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Wouldn't it be nice to be able to cook as well at home as the food you get in a restaurant? Well, never fear, Kitchen Daily is here to help with some insider tips.

Ron Lento, executive chef at Wagamama and the man behind their pan-Asian menu, picks his top five ingredients for getting the authentic Eastern taste at home.

Galangal
Also known as aromatic ginger, it's used in Southeast Asian cooking and is more delicate in flavour than stem ginger. If you are a purist, it should not be used as a substitute for ginger or vice versa, but it is fantastic in fish dishes, soups, marinades, chicken, meat, and even pork. Great to use fresh in dips and salad dressings. You can also buy it dried.

Storecupboard substitute: Ginger and lemon zest

Hijiki
A type of seaweed, it's used as a vegetable by the Japanese. In its dried state it looks like coarse black wire and is normally soaked before cooking. It is used in many sauces, dips and fusion Asian cooking and is great in soups. You can also grind it dry, roast it and use in your own curry mixtures.

Storecupboard substitute: Nori seaweed

Lotus root
Best used fresh but you can find it dried and pickled. Similar to potato in use as it can be fried, boiled and roasted. It looks great as a garnish due to its distinctive, lacy appearance when sliced.

Storecupboard substitute: Baking potatoes

Bonito flakes
If you are ever in Japan stock up on this ingredient, which I love to use in soup, stock, salad dressing and over rice, although it's tricky to buy in the UK. Bonito is a name given to various species of fish in the mackerel family, although in Japanese cuisine outside Japan, 'bonito' usually refers to skipjack tuna, known as katsuo in Japan. This fish is smoked and dried to make katsuobushi, an important ingredient in making dashi (Japanese fish stock). The smoky taste is perfect in almost any dish to give a bit of flavour without bring overpowering.

Storecupboard substitute: None! It really is worth hunting down the real thing

Chinese five spice powder
Essential in Chinese cooking, this reddish brown powder is a combination of ground star anise, fennel, cinnamon, cloves and Szechuan pepper. This spice can be used in dry marinades, wet marinades, dry rubs for chicken and ribs, added to curries to bolster flavours, also wonderful in dipping sauces as it adds an almost liquorice flavour

Storecupboard substitute: Star anise, allspice or nutmeg