Do you like cooking Japanese food? I often miss the taste of Japanese food and the biggest problem is finding the right ingredients to cook Japanese dishes that taste like home. These days many Asian supermarkets are starting to stock a good range of Japanese food and products. There are also a few that stock almost exclusively Japanese food and groceries.
By far the most number of Japanese supermarkets are concentrated in the city but having lived in almost every part of Melbourne there are some exceptional Japanese grocery stores found all across Melbourne. I will share with you my go-to list for buying Japanese food and ingredients for that perfectly authentic Japanese dish!
Japanese Grocery Stores Across Melbourne
Melbourne CBD
TANG Food Emporium
Address: 185 Russell St, Melbourne
This is my favourite supermarket because of the variety and price. I think many other also agree as this supermarket is always busy! They have a fantastic range of Japanese soft drinks, sake and food – perfect for if you are planning a Japanese BBQ party! They also have a good range of miso paste, Japanese curry and Japanese hotpot (Nabe) soup stock. Now is the perfect time to try Japanese hot pot at your home paired with a delicious sake!!
Tokyo Hometown Japanese Supermarket
Address: 41/45 A’Beckett St, Melbourne
Finding Japanese alcohol in Melbourne can be difficult which is why Hometown is so high up on my list (-: This place has many different Japanese alcoholic beverages like beer, chuhai (Shochu and soda), Highball (Whiskey and soda) and plum wine. They also have many kinds of Japanese snacks. The only downside here is that the price is a little bit on the expensive side.
KT MART
Address: 600 Elizabeth St, Melbourne
While KT Mart is primarily a Korean supermarket you can find many different Japanese sauces, frozen food like noodles, fish cakes, oden Ingredients and ice cream here. They also have a good range of Japanese alcohol including beer and sake too. A little bit less convenient than some of the other options as it is slightly out of the CBD the price is very reasonable so it is worth the short trip. If you are looking to prepare a Japanese meal with fresh ingredients such as seafood you can easily combine a trip to KT Mart with a visit to Queen Victoria Market which is just across the road.
Crown Asian Supermarket
Address: 284/290 La Trobe St, Melbourne
Crown Asian Supermarket is very close to Melbourne central station, so it is convenient to access before or after catching public transport. Compared to other supermarkets there is not much variety of Japanese food but still we can get frozen food and many different sauces and snacks. However, if you are looking Japanese liquors like sake there is a good assortment here. In particular, if you like collecting decorative one cup sake glasses you will find the best range here.
Laguna Oriental Supermarket
Address: 1/1 Jane Bell Ln, Melbourne (QV)
Similar to Crown Asia there is not a huge range of Japanese goods here. The range is more focused on south Asian foods such as Indonesian but I can still find some essential Japanese ingredients such as miso paste, nori seaweed, soy sauce and the like.
Laguna is conveniently located in QV and because it is located close to the QV Woolworths it is sometimes easier to come here when planning my meals.
Great Asia Food Store
Address: 222 Little Bourke St, Melbourne
Great Asia food store is right in the centre of Chinatown in what used to be a carpark. It is very hard to miss with the bright green signage and is well stocked with a variety of Japanese and other Asian essentials.
Northern Suburbs
Hinoki (Collingwood)
Address: 279 Smith St, Fitzroy
Hinoki is a fantastic Japanese grocery store with all the Japanese essentials and a great range of Japanese liquor too. One of the big draw cards here is the authentic sushi and sashimi bar in-store. You can have a delicious sushi platter prepared for you while you shop.
ARC Asian Grocers (Preston)
Address: 1 Cook St, Preston
ARC Can be found within the carpark area of the Preston market. It has an assortment of Asian groceries including some Japanese groceries such as teas, oden ingredients, sake and Japanese beer. Very handy after purchasing fresh meat and vegetables from Preston market to finalise your Japanese meal ingredients here.
Eastern Suburbs
Suzuran (Camberwell)
Address: 1025-1027 Burke Road, Camberwell
Suzuran is just as well regarded for its sushi as it is for the range of Japanese food items available here. It would feature very highly in any serious lists of the best sushi or sashimi in Melbourne. Along with your typical Japanese essential packaged ingredients, there is also a strong range of fresh ingredients such as fresh fish and meat cuts perfect for Japanese cooking which are missing from many of the other examples on this list.
Seoul Grocery (Box Hill)
Address: 3/15 Bank St, Box Hill VIC 3128
Seoul Grocery doesn’t have much in the way of Japanese ingredients but it does have a small range of Japanese sake which can be surprisingly difficult to find around this area.
Tan Hung Asian Grocer (The Glen, Glen Waverley)
Address: Shop MM003, 235 Springvale Rd, Glen Waverley VIC 3150
Tan Hung is located inside the Glen shopping centre in Glen Waverley. Like many of the shops on this list they provide a wide range of Asian groceries not just Japanese. That said, if you are looking for Japanese groceries you will be pleasantly surprised. They stock a wide range of foods and just about the best selection of Japanese alcohol I have seen. Well worth checking out if you live in the area and probably worth the trip if you don’t!
Southern Suburbs
Fuji mart (Prahran)
Address: 34 Elizabeth St, South Yarra
Fuji Mart is yet another Japanese grocery store conveniently located next to a fresh food market with Prahran market right next door. This is the biggest of all the Japanese focused supermarkets and includes a selection of Japanese homewares in addition to the range of Japanese food products. This is as close to your one-stop shop for Japanese goods as you can find in Melbourne.
Western Suburbs
KFL (Footscray & Flemington)
Address: 180 Barkly St, Footscray
Address: 321 Racecourse Rd, Flemington
KFL is a large Asian supermarket with locations all across Melbourne. If you live in the inner West it is one of the best options for Japanese and Asian groceries with stores in Both Footscray and Flemington.
Yahweh Asian Groceries (Maribyrnong)
Address: 120 – 200 Rosamond Rd, Maribyrnong
Yahweh is a small Asian grocery found next to Woolworths in Highpoint shopping centre. Not worth the trip by itself but if you happen to be at Highpoint and planning Japanese for lunch or dinner then it is worth a visit.
Japanese Supermarket Melbourne Map
By Izumi
