Just strolling along the drive and stumbled onto this store. They colourful variety of Turkish…read moreDelights caught my eyes. Though a tad on the pricey side, I indulged on one piece of Turkish Delight with pistachios on the outside and pomegranate and caramel inside. It was so tasty that I have no regrets when I enjoyed it with my latte nearby. I also bought the Lebanese coffee and it offered the same Mediterranean taste of coffee...and potency. I ended up adding a box of Turkish Delight candies and a fresh block of Bulgarian Feta cheese. Very cool store and I will return for other items.

Came through at the last minute!…read more I was heading to a dinner party and when I heard the food was Greek themed, I offered to bring dessert with every intention of bringing baklava. The restaurant I decided to pick it up from was sold out so I had to make a last minute pivot to Mediterranean Specialty Foods in the hopes that they still had some before they closed (I had 12 minutes till close!) Not only did they have enough for me to bring, but they had at least 6 types to choose from (which only made it harder given my time crunch) I only wish I took some photos if I had the time. I'll be back to try the others offerings and to peruse the shelves!

Like this little place. I buy some sushi grade fish here. Prices aren't that cheap but they have…read morea good selection of fish. I also like their pickled ginger and salmon. I discovered it on instagram recently and went there to pick up a few things. They have biweekly specials which they post on their facebook page.

Great place to get frozen sashimi! And some unique Japanese grocery…read more There were many frozen sashimi including geoduck, seared bonito, salmon roe, squid, shrimp, also great looking steaks that are relatively inexpensive compared to other retailers. Japanese grocery mostly dried foods and snack is pretty limited. I found dried seaweed, some rice crackers I haven't seen at other stores. The price for Japanese grocery is about the same. This store is pretty small but has lots of potential. The staff were very nice even letting us in before the store opened.

I saw a Google review, the customer wanted to "love" the store, but found it unorganized, the staff…read morewas unhelpful and uninformed. They also overheard a customer talking about private medical issues in a counseling session. The owner replied, "we like it like that". I don't know how inclusive this store really is

This store is really special - they have tons of herbs and natural remedies. Their staff is also…read morereally helpful and available when needed. They also offer donation/ low prices clothes and other really neat finds. Really a gem

I understand king crabs are expensive…read more What I ordered on the website stated it would feed "2-3 people" (see photo) and I would argue this is misleading. Granted, I'm at fault for not paying attention to the grams because if I did, I would have realized it's barely enough for 1 person. In they store they actually tried to justify that this is enough for 2-3 people. I'm willing to pay market value, even more to support a business I like, especially during these rough times. But sorry, this is just plain deceptive.

I wanted to buy candied salmon to the friends in Toronto. Last time I bought here, I got vacuumed…read morepack and got frozen at home. This time they said they have already packed (vacuum and frozen) one but unfortunately sold out. So I did it same at home again. I recommend to ask if they still have "packed one" if you are thinking to get ready by yourself.

I needed to stock up on tinned fish and pasta so I decided to include a visit to Bosa while running…read morean errand not far away. It was a warm and sunny winter sunday so I decided to walk from home downtown. It was a loverly 1.5 hr walk along the Seawall and through revived neighbourhoods of Strathcona and Grandview-Woodlands. After grabbing my provisions, I decided to pick up a drink and sandwich from the deli counter for lunch. I did not take a picture of my sandwich but the grilled bacon and tomato panini could not be any more perfect with an orange pop for lunch in their sidewalk seating under the wintry sun. The sandwich was piping hot coming out of the heater. The breads were crispy and the thick bacon slices filled every bite.

Greeting from cashiers. No acknowledgement from the deli staff counter whatsoever, no indication…read morethey were aware I was waiting. Lady of similar descent came up and she was acknowledged and served. Other members of deli team were in their personal world and conversations. For better service and better treatment, stick to Renzullo's. They train their staff to be pleasant and work hard, and not stand around and treat customers as if they are bothering them. Oh, the good thing about Bosa store was it was clean.

I am a big fan of South China Seas at Granville Island and I actually went all the way to this…read morelocation from the west side to see what they had to offer. I found this shop in an unlikely place in the middle of a housing neighbourhood near Commercial Drive. The shop is quite small to my surprise but that's probably because I didn't see the kitchen. It's well stocked with uncommon spices and herbs such as fresh galangal and fresh green peppercorns and other rare ingredients. They also sell paella kits, mortar and pestle, cookbooks and more. However, I find the selections very similar to the Granville location and there's really no incentive for me to travel all the way to Victoria Drive. But if you live in the east side, this is great place for people to get a hold of ingredients they've never tried before without having to squeeze their car into the already crowded Granville Island. Pop some galangal into soups or use coconut water in your stew. Life is indeed too short for boring food.

Cute, clean shop with awesome service and a great selection of exotic ingredients from all over the…read moreworld. Came here in hopes of finding a few hard-to-source chiles for an enchilada sauce; left with two bags full of amazing imports. Mexican cheeses, fresh and dried chiles, corn tortillas, hot sauce, tomatillos -- this place is paradise. Even better, the woman behind the till (owner perhaps?) was super knowledgeable and loaded us up with some extra freebies of produce she couldn't sell. We will be back!

WOW! I had absolutely no idea this place existed. It is more…read moreon the expensive side but it's great for special occasions or any cheese lovers. I am swiss so I can be quite picky, but they got it all here. Lovely staff, following all COVID regulations and were extremely helpful with my pick up order. They also have great soups here.

Another 5/5 on my list. This is a GOOD weekend!…read more My girlfriends and I decided to have wine and cheese night for a birthday. We each were responsible to bring something. Someone had meat duty, another had alcohol duty and so on... Lucky me, I was in charge of cheese! And am I glad I went to Les Amis Du Fromage! There were so many variety of cheeses in there that I just stood in awe for about 5 minutes. The woman behind the counter noticed me and was extremely helpful. I told her we were very adventurous and wanted to try lots of unique cheeses. She spent a good 20 minutes with me helping me decided on my list which ended up with: Applewood smoked cheddar (needed the basics), honey goat gouda, gorgonzola (blue cheese), morbier-livradoise (blue cheese mixed with a lighter creamier taste), bleu de sassenage (more blue!), quarto (60% cow's milk and 40% buffalo milk), white Stilton apple and pear and espresso cheese. They even let you try a few cheeses just to make sure you will like it before buying. All the cheeses were AH-MAZING! There are also a lot of crackers, pre-packaged soups, sausages, appetizers so I think I will try something else next time. With a few cheeses on the side as well.

Looks like Sy Farm Market died and reincarnated into this one…read more The place still looks as dumpy and old school as the predecessor. Cheap produce and meat. No idea about the hygiene. Staff are friendly and helpful.

Wonderful place to find international grocery, fresh produce &fruit, fresh meat and seafoodread more

Hype Chocolate is my favorite chocolate shop. This time, I heard they would have Vendor at Light up…read moreChinatown. What I got - Holly duck Chili ice cream It was very spicy! The chili and dark chocolate coating paired so well. Chocolate ice cream was also very rich and bold. Very delicious item, Highly recommend! Triple chocolate clay pot rice chocolate bar- with roasted rice, caramelized puffed rice, sweet soy and toasted sesame. I really liked puffed rice and roasted rice inside, and there was small amount of sweet soy drizzled over it. It provided sweet and savory flavor. I love the creation! I also got 2 other chocolate bars at their shop. Italian coffee and Savoiardi cookies chocolate bar -Bold Italian Coffee, savoiardi cookie crunch, smooth sweet, creamy milk chocolate Savoiardi cookie is generally known as lady fingers. Dark chocolate was very bold and paired with sweet savoiardi cookie crunch so well. I could taste subtle coffee flavor. Szechuan peppercorn chocolate bar - limited item. Szechuan peppercorn chocolate was one of the most unique item I ever had. Szechuan peppercorn had citrus flavor. It was different from chili, it was more fragrant, refreshing spice. Very unique. And it paired well with milky chocolate. Very interesting and memorable chocolate. Overall, I always enjoy Hype chocolate creation. Can't wait to try their new item! Highly recommend their chocolate bar or ice cream!

The BEST chocolate I've ever had! I preordered the Pistachio Knafeh chocolate bar online and was…read moreable to pick it up at their flagship location on East Hastings (they also have a popup in Holt Renfrew). The staff were amazing and the chocolate was to die for. I will definitely be back to buy more chocolate and explore the other products!!!