Everybody needs a good knife. And the first rule of thumb when it comes to knives is to forget all the fancy stuff. Forget the complicated sets with strangely shaped points made for cutting things you've never eaten in ways you've never heard of. And forget Henckel - it's the Heineken of knives: the expensive brand that's landed a reputation for quality, but in the end is nothing more than a product for the average joe.

No, if you really want to put your money to good use and get a knife that will help build your status as a superstar chef rather than a kitchen hack, you want to forget the German stuff and go Global. And to score the goods, you need go only as far as Chinatown.

Ahh, Chinatown. Is there nothing it can't provide? In this case, the Tap Phong Trading Company is the star. It's a fantastic kitchen supply store that has great prices on both obscure and everyday kitchen items. Their variety of unbelievably well-priced sushi and sake sets make awesome gifts. Best of all, they sell Global knives at rock bottom prices.

You'll pay about $90 for the large chef's knife, which compares to about $110 - $120 that Williams Sonoma and other kitchen stores charge. Just head to the cash and they'll produce whatever you want - including the wet stone for sharpening.

Global is a Japanese brand hailed by chefs worldwide, including all those celebrities seen cooking enthusiastically on the Food Network, and for good reason. Once you've used a Global knife you'll never go back.

Kinda like how once you've shopped at Tap Phong...well, you get the idea.

Tap Phong Trading Company, 360 Spadina Ave, 416 977 6364