Chinatown

Every city seems to have its own version of Chinatown (with the exception of Hong Kong because the whole city is basically one huge Chinatown) and Adelaide is no exception. However don’t expect a collection of fancy Chinese restaurants (they tend to be located elsewhere) because Adelaide’s Chinatown is actually pretty small. Namely it is a mall that is flanked on either side by Chinese arches (though I have discovered that there are a number of restaurants just outside of this area. There are a couple of grocery stores, but the main thing about this place is the huge food court (which I have only been to a couple of times). I guess that also is a very Chinese offering, especially having discovered the hawker centres in Singapore. Still, it has a pretty decent vibe, and it is good place to visit for a decent meal.

I LOVE CHINA TOWN!
I love Asian food so this is the main thing that wins me over — there is side a wide array here and the prices are all so reasonable. You may not end up anywhere fancy (but then again, you might) but if you head to China town, your taste buds are sure to get a delight (OMG I AM SO IN LOVE WITH THIS PLACE THAT I JUST DID A TACKY RHYME!)
There is so much life here, along with the Central Market, I love to bring tourists here as well — sure every city has a China Town, but there’s good reason for that!
Do I really have explain why Asian food is so good? NO! You’re all smart people, when I tell you that you have a huge amount of Asian food options in one easy to get to central location, you really should just listen to me, go there and ENJOY!
Okay? GOOD!

If you’re into the Japanese pop culture of Harajuku, look out for the monthly celebration ‘Harajuku No Yoko’. A complete AVcon, Comicon celebration.

China Town is Adelaide’s pinnacle of authentic Eastern culinary delights.
It is full of stalls with basically all forms of Eastern food.
I can suggest eating from Laksa House. They do massive bowls of Laksa with chicken, prawn, fishcake, tofu, and your choice of noodles. I’ve eaten a lot of laksa, and this is the best laksa I’ve had. Period.
None of the food stalls sell drinks FYI. There is a stall dedicated to selling beverages, including the alcoholic variety.
For the vegetarians and vegans out there, there is an awesome vegetarian/​vegan food stall. It does one of the nicest curries I’ve had.

Adelaide’s China Town is good for one thing only, and that is cheap — yet tasty — food. Especially the food court is very convenient because it combines a lot of different fast-​food stalls in one big area, with heaps of seating. The atmosphere is rather non-​existent though, or, if had to pick a word for it, canteen-​like. You can get a delicious meal for less than ten bucks though, which makes up for it to some extent.
The rest of China Town can be seen in 5 minutes. It’s extremely small and overall one of the worst ‘China Towns’ I’ve ever seen, quite disappointing.

12÷1÷2012 Photos
Food Courts
Cheap Chinese and other Asian food (min. $ 5 spend)
Gouger Street clearly has the more expensive and higher quality Asian restaurants
Alcohol dry-​zone (have to buy it inside shops)
More shopping
Souvenirs & Gifts
Thai Massage
These are the key elements of Chinatown in Adelaide. I have visited this place numerous times throughout my teenage and young adult life growing up in Adelaide, so I know first hand that all of these things exist inside — and there are more than one food courts to choose from… just letting you know.
I decided to keep this review short… because I got nothing else to say? Meh… it’s a great frequent lunch spot if you’re working around here, but I’m not that addicted to this area, like some other citygoers. I don’t get that excited about going back here. That’s how I feel about Chinatown in Adelaide, in general terms. As I’ve already travelled quite a bit around Australia, I think that the Chinatown in Melbourne, Sydney are more classier looking and way better presented.
Oh yea, I’ve been to the Chinatown in New York, and there are hundreds more restaurants to choose from compared to Adelaide. That’s how I’m basing this review on.

My only experiences with the various China Towns across the world are very limited. One in Germany somewhere which I think is best left unimagined, Melbourne’s China Town and Adelaide’s China Town.
The best feature in my mind about the Adelaide version is just parking. You actually have a chance at parkiing within walking distance for free, and the paid parking isn’t as frightfully expensive as Melbourne.
Most places are priced reasonably well. You can certainly have a tasty meal cheaply, but you can also pay a large amount and have an excellent meal.
In every other respect, it is definitely the poorer experience of the two Chinatowns that I’ve been to in Australia. There are a good number of decent restaurants, an equally good number of very average restaurants, and a small number of disasters. But it just doesn’t have the same atmosphere. That’s only my take on it, though.

Chinatown in Adelaide surprised me. But then again, my expectations were pretty low.
If you’re coming from Melbourne, and you attempt to compare it to Melbourne’s Chinatown, you’ll more than likely be very disappointed. So come with a clear mind, and enjoy.
It’s pretty easy to find a park, and there are plenty of restaurants to choose from. It’s also nice and close to the central markets, which is good if you need some shopping after your feed.

I’ve been to quite a few Chinatowns in quite a few cities around the world (though never in actual China… but I digress) and I’ve got to say Adelaide’s ranks among the best IMHO.
The reasons are many, and enthusiastic. And here they are in no particular order:
1. It’s close to the CBD, and super easy to get to (City Loop bus/​walk/​drive)
2. Parking is plentiful and cheap. I tend to use the Central Market parking, which is about a buck or so for every hour.
3. The choice! Oh, the choice! Despite being called «China Town» you can get everything from Vietnamese to Japanese to Korean to Japanese to Indian, to crepes and café food and coffee and sweets…
4. The prices. On average you won’t pay more than $ 10 for a food court meal and probably about $ 20 on a sit down dinner at places like East Taste and BBQ City.
5. The meal sizes. In general: massive.
6. The food itself. I rarely have a meal that doesn’t blow my socks off in Chinatown: the competition is fierce so if the food isn’t good a business won’t survive. I’m all for the capitalist system of competition when it results in amazing food.
7. Proximity to the Central Markets, Adelaide’s best food and produce markets.
8. The atmosphere. One of the few places that’s almost always busy in Adelaide, it’s one of my fave spots to sit outside, eating and drinking on a summer night (then head to a nearby bar like Lotus Lounge or La Boheme)
I could go on. In short: head here for plentiful, oh so tasty, cheap food in a buzzing atmosphere. AWESOMESAUCE!