Alto Food

Thanks to well-​stocked places like Alto Foods on Middle Abbey Street, I’m getting a definite taste for Eastern groceries. From lotions and deodorants or teen-​pop magazines, to fresh herbs, fruits and pre-​packed dinner items, there’s plenty in here to generously stock a Filipino kitchen.
On the downside the store is a bit cramped, and towards the back things can get awkward as you try to dance or dodge around other customers in the narrow back alcove.
There’s plenty of sweets, syrupy canned fruit juice and even sweeter tinned fruit to be had, plus instant chocolate oatmeal, flan mixes… and then there’s Alto’s wall of hot sauce. While I haven’t worked up the bravery to try the bottle with the crying man with his tongue tied around the lettering (when turning it over a dark oil of what I can only think of as liquid Scoville), I’m getting there.

If like me you have a weakness for processed concentrated carbohydrates, you really should start shopping in Alto Food. If you like your noodles, you should jump on the buying noodles in 5 kilo blocks wagon.
As well as noodles, Alto Food does stuff like speciality veg, fruit and that freaky dried fish stuff that people of the western world are terrified to try.
So you may end up with horrendous back pain, but at least you won’t need to buy rice for a few months.