Brisbane has come a long way over the years but it can still be frustrating trying to get a decent…read moremeal late at night. Hospitality workers, shift labourers and the inveterately disorganised know this fact only too well - if you end up trying to sort out dinner after the 9pm mark on a weekday you won't be able to get anything from the major supermarkets and your takeaway options will be seriously limited. That's why I appreciate the role of chains like IGA. To me, they represent the happiest compromise possible between a 24-hour convenience store and a full-blown supermarket. IGA Milton has an especially good range and boasts impressive opening hours: 6am - midnight 365 days a year (foreign readers from countries where 24-hour supermarkets are easy to find will have to excuse my excitement)! The deli here is quite gourmet, with a good selection of salamis and prosciutto as well as an array of olives. There are also some wholesome ready to eat salads and other heat-and-eat options like tortilla stacks. The nearby cheese selection showcases a well sourced selection of brie, camembert, blue and many others. I've even bought a very tasty pre-made sand crab lasagne from the refrigerated section. I suppose we have the area's high socio-economic status to thank for these epicurean touches.

Yep, I'm jumping on the bandwagon to rave about Baroona Road IGA. Such a sellout, aren't I? Hardly…read more Have you ever tried getting a park in Baroona Road Centro? It's a nightmare! My roommate laughs at me every time I say I'm popping down there for groceries and sarcastically wishes me luck getting a park, and he's not wrong. It's every man for himself when it comes to parking at this place. Horrible parking experiences aside though, this IGA is a godsend. The amount of times I've panicked when I've had nothing to take to work for lunch the next day or I've run out of milk and this place has saved me, I simply cannot count. One particular occasion I forgot it was a coworker's birthday the next day so I frantically rushed into Milton IGA at around 11pm and quickly swiped up a chocolate mud cake. It's a constant topic of conversation in my house how amazing the Baroona Road IGA's opening hours are. 6am to 12am every night; how does it get any better than that? Plus it's a TINY place, and yet I always seem to be able to find everything my heart desires. How do they manage to pack all that stuff into this tiny little space? Beats me, but they do. I prefer it to even larger supermarkets where they'd have about five hundred different brands of washing powder or mango juice because Baroona Road IGA always has what I need. For a small place, it has a ridiculously amazing selection of gourmet cheeses and healthy cooking options, plus a better range of caesar salads than I see in larger IGAs or Woolworths stores. Rather than go to Toowong's large and probably cheaper Coles, I prefer to go here. It's more convenient, and the selection is excellent. It's far better than any other chain grocery store I've experienced thus far. Everything is super easy to find whether you're in a rush or planning a larger shop. Because of Baroona Road IGA, I never go hungry. If you're a Milton/Auchenflower local, you'll find that you cherish and appreciate this IGA as much as me; if you survive the rat race of the car park out front, that is.

Clafield Fruit Market has all the best bits of what you want from a fruit market. There range of…read morefruit and vegetables is spot on, with all the basics plus a few more exotic varieties and herbs for cooking. They also have a neat little deli section packed with meats, cheese and other treats. The service is always fantastic when I have been and the wait time is not too bad to be served. Parking is ok but it is a tricky small car park to navigate if it is busy.

Ah, Clayfield Markets. Friendly faces, great customer service all within walking distance. Between…read morethis place and Aldi Toombul I don't have to be a slave to Woolworths/Coles more than a couple of times per month. The fresh fruit and veg are plentiful, there's so much variety. The deli section is to DIE for, and not a little bit overwhelming. My better half gets so impatient with me, because I'm known to turn into a slack-jawed, drooling, indecisive-zombie-cheese-charcuterie-fiend. He inevitably makes our choices ;) Yes. Things like milk, bread and like staples are more expensive if I've got to make an emergency dash. But they open at 6am and close at 7pm. Every single day. It's worth the convenience...and goodness knows I love me some predictability! The staff are the icing on this tasty, tasty cake. Even when I wasn't a familiar face, everyone is always willing to assist or even let me know what's particularly delicious at the moment. Just keep on being you, Clayfield Markets!

Australia has a pretty limited marketplace with regards to food shopping, but this locally owned…read moregrocer seems to be bringing something to the table. It has a bit of a warehouse feel, and some clearance sales lying around, but also a fairly respectable selection, including things that aren't all that easy to find; some nice vegetarian specialty items and a decent international section. They have ample fresh fruits and vegetables and a lot of dried beans and grains, so we're not talking unhealthy food either. The location is reasonably convenient, near the hospital with ample bus access and a train station on the other side of the hospital. Some of the sale items will understandably be a tad sketch, buy you can certainly find some deals here.

As you'll see in my review of the Gabba Fruit Market, I'm a little bit attached to it. However, I…read morewas driving past Mother of All Fruits the other day and decided to check it out. I've gotta say, I was pretty impressed with the range and presentation of fruit and veg. Tucked just inside a Spar-owned shopping centre, Mother of All Fruits occupies a huge floor space. Most of this is taken up by rows of fresh produce, but there's also a section for packaged and frozen goods. The range of fruit and veg is great and their herbs come in huge bunches for around $2.95 each. There are also lots of "bucket" specials to be had where you get a reduced price for buying a large amount. For $30, I filled a green bag and walked out with a tray of 20 bowen mangoes. Pretty good value, especially the $10 tray of mangoes. Whilst extremely well organised and well presented, the only thing I don't like about this produce store is that it feels a little too much like a supermarket. I remain faithful to the Gabba Fruit Market, which has a more local feel to it and has a less hectic carpark.

This Woolworths has self-service and staffed checkouts, a deli, a butcher and a bakery. The staff…read moreare mostly friendly and the turnover is low. The fruit and vegetables are the highest quality in the area. The prices are not always the lowest. The noise levels are much too high and the music selection appears to be getting worse and worse.

WELCOME Fresh Food Having been brought up on a Chinese diet,…read moremost forms of Asian cooking is second nature to me now. I can't count the number of times I've scoured Brisbane looking for a specific ingredient without which my authentic Thai or Malaysian or Chinese dish would fail. WELCOME Fresh Food is one of my regular suppliers for Asian groceries. For those who are use to shopping at Woolworths or Coles, there are two things you'll notice about Asian grocery stores in general. Firstly, the aisles are not very wide. It wouldn't be unusual for two women with normal sized child-bearing hips to get wedged in an aisle. WELCOME Fresh Food is no exception. There is nothing you can about this. I repeat, there is absolutely NOTHING you can do about this. The only way to deal with it is to learn how to sidle, slip and slide through temporary cracks in the crowd. If you do tend to get claustrophobic, fortunately there are quiet periods - go first thing in the morning or half an hour before shutting. Do not go around midday on a weekend! Secondly, you may notice that the level of cleanliness is not like Woollies or Coles. I'm not saying there are bugs crawling around but sometimes floors are streaked with mud or grocery juices. Things can get slippery so be careful! Also, unturned stock tends to sit on shelves gathering dust. Fortunately, WELCOME Fresh Food is one of the cleanest Asian grocery shops I've been to so hopefully you won't encounter any problems. Finally the range of products at WELCOME Fresh Food is excellent. It's difficult for a general Asian grocery shop to stock everything - that's why there are specialty Asian grocery shops which will focus on Korean or Indian. WELCOME Fresh Food does a decent range of most South East Asian cooking products. I'm singing their praise higher than usual because they helped me out the other week with a purchase of Kombu (seaweed) which I was unable to find at four other Asian grocery stores in Sunnybank. Trading Hours (Open 7 Days) Monday-Saturday 8.30am-7pm Sunday 9am-6pm Public holiday 9am-6pm Closed on Christmas Day & Boxing Day

This has to be the biggest, busiest Asian supermarket in Sunnybank. Given its size you would expect…read moreit to have the biggest range of produce and as far as I can see, it does. Along with all the usual longer life stuff there's a good sized fresh produce section with vegetables that actually look good, unlike some of the other places where the bok choy falls to one side in protest as soon as you pick it up. One thing I like about this place is that they have more than one check out - I've been in one too many Asian supermarket where I've had to wait for much longer than should be necessary just to buy one item, while I've been stuck behind people buying a week's worth of groceries because there's one measly cash register in the entire place.

Marcia's on Montague is the sort of place that will make budding cooks absolutely salivate. The…read morefirst time I walked into the orange building on West End's Montague Road I was slightly overwhelmed by the huge amount of beautiful dinnerware and giftware on display. I wasn't after anything specific and the first showrooms mix of baby gifts, handbags, dinner sets and cutlery left me a bit adrift. My state of confusion was only heightened when I noticed there were two more showrooms to go. Without the price mark-ups that you find in most department stores, you are sure to leave with a lot of value for your money (and probably a few extra purchases that you just couldn't resist). So with a range and value that is to be admired Marcia's really is a great place to find a house warming, wedding present or that little something your own kitchen is missing.

Walk through the first room at Marcia's which tends to be more giftware than kitchenware and make…read morehaste to the "back room" where all your kitchen gadgetry desires may be fulfilled. If you're not a cook, you'll leave Marcia's with grand desires to be (possibly with various pieces of kitchen paraphernalia under your arm that will help you become a better baker / cook / tea brewer). At the very least, Marcia's offers competitive pricing that isn't as good as online but isn't as expensive as other retailers. I popped in here recently to get silver scoops for an upcoming event, other hospitality wholesalers had quoted $11.95 per scoop. I picked them up at Marcia's for $2.95. BAM!

When you've got a busy working day, knowing you've got a good lunch spot to go to is pretty…read moreessential. You give your head a break, you stretch your legs, and usually you think about something other than your work. After my first day at a new co-working space in a suburb I'm not familiar with, I was happy to get out. My new co-working buddies and I ordered simple but delicious food. My tuna sandwich hit the spot like a boss and kept me going until way past afternoon tea time. I will definitely be back

Every neighbourhood should be so lucky to have a one-stop gourmet shop like the Rosalie Gourmet…read moreMarket. Spending almost four years living only a few hundred metres from their front door (often adorned with bouquets of fresh flowers to take home), I'll not hazard a guess as to how much of my pay cheque has been spent on fresh loaves of sourdough, bunches of flowers, delicious cheeses or fresh produce from here. But what I will say is: all worth it. From ready-made take-home meals or ingredients for a jolly great cheese and chacuterie board -- they've got you covered. And now with the upstairs area converted into a cafe, there's even more reason to stop and enjoy the space. Pro Tip; Enjoy the Autumn days with a picnic basket of goodies from here and then stroll down to Gregory Park for a lazy afternoon with a good book.

The IGA in Portside Wharf bares striking resemblance to a gourmet deli. Sure, it may have its…read morenormal grocery store layout, but have a look closer at the products on the shelves. Plenty of it is gourmet deli selections. They have a larger selection of cheeses, which you will not find at your regular suburban IGA and a diverse range of mineral water. This IGA is a prime example of how different shops cater to different markets. Clearly, this IGA caters to a more affluent and posher market. Those who need that big selection of cheeses to go with their vintage imported wines and the huge choice of mineral water, because God forbid, there are certain waters that just won't do! Ah... The thoughts of the wealthy. I'm a simple person, who doesn't really know much of the cheeses, except cheddar, swiss, brie and blue? And when it comes to water, when I was in this IGA recently, I decided to get one branded, 'Another Bloody Water'. Again, you don't find this brand in most other IGA's, but I suppose, they are posh enough to get away with risque brands. This sort of thing appeals to this particular class of peoples. But hey, it's not a bad thing!

I love this IGA. Not only because of its location (prime location by the sea by the way) but by…read morethe way the owners set it up. I've been in my fair share of IGA's to know that this one, takes the cake... and eats it too. It's everything the stereotypical IGA should not be. Clean, everything looks fresh, the aisle's are organised, the prices expensive, the service friendly. Did I mention the aisle's sparkle? My shoes even squeaked. It doesn't stop there. They only stop posh deli meat... a whole range of prociutto, beef, deli delights, dried fruit and fancy pre-made salads. The salami's are a range of their own. Obviously rich people shop here. It's too good to be true. The shelves stock fancy overseas items in the coffee section (so fancy I don't remember the names) and horlicks! Ahhh my beloved horlicks. I will pay the expensive $7 for you because you're worth it. The feeling is good, the staff courteous and the atmosphere... portside wharf. Pack your picnic hamper here, it's all good.