Buying Asian & Specialty Ingredients in Adelaide

We’ve all been there. You’re buzzing with inspiration, ready to recreate that delicious dish at home, only to hit a dead end in the supermarket aisle. But don’t worry – we’ve got you covered.

After 17 years of running cooking classes in the Adelaide Hills, we’ve come to know exactly where to go for specialty ingredients across a range of global cuisines – from Thai and Indian to Mexican and Spanish. Adelaide is full of hidden gems if you know where to look, and today we’re sharing our go-to spots with you.

One of our biggest tips? Build a relationship with your local Asian grocer. Not only will you find better prices, but you’ll often stumble across herbs, sauces, and hard-to-find veggies that never make it to supermarket shelves. If you’re planning a dinner party in advance and need banana blossom – give them a call! They may be able to help source it for you, provided they have enough notice.

Just this week, I was doing my regular grocery shop at a big supermarket chain and saw coriander going for $3 a bunch. Tempting, sure – but I needed to pick up basmati rice anyway, so I held off and swung by my local Indian supermarket. Ta-da! $1.50 a bunch – twice the size and fresher, too.

Now, about that rice. Yes, you can buy an okay version from the supermarket, but if you can track down India Gate from your local Indian or Asian grocer, you won’t look back. It’s beautifully fragrant, with long grains, perfect for Indian, Middle Eastern, and even Greek dishes – and a 5kg resealable bag only costs around $26. Plus, you won’t have to think about rice again for months. Win-win.

Our Favourite Specialty Grocers in Adelaide

Little Toyko
📍 SHOP 59–60 Market Plaza, 61/63 Grote St, Adelaide SA 5000

Pick up high-quality miso, giant bonito flakes for your next okonomiyaki, sake, gyoza wrappers, handmade frozen ramen noodles, beautiful little bowls and sake sets, Japanese tempura flour, and more.

Thuan Phat Supermarket
📍 75 Grote St, Adelaide SA 5000
📍 113 Days Rd, Croydon Park SA 5008
Our go-to for the monthly “big shop.” Thuan Phat stocks a huge range of sauces (including Megachef and Squid brand), dumpling wrappers, tofu, pickles, galangal, tinned bamboo shoots, straw mushrooms – you name it.
Fresh produce includes Gai Lan (Chinese broccoli), snake beans, fresh rice noodles for Pad See Ew, Daikon, and more.
Bonus tip: grab a coconut sesame bun at the counter when checking out!

Love Family Asian Grocer
📍 Located in Castle Plaza, 992 South Rd, Edwardstown SA 5039
Great service and although it looks small from outside, don’t be fooled! This shop is packed with pantry staples, fresh veggies, and fridge items from all over Asia.

India Junction
📍 41 Raglan Ave, Edwardstown SA 5039
Just around the corner from Love Asian, you’ll find India Junction bursting with Indian spices, various rice types, frozen roti and samosas, and – for the bold snackers – Masala Magic Lays chips (which, controversially, some say smell like boiled eggs… you be the judge).

Chile Mojo
📍 395 Magill Rd, St Morris SA 5068
Adelaide’s one and only Mexican specialty store. On arrival, you’ll be greeted by a whole wall of hot sauces before diving into a treasure trove of lollies, tortilla presses, masa corn flour, cans of hominy, and more.
The fajita spice mix is a must, as is the Chilli Con Carne Spice Kit (which I recently tried at home using mince instead of the recommended stewing beef, plus black beans – strictly a no-no according to the label – and a chunk of dark chocolate at the end to round it out).
On my last visit, I also grabbed Bangalore Whippet Chilli seeds, which I plan to sow this spring. Apparently, they grow long and snake-like in vibrant colours!

Also stocking Creole and Jamaican favourites like jerk spice rubs – Chile Mojo is definitely a place that gets your foodie imagination running wild!

Marinos
📍 GO52–54/52 Gouger St, Adelaide SA 5000
Your one-stop shop for Spanish delights – fresh chorizo, paella rice, Spanish paprika (used in all our Spanish classes), plus a huge range of olives and deli treats.

Salam Supermarket
📍 550 Goodwood Rd, Daw Park SA 5041

📍  6/471 Payneham Rd, Felixstow SA 5070

A great spot for Indian staples and ingredients – formerly an Asian supermarket and still stocking a range of Asian goods – unsure if this will continue but currently a great one stop shop! I also randomly found Italian bargain – Calvi Pepperoncino, an item I use frequently as a replacement for fresh chilli in dishes like puttanesca, going for $6! Costing around $10 from two fancy Adelaide supermarkets (not naming names).

So there you have it – our Sticky Rice guide to tracking down specialty ingredients right here in Adelaide.

Whether you’re on the hunt for Japanese miso, Indian spices, Mexican masa, or that elusive banana blossom, there’s a grocer out there ready to help bring your dish to life. These are the places we visit ourselves, and we’re always discovering more – so keep an eye on this space! We’ll continue to update you as new gems pop up.

And if you have a favourite spot we’ve missed, let us know – we love hearing about the little places you’ve uncovered too.

Happy cooking (and happy shopping)!