Love Japanese food? There are soooo many delicious Japanese goodies out there that it can be daunting to figure out which stores to try. Well, here are 9 online stores that we highly recommend. These stores offer Japanese goodies you should stock up on right now.
9 Tasty Japanese Goodies You Should Buy Right Now
9. Japanese Square Cakes from Lakbay Bread and Pastries (@lakbaybp)
https://www.facebook.com/LakbayBP
Photo from Lakbay Bread and Pastries
Alrenee Rostata, a 23-year-old Pastry Chef Mechanical Engineer, has known she has wanted to be a pastry chef since she was in high school. She took up Mechanical Engineering because her father is an engineer, but she had always planned to study baking – and so she did… after passing the board exam. Although her graduation program was canceled because of the pandemic, she decided to start an online business while stuck at home. Coz why not, right?
Lakbay Bread and Pastries offers desserts and pastries from all over the world. They aim to make you feel like you are going on a journey with the different flavors they have to offer. Their Japanese cakes are something new in the market and the best part is that they’re customizable so you can request your preferred design or send pictures that you want to get on the cakes. You can even get Japanese cakes with a working Spotify code done – a unique and memorable gift to give this Christmas. Bonus points for using reusable and biodegradable packaging alternatives, too. Alrenee also hopes to open a physical store one day. We can’t wait!
8. Japanese Ice Cream from Chill’d MNL (@chilld.mnl)
https://www.facebook.com/Chilld.MNL
Photo from Chill’d
At Chill’d, Wynette Lorenzo and her partner Jayson offer a wide range of Japanese ice cream and milk drinks with plans of adding more items in the future. Chill’d started by selling to friends, relatives, and neighbors, who expressed their happiness about feeling like they were abroad. Because of the positive feedback, they decided to sell to other nearby communities and on the Internet, as well. “We wanted to spread the joy of eating unique Asian ice cream finds here in Manila, especially since we aren’t able to travel now due to the pandemic,” Wynette explains.
7. Enoki Rolls from The Food Stuff (@thefoodstuffph)
Photo from The Food Stuff
The Food Stuff aims to bring good stuff to their customers during these trying times – and what better way to do that than through food? As newbies in the food business, they wanted to offer a product that can easily be incorporated into people’s lifestyles: ready-to-cook pork and beef enoki rolls. It’s super easy to cook! Just pour the marinade sauce and cook it and season it to your liking – super easy, quick, and convenient!
The Food Stuff has already released a new product for the holidays: kimchi, the perfect addition to practically any meal. It will only be available until January, though, so make sure to order some now!
6. Chicken Katsu from Colonel’s Curry (@colonelscurry)
https://www.facebook.com/ColonelsCurry
Photo from Colonel’s Curry
Colonel’s Curry was born from an entrepreneurship incubation program called “Animo Biz” when the owners were still students. These four friends aimed to provide delicious food at an affordable price; and since Filipinos love fried chicken, they decided to reinvent it by adding curry, which has the perfect profile of texture and taste when combined with fried chicken. Using different types of curries with chicken katsu, they’ve created the modern katsu curry. Now, they have a commissary along Taft Avenue and along G. Araneta Avenue, Quezon City.
Chicken katsu has always been an easy choice. Plus, it’s comfort food that you can eat every day. Since the owners personally love classic Japanese curry and laksa, that’s what they decided to start with until following up with some gyoza. Their bestselling Laksa Curry is a combination you won’t be able to find anywhere else, and it’s hella good! Their servings are big, too, so you will definitely get your money’s worth. Look out for their ever-changing seasonal curry, which will be coming soon, as well.
5. Japanese Snacks from Arigatokyo (@arigatokyoph)
https://www.facebook.com/ArigatokyoPH
Photo from Arigatokyo
Arigatokyo is a diverse online shop where you can find personally handpicked authentic Japanese snacks straight from Japan, so you can get a taste of the country from the comfort of your home. Whether you want to take a trip down memory lane or simply want to taste what Japan has to offer, this is the best place to visit.
Arigatokyo’s products are carefully selected based on their preferences and the market’s current demands. “We make sure to handpick some unique items which can only be found in Japan and introduce them to the Philippine market,” they explain. “Another big contributor to our selection of products is how we talk to our clients like friends who exchange casual conversations about the products they miss in Japan or what they want to try. From there, we check their recommendation and try them out for ourselves before adding them to our list.” With such a friendly and outgoing approach, it’s no wonder why customers keep coming back for more.
4. Mochi Balls from The Bugs Knife (@the_bugs_knife)
https://www.facebook.com/The-Bugs-Knife-103203618093643
Photo from Eatsplorations
Like many others affected by the pandemic, Rose Diaz was not an exception. Since she didn’t want to risk exposing her kids and diabetic mother-in-law to the virus, she had to sacrifice her practice and lower her clinic hours to three hours a week. Her husband also stays at home when he doesn’t have client meetings. To keep her sanity in check and make a living for her family, Rose decided to pursue her passion for cooking and bring The Bugs Knife to life.
What started with baked sushi eventually evolved into more tried and tested dishes that Rose had been preparing for her loved ones. Our top pick? Their mochi balls. They are soft, chewy, flavorful, and incredibly addicting! You’ll end up finishing an entire box in one sitting!
3. Sushi from UMI Takeaway Sushi (@umi_sushi.ph)
https://www.facebook.com/UMISushi.PH
Photo from UMI Takeaway Sushi
UMI Takeaway Sushi is owned by Tatsuya and Herlyn Ojima and started out as “Sushimon” in November 2019, only selling in a Facebook group in a village in Las Pinas. Sushimon was more of a project to slowly get to know the customers, as well as figure out if the recipes will actually also be as successful here in Manila as it is in Norway, where Tatsuya had worked for years in fine dining sushi restaurants. Sushimon was supposed to have a physical store, but they had to change their plans when the lockdown started. That’s when they rebranded to UMI Takeaway Sushi, a home-based takeaway sushi business.
Some of UMI’s sushi, such as their Crunchy Salmon, is inspired by the owner’s prior workplace. “We wanted to bring the food experience that the customers in Norway enjoy to Manila,” they explain. All of UMI’s sushi is downright delectable and you’ll fall in love with them from the get-go. The packaging itself is enough to catch anyone’s attention, and the taste will make you come back for more.
2. Sushi Bake from The Good Palate (@thegoodpalateph)
https://www.facebook.com/TheGoodPalatePH
Photo by @theheftyfoodie
The owner of The Good Palate has been passionate about cooking since she was young but didn’t pursue it until the pandemic when her event styling business was hit hard. Although it took months of trial and improvement until they achieved the perfect taste, The Good Palate is now in business – and all of their sushi bakes are worth trying!
Their Truffle Scallop Aburi is drizzled with quezo trufa negra and does not scrimp on ingredients. Their Salmon Caviar Aburi has a tint of zest for a popping flavorful twist that lemon lovers are sure to appreciate. They also have a Kinoko Aburi made with mushrooms for the vegetarians out there; and if you love Korean food, try their Cheezy Beef Bulgogi Kimchi Aburi, as well. We have tasted a lot of sushi bakes during the pandemic, but The Good Palate offers products that are ultra flavorful and unforgettable.
1. Karaage from Napoleon’s Karaage (@napoleonskaraage)
https://www.facebook.com/NapoleonsKaraage
Photo by Shutteryum
Who doesn’t love fried chicken? Napoleon’s Karaage levels up the fried chicken experience by making it faster and easier to prepare. Napoleon’s Karaage’s easy-to-prepare packs are a godsend for work-from-homers who want to make the most of their time and get delicious meals done quickly. The packs come with all of the ingredients and instructions that you need and are versatile enough to be turned into different experiences every time. Now you don’t have to worry about slaving over the kitchen stove to get a delicious meal done.
They’re not just quick and easy to cook, either. They’re hella delicious, too! If you run out of ideas on how to prepare your karaage, just head over to their Instagram account and they’ll give you lots of ideas and instructions there for you to work with. Definitely a product you’ll want to stock up on for your fried chicken fix throughout the week. They have a bangus version, too, so you don’t drown in too much chicken. Read more about Napoleon’s Karaage here.
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