Miso soup, curry rice, sukiyaki, red bean soup with crispy mochi…… These are all dishes you can easily recreate at home, after a quick run to one of the many Japanese-style grocery stores available in this city. From plant-based groceries, Japanese rice and snacks to wagyu, these old and new Japanese supermarkets offer a huge array of Japanese ingredients for your home-cooking experiments. Here are six of the best Japanese supermarkets where we can spend an entire afternoon filling up our carts.
GUU SAN
The 5000-square-foot mega store opened in September and specializes in fresh fruits and vegetables delivered straight from Japan as well as ready-to-eat food such as onigiri and bento boxes. Located in Tsim Sha Tsui’s H Zentre, Guu San features three special sections on top of the supermarket. The Kome Korner sells all sorts of onigiris, or Japanese rice balls, and bento boxes. The Salfee Bar sells salad and coffee, while our favorite Sawaya counter offers nuts, whole grains, and other Japanese grocery by weight and with zero packaging. Their dried fruits and sweets such as the dried ginger make great-tasting and healthy snacks!
Shop 01-02, G/F, H Zentre, 15 Middle Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2892-0868
Veggie Labo
An upstairs shop in Sheung Wan, Veggie Labo is a grocery store that specializes in plant-based ingredients from Japan. They source straight from farmers and food producers, including sweet potatoes from a farmer they endearing call “Tottori grandpa” and konjac from a small-scale producer in Japan. Founded by a Hongkonger and her Japanese husband, Veggie Labo also hosts cooking classes for vegetarian takoyaki and dorayaki (red bean pancakes).
Room 503, 5/F, Cheung’s Building,1-3 Wing Lok Street, Sheung Wan, Closed on Wednesdays and Sundays
Don Don Donki
The hot newcomer in the Japanese supermarket scene, Don Don Donki has opened five stores in Hong Kong within the span of a year and has at least two shops opening in the horizon. Don Don Donki is no stranger to Japan lovers as it’s a must-go shopping destination when you’re travelling in the country, known for its cheap prices and huge selection of lifestyle products. In Hong Kong, it’s developed a reputation for its endless shelves filled with fresh fruits, vegetables, chicken fillets, and wagyu beef straight from Japan. Check out some of our favorite buys from the supermarket here.
Central: LG & B/F, 100QRC, 100 Queen’s Road Central, Central
Causeway Bay: 1-4/F, 22-36 Paterson Street, Pearl City, Causeway Bay
Tsim Sha Tsui: B/F, Miramar Shopping Centre, 118 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsuen Wan: 2/F, OP Mall, 100 Tai Ho Road, Tsuen Wan
Muji Telford Plaza
Muji’s Telford Plaza branch is the only Muji shop to boast a large selection of Japanese groceries such as fruits, vegetables, sauces, condiments, frozen goods, loose leaf tea, and grains. The 24,000-square-foot shop features separate sections selling fresh groceries, tea leaves, rice, as well as a Muji Cafe, a bakery and an embroidery counter. At the tea and rice counter, you’ll find useful explanation of the origin and the characteristics of each rice and tea — perfect for when you fancy a deeper dive into Japanese produce.
Shop 401-402, Level 4, Telford Plaza II, Kowloon Bay
AEON
While AEON is the most ubiquitous chainstore on this list, the supermarket is well-stocked with all the basics from groceries, pots and pans to daily essentials. In particular, AEON’s own brand TOPVALU offers a good range of useful Japanese products such as minced garlic in squeeze tubes, mirin, and miso soup at competitive prices. The supermarket also does regular seasonal promotions with various themes such as Taiwanese produce and Korean snacks, great for when you’re low on cooking ideas!
All locations here
Tasting Table
Specializing in premium Japanese ready-made dishes and cooking ingredients, Tasting Table offers over 300 food and lifestyle goods online and in their Causeway Bay shop. From tofu burger, dumplings to Japanese beef slices, the store stocks a great range of pre-made packets of common Japanese dishes. All you need to do is reheat them at home! If you go to the upstairs shop in Causeway Bay, you can sample the dishes before you bring them home.
Flat A, 1/F, Cleveland Mansion, 5-7 Cleveland Street, Causeway Bay
