I thought I’d take a few photos while I was shopping in Flemington today. As I was merrily clicking away, this post just grew and grew! So please, grab a cup of tea, there’s nearly forty photos to look at.
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I don’t speak Mandarin or Cantonese.
I do speak a little Hokkien (my mother’s native tongue) and can manage to order at Yum Cha, but that’s about it. Being Chinese, it’s quite a handicap – taxi drivers in Hong Kong laugh at me, waiters in restaurants shake their heads, and shop attendants will often just stare blankly at me. When I shop in the Mandarin speaking grocery stores in nearby Ashfield, I often struggle to communicate what I’m after.
That isn’t the case in Flemington. The Asian stores here were established far earlier than in other suburbs (I think by the Vietnamese community), and almost everyone speaks English reasonably well. On top of that, parking is easy and free, folks are friendly, and prices are the cheapest I’ve found anywhere in Sydney.
Despite taking so many photos, I’ve only showcased a couple of the shops in Flemington. There are at least half a dozen good Asian grocery stores, stocking Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese and Malaysian supplies (and a few other cuisines that I’m not familiar with), as well as a couple of Indian spice stores. There are two fishmongers, several butchers, traditional herbal medicine shops, and lots of restaurants. If you ever find yourself in the area, it’s definitely worth a visit!
My favourite grocery store is the Tan Hung Long Supermarket, located in a small arcade off the main street…
The wide aisles are packed with produce from all over Asia…
I’d popped in to pick up more dumpling supplies – I came home with two packets each of gow gee and wonton wrappers ($1.69 each)…
There are rows of traditional Chinese herbs and spices. I’ve tried most of them over the years, but have no idea what any of them are or what they’re supposed to do…
Soup bases for invigorating tonics are available – the entire packet of roots, herbs and spices are stewed for hours with meat (usually chicken)…
I have no idea what these tiny rosebuds are used for, but they were very pretty (I didn’t buy them)…
Oodles of dried Chinese mushrooms – I bought a packet for my next batch of dumplings…
This is my favourite Malaysian curry paste, and I’ve only ever found it in Flemington. It’s preservative free, sealed in two layers of foil, and costs just $2. It contains enough paste to make dinner for all four of us…
There is an entire aisle dedicated to religious paraphernalia for traditional ancestor worship. It’s not something we practice in our family, so I’m not sure what the ceremonies involve, but it was fascinating nonetheless.
I do know that all these items are made of paper and designed to be burnt as an offering to ancestors – there is paper money, gold bullion, electronic equipment (note the paper iPad on the top shelf), clothing and more…
An entire paper outfit, complete with gold watch…
Colourful incense known as joss sticks are widely used in religious rituals…
In Flemington, you can buy a 4½kg (10lb) bag of MSG…
An aisle full of hot sauces, including our favourite Lingham’s, a Malaysian product which can be hard to buy elsewhere…
Fresh fruit and vegetables on offer include exotic dragonfruits…
…and spiky durian…
Salted jellyfish is (I think) soaked and then sliced up and served cold. It’s an acquired taste, but I love it. I’ve never seen it in its raw state before though – it reminded me of bacalhau…
Bitter melon is another acquired taste, but the Chinese believe it’s very good for you…
A wide assortment of Chinese mushrooms, including oyster, shiitake, straw and King Browns…
Locally made rice noodles sit unrefrigerated by the door. They must turn over very quickly, because all the packets had long expiry dates on them…
Salted duck egg is a delicacy – I grew up eating this on boiled rice…
I won’t buy quails’ eggs any more – they’re too hard to peel!
Dried shrimp is used extensively in Chinese and Malaysian cooking. Here it’s sold by the kilo…
…as are dried scallops ($78/kg!)…
For the folks who take gingko biloba to help their memories – this is what the nut looks like. My mum adds it to soups, and it’s delicious…
There was a plethora of fresh desserts on offer…
One of the things I love most about shopping at Flemington is that foodstuffs from a wide variety of Asian cuisines are on offer.
There’s belacan (stinky prawn paste) from Malaysia…
Indonesian palm sugar (gula melaka)…
…and an entire stand of Thai curry pastes…
It’s Chinese New Year until this Friday, so the lanterns are still up…
An aisle full of interesting teas and drink mixes…
And finally, something very unusual – these sea cucumbers are an expensive delicacy. This one kilogram bag retails for $280…
Just across the arcade from Tan Hung Long is the K.W. Barbecue Shop, selling roast ducks, char siu, roasted belly pork and more…
My sons have declared this to be the finest takeaway roast duck they’ve ever eaten…
Squid, chickens’ feet, giblets and all sort of other (ahem) treats are laid out behind the counter…
The roast pork boasts rich brown crackling…
The suburb of Flemington is located about sixteen kilometres from Sydney’s CBD. It’s easy to get to – either by road, or by train – the station is located right between the shops and the fruit and vegetable markets. One tip if you do decide to explore the area – buy yourself a bubble tea from the shop at the entrance to the arcade – they’re delicious!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 