People can’t stop yapping about how hip Perth’s Northbridge neighborhood is, but in our opinion, the coolest kid on the block is nearly 90 years old. That’d be Kakulas Brothers, a globally minded food market founded in 1929. Several generations on, the store is still in the family and more varied than ever. Really—this place has to be seen, smelled, and shopped to be believed.
Shelves are lined with exotic infused oils, tins of oily little fish, and boxes of fufu mix. At least one-quarter of the shop is devoted to sweets: Polish milky cream fudge, chocolate-coated Inca berries, salty knoopjes, Jordan almonds, and powdery-pink Turkish delight. Kakulas sells the largest range of bulk spices in Western Australia, with rolled-down sacks showcasing a rainbow coalition of fragrant paprika, cumin, turmeric, coriander, garam masala, and curry powder. The colorful spice pyramids with metal scoops recall a Moroccan souk, minus the aggressive hawkers. Elsewhere, barrels and bins overflow with raw Vietnamese cashews, Iranian dates, Thai paw paw spears, Canadian borlotti beans, organic Egyptian chamomile tea, Indian birds eye chilies, nettle leaves, and dried organic white mulberries. There’s also an olive bar and blocks of feta from half a dozen countries.
Kakulas is a must if you’re renting an Airbnb with a kitchen or simply want a sack of snacks for the road. If you buy nothing else, try the shop’s fresh-made kadayif or baklava, stacked on the cake stand next to the register.
183 William St., Northbridge, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; +61-8-9328-5285.