The Adelaide Chinatown’s food courts means many things to many people. Though food is central, it covers heritage, migration, understanding other cultures and going on a culinary journey and adventure.
The food court and plaza complex is one part of Chinatown and is on the narrow Moonta Street. A pedestrian only street, it is also the gateway and heart of Chinatown.
Street vs Restaurant Food
The food is predominantly East Asian but there is a difference. The food in the food courts and those in the restaurants along Gouger Street and elsewhere in Adelaide are not the same The ones in the food court typically fall under street or hawker food that one finds back in the home countries where they originated from. The division sometimes is hazy and there will be overlaps.
Hence this post does not cover wider Chinatown and restaurants on both sides of Gouger Street and surrounding streets which are not street or hawker fare.
I hope to cover the delights of Gouger Street and wider Chinatown in another post as it deserves one for sure.
Next to Adelaide Central Market
Adelaide Chinatown’s food courts are adjacent and connected to the famous Adelaide Central Market, a known tourist draw. The whole precinct especially in the mornings and at lunch is awash with constantly moving people.
Some are tourists but the vast majority are locals who are consumers, suppliers and traders who depend on the market for fresh and wide range of produce. The Central Market is also home to its own food outlets mainly western cuisine. I have one particular favourite there that I will address when I do a post on this city landmark.
Food Court & Plaza
Back to Adelaide Chinatown’s food courts. The area straddles Moonta street with a number of small food outlets facing the street and 2 food courts buildings, one on each side of the street.
The food here is known for a number of reasons. As it it falls under street or hawker fare, fast preparation and the affordability are the key differentiators. The East Asian cuisine here offers a wide variety, all within one roof. While in a group, you can dine on Vietnamese pho and Japanese Ramen while others in your group can enjoy Korean kimbap or Chinese dumplings with tea while seated at the same table.
On a working week, office workers from nearby city buildings, those from the nearby Courts and students visit it and the crowd is cosmopolitan. One can order and finish a decent meal all within 30 to 45 minutes. Just right for lunch break.
East Asian Heritage
On weekends, it pulls a different crowd and they come from all over over Adelaide. Some visit the food outlets after their visit to the Central Market and others arrive just for the food. But Asian ethnic demographic presence is obvious.
Mostly residents with heritage traced to Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam and China. The food is a reflection of the various migration streams over a century. So we are talking variety and variations reflecting regions and customs within these East Asian and South East Asian Countries.
Chinatown Food in other countries
I have been to Chinatowns in London, San Francisco and other countries. The food though really good does not have the range or variety as Adelaide has. Melbourne however does come close.
In London the main food streets in Chinatown are Gerrad and Wardour and both are mainly Hong Kong Cantonese cuisine. There is only one restaurant that serves Singapore /Malaysian Chinese fare the last time I was there. Though the range is growing with the recent influx of mainland Chinese. Its the same at Chinatowns in San Francisco, Johannesburg, Liverpool etc. So Adelaide is spoilt for choice.
By the way the Yum Cha at Gerrad Street is to die for.
For exploring food in these Chinatowns of other countries, credit must go to my experience in sampling various dishes at Adelaide Chinatown food courts. An excellent training ground.
It also helped my career somewhat as I introduced colleagues and bosses to these dishes especially the Yum Cha at Gerrad Street, London. Their standout favorite is crispy aromatic duck with oyster sauce and pancakes at Wan Chai Corner Restaurant. It is basically shredded duck that you place on a small pancake with oyster sauce spread and eaten as a wrap. A welcome appetiser.
The Market Plaza Food Court
The family choice is the older food court called Market Plaza Food Court. Spartan in decor setup yet functional. It’s on the left side as you enter Moonta Street from Grote Street. It is also the food court that connects to Central Market.
You do not need to plan ahead. You would just walk around and pick what tickles your fancy. The range is now amazing. Besides Chinese food from various regions there are also Korean, Thai and Japanese Food. There is also a stall selling proper vegan Chinese cuisine and the soya bean drink and curd are nice for a change.
Some family favourites are the laksa from Laksa House, chicken rice from Ricky’s Kitchen as well as fried squid and dumplings from Seng Kee Yum Cha . Other popular dishes are bulgogi, ramen noodles and pho.
One notable dish is fried beef strips and greens served on a hot skillet accompanied by rice. Delicious!
A savoury snack stall, hidden but a right gem is Nanna’s. A small takeaway counter with various buns and curry puffs of asian taste are good as they come. It is not in the food court but behind Kim Wang Supermarket which is next to the food court.
Crowd, stall turnover and new cuisines
The food court gets crowded during lunch time and you might have to wait for a seat. Either go early or later. If you are partial to a glass of red or white which is readily available at one of 2 drinks stalls, go later and take your time and enjoy your meal. A good and delicious meal all for a not so princely sum of $25 including a glass of wine.
On other thing to note is the high turnover of some stalls as new migrants try to establish their cuisines from where they came from. Others have moved on to greener pastures while most stalwarts have remained. The change does provide some excitement. Korean cuisine seems to be the most popular new arrival in the last few years. Could not help but note Mrs Falcon’s recent affinity towards Korean food.
The Chinatown Plaza Food Court
The Chinatown Plaza Food Court across Moonta Street was similar in concept in the past to the Market Plaza Food Court with a good variety of food stalls. The Vietnamese pho, Singapore Chinese hawker food stall and the Yum Cha stall were popular. But after renovation, a change in concept, design and decor and with less stalls, it has seen less customers heading their way. I see more tourists rather than local residents. I am sure with a bit of careful curating it might return to better days. It is still worth a try.
On a side note, the Vietnamese pho stall from this old food court can now be found in Erindale along Kengsington Road. Excellent piping hot pho (noodles) in the colder months. By the way some of the best pho I tasted outside of Vietnam is in Australia.
If you are new to East Asian Cuisine
If you are new to East Asian cuisine, get a drink and observe. No better place to start the journey than Adelaide Chinatown’s food courts.
Richard’s Laksa House is popular and a great place to start. Get a bowl of Laksa. He has other dishes on his menu if you are not into spicy stuff. Try their wet hot fun which are flat rice noodles in brothy gravy.
A safe bet is Seng Kee Yum Cha. I too struggled to understand how the orders are place. Observations on my part made some headway and the couple running it are kind and helpful. Just point to the fried squid and the prawn dumplings for starters. If you like it order more variety.
Trust me, dining at the Adelaide Chinatown’s food courts won’t break the bank.