This grocery isn't shy. It describes itself as 'The Ultimate Grocery Store', which is a challenge, given it's bang next door to Grand Mart.

Though it doesn't sell much by way of fresh produce, its dried goods section does have a huge range of dals, and pulses like urad chilka, kala chana and masses more. There are ready-to-cook chapati and puri, potato wafers, puri and falooka sev (noodles made of corn flour), along with completely unfamiliar to me colorful Bhindi Fryums. That name seems to suggest what you do with them...

In the frozen cabinets are samosas (sold warm and fresh at the check-out counter, though these aren't filled with much beyond spicey potato) and various packaged ready-made dishes. In the dairy cabinet are large and medium-sized pots of whole milk yogurt.

One real find - for the skin as much as for cooking - is almond oil in large bottles, very reasonably priced. Another is the Hawkins pressure cooker, popular with good Indian cooks.

What makes shopping pleasant, as so often with Indian and Asian groceries, is the wide space between the aisles.

Delhi Bazaar, 295 S. Van Dorn St, Alexandria, 703 370 0099.