Savoring ‘Flavors of Asia’ to Support Your Long-Term Stay or Study Abroad in Valencia
Life in Valencia, Spain. While the Mediterranean cuisine of paella and tapas is wonderful, those on long-term stays, exchange students, or long-term residents often find themselves missing the tastes of Japan or the spices of Asia.
Actually, just west of Valencia’s Estación del Norte (North Station), the ‘Extramurs district’ around Pelai and Bailèn streets, is a small Chinatown-like area with numerous Asian shops. Here, you can find everything from convenient instant noodles to authentic seasonings and large-capacity frozen dumplings.
This time, we’ve carefully selected 5 ‘must-visit Asian supermarkets’ in Valencia, all highly rated by local residents and students, each with its own strengths. We’ll introduce their product selections and clever shopping tips unique to the locale.
Híper Asia
📍 Address: C/ de Bailèn, 7, Extramurs, 46007 València, Valencia, Spain
This large Asian supermarket is located right next to Valencia North Station, near the exit of the station’s parking lot. Its excellent accessibility, overwhelming product variety, and ‘high product turnover’ are its greatest appeals. Unlike many imported food supermarkets, you won’t find expired products whose origin date is unknown; shelves are consistently stocked with fresh vegetables, fruits, and trendy items.
It’s a strong ally for home cooks, especially with large-capacity frozen dumplings (e.g., 50-count packs), various types of tofu, kimchi, and noodles like udon. Recently, it’s also quick to stock the latest Asian trend foods, such as Korean corn dogs.
Since it also carries Asian kitchenware like dishes, rice cookers, and teapots, it’s perfect for shopping when starting a new life in Valencia. Many locals come here for bulk shopping by car, as purchasing a certain amount (e.g., over 35 euros) grants a discount for the North Station parking lot, making it a reliable main supermarket.
Yuen Tong
📍 Address: C/ de Pelai, 30, Extramurs, 46007 València, Valencia, Spain
This is an evolved store that goes beyond a mere supermarket, featuring an attached take-out cafe. Upon entering, you’ll be surprised by the thorough cleanliness, from floor to shelves. Products are neatly arranged, creating a pleasant space for leisurely browsing.
The adjoining cafe corner is an absolute must-visit while shopping. The staff carefully explain the types, flavors, and bubble tea customization options, serving authentic bubble tea with an irresistible chewy texture. A wide range of light meals like Hong Kong-style pastries, American hotdogs, and mantou are also available, perfect for a quick snack.
The supermarket section offers a rich selection of items not easily found elsewhere, including various sauces, oils, seafood soups, rice, as well as drinks with anime collaboration packaging and unique snacks. With a good balance of price and quality, and support for delivery services like Glovo, it enjoys immense popularity, especially among young people and students.
Bonasia (大众商场)
📍 Address: Carrer del Matemàtic Marzal, 25, Extramurs, 46007 València, Valencia, Spain
For long-term residents who consume Asian ingredients daily, this Chinese supermarket is indispensable for its high cost-performance. It boasts an incredibly wide variety of noodles, offered at some of the most affordable prices in Valencia city.
In addition to flavored potatoes, ramen, vegetables, and fruits not available in typical local supermarkets, it’s well-stocked with professional-grade frozen Chinese foods for home cooking, such as steamed buns (mantou) and spring roll wrappers, which can elevate your culinary skills.
The staff’s sincere customer service is also highly regarded; they kindly explain how to read manufacturing and expiry dates (Asian food products often only print the manufacturing date). The surrounding area has heavy traffic, making parking difficult, but locals are often seen quickly finishing their shopping using ‘double parking’ (Aparcamiento en doble fila), a common sight in Spain.
Dawfood – Supermercado Tailandés
📍 Address: C/ de Sant Francesc de Borja, 14, bajo, Extramurs, 46007 Valencia, Spain
This is a very rare specialist supermarket in Valencia, focusing specifically on Thai ingredients. While there are many stores handling Chinese or Japanese/Korean ingredients, if you want to make authentic Tom Yum Goong or Pad Thai, this is arguably the only option.
Despite its compact size, it’s packed with fresh Thai herbs and vegetables, a wide variety of pastes, and preserved foods, all available at significantly lower prices than other stores in Valencia. The owners are also involved with ‘Nam Prik Thai’, an authentic Thai restaurant in Valencia city, guaranteeing passion for food and quality. They also offer delicious tasting events monthly, opening up new culinary worlds.
Furthermore, its online store is exceptional. The ultra-fast delivery service, arriving undamaged within 24 hours, is enthusiastically supported by Asian food fans living in other provinces like Murcia. Besides base ingredients for Thai cuisine, it also covers other Asian ingredients, making it an excellent store.
HiperAsia Go!
📍 Address: C/ del Dr. Manuel Candela, 72, Algirós, 46022 València, Valencia, Spain
The second branch of ‘Híper Asia’ has opened in the vibrant Algirós district, a bit further from the city center, where the campuses of the University of Valencia and Polytechnic University of Valencia are located. It targets students and young people, featuring a compact and trend-conscious selection.
Inside, you’ll find a wide array of instant noodles like ‘Yatekomo’, which is becoming a staple in Spain, along with various ramens and frozen foods like dumplings. Furthermore, it’s full of exciting snacks, such as Japanese anime character sweets (e.g., Crayon Shin-chan) and super unique flavored potato chips (Lay’s and Pringles) from overseas. It also offers bubble tea and even small Japanese souvenir items.
As a local tip, there are scattered reviews mentioning discrepancies between the operating hours on Google Maps and the actual closing times (it sometimes closes earlier than expected in the late evening). If you suddenly crave ramen on a weekend night, it’s recommended to visit with a bit of leeway, avoiding the very end of opening hours.
Smart Shopping Strategies for Asian Groceries in Valencia
When utilizing Asian supermarkets in Valencia, there are a few local tips to keep in mind. First, the Extramurs district (west of the North Station) is densely packed with stores like ‘Híper Asia’, ‘Yuen Tong’, and ‘Bonasia’ within walking distance. This means if a desired seasoning or vegetable is sold out at one store, you can quickly hop to a nearby one to find it.
Also, imported Asian foods are heavily dependent on shipping schedules, so it’s not uncommon for an item to be out of stock for several months if you decide to ‘buy it next time’. If you find your favorite sauce, frozen food, or a specific brand of rice, the golden rule is to ‘buy it now’ – even enough for stock.
Even in Valencia, far from Japan, by cleverly using these supermarkets, your dining table can become significantly richer. Be sure to find your favorite store that suits your lifestyle.
