Tai Ping supermarket, New Lynn, for everything Asian. Photo / Doug Sherring
Tai Ping supermarket, New Lynn, for everything Asian. Photo / Doug Sherring
Forty years ago, immigrants to New Zealand despaired about the lack of food products from their homelands. Finding eggplant and pasta was difficult, let alone exotic spices and condiments. How things have changed. The suburbs are full of smaller shops specialising in groceries from very specific parts of the world. Here are some from a range of different countries.
Middle Eastern
Barakah Food 171-173 Archers Rd, Glenfield
Mohanad Hassan and his Iraqi family own this delightful treasure trove of goods from all over the Middle East. You'll find all manner of bulk spices and the shelves heave with jams, pickles, sweets and cooking ingredients. "People love the fresh pita bread and the olives and feta in the chilled cabinet, and we have many varieties of kuba (stuffed pastry) from different regions," says Hassan. "These have mainly meat fillings with either rice, potato or a bulgur wheat mixture around them." A halal butcher in front offers a great selection of meat.
This is more than just a Korean grocery shop, although it does have particularly well-stocked shelves, freezers and fridges. It includes an Asian-style bakery, a butcher, a small clothes shop, ready-to-eat food and even a hairdresser in the same large space. A steady stream of Koreans pop in to pick up meat that has been sliced thin for the delicious Korean marinated beef dish bulgogi, or hotpot. We think the best thing is the "side dish" counter, where you can pick up ready-to-eat food. Try the sweet potato noodles or japchae, it's great.
Russian/Polish
Skazka 16 Kingdon St, Newmarket
Ten years ago, Stas Valentinovich decided to sell Russian products from a tiny "one-shelf shop" in Newmarket. He didn't imagine it would still be going strong 10 years later and that he would also be supplying other shops and supermarkets with Russian and Polish products, as well as alcohol from that part of the world.
They bake Russian sweets and rye bread at the lovely light-filled shop, and also sell dumplings, caviar, buckwheat, herring and a wide range of other Eastern European goods.
Grey's Ave Deli opened in 2008 on the same site as Kadimah College and the synagogue. The freezers are filled with kosher meat and challah (bread) and although the cabinet has standard cafe fare (very nice, too, we might add) you can get traditional latkes and salmon bagels, too. It's not a huge space but the grocery shelves are stocked with a lovely array of Middle Eastern goods.
Mexican
Mexican Specialities 5/92 Marua Rd, Ellerslie
This shop may have the shortest opening hours in Auckland (Friday 10-3 and Saturday 10-4) but it's worth the trek to get everything you need to make authentic Mexican food. Jose and Maria are super-friendly and make it easy for you to cook up impressive exotic feasts for dinner. While you're there, make sure you help yourself to some of the best tacos and other Mexican dishes on offer anywhere in Auckland. Make a trip of it.
Try Mexican with Jose Carlos de la Macorra.
South African
Inside Africa 7 Mercari Way, Albany Mega Centre
This is one of two shops - the other is in Botany - serving Auckland's South African population. It's a smaller shop but crammed with everything you need, especially forbraai (South African outdoor cooking). "It's interesting watching new immigrants when they visit for the first time," says store manager Andrei Joseph.
"They're in a new country and don't know the local brands and when they come here and see familiar products like their ProNutro cereal, you can see the relief on their faces."
Inside Africa also sells fresh and dried South African products such as biltong, droewors and boerewors sausage as well as syrupy, sweet koeksisters to take home and heat.
Chinese/General Asian
Tai Ping New Lynn 3037 Great North Rd, New Lynn
You may have seen Tai Ping branches in the city, Glenfield and Northcote, as well as franchises in Dominion Rd, Pakuranga, Otahuhu and Howick, but our favourite is the enormous store in New Lynn that has a huge produce section, butcher and seafood counter as well as a large supermarket. You'd be hard-pressed to name any Asian sweet, sauce, condiment or meal ingredient that isn't available there; it's incredibly comprehensive. Even better, there's a dim sum counter after the check out, so grab some yum char style dumplings on the way out. Bonus.
Top in Town Food City 689 Sandringham Rd, Mt Albert
Sandringham is filled with delightful restaurants and food shops, many specialising in Indian cuisine, and Top in Town is just one of them. This shop uses every single centimetre to cram in another spice paste, curry powder, snack, sweet and condiment.
"We carry some lines that no one else does, so the shop is always busy," says assistant manager Jitu Rabari. "We also have the Himalaya brand of traditional Ayurvedic medicine, which people come from all over for."
You can also buy bulk spices and vegetables often used in Indian cooking, including okra, bitter gourd and even fresh turmeric root. It's a great place to go if you are new to Indian cooking as the range of good pre-blended masalas and pastes is enormous.
Ashish Gajera of Top in Town Food City.
Japanese
Japan Mart Shop 79, Sylvia Park Shopping Centre, Mt Wellington
One of three branches - the others are in Newmarket and the central city - these guys have been around since 1987, one of the first companies to import Japanese groceries (before sushi was available on every street corner). The staff are helpful, especially because there are so many varieties of everything - and sometimes you need help to work out the differences. They also stock crockery and Japanese household items. Even better, Tokyo Liquor next door has a comprehensive range of sake. Kanpai!
Giannis Montes has been importing Greek olive oil since 2010. "We really struggled to find the type we needed for our type of cuisine so we started bringing it in to the country and selling it at weekend markets," says Giannis. Since then, their range of products has expanded and they've gone from a market stall to an online shop and now - very recently - a physical retail outlet in Browns Bay run by Giannis' wife, Emily.
Go here for the real Greek deal - taramasalata, feta dip, antipasti, vinegars, Greek coffee and even baked treats. Make sure you try the green olives stuffed with tzatziki.
Americans and Kiwis flock to Martha's Backyard for their fix of Twinkies, Fritos, Pop Tarts and every other food you hear of on US sitcoms. "I know what it's like living away from home and missing the things you're used to so it's been great to provide these other touches of home for Americans living here," says owner Sandy Graham. "It can help so much with settling in."
Martha's Backyard.
British
UK Grocer Shop 444 Westfield Shopping Mall, Aylesbury Rd, Pakuranga
This lovely little piece of Britain has been around for 13 years, started by someone missing childhood tastes like Jaffa Cakes, Galaxy chocolate, Yorkshire Tea, Robinsons Cordial and Walkers Crisps. The current owner has had this and the Browns Bay shop for eight years.
"People still come to us because we have the variety, all the flavours of every line - not just the most popular - and if we don't we'll always try and source it and get it in on the next container," says manager Dawn Hartland.
Scandinavian
Safka 20/501 Karangahape Rd
Jari Jaaskelainen is from Finland and has been in New Zealand for 16 years. Three years ago he decided he was sick of stuffing his backpack full of food purchases from Ikea every time he went to Sydney. His little retail space is crammed with everyday items from Scandinavia, Switzerland, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. The fridge is loaded with European sausages, cheeses and jars of herrings. The Finnish rye bread he imports is one of his biggest sellers.
Jari Jaaskelainen of Safka.
French
L'Atelier du Fromage 3 McColl St, Newmarket
If you want to feel, just for a moment, that you might be in Paris, L'Atelier du Fromage under wine shop Maison Vauron is the place to go. There's all manner of divine French cheeses and charcuterie, as well as terrines, mustards, vinegars, jams, biscuits, foie gras and the like.
Upstairs is filled with French wine in a great space where you could lose yourself for hours. "We started in 1999 and the business and interest just keeps growing every year," says owner Jean-Christophe. "Now, in addition to pastries and coffee we also do a plat du jour, just like in a bistro in France. It's the total French experience."
