POSTED ON: Monday, March 10, 2014 @ 12:06 AM | 0 comments
Being a typical Singaporean, I am dearly missing the cheap and wide variety of food back in my country. So ever since I've been in Stockholm, I've been searching high and low for Asian supermarkets, hoping to find some familiarity in this foreign land and recreate some of my favourite Singaporean dishes.
Warning: Long post ahead.
This post documents all 11 supermarkets I've been to so far and aims to help lost souls in Stockholm (like I initially was when I first arrived) find good places to shop at. All the photos are taken by me (unless otherwise stated) and the addresses are those that I've been to. Of course there are many other outlets for the bigger chain supermarkets so I hope you'll find one nearest to you. (:
ICA
This chain supermarket is almost everywhere too, and it's the most convenient one for students staying at Lappis since ICA Lappkarrsberget is right smack in the middle of our Campus Lappis. The stuff here isn't at all cheap but the location makes it extremely convenient. Good enough for me to run down wearing a coat with my pyjamas underneath to grab a bottle of milk or other random stuff I suddenly need. Oh and there's the post office inside the supermarket too so that's where I collect my packages or mail stuff to my friends and family. (:
Address: Professorsslingan 15, 104 05 Stockholm
Nearest T-bana: Universitetet
Hemkop
This was the first ever supermarket I visited in Stockholm. A mad rush to get some basic necessities on my first day in Stockholm at 8pm when everywhere else was close. Similar to Singapore's NTUC Fairprice, with a good selection of stuff but a little bit on the pricey side.
Address: Mastersamuelsg 57, 111 21 Stockholm
Nearest T-bana (or what we Singaporeans call the MRT station): T Centralen
Pressbyran
This is everywhere, every single corner, every single station. It's a convenience store just like Cheers and 7-11. Limited selection of products, good for snacks and drinks. I usually buy my transport card and top up card for my phone here too.
Coop
One of my favourite chain supermarkets since the price is rather reasonable and the variety is good. It's pretty convenient for me too since I'm staying at Lappis and the nearest one for me is either at T-Centralen or at Bergshamra (another area with student housing by SSSB).
Address: Centralplan 1, 111 20 Stockholm
Nearest T-bana: T Centralen
and here's the one at Bergshamra (Coop Konsum Bergshamra)
Address: Radjursstigen 3-5, 170 76 Solna
Nearest T-bana: Bergshamra
Kista Grossen
Recommended by a friend but I didn't like the atmosphere of the supermarket very much. The variety of spices and sauces is pretty good and the prices are cheaper that those chain supermarkets. They have Indian, Iranian, Chinese, Vegetarian and Halal selections on the shelves. Kista is quite out of the way for me though. Anything that requires more than half an hour of travelling time isn't worth my effort.
Address: Torsnasgatan 4-6, 164 40 Kista
Nearest T-bana: Kista (blue line)
Asian Market
Mostly Thai products and some Chinese sauces too. Not exactly as cheap as what I can get in Singapore but a good place if you're looking for Asian products.
Address: Olaf Palmes Gata 12, 111 37 Stockholm
Nearest T-bana: Hotoget (exit at Olaf Palmes Gata)
Mai Mai Asian Market
Just across the road from the previous Asian Market (above), Mai Mai Asian Market is very similar to the previous Asian Market too. Mostly Thai products with some Asian products too. Prices are quite similar in my opinion but one thing that strikes me about this one is that they have quite a large selection of noodles to choose from.
Address: Hollandargatan 9A, 111 36 Stockholm
Nearest T-bana: Hotorget (exit at Olaf Palmes Gata)
Hong Kong Trading
My favourite Asian supermarket thus far! All things familiar here!
Look at the rows and rows and sauces and spices and pre-mixes! I can cook chicken curry, green curry, chicken rice, laksa, chicken rendang, korean bbq pork etc. with all these! They even sell char siew (Chinese roasted pork). The instant noodles here are really cheap too, at only 4 SEK per packet. The other sauces are a little bit on the pricey side if you'd ask me, but I think it's worth the money for a taste of home.
Address: Olofsgatan 5, 111 36 Stockholm (perpendicular to Sveavagen)
Nearest T-bana: Hotorget (exit at Olaf Palmes Gata)
Oriental Supermarket
The biggest Asian supermarket I've visited so far, with products ranging from Thai, Korean, Chinese to Indian and even Japanese.
They even have a counter selling steamed dim sum and meat (chicken feet, pork knuckles, pig trotters etc.). The prices are reasonable too but remember to check the expiry dates on the products!
Address: Sergelgatan 16 - 18/ Sveavagen 17, 111 57 Stockholm
Nearest T-bana: Hotorget (exit at Sergelgatan)
Lidl
One of the cheapest chain supermarkets in Stockholm (comparable to Willy's) and it's quite big too so they have all the basic things I need. I really like the layout of this one. It's similar to the supermarkets in Singapore so I find it easy to navigate around. Prices are definitely cheaper than ICA and Coop.
Address: Folkungagatan 51, 116 22 Stockholm
Nearest T-bana: Medborgarplatsen (about 130m away from the exit)
Matrebellen
Another cheap supermarket hidden at the corner near the T-bana exit. Not everything is cheaper than the usual chain supermarkets but they have really good offers on different items every week. I once bought a bunch of 5 bananas for only 6 SEK! So I make it a point to drop by to check out the offers whenever I'm in the area. Call me a cheapo auntie but that's how a poor exchange survives in an expensive city like Stockholm!
Source: http://klapp.co/portfolio/matrebellerna/
Address: Gotgatan 17, 116 46 Stockholm
Nearest T-bana: Slussen (exit at Gotgatan)
Willy's
Source: https://www.google.com/maps/
Another cheap chain supermarket just like Lidl, but the only one I've seen is very far away. Chanced upon it while we were at IKEA (which was half an hour free shuttle bus ride from T Centralen). The supermarket is huge huge huge and prices are very reasonable too. They have great weekly offers as well, like 4 2 litre bottles of soft drinks for only 49 SEK. I would visit Willy's more often it was nearer to where I live though. Hopefully we'll find one that is nearer to us soon...
Address: Dialoggatan 2, 141 75 Kugens Kurva
Nearest station: Alvsjo (commuter rail I believe?)
A few differences between grocery shopping in Stockholm and Singapore:
1. Almost all products in the supermarkets have their price per unit listed (bottom left hand corner in smaller font).
2. The cashier does not pack your groceries for you after you pay for them at the counter.
3. Every plastic bag you use to pack your groceries in cost money. ):
4. There are barely any sales assistants in the supermarkets to assist you with anything at all.
5. PET bottles are meant to be recycled. And for every plastic bottle recycled, you'd get a slip of paper indicating the amount "refunded" and this slip of paper can be used to offset the stated amount from our grocery purchases.
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POSTED ON: Monday, March 10, 2014 @ 12:06 AM | 0 comments
Being a typical Singaporean, I am dearly missing the cheap and wide variety of food back in my country. So ever since I've been in Stockholm, I've been searching high and low for Asian supermarkets, hoping to find some familiarity in this foreign land and recreate some of my favourite Singaporean dishes.
Warning: Long post ahead.
This post documents all 11 supermarkets I've been to so far and aims to help lost souls in Stockholm (like I initially was when I first arrived) find good places to shop at. All the photos are taken by me (unless otherwise stated) and the addresses are those that I've been to. Of course there are many other outlets for the bigger chain supermarkets so I hope you'll find one nearest to you. (:
ICA
This chain supermarket is almost everywhere too, and it's the most convenient one for students staying at Lappis since ICA Lappkarrsberget is right smack in the middle of our Campus Lappis. The stuff here isn't at all cheap but the location makes it extremely convenient. Good enough for me to run down wearing a coat with my pyjamas underneath to grab a bottle of milk or other random stuff I suddenly need. Oh and there's the post office inside the supermarket too so that's where I collect my packages or mail stuff to my friends and family. (:
Address: Professorsslingan 15, 104 05 Stockholm
Nearest T-bana: Universitetet
Hemkop
This was the first ever supermarket I visited in Stockholm. A mad rush to get some basic necessities on my first day in Stockholm at 8pm when everywhere else was close. Similar to Singapore's NTUC Fairprice, with a good selection of stuff but a little bit on the pricey side.
Address: Mastersamuelsg 57, 111 21 Stockholm
Nearest T-bana (or what we Singaporeans call the MRT station): T Centralen
Pressbyran
This is everywhere, every single corner, every single station. It's a convenience store just like Cheers and 7-11. Limited selection of products, good for snacks and drinks. I usually buy my transport card and top up card for my phone here too.
Coop
One of my favourite chain supermarkets since the price is rather reasonable and the variety is good. It's pretty convenient for me too since I'm staying at Lappis and the nearest one for me is either at T-Centralen or at Bergshamra (another area with student housing by SSSB).
Address: Centralplan 1, 111 20 Stockholm
Nearest T-bana: T Centralen
and here's the one at Bergshamra (Coop Konsum Bergshamra)
Address: Radjursstigen 3-5, 170 76 Solna
Nearest T-bana: Bergshamra
Kista Grossen
Recommended by a friend but I didn't like the atmosphere of the supermarket very much. The variety of spices and sauces is pretty good and the prices are cheaper that those chain supermarkets. They have Indian, Iranian, Chinese, Vegetarian and Halal selections on the shelves. Kista is quite out of the way for me though. Anything that requires more than half an hour of travelling time isn't worth my effort.
Address: Torsnasgatan 4-6, 164 40 Kista
Nearest T-bana: Kista (blue line)
Asian Market
Mostly Thai products and some Chinese sauces too. Not exactly as cheap as what I can get in Singapore but a good place if you're looking for Asian products.
Address: Olaf Palmes Gata 12, 111 37 Stockholm
Nearest T-bana: Hotoget (exit at Olaf Palmes Gata)
Mai Mai Asian Market
Just across the road from the previous Asian Market (above), Mai Mai Asian Market is very similar to the previous Asian Market too. Mostly Thai products with some Asian products too. Prices are quite similar in my opinion but one thing that strikes me about this one is that they have quite a large selection of noodles to choose from.
Address: Hollandargatan 9A, 111 36 Stockholm
Nearest T-bana: Hotorget (exit at Olaf Palmes Gata)
Hong Kong Trading
My favourite Asian supermarket thus far! All things familiar here!
Look at the rows and rows and sauces and spices and pre-mixes! I can cook chicken curry, green curry, chicken rice, laksa, chicken rendang, korean bbq pork etc. with all these! They even sell char siew (Chinese roasted pork). The instant noodles here are really cheap too, at only 4 SEK per packet. The other sauces are a little bit on the pricey side if you'd ask me, but I think it's worth the money for a taste of home.
Address: Olofsgatan 5, 111 36 Stockholm (perpendicular to Sveavagen)
Nearest T-bana: Hotorget (exit at Olaf Palmes Gata)
Oriental Supermarket
The biggest Asian supermarket I've visited so far, with products ranging from Thai, Korean, Chinese to Indian and even Japanese.
They even have a counter selling steamed dim sum and meat (chicken feet, pork knuckles, pig trotters etc.). The prices are reasonable too but remember to check the expiry dates on the products!
Address: Sergelgatan 16 - 18/ Sveavagen 17, 111 57 Stockholm
Nearest T-bana: Hotorget (exit at Sergelgatan)
Lidl
One of the cheapest chain supermarkets in Stockholm (comparable to Willy's) and it's quite big too so they have all the basic things I need. I really like the layout of this one. It's similar to the supermarkets in Singapore so I find it easy to navigate around. Prices are definitely cheaper than ICA and Coop.
Address: Folkungagatan 51, 116 22 Stockholm
Nearest T-bana: Medborgarplatsen (about 130m away from the exit)
Matrebellen
Another cheap supermarket hidden at the corner near the T-bana exit. Not everything is cheaper than the usual chain supermarkets but they have really good offers on different items every week. I once bought a bunch of 5 bananas for only 6 SEK! So I make it a point to drop by to check out the offers whenever I'm in the area. Call me a cheapo auntie but that's how a poor exchange survives in an expensive city like Stockholm!
Source: http://klapp.co/portfolio/matrebellerna/
Address: Gotgatan 17, 116 46 Stockholm
Nearest T-bana: Slussen (exit at Gotgatan)
Willy's
Source: https://www.google.com/maps/
Another cheap chain supermarket just like Lidl, but the only one I've seen is very far away. Chanced upon it while we were at IKEA (which was half an hour free shuttle bus ride from T Centralen). The supermarket is huge huge huge and prices are very reasonable too. They have great weekly offers as well, like 4 2 litre bottles of soft drinks for only 49 SEK. I would visit Willy's more often it was nearer to where I live though. Hopefully we'll find one that is nearer to us soon...
Address: Dialoggatan 2, 141 75 Kugens Kurva
Nearest station: Alvsjo (commuter rail I believe?)
A few differences between grocery shopping in Stockholm and Singapore:
1. Almost all products in the supermarkets have their price per unit listed (bottom left hand corner in smaller font).
2. The cashier does not pack your groceries for you after you pay for them at the counter.
3. Every plastic bag you use to pack your groceries in cost money. ):
4. There are barely any sales assistants in the supermarkets to assist you with anything at all.
5. PET bottles are meant to be recycled. And for every plastic bottle recycled, you'd get a slip of paper indicating the amount "refunded" and this slip of paper can be used to offset the stated amount from our grocery purchases.
