KO N B I N I F O O D
HOW TO EAT CHEAP AND QUICK IN JAPAN
Our picks for the best konbini eats like onigiri, karaage and more.
HIT LIST
In Japan, you can get a lot done in convenience stores, also known as konbini. You can stock up on toiletries, stationery and undergarments, buy bus and train tickets, pay insurance bills and even drop off parcels and luggage for deliveries. Famished fans also love popping into these chain stores for
the mind-boggling array of affordable, mouth-watering food and drinks. And we aren’t just talking about ice cream, potato chips and chocolates. Here are some tummy-filling meals that you can feast on for 500 yen ($6.20) or less (and have change left for a cup of freshly brewed coffee on the spot too).
Fans swear by the tasty and filling onigiri at 7-Eleven
Onigiri from 7-Eleven Office workers and tourists in need of a quick but satisfying carb fix swear by these neatly wrapped rice balls. These are often encased in roasted seaweed and stuffed with an assortment of fillings like egg and tuna. One convenience store chain that sells onigiri is 7-Eleven, which some say has the best konbini food in Japan. Its ikura (salmon roe) onigiri is a classic and popular pick, and if you’re lucky, you may come upon the fried rice flavour too. Yes, think Chinese-style fried rice with diced pork, all conveniently housed in a compact seaweed-wrapped pyramid. The best part? No chopsticks required! Insider tip: Can’t get to Japan yet? Some 7-Eleven stores in Singapore have local versions of the onigiri… with chilli crab or nasi lemak filling.
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OISHII
Karaage-Kun fried chicken from Lawson To understand how popular these are, here are the stats: Convenience store giant Lawson is said to sell 500,000 of these sinful crispy, bite-sized nuggets every day. To keep up with the high demand, Lawson even invented a robot named Karaage-Kun Robo that dispenses your fried chook at selected Lawson stores. Besides regular, spicy and cheese flavours, there are limited edition ones like corn pottage, and seaweed and salt. Psst… American singer Katy Perry is a fan. You can also buy karaage chicken at other convenience store chains. The version from 7-Eleven, for example, is a breaded, boneless chicken thigh (there’s a cheesestuffed option too if you haven’t busted your daily calorie quota). Mini Stop encrusts theirs with fried potato bits for twice the umami oomph.
