What a lovely crew runs Daily Spices! It's a bright little store a little further out beyond Merrifield's H Mart, filled with sunlight and Indian groceries. Go there often enough and it's worth joining their loyalty scheme. You'll find a huge range of flours suited to each different kind of Indian bread or pancake, as well as rice of various sorts, including par boiled in sacks large enough to feed a very extended family.

The range of fruit and vegetables is small and not particularly Asian. But they're on offer at exceptional prices - what the owner calls 'Dollar Deals'. I got three oranges for 99 cents and a fine cauliflower for $1.49.

Curiosity got the better of me with Anad Sandige, which looked like uncooked krupuk, the Indonesian prawn crackers that fluff up when you drop them in hot oil. These did just the same. They were supposed to taste of onion, but only tasted spicy. They go well with a cold beer, though, or crumpled over a curry.

To tempt you at the check-out counter are two kinds of samosa, one of which, filled with mixed vegetables, Phadindra recommends above the other, which is only spiced potato. Don't be tempted to eat it in the car: it needs a big blast of heat to crisp up the pastry shell. You can tell I didn't wait.

Daily Spices, 8424 Lee Highway,Merrifield, 703 752 2314.

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