Market City: Fruit/Vegetables & Fish Market at Canning Vale

I have been moving and living at this Perth city from June last year (2012) and was wondering about the Fish Market. Had been living at Sydney for almost 10 years, I was looking for similar exposure to Sydney Fish Market at Ultimo.

However due to many contributing factors, the only Fish market I had been was the Fremantle's Kailis Fish Market Cafe Most people will argued that I'm a fool and it is not a real Fish market, but more of Fish & Chips shack kind of.

Funny advertisement signs that I found there which claimed that Kailis' Fish and Chips is Perth's best; which in contrary in adjacent to Cicerello's claim of WA's best Fish and Chips. I couldn't say which one is better as I haven't tried the Cicerello's ones. I will try it and write a post whether their claim is genuine or not.

I was adamant to find a real Fish Market at Perth, at least as decent as Fish selling corner at Sydney's Paddys Market, Chinatown. I heard bit and pieces about this Fish Market at Canning Vale, where some people refer it as Market City. Then, I browsed "Fish Market Canning Vale", and gladly found a blog post from Mei's Libertine Eats reviewing Fish Market Canning Vale in depth ...

This is it: Market City located at 280 Bannister Road, Canning Vale. These wholesale markets (which only for wholesale trade on weekdays) are open for public on Saturdays with Opening hours for the Fish Markets from 6am - 10 am and Fruit & Vegetables markets from 7:30am - 9:30am. Yes, only on Saturday that they are open for public!

There are a lot of parking areas next to the market, just follow the long queue of cars going to the market entrance through the boom gates. No need to apply for special parking card/pass, just prepare $3 per car entry (which I believed all proceedings goes to Rotary club); then turn almost to the end-right to arrive at Fish Market building.

Prepare to bring a lot of cash as I think all of them are cash transactions only. I didn't take a lot of pictures as I know I won't win competing with Mei's vigorous details.

The entrance to the Fish Market is on your left when you come to the building. I entered the market via the Checkouts, but everybody are really busy to notice ... Next to the main entrance there will be a man with tubs of plastic gloves and clear plastic produce bag. Yeah you read it right, he is employed just to stand up there and separating the plastic bags that normally stick one to others; and keep filling the plastic gloves' tub. 

It is really a Fish Market as I was expected (the price is cheap, the market is packed with people, and I will need to wash all my "now-smell really fishy" clothings) and ended up with buying a lot of fish and seafoods products ... Can't be happier.

Well price is relative to anyone, therefore I listed here few prices I saw this morning:
Salmon steak (fillet): $24.90/kg
Salmon head: $4.90/kg
Salmon frame: $1.00/kg
Fish trimmings: $4.90/kg
King Prawns: $14.90/kg
Cooked Viename Prawns: $11.90/kg
Whole Squid: $14.90/kg
Black Mussels: $4.90/kg
Black Bream: $14.90/kg
Rainbow Trout: $12.90/kg
Spotted Cod: $12.90/kg
Sardines: $4.90/kg
Frozen Crumbed Flathead Fillet: $9.90/1kg bag
Frozen Peeled Prawn: $15.00/1kg bag
Blue Swimmer: $16.90/kg
Fresh Oyster: $10/1dozen tray

The eggs are cheap too: 700g case for $2.50/case or $37.50/box. Please note these are Chicken Eggs ... Just in case anyone wonders what eggs they are, as I am writing about Fish Market - LOL. 

Additional information if you are looking for Mud Crabs, they are none. I don't bother asking around, and just assumed that they don't have it here. 

Don't worry about plastic bags and (styro-foam) boxes to take your shopping home. There are heaps of them there. I saw some people brought their folded trolley (Good idea, fellas!)which will helps a lot to carry all your shopping to your cars' boot. 

 

Unfortunately, there were no "removing fish scales" services nor "cleaning the fish guts". But, I couldn't complained as I will need to do the same if I bought an imported frozen fish from supermarket. In contrary to this, if you buy (a) fish at Sydney, these 2 kinds of services are included free-of-charge.

 

On the other building (located left from the Fish Market), from 7:30am there are Fruit & Vegetables Markets. Different to the (only one) Fish Market; the Fruit and Vegetables markets are established at few warehouses areas.

 

See my picture below as the gate just lifted and customers flogged into one of the busiest seller. Somehow I have this wild imagination of buying Fruit at UFC cages - LOL. 

 

 

Few of the prices that are too good to be true are:
Snake Beans: $6/1kg bag
Fresh Hot Chilli: $10/1kg bag (actually only 900gr)
Fresh Ginger: $12/1kg bag
Mandarins: $10/tub (approximately 12.5kgs)
Enoki Mushrooms: 2 200gr bags for $3
Brown Mushrooms: $1o a box (at least 4kgs)
Celery: $1 ea
Persimmons: $12 a tray

Please refrain yourself of cheating as there are plenty watchful eyes looking at you. I witnessed myself they told off one woman tried to add more mandarins to her tubs. However, tasting the fruit is not restricted ...

In regards of the vegetables, I find my local Asian grocer supermarket Farmers Jacks Supermarket Girrawheen is somehow cheaper with the same level of freshness. 

Happy Shopping ...