On a whim, I decided to check out as many Korean supermarkets that I could find in Glenfield. I…read morestopped after I found Wang Foodmarket, a little bit b/c I was tired but mostly b/c this place ticks all the boxes. I cannot be sure but the quality of the premises looks very new and shiny. It has the layout of regular supermarket like a Countdown or New World, except all the shelves are lined with products from the homeland and K-POP is playing in the background. The aisles are wide and uncluttered so it is easy to navigate your trolley through the store. Their general selection, butcher and frozen sections deserve special mention. Also, of all the stores I went to today, Wang Foodmarket has the lowest prices. The quality of their veggies and side dish selection was a bit average but they are doing so many other things right I can overlook it and still give 5 stars. Most ethnic supermarkets are notorious for being stuffed to the brim a bit haphazardly to a point of making them intimidating. Wang Foodmarket really overcomes that to make it your adventure shopping enjoyable again.

I generally head to Tai Ping Trading Company after an evening at neighbouring yoga studio The Loft…read more Tai Ping is open late, and its shining lights tend to entice me as I'm walking back to my car. The main reason I go to Tai Ping is to choose from the array of tofu they have for sale. There is a huge range of fresh tofu in water, pre-packaged chunks (either marinated or plain) and other different presentations of this delicious soy staple. I also head to the noodle fridge to pick up fresh noodles, which you can grab in various different styles for just a couple of bucks. It's astounding how cheap the fresh stuff is here and I'm really happy when I see the total ring up on the register. Tai Ping is also great for stocking your pantry and fridge with Asian staples - I like to grab sauces (soy, oyster, mushroom), oils (chili, sesame) and other items such as mirin and sushi seasoning. It often takes me quite a while to get through these, particularly given that Tai Ping sells everything in such big bottles for so cheap!

Have you ever looked up an Asian recipe on the Internet but not had a clue what 80 percent of the…read moreingredients were? Do not be discouraged my friend, take that shopping list down to the Taiping Trading Company, they will sort you out no problem. This place is a galaxy of strange Eastern flavors, I would recommend just starting anywhere, pick a shelf and pick a sauce bottle, this is going to take a bit of trial and error, but if you persevere you will be able to out cook your friends soon enough. Seriously some of those bottles are literally just instant recipes, just poor it all over your frying pan and presto. PS don't worry if you do not know which soya sauce to choose, they have like 20 different types but they all taste the same.

After reading an NZ Herald article about the ethnic grocery stores of Auckland I figured it was…read moretime to really see what Glenfield had to offer in the way of Korean supermarkets. Hanyang is super easy to get to just off the motorway, directly on Wairau road, and has an easy parking lot. It not only has a supermarket, but also a hair salon, eyeware stand, clothing store and 2 food stalls (which weren't open on Sunday). The supermarket also included a stand with prepared Korean side dishes, a Korean veggie stand, as well as a Korean butcher. It is helpful to know that these stands act in silo of the supermarket so you need to pay at each individual counter (this is standard practice in most Korean supermarkets in Auckland). The offering of imported Korean products had all the usual suspects plus a few more that I hadn't seen else where. Price was very reasonable compared to other Korean shops and the staff were super friendly. I was greeted in English just fine and when they realized I could speak Korean switched with comfort and ease. I decided to do a tour of 3 other Korean supermarkets in Glenfield to compare and Hanyang definitely wins on location, quality of veggies, and friendliness of staff. Will definitely be going back!

Right next to the amazing Diehl's bakery is a specialty store that imports European food and sells…read moreit to Auckland's community of Europeans who are looking for the taste of home. When I went there with my partner (who lived in Austria for a number of years growing up), he went straight for the Milka chocolate and grabbed bar after bar like it was going out of fashion. I played around in the candy section too and came away with some weird and wonderful treats... like salted liquorice! What the hell is this stuff?! At Edelweiss there's also a cabinet of fresh and refrigerated food - my partner bought a liver and cheese roll, which is apparently a delicacy in Germany. They make these rolls in Austria too, except they are cheese, liver and more cheese!

The SA Shop in Rosedale should be ashamed of themselves. The…read morePeppermint Tart was an absolute disgrace - there was no proper filling, just a pile of foamy cream with a sprinkle of peppermint crisp on top to make it look appealing. The koeksisters were old, soft, dry, and dull in color. I was deeply embarrassed to have taken my friends there today. NEVER AGAIN!

I will be granted citizenship this year, and I'm very excited to get my Kiwi passport. This is my…read morehome, and I don't regret my move to the land of the Land of the long white cloud, especially after the last summer. I do miss my family and friends, and various things we used to do or places we frequented. But I don't miss being a South African or living with the issues South Africa presented us on a daily basis. Here in New Zealand, I feel at home, and relaxed. I don't even miss South African food or products, with the slight exception of about five key products; I still need my biltong, Pro Nutro, guava juice, pap and boerewors. Everything else can be replaced by Kiwi products. At the SA shop they've got almost everything a homesick Saffer will need, including the new number one on my Christmas wish list: a biltong maker.

A rather well stocked Asian grocery store with plenty of parking! The lady who runs the Albany…read morestore is really friendly and helpful. I make the occasional visit to stock up on my favorite Japanese loose-leaf green tea (Tokuyo Genmaicha - green tea with roasted rice). A 400g pack only costs $6 - I'm pretty sure I paid more for this stuff in Japan! I'm also over the moon about my latest discovery...this place stocks frozen banana leaves, frozen grated coconut and karapincha (curry leaves)!!! Lol, basically, everything I need to make Lamprais - once in a blue moon! Go the Tofu Shop!!!!

Really wonderful store where you can find authentic Chinese groceries, friendly staff. Just check…read morethe expiry date on packages because I have bought a lot of flavoured bean curd which tasted horrible, looked at the expiry and was out of date for two years. Went back to the store recently and still found a lot of expired items on their shelves.

This place is huge and newly opened on the shore. Basically an Asian supermarket, stocked with the…read morefamiliar and unfamiliar. Handy if you're after a specific ingredient for a special meal. The meat section is a bit offputting to the unadventurous, and the live fish tanks too (not a fan of eels). But you're safe up and down the aisles and in the large freezer section. Spotted cheap Chinese spoons, bargain at 25c each for the next dinner party.

I can only eat mild curries and I find their dishes very boring with no depth or complexity of…read moreflavour. I've tried their food on three occasions and I've always been disappointed in their curries. Their naan is good though. My husband likes his food medium to hot and he quite likes their food - the heat must bring out the flavours. If you want mild curry, I can't recommend them. If you like it medium to hot though, apparently it's perfectly edible.

I can't tell you how much I just love the butter chicken here. No other butter chicken compares. I…read moreabsolulty love the sweetness. This is not everyones cup of tea. but for me this place is heaven. $12.50 for a large butter chicken which comes with rice and a naan that easily feeds 2. Such great value. Love love love this place!!!!

It's amazing how the smell of hot bread can transport you to a different place in an instant…read more.. This is exactly what Diehl's Bakery does to me. I may be a bit biased admittedly (being half German) but I do think the big range of sour dough breads, pretzels and pastries make even a longer trip worthwhile. Bread is probably the number 1 thing that Germans abroad winge about and I can guarantee that EVERY German in Auckland knows about Ingo Diehl's bread heaven. Don't be fooled by the slightly industrial look of the bakery and give the Black Forest or Pumpkin and Carrot bread a go (my partner keeps on saying that you could kill someone quite easily by hitting them on the head with one of those breads that you do actually need to have teeth for) . One of my favourites would have to be the poppy seed cake that is nearly as good as my mum's. I'm praying to God that Ingo has no plans of retiring any time soon.

I can't really comment on the authenticity of Diehl's German bakery items, as I don't really know…read moreanything about German breads and sweets. All I can say is that the pretzels are amazing. However, the awkward little parking lot is treacherous, and they sell out of things quickly because they have quite a loyal and plentiful following. Don't be surprised if your favourites are gone when you get there. But fear not, I've seen lots of people there picking up their orders that they called in and had held for them. So try this if you have your heart set on a particular item (or 10!) Also, their hours are limited, so make sure you check their hours of operator before you show up there to avoid disappointment.