Suva Spice Mart

I love this store! I was running out of Safi (an Ayurvedic herbal drink) while in Santa Barbara. I went to all the stores in SB that have carry Indian groceries but none of them have Safi. After hearing that Asian Pantry (their former name) in Ventura may have it, I immediately called them. The lady who picked up the phone was very friendly and answered all my questions. She put aside a giant bottle of Safi (500ml) for me so I could pick up the next day. The price ($ 12 for 500ml) was so much cheaper than where I got my first bottle in LA ($ 16 for 200ml)! The store took me some time to find because their name is not Asian Pantry anymore, it’s Suva Spice Mart (see photo), but if you look out for a sign that says «Indian Grocery», you should be able to find it easily. Street parking.

Great store, with an awesome selection of food, spices, specialty items and a lot of stuff in-​between. The owner was really friendly and helpful. Seriously, even if you have no idea what you’d buy, go in and talk to her, I’m sure you’ll find something to your liking!

When I found this place on Unilocal,I was super excited because that meant I didn’t have to drive to LA to get Indian spices. The owner is very nice and helpful. Plus they have things you can’t get at a regular grocery store. I really like this place and will come back again.

Love this place. I am a fan of Indian cooking but always thought it to be beyond my skill level. I got tired of eating at the local restaurants and decided to try it out. So I decided to try and make my own. After a few videos on the basics I went to this market and revived excellent help finding the spices and ingredients I needed to make my feast (can’t stand curries in a jar so had to mix my own up). I didn’t feel any kind of pressure to buy and the man helped me find the best deals. I really appreciate this store and will become a regular now. Thank you.

Suva had all of the many ingredients that we needed for some new recipes we wanted to try out. The owner was very friendly and helpful and it was a fun and pleasant experience to be in this charming store!

Everything you need for Indian cooking. The owner Javina is super sweet and very helpful.

I was so excited to find this place nearby. They have pretty much any south Asian spice that you could possibly need. And many grocery items (paneer, naan, Indian sweets, frozen foods, etc.) as well. I’ll never make my own paneer again! They’re super friendly and helpful. Best of all, it’s very inexpensive – even more so if you buy in bulk.

I went to Indian Grocery to pick up some bitter melon. This was my first visit today. They do have bitter melon, but it was the near east variety. While I didn’t get bitter melon, I walked out with a bag full of groceries.
The best and cheapest fresh ginger in the county as well as ghee and every spice imaginable.
The owner is both delightful and accommodating. It was a pleasure shopping there.
I’ll be back later this week to check out the naan and yogurt. Maybe mustard oil, I don’t know how to cook with it, but it sounds good.
A really nice store for midtown/​downtown.
Check it out if you like to cook!

It had been several months since I had visited Suva and to my surprise it was under new ownership and so much more organized. Jevina, the owner, is super sweet and helpful. The store carries all the necessary things for Indian cooking. they carry a few fresh hard to find Indian vegetables as well.
It’s good to know I don’t need to drive all the way to LA for Indian groceries.

THE GREAT:
First off I have to mention the owner. As I remember my experience, she was the first thing that popped into my head. She’s got character as colorful as the culture and food of India and an infectious attitude and smile. By the time I left I wanted to be not just her customer but her friend. Great at suggesting things when I asked and not upset or phased when I declined some of them. I could tell she was honestly interested in my palate and not just trying to sell me things.
I only went for a box or two of premade curry/​masala mixes and hoping they’d have papadums. When I saw the prices compared to what I used to pay on the east coast I just couldn’t stop shopping. Despite the fact that the store isn’t particularly large, I had to keep putting items at the counter and go back for more because I kept seeing more and more things I wanted. I ended up leaving with fresh curry leaves, five boxes of curries/​masalas, five packages of papadums, two packages of lentils, a box of British *TETLY* tea (better selection AND price than the British store on downtown Main St), two packages of samosas, two locally made naans, bhatura, chapatti, garlic/​ginger paste, and whatever else I’m forgetting. Basically I left with four full bags of groceries for about $ 60. Good luck doing that at even the «cheaper» grocery stores Ralph’s.
THE ALMOST GREAT:
The only thing I would change about the store is it’s location. It’s not in a bad neighborhood or difficult to get to or anything, I just think that if it was on downtown Main St instead of East Main St it would get the business it deserves. I would love to see the store have a booth at one of the many farmer’s markets offering free samples of papadums and selling fresh curry leaves, local naan, and everything that could possibly fit under the tent. People would flock the booth like nobody’s business.
Overall: Note there’s no «the good:» and «the bad:», nothing is good or bad, only great and almost great. If you asked me «would I return?» I would tell you that you misspelled «when will I return?» The only thing holding me from going back right now is that I haven’t ran out of anything I bought yet. What would I change? Exposure. Perhaps putting some business cards at restaurants like Bollywood or Himalaya (my two Ventura favorites which would have let me know to go sooner), getting a booth at the Taste of Ventura or farmer’s markets, or even creating a FaceBook page for us younger generations to like and share. I love Indian food and they had more than what I knew I wanted. If you do as well, you won’t be disappointed.

Excellent place for Indian grocery!!! Huge selection of Indian spices, rice, tea! Did I mention the place is inexpensive? :) I live in SB and this is the «best» place nearby to do Indian grocery shopping. The owner is very nice and helpful. Moreover, She does Henna for girls and she teaches how to cook Indian food :)

What a fun day! For my birthday celebration we hired Store owner, Jevina to help a small group of friends prepare a vegetarian meal. Both the process and the results were delightful. in addition to a great meal Jevina left us with a recipe for making paneer and a packet of spices for future Chai Tea. Thanks for setting up your shop in Midtown Ventura!

Great store for Indian spices. Friendly owner who will provide you recipes if you need it.

My brother was making an elaborate Indian meal for our mom’s 60^th birthday. Last minute he asked me to find a bunch of spices I was unfamiliar with. After going to a number of stores I remembered seeing this place on my way to work. They had EVERYTHING I needed and were so helpful!
Awesome place, have been cooking more Indian food myself lately because i enjoy coming here so much.

Super-​warm and friendly owner! I needed some unusual spices that no-​one else stocked. Suva had them! :) Very reasonable prices too. The store is easy to find and there is plenty street parking right outside the store.

I just recently returned from India and was going through food withdrawals. I remember driving by this little store a while back and making a mental note to stop by next time I needed to stock up on Indian seasonings and spices. Today I went in and was greeted by very friendly and knowledgable staff. Well stocked shop, with a diverse offering of ingredients. They even have a mini idli maker that I have to get!

I am exited to Unilocal about Jevina! She is the best Henna designer, she is so sweet, I never don’t Henna before and for my first experience I chose the best location! Not to mention her store is really awesome! She has everything to make Indian food from spices, tea, sweets, and much more! I had tons of fun doing this with my friends and Thann you Jevina!!!

We were headed somewhere else entirely but had to come back when we saw this Indian spice market. We stocked up on some Curry pastes (to marinate chicken for grilling). The owner was super friendly and helpful.
When we run out we’ll be back for more!

Tried the chicken mono made by the owner of the shop. Amazing taste. Should try it once.

Great little store, friendly and knowledgeable sales person too! Looked at four different stores for a spice I needed and couldn’t find it… Then found this store using Unilocal… Success! I’ll definitely be coming back