British celebrity chef Rick Stein has sent Adelaide food lovers into a frenzy after revealing he is back in South Australia, indulging in one of his favourite local traditions — eating exceptional Chinese food.
The famed restaurateur and television personality posted to Instagram on Sunday afternoon that he and his wife Sarah, were enjoying lunch at Chinatown favourite BBQ City, reminiscing about previous visits to Adelaide along the way.
“Great to be back in Adelaide with @sasstein66,” he wrote.
“Our memories of many trips here are the great Chinese food.
“Lunch today at the BBQ City restaurant no exception — Szechuan Belly Pork, Empress Chicken and Pak Choi in garlic sauce plus lots of tea and rice and as Sas says a ginger beer which goes so well with Chinese food — Bundaberg of course.”
The post quickly drew excited responses from fans, many welcoming Stein back to Adelaide while eagerly offering recommendations for where he should head next.
“Great to see you are in Adelaide. One of my most respected celebrity chefs!!” one person wrote.19
Another suggested a trip to The Eatery by Maggie Beer in the Barossa, while others urged him to make the trip south to Star of Greece.
But it wasn’t just diners who were excited to see Stein wandering Adelaide’s streets.
Popular Adelaide cafe Zuma Caffe also shared their own celebrity sighting on Sunday after spotting the chef casually strolling past their storefront.
“What an absolute surprise today at Zuma Caffe — the legendary Rick Stein casually walking past our little corner of Adelaide,” the cafe posted online.
“We’ve been watching Rick’s shows since the days of him travelling with his beloved dog Chalky, so seeing him in person was genuinely such an honour.
“A true gentleman and one of the great storytellers of food and travel.”
The cafe added that they had heard Stein may be filming around Adelaide and the Adelaide Central Market — a location many food lovers would argue perfectly captures the city’s culinary identity.
And it appears Stein’s Adelaide visit has not just been about eating his way around the city.
On Saturday night, Stein and wife Sarah were spotted at Adelaide Oval taking in the AFL clash between Port Adelaide Football Club and Carlton Football Club while tucking into hot chips and chicken bites from the stands.
“Always a warm welcome in Adelaide @chefrickstein,” Sarah Stein posted to Instagram alongside a video from the game.
“Thanks Rosie for organising a fun filming land night at @adelaideoval watching @pafc vs @carlton_fc.”
The mention of filming has only fuelled speculation Stein could be working on a South Australian food-focused project during his visit.
The pair also appeared to spend part of Saturday enjoying South Australia’s seafood scene, with Sarah sharing another short video showing Stein and members of the crew eating oysters and seafood at KI Oysters on Kangaroo Island.
“Best day off with the best crew,” she wrote, tagging several members of the group.
If Stein is indeed planning a wider South Australian food tour, there is already speculation he could reunite with one of his former proteges while in town.
Chef Josh Cooke, who previously worked under Stein, now runs Rozelle’s at Carrick Hill, which opened in January, 2024.
Stein’s low-key Adelaide food crawl is also reminding some locals of another famously understated celebrity visit.
In one of Adelaide’s more random international star sightings, George Lucas once quietly wandered into a Rundle Mall food court, ordering noodles and a Diet Coke during a surprise visit to the city in 2014.
Like Lucas before him, Stein appears to be embracing Adelaide the local way — skipping the red carpet and diving straight into the city’s comfort food favourites.
For Adelaide’s hospitality scene, Stein’s latest visit is proving to be more than just another celebrity sighting — it is also a glowing endorsement of the city’s food culture from one of the world’s most recognisable culinary names.