Grocery shopping adventures are one of life’s simplest pleasures, and it’s safe to say that visiting supermarkets in foreign countries just hits different. You get to discover unique food items while roaming the aisles, and everything looks so tasty that you just want to sweep entire shelves’ worth of products into your trolley.
Vacation-deprived Singaporeans are holding their breath in anticipation of the day they get to venture overseas again, but the good news is that KINOKUNIYA is bringing a slice of that wholesome and exciting Japanese grocery shopping experience straight to our sunny shores. Not to be confused with the bookstore, KINOKUNIYA is a famous Japanese supermarket chain.
They’re having a pop-up store at Isetan Scotts from now till 18th March 2021, and here are the yummy curated offerings you’ll be able to pick up.
Whether you’ve visited the Land of the Rising Sun or have had a grocery run at local Japan marts, you’d be familiar with the high standards when it comes to Japanese supermarket items. We’re talking aesthetic packaging, great tastes, and even added nutritional benefits to boot.
Transform bread – a humbly simple carb – into a delicious breakfast, snack or tea-time treat with unique spreads like Strawberry Butter, Anko (red bean) Butter and Apple Butter.
Made of premium ingredients, the rich yet light and non-cloying mixtures are what Hannah Montana meant when she crooned “Best of Both Worlds”. They pair well with lightly toasted bread, crunchy baguettes, or – top tip: melting on a stack of warm fluffy pancakes.
Elevate the flavour profile of your simple toast and spread brekkie, with these premium jams in rare flavours including red bean and apple. The former is reminiscent of Japanese azuki desserts, while the latter is a crisp and refreshing take on applesauce.
Soon, you’ll be experimenting with various types of bread to get a different tasting experience each time.
We personally recommend a soft and fluffy Japanese white bread, from quality establishments such as Kamome Bakery. Zero preservatives are used so you don’t have to worry about any added nasties, but the resulting texture is akin to chomping into an airy and delicious cloud.
Nothing kick-starts your daily grind and keeps you going throughout the day like a solid java brew, and KINOKUNIYA has a range of coffee that will whisk you to the jazzy Japanese cafes bustling with productivity.
You won’t have to be a coffee connoisseur and weigh out exact amounts of coffee grounds, nor will you have to invest in barista-grade equipment to produce a hearty cuppa. These coffees come in convenient drip bags so all you have to do is pour in hot water, let it steep and mix in your own sugar and dairy options as you wish.
For a beverage that’s as refreshing as it is nutritious, give KINOKUNIYA’s range of drinking vinegars a shot. It comprises natural water straight from the northern Hiroshima Prefecture and is naturally flavoured with zesty yuzu juice harvested from the Tokushima Prefecture.
Containing antioxidants and boasting antimicrobial effects, drinking vinegar is also said to be able to lower blood sugar levels, reduce cholesterol and help those keeping their weight and figure in check.
Dilute this drinking vinegar with cold water for a thirst-quenching treat that’ll do you way more good than sugar-laden sodas. If you want something more comforting to slowly sip on during tea-time breaks or before bedtime, you can even mix it in with hot water.
Here’s one that’ll not only delight budding home cooks, but help make life easier for the culinarily-adept as well. Premium truffle soy sauce, which is just as delicious as the name suggests, is a potent flavour blend of white olive oil, Japanese soy sauce made from fermented soybeans and wheat, and the beloved gastronomical superstar: truffle.
The result is a soy sauce base that’s savoury yet light on the palate, perfumed by heady but not overpowering flavour and aroma top notes of prized French black truffle. Add a dash to your dishes, be it Japanese, Western, or anything in between.
You can go as fancy as tossing and coating aglio olio capellini in it, or simply adding a few drops into your kopitiam-style soft-boiled eggs. How’s that for fusion?
Besides the above goodies, you’ll also be able to redeem freebies for shopping at the KINOKUNIYA supermarket pop-up. Get a free mini cooler bag with a purchase above $20 on KINOKUNIYA products, while stocks last.
The KINOKUNIYA pop-up store will be held at Shaw House, within the basement-level supermarket section of Isetan Scotts Departmental Store. Hurry ‘cause it’ll only be there till 18th March 2021, and you might be running back for seconds after you’ve sampled your first grocery haul.
You can also redeem the free cooler bag while stocks last when you swing by the JAPAN RAIL CAFE pop-up, located near Tanjong Pagar MRT station, from now till 18th March 2021 and order the KINOKUNIYA vinegar drink. That’s right, the cafe will be serving up the drinking vinegar concoction so you can give it a proper taste test before bringing home a bottle – or five.
This will be the first series of KINOKUNIYA pop-ups in Singapore, so keep your eyes peeled for future updates so we can continue enjoying exotic Japanese goodies till we can one day fly to Nippon again.
KINOKUNIYA – Isetan Scotts pop-up store
Date: 5th – 18th March 2021
Address: 350 Orchard Road, Basement Level, Shaw House, Singapore 238868
Opening hours: Sun – Thu 10AM-8PM | Fri & Sat 10AM-9PM
KINOKUNIYA – JAPAN RAIL CAFE pop-up store
Date: 27th February – 18th March 2021
Address: 5 Wallich Street, #01-20 Guoco Tower, Singapore 078883
Opening hours: Mon – Thu 11AM-9PM | Fri & Sat 11AM-9.30PM | Sun 11AM-8PM
This post was brought to you by KINOKUNIYA.
Photography by Natalie Ng.
Isetan Scotts & Japan Rail Cafe. Various timings.
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