesli and chocolate spread to Indian spices and peanut butter, though at prices higher than in Nepal. The Norling Supermarket , near the Muslim quarter, has one of the widest selections.
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Wine-Link
Tucked down a small alley off Anfu Lu, this wine shop offers a solid range of mostly Australian and New Zealand wine, with a few South American brands. French champagne is cheaper here than anywhere else in town. They sell wine glasses and do monthly wine-tastings as well.
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Yamaya
Yamaya’s shelves are stuffed primarily with European wines, though there’s also a representative selection of American and Australian wines as well. Most branches are discount retailers and offer some imported packaged foods in addition to wine and liquor.
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Ladag Apricot Store
Eco-aware travellers are encouraged to buy locally sourced foods, eg apricots rather than imported chocolate and tsestalulu (sea buckthorn) juice instead of packaged soft drinks. Get these and other local fruit products at Ladag Apricot Store.
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Good Eats Street
The drag for cheap eats is Good Eats Street, the stretch of Bayi Lu between Zourong and Zhonghua Lu. From stalls, carts and underground food courts, loudmouthed vendors dish up spicy noodles, clay-pot stews and beasties on sticks. Lines run deep on weekends.
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Baiyi Supermarket
Lhasa's glittering new supermarkets now offer a staggering range of imported goods, from frozen squid to ripe pineapples, alongside a bewildering array of dried yak meat. Baiyi Supermarket , next to Lhasa Department Store, boasts Lhasa's best range of foodstuffs.
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Carrefour Supermarket
For self-catering try Carrefour. This is a branch of the popular French supermarket chain. They're now in a duel with Wal-Mart - trust us, you'll find them too - so between the two you've got about eight floors of food to gorge yourself on.
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Supreme PX
The best established of the military PX stores, every expat winds up here from time to time. There is a huge range of imported goods and food, hidden behind the most extreme security you have ever seen at a supermarket.
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Duty Free Shop
At the Duty Free Shop you can buy imported liquor, wine, biscuits and other ‘luxury’ items, but you have to pay the full price, including duty, unless you’re a diplomat or a senior government official.
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Tea World
Tea World is a reliable place for high-quality tea and spices. Find it down a long corridor beside the Student Guest House in Thamel. The manager offers free tasting and will tell you a lot about the teas on offer.
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Lita
There are several supermarkets that sell everything from Tim Tams to bug repellent to fishing tackle; these include Lita , whose goods include the little plastic couple for the top of your wedding cake.
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Tea Museum
Sip unusual teas from around the globe in this tiny, antique-filled teashop in Apgujeong with over 50 herb, flower, fruit and leaf teas (and teapots) for sale. South African rooibos teas are popular.
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