When you want to make Japanese food and you don't live in Japan, getting the right ingredients can sometimes become an obstacle. Japanese Ingredients will generally cost more than in Japan, and some ingredients just can't be found in some areas. So to help everyone's Japanese Cooking around the world, I think it would be great if we could put together an information page listing the best places to shop in each city. If you have favorite places to shop for Japanese Ingredients, I would love to hear about it! I'll share the information with everyone in a future post.
Please email your contribution using this link: Email LittleJapanMama or in a comment to this post.
I live in Brisbane, Australia, and if you live nearby, here are the best and cheapest places I like to shop for Japanese Ingredients: (BTW no-one is sponsoring me to share this!)
- Yuen's: I buy most things (especially Sauces, Dashi, cheap Mirin and Sake, Nori, Hakusai and other vegetables) at Yuen's Asian Supermarket (Market Square, Sunnybank and Chinatown Fortitude Valley) which I find cheaper than most other Asian grocery stores anywhere else in Brisbane.
- Fantastic Foods: (Sunny Park, Sunnybank) A few things I like to get at Fantastic Foods in Sunny Park (Next to Aldi Sunnybank) which has $3/300g bunch fresh Enoki mushrooms, $4/500g bag Chikuwa, and a discount card if you ask for it... And the best quality Daikon (giant long white radish) I've seen locally.
- Hanaro Mart Butcher: (Times Square, Sunnybank) Thinly Siced Beef I buy inside the Korean Grocery Store in Town Square (Outside Sunnybank Plaza), $10/kg (This is VERY cheap for Australia!) or $13/kg for even thinner lean and tender shabu-shabu beef. Hanaro Mart is a Korean Grocery store which has a separate Butcher inside. (Sometimes I buy the chinese hot pot style rolled beef (as you see in the photo above) in Fantastic Foods, $4/300g.)
- High Fresh: (Market Square, Sunnybank) If you're after Shungiku (Spring Chrisanthemum leaves) for your Sukiyaki, High Fresh (around the back of Market Square) is your best bet, $1.30 for a huge bunch, but only in Spring. (I sometimes saw it at Yuen's in the Valley, but not anywhere else)
Below are some examples of my favorite Japanese grocery shopping in Brisbane:
 |
| Hakusai, Bok Choi, Enoki Mushrooms and Atsuage deep-fried Tofu from Fantastic Foods |
 |
| $13/kg "Shabu-shabu" beef at Hanaro Mart |
Hi Jane, I live in Brisbane too and love Jap cooking. May I ask you, is Mirin similar to the Sake sold in Yuen? I tried looking for 'Sake' but all I got from a green bottle cooking wine... is it the right sake?
ReplyDeleteHi Doris☆ Mirin is sweet rice wine, and Sake is rice wine. The Japanese-made Sake usually has a green label and the Mirin has a red label. In Yuen's Japanese food aisle, there are the Japanese Mirin and Sake, and also the cheaper Mirin and Sake, (made in Taiwan, I think) in large 750ml bottles for around $4. They're not too bad, and we used those as we went through quite a lot. As Mirin is actually quite sweet, sake can't be used as a substitue. In fact, sugar (1/3 of the volume of mirin) is a better substitute for mirin. Make sure you're looking in the Japanese food section, where you'll see Tonkatsu Sauce, Japanese Mayonnaise etc. I hope you have better luck finding them next time!
DeleteSake from the bottle shop, not from the supermarket. It is a very drinkable Japanese rice wine. Dan Murphys has a small selection, the cheapest for cooking, and the more expensive in the fridge to drink with your meal.
DeleteJapanese heaven.
Mirin, a sweet cooking 'wine' from the supermarket. Don't drink that, just cook with it.
I dont live with my mummy anymore (she is japanese) and I miss all her beautiful traditional food, now I am much happier that I can cook them in my house too!! :')
ReplyDeleteVery happy to have found your blog. I agree with your comments about other recipes, they are missing key ingredients or are just NOT Japanese Style. Hopefully I can follow your recipe easily and I can make my Taste-buds happier again! THANKYOU
Hi Chelsea, I'm so glad to hear that you're enjoying Japanese cooking!♡
DeleteHi, I live in Brisbane and wishes to purchase burdock root (fresh if possible), will you know where I could find them?
ReplyDeleteThank you
Hi, I'm sorry but I've never found burdock root/gobo in Brisbane > <;; I'd love to know if you ever find it!
DeleteSaw some for sale loose in a big barrel one day in the "Acupunture and Foods Centre" on the corner of Brunswick Street Mall and Wickham St in the Valley a few months ago.
DeleteHello! Would you know where I can buy bento box here in Brisbane? I see some online but I prefer a store that I can see & touch what I am buying. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteSorry, but I've never bought bento boxes in Brisbane. I tend to buy everything Japanese when I'm in Japan because it's much cheaper. Good luck!
DeleteHi there, I've been looking for a regular place to get Edamame around Brisbane. I live in Coorparoo so it isn't hard for me to get anywhere in Brisbane. But I am finding it hard where to start and would love to know where it's regularly in stock frozen? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi sbrjane! At last, an easy question, thanks! I always buy frozen edamame at Fantastic Foods next to Aldi in Sunnybank, unshelled or shelled, about $2/500g. They probably have it at yuen's, too.
DeleteThankyou so much! This saves so much time searching around.
DeleteI'm glad it was a nice easy question to answer. :)
i just wanted to say thank you for such a wonderful site and wish you and your family a happy new year, i have just placed an order for lots of bento accessories and a new box, going shopping on the weekend at sunnybank thanks to your wonderful suggestions:)
ReplyDeleteJust stumbled across your site. A Japanese grocery store has just opened in Alderley, called Genki Mart. I bought lots of interesting things - burdock, lotus root, bamboo shoots, Udon, soba, dashi ... at very reasonable prices.
ReplyDeleteHi Elizabeth, Thanks for the excellent information!
DeleteI love your site! Being a half japanese brisbane-ite who has recently moved out of home, your recipes have saved me from too much home-sickness ( i.e I just miss mum's cooking). Thanks.
ReplyDeleteAmara☆ Thank-you for your kind words, I'm so glad you enjoyed my recipes! ^_^
DeleteHi
ReplyDeleteI live in Brisbane as well - near Sunnybank - but I haven't been able to find soba sauce at any of the Sunnybank Asian food shops.
Do you know any Japanese marts that sell that that's nearby? :(
Hi Fern, Do you mean "Yakisoba Sauce", or "Soba Tsuyu"?
DeleteDo you know if and where I can buy Lipton Maple Tea bags in Brisbane. I am addicted to them after a recent trip to Japan, staying in Okayama.
ReplyDeleteHi, just found your site while looking for a butcher for Yakiniku meats.
ReplyDeleteWe can confirm Genki Mart is great for supplies as well as if you're willing to make a short drive we found Fuji Mart at Surfers to have the best selection of any of the local markets. I think they are owned by the main importer Jun Pacific so have a great selection of everything.
Shop 1,
Southport Park Shopping Centre,
Cnr Ferry & Benowa Rd,
Southport, QLD 4215
Phone: (07) 5591-6211
For Wagyu meat for our Konro BBQ we have been using Kobe Butcher of Whites Hill
http://www.kobesbutchery.com/
They have a good selection of Wagyu for Yakiniku but the specialty pieces like short rib, chuck rib, rib finger are all shipped to Japan as they can get more for them there. We are still looking for a specialty Japanese butcher for these pieces.
We also picked up a Konro and real binchotan charcoal from Chefs Armory in Sydney who shipped it all up here to Brisbane for about 20 bucks.
http://www.chefsarmoury.com/
Hope these help some people, great site thanks for sharing all your info.
Cheers Q
Can anyone tell me where you can purchase okonomiyaki flour from?
ReplyDeleteThanks
Genki Mart, Alderly
DeleteHi Love your site, wondering where you can buy Natto from & whats best to look for?
ReplyDeleteThanks V.
Hi was wondering if u are able to let me know where I can buy natto? Thank u ^^
ReplyDeleteAlso try out Genki Mart in Brisbane
ReplyDeleteThe shopkeeper Yusuke is incredibly helpful
Hi, do you know where to buy Natto on the Gold Coast?
ReplyDeleteHello, I'm sorry, I don't know. I've only bought Natto in Sunnybank (Brisbane Southside), in the freezer section of an asian grocery store.
DeleteTry
DeleteShop 1,
Southport Park Shopping Centre,
Cnr Ferry & Benowa Rd,
Southport, QLD 4215
Phone: (07) 5591-6211
Fax: (07) 5591-6212
Mon-Wed, Fri, Sat 9:00-17:30
Thu 9:00-21:00
Sun 10:00-16:00
I just returned from my first trip to Japan. I have fallen head over heels in love with everything about it. My most favorite treat over there was Morinaga Jumbo Monaka. Does anyone know where to get it in Brisbane please?
ReplyDeleteHi does anyone know where I can get plain mochi from in brisbane? Thank you Jill
ReplyDeleteHi. I was just wondering where I can get fresh yuba in Brissy or Gold Coast. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi my name is Craig and I would like to find a distributor of Natto fermented soybeans in brisbane so I can stock them in my supermarket as I have a customer requesting them can you help me
ReplyDeletei want to buy bamboo whisk for making my matcha tea, where can i purchase this from
ReplyDeleteAlso when salons add new administrations to their Lucy Liu Aging menus they frequently will beginning selling different products provoking the buy of one more bit of salon hardware, a grandstand or racks to show the products.
ReplyDeleteMintel, the statistical surveying organization, gauges that UK online dress deals will increment 60% by 2015. online dream catchers
ReplyDeleteGreat content!Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeletesteakhouse in dubai
fine dining restaurants in dubai
turkish restaurants in dubai
Thanks for sharing such a nice blog!
ReplyDeletesocial media agency dubai
social media dubai
social media agency in dubai
Truly, when there is an alternative of online shopping at that point what's the need of going out for shopping and dish oneself from the consuming warmth. mystery box
ReplyDeleteToys are very affordable and can help you as a parent give that encouraging stimulus the newborn baby needs to acquire psychological and intellectual development.Rožu Laciši
ReplyDeleteI’m going to read this. I’ll be sure to come back. thanks for sharing. and also This article gives the light in which we can observe the reality. this is very nice one and gives indepth information. thanks for this nice article... http://www.customworksdaytona.com/facets-that-produce-wholesale-clothing-cheaper/
ReplyDeleteI should say only that its awesome! The blog is informational and always produce amazing things. photography
ReplyDeleteDiscount on shopping is something that everyone looks forward to specially women. There may be times when the shopping portal may not come with best discounts on its products and at this time you can take help of coupon as well as promo codes to avail fruitful discounts.top 10 online shopping sites in uk
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't appear to be long enough to have seen a surprising movement in social propensities that the Internet has delivered. link
ReplyDeleteWe are truly thankful for your blog entry. You will discover a great deal of methodologies in the wake of going to your post. I was precisely scanning for. A debt of gratitude is in order for such post and please keep it up. 이벤트속옷
ReplyDeleteHow well do I know the brand of the online shop? Another thing to consider is how well you know the brand that runs the online shop?Best online shopping sites in India
ReplyDeleteสมัคร goldenslot ได้ที่นี่
ReplyDeletegoldenslot
สมัคร goldenslot
โกลเด้นสล็อต