Best places for grocery shopping for those living on campus

Thirdfox

As the title says - what are the best places to shop for those who are living on campus?

I know there's an Aldi at Parnell Street, and a Marks & Sparks at Grafton Street. Any other suggestions for the budget conscious shopper?

Boston

Dunnes on Georges street.

j1smithy

Dunnes in the Stephens green SC, Supervalu on the quays and not forgetting the SU shops. I think theres a LIDL on parnell st too as well as a late opening (11pm) Tesco.

Alexl

If you want to be adventurous hit up the asia market on Drury St. , here you can get everything you need for chinese/indian/thai cuisine, you can also cheaply buy bulk bags of rice, beans and nuts.

AlanSparrowhawk

When I lived in Goldsmith I usually went to the Tesco (Tesco express perhaps) on Baggot street. However, I don't like Tesco but I think it's much closer than dunnes. Occasionally I used to go to moore street to get fruit, a bit of veg and meat/fish but found the commute not worth it as the value of the goods wasn't as great as people tell you. I ate relatively healthily in college (imo) cooking the majority of my meals myself from fresh meat/fish and vegetables. So if also try to avoid a diet of take away/frozen pizza/similar you should try and eat with your flatmates (taking turns to cook) or with someone on campus.

IF you live in Front Square I'd agree that Dunnes on George's St is probably your best bet (I'm not a fan of M&S). There's a Supervalu on the quays (Aston Quay) which is also relatively near.

Thirdfox

Alexl wrote: »

If you want to be adventurous hit up the asia market on Drury St. , here you can get everything you need for chinese/indian/thai cuisine, you can also cheaply buy bulk bags of rice, beans and nuts.

Of course, how could I have forgotten...

In our household we call Chinese food "food" - One 15kg bag of rice and that'll last me the year... LIDL/ALDI for the cheaper veggies and eggs. Meat from Dunnes. Stir-fry every night (as long as the Pearse Street kitchens are big enough!) Can't make peking duck as I've been informed that Pearse Street doesn't have ovens?

Thanks to all.

Alexl

Thirdfox wrote: »

Can't make peking duck as I've been informed that Pearse Street doesn't have ovens?

You can still do some very cheap nutritious curries on the hot top, once you've a half decent spice cupboard, saag aloo, very cheap and tasty.

Sparks

Another +1 for the Asia Market, with the caveat that you have to learn to cook and the silver lining that it's not hard, a bit of fun, and you get to eat the end result. So it beats mink farming on two out of three criteria.

(For those wishing to learn to cook, seek out Good Eats on youtube.com. If that series can teach an engineer to cook, it can teach anyone).

Sparks

Alexl wrote: »

You can still do some very cheap nutritious curries on the hot top, once you've a half decent spice cupboard, saag aloo, very cheap and tasty.

And there are other ways round the no-oven problem, from dutch ovens (the cooking vessel, not the urban dictionary entry), to bread machines, to slow cookers.

Granted, you're not going to be able to bake your own croissants or muffins, but that's what parents and bakeries are for.

AlanSparrowhawk

never really done any shopping in the asia market. my experience of asian cuisine is chicken balls, chips and yellow gravy. Must expand my horizons.

Sparks

Bock's chicken curry. Nice easy indian recipe.

Indian Food Made Easy, Season 1
Indian Food Made Easy, Season 2

Sparks

Oh, and it's more for kitchen hardware than for food, but TK Max in stephen's green has a great kitchen section. The stuff changes every other day, but I've seen proper chef's knives going for a fiver that would normally go for fifty to a hundred at the other end of Grafton street. And for woks, only the asia market is cheaper - and the asia market doesn't do pots, pans, chopping boards, utensils, canisters, or whatever.

ilovemybrick

Thirdfox wrote: »

Of course, how could I have forgotten...

In our household we call Chinese food "food" - One 15kg bag of rice and that'll last me the year... LIDL/ALDI for the cheaper veggies and eggs. Meat from Dunnes. Stir-fry every night (as long as the Pearse Street kitchens are big enough!) Can't make peking duck as I've been informed that Pearse Street doesn't have ovens?

Thanks to all.

Pearse Street does have ovens. I lived there this year.

Thirdfox

Microwaves too?

Alexl

ilovemybrick wrote: »

Pearse Street does have ovens. I lived there this year.

problem solved:D:D:D:D

shay_562

Pearse Street does have ovens. I lived there this year.

Depends which part of Pearse St you're in. The ones over the creche have ovens, but I'm pretty sure the ones over the medical centre don't. Any idea which one you're in, Thirdfox?

Thirdfox

Yes, I'm in house 49 - I checked it out today and it's one of the ones above the creche I think (actually facing Pearse Street) - the older ones.

Are those shared between 4 or 7 people does anyone know?

Sparks

Oh, and keep an eye on www.cheapeats.ie as well.