I was on my way home from the city on Wednesday and I remembered that I didn't have any munchies…read morefor games night with the guys. And right next the entrance of Melbourne Central Station there is this grocery store. " The Urban Asian Grocery" reads the slogan on the pillar out front. It had great range of chips with all kinds of Asian flavors, like masala. And the guys kind of compete to bring unusual chip flavors when they come over for our regular Wednesday night games night. This week I had the most novel flavor of chips. Otherwise it is a pretty regular grocery store - what more can I say?

Don't be confused by the name and go here thinking its a Woolies type grocery store. It is, as the…read moresign at the entrance suggests, an Asian specialty food market. Sure, they've got a good variety of Asian goods, yeah its in a central location in Melbourne Central conveniently near the train station, and it is clean and pretty. However, I can get the same, if not better, large range of Asian rices, noodles, sauces, herbs and spices from my favoured local markets around Glenroy, with friendlier and more helpful service and at prices that make me smile, not cringe.

Just a short walk from our hotel on Collins St at the Southern Cross Station is where this…read moreWoolworths is located. We were a little confused as we didn't expect it to be on the second floor of the station and with no signs saying Woolworths made it even more confusing. Go up the escalators on the Collins St side and look for a green light logo looking sign and you will find this place. This is the best place that we found to get your everyday things from food, drinks, and everything else you would find at a supermarket and with really good prices compared to other stores. Looking for gifts to bring back to the States? Look no further as they have all the local snacks and yes some great prices too.

Who would've thought Woolies could be cool?! This one is…read more Has plenty of ready made hot & cold meals to go. A cafe, BWS store, fresh sushi bar with the option to have it made to your liking by the person manning it, during standard work hours, hot soup n rolls, pies, chicken nibbles, hot pizza, bakery, plus the basics down the aisles. Reasonable prices, its pretty amazing. If you go towards the end of the working day, they mark down alot of the food made that morning :)

You probably think all Coles supermarkets are pretty much the same. I understand how you could…read morethink that too, if you haven't been to Coles in Flemington. As I type this, Coles Flemington is less than a year old. It's what Coles refers to as a 'new look' supermarket with a different layout, range and service system than the others. If you've ever lived in the UK, it's more like a big Sainsbury's than what we've come to expect of Coles in Australia. The store really has everything you could kind of want for your everyday grocery shopping. There's even a fishmonger and butcher inside. I love their huge range of gluten free products (on which you get a 20% discount if you belong to the coeliac society) and that they use rainwater to clean because of the size of the roof. They also have skylights in the ceiling to reduce the amount of energy used lighting the place. Bottom line: if you have to shop at Coles, this is the one to do it at.

I love this Coles. Truly, I've never had this much affection for a SUPERMARKET. Most supermarkets…read moreare quite humdrum and boring. This particular Coles is quite refreshing. Situated next to the Flemington Showgrounds, the site itself is huge. Coles is the main tenant, and takes up probably 90% of the total floor space. The huge amount of space has allowed them to put in a fish station, butchery section, and a gourmet section (which I find ridiculous). Fruits and vegetables are very well laid out, with multiple long rows. The fish station is set up to replicate a market stall, but it doesn't quite get there yet. What is impressive is that there are whole fish on offer, with several types past the usual basa and barramundi. Despite having whole fish, most of the other seafood is still frozen and from overseas, like fish from Thailand and prawns from China. I find it disappointing, but I have to remind myself this is a supermarket after all. The deli section is about normal size for a Coles supermarket. I would have preferred more choice, but standard fare is offered. The cheese section is impressive, with a wide range of hard and soft cheeses. There is also a bakery section, with fresh bread and biscuits and croissants. I think this is a welcome addition to supermarkets, especially for people who are time poor to visit artisan bakers but want something different from the usual white bread fare. The rest of the supermarket is well laid out, but I got the feeling that they had so much space they didn't really know what to do with it. Six or seven rows of a single product is a bit much don't you think? As a supermarket, there is none better. I use this Coles as a benchmark against other supermarkets. Even Barkly Square doesn't come close. My only gripe is why can't they stock Spreyton Fresh apple juice? It's the best apple juice out there...and they used to stock it until recently.

I'd be pretty damn happy if I lived in this village and this was my local store. Sure I might not…read moredo my full grocery shop here, but if I were looking for quality ingredients for a dinner party or some unique items for my pantry then I would be here all the time. There's a small fruit and veggie section as well as a nice range of wine, but what I loved most of all was the compact deli right down the back, complete with neon diner lights spelling out DELI. Like moths to the flame, charcuterie lovers will be drawn down here for fine cured delicious things.

Every good neighbourhood needs a gourmet grocery store and this is it for Yarraville. Whether…read moreyou've got dietary restrictions or just looking for products of higher quality or less jammed full of sugar and preservatives, this is where you'll find it. In addition to a good range of meat and everything you need to throw together a meal, they also sell wine and have a cute deli section. Being just a short stroll from Yarraville Gardens, this would be a wise pit-stop to stock up on cheese and charcuterie to prep a picnic.

This isn't the closest fruit and veg shop to my house so I don't come here unless I happen to be on…read moreSydney Road and it happens to be a convenient time to do some vegetable shopping. The first few times I came here I thought they were rather pricey compared to my local fresh produce shop, but a recent visit has led me to change my mind. La Manna had lots of good deals going, and I managed to find tarragon there, which I hadn't found in other stores in the neighbourhood. I don't know if I just never get the nice, smiley staff member at the cash register, or if none of them smile or make an attempt to be friendly, but that's just how it goes in La Manna. It would be nice if they were nicer to me, but if it were that easy for everyone to be nicer to each other, there would probably be less fighting in the world. How on earth did I go from fruit and veg to more peace and love in the world please? I think it's time for afternoon tea break.

Last Sunday my partner and I did something we've never done before... we awoke before 9am. But more…read moreimportantly, we got our butts out of the house and decided to stock up our fridge for the week (and stock it healthy.) La Manna is just a short walk away and is an absolutely gem of a local grocer. Piles of fresh fruits, veggies, flowers and all that other healthy stuff that you look at in the supermarket but always walk right past. You know the ones - quinoa, freekah, sunflower seeds and anything green... We stocked our basket sky high with enough veggies to feed a small family and smugly strutted out on to Sydney Road - proud smile on our face for all that we had achieved before 10am on a Sunday - and all for just a few clams! A highly recommended destination when you want the best and freshest veggies without the hefty price that can often come along with them.

Great market with all the usual suspects - deli's, butchers, poultry, fruit and veg and seafood…read more(including a sushi bar). Many of the stores have eftpos which is an added bonus. Perhaps not as cheap as some other markets but excellent quality produce and not as busy as you would expect on Saturdays.

The Camberwell Fresh Food Market runs on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. It's a major…read moredraw card for anyone living in the local area from Balwyn to Malvern. Greengrocers, fishmongers, florists and enormous delis are just some of the things you'll find inside. I recommend getting in early (around 9am) and just taking a walk. You'll pick up some bargains, but I'll give you a run down of my favourite places. The chicken store stocks some great deals including enormous fresh chicken lasagna for around $17 - big enough to feed 4, you can freeze them or pop them in the oven for half an hour and get a delicious and hearty meal. The juice bar is a great place to refresh. The have low-fat creamy yoghurt, fresh juices and really excellent smoothies made with yoghurt and milk, or sorbet. Nick and Sue's gourmet deli is a must if you love dips, bread or any sort of meat. Prosciutto sliced freshly, soft pasta and a wide range of cheeses are also sold here. Nick and Sue's is your one stop shop inside the market. I'm constantly surprised by the quality and price of the ingredients (in a good way), and even though you may have to jostle around a counter to get served, it adds to the rustic atmosphere of the market.

Love it. Always something new on offer. Great atmosphere…read more Great range of stores and products! Great customer service from all vendors.

I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to realise how valuable Prahran Market is! It's a true…read moretreasure, comparable with South Melbourne Market and dare I say Queen Victoria in terms of fresh produce and gourmet foods available! There is a wide selection of fruit & vegetable shops offering locally grown organic, Market Lane Coffee, various cafes & eateries, bakeries, butchers, fish mongers, delis, international stores, luxury homewares and health stores, as well as various stalls offering miscellaneous other products and services. Even on a Saturday morning I have always been able to find parking (free or paid) with minimal effort. Everyone that works within the Market are extremely friendly and always willing to help out. There is a suspiciously low amount of bathrooms and bins throughout the complex. I appreciate these services require maintenance and lowering the amount reduces costs. It I found myself forever wondering around with rubbish and in the end I went home desperately needing the bathroom! Not cool Prahran Market.

I had traveled all around Australia so I didn't want to tote the goodies I was bringing back to the…read moreStates with me until I was at my last stop. Since Melbourne was my last stop, Coles was my last stop the night before I left for my vegemite, twists, shapes, and tim-tams, among many other things. Am struck by how successful self-check-out is in this country, as absolutely no one really likes it in America.

This place is always packed! The fact that the train line runs next door to its location certainly…read moreadds to its hustle and bustle. In saying this, this must be why Coles Melbourne Central has one of the quickest and most efficient self-service check out aisle I have ever come across. Because of the amount of traffic that parades through here on any give day they have Marshalls in fluro vests controlling the flow and making sure there is no delays that could potentially hold up a line of 20-30 customers at one time. I must say that their range of stock doesn't offer the biggest variety compared to other supermarket chains, but if you are just looking to run in and purchase the essentials they are great for speedy service.