Jk Spice Bazaar

Unlike many of its counterparts JK Spice Bazaar in Mt Gravatt emulates a modern supermarket, slick and well-lit.

Tucked away on a stretch of indented shops that include a couple of sari fashion houses, it offers one of the southside’s best ranges of groceries from the subcontinent.

The shelves boast a sizable array of curry pastes and mixes, chutneys (mango, lemon, ginger and coriander) and spices. Stocking up in bulk is not problem with buckets of ghee and flour and rice coming in 10kg bags and the frozen section hosts a plethora of vegetables including hyacinth beans and ivy and bitter gourd.

In case of a birthday, there are some great Indian celebratory cards.