Seijo Ishii – IYKYK. If you don’t, it’s a Japanese grocery store that has its own line of snacks and drinks made from ingredients sourced from all over the country. Previously, you could only get these coveted tidbits whenever you or someone you knew would fly to Japan – until now. They’ll be having a pop-up right at Isetan Scotts from now till 17th November 2022.
As it’s Seijo Ishii’s first time bringing their goods overseas, they’ve picked out 42 things out of their inventory of thousands for Singaporeans to get their hands on during this limited-time event. We’ve sussed them out and shortlisted the 9 best things you should buy:
You’ll only ever find local chestnuts in Japan during autumn and winter, so count yourself lucky that this seasonal specialty is available during the pop-up. This Chestnut & Wasanbon Sugar Montblanc Roll Cake is made up of a sponge layer that is filled with fresh cream, that’s adorned with strands of Japanese chestnut paste.
The chestnuts are naturally sweet and don’t overpower the rest of the cake, so even the old folks at home would be jonesing to try some.
Price: $29.90
These are not your average Joe rice crackers you used to snack on after school. Instead, these rice crackers come in a myriad of Japanese flavours like miso and green onion, seaweed salt, and yuzu kosho. The last one is a seasoning containing yuzu zest and green chilli powder, which give the rice crackers quite a kick.
If you can’t decide on which ones to take home, the variety pack comes with 7 different flavours for you to try.
Price: $6.90 for single flavour packs, $11.90 for variety pack
Natto is one of those hate-it-or-love-it Japanese delicacies, but these Hand-Rolled Dried Natto Beans will hopefully get you onboard with them. You get the nuttiness and fermented goodness of natto sans the sliminess. Plus, these are wrapped together with a crunchy rice cracker and a crispy sheet of seaweed that make these too easy to pop a handful in one go.
Price: $29.90
Whether it’s with fries, chips, and fish skin, there’s no doubt we Singaporeans love the earthy aroma and taste of truffle. And now, there’s a new truffle snack to add to your pantry: Mixed Nuts With 2 Types Of Truffle.
The snack pack comes with almonds, walnuts, macadamias, and pistachios that have been coated in white truffle oil. They’re then dusted with black truffle salt to really enhance the flavour. We hear these nuts pair best with a nice cold pint.
Price: $10.90
Sweettooths, you’ll want to keep this in your own personal snack stash. These Japanese Fruits Jelly Candy are gummies that come in 7 different flavours, including apple, strawberry, and even tomato. Each one is wrapped individually, so you can always have them on hand whenever you need a sugar rush.
Price: $17.90
The scallops also come in another flavour: Al Ajillo – garlic and paprika.
Here’s a low-carb snack option that’s also full of protein. These Scallop Cheese Butter Soy Sauce Flavour snacks feature plump and juicy scallops grilled together with a piece of cheese.
The scallops are individually-wrapped for convenience, so you can pop them one by one as a midday snack. Otherwise, drop a couple of these into a bowl of noodles to give your quick meal an instant upgrade.
Price: $18.90
These polvorons, or Spanish shortbread cookies, came highly recommended by the sales associates at the pop-up, with the Japanese Chestnut one being the “it” flavour of the season. The cookies are reminiscent of our local sugee biscuits you’ll often find during Chinese New Year with its crumbly texture that melts in your mouth.
You can also get the polvorons in Wasanbon Sugar, Uji Green Tea, and Organic Roasted Green Tea flavours.
Price: From $8.90
The condiment comes studded with whole strawberries.
Although called Strawberry Curd in the English translation, we much prefer the Japanese name – strawberry butter – because that’s exactly what’s in this jar. Japanese strawberries have been combined with rich butter to create this jam-like spread that’s great on toast.
We were told the Japanese love the intense strawberry flavour so much that they eat this right out of the jar as dessert. As one of Seijo Ishii’s best-selling products that sells out whenever it’s on sale, you’ll want to head down to snag your own jar ASAP.
Price: $16.90
Head to your neighbourhood grocery store and you’ll be hard pressed to find ready-to-drink peach juice, much less one made 100% with Japanese white peaches. But that’s what you’ll find at Seijo Ishii’s selection for Singapore.
There’s no extra flavouring or colouring in this Japanese White Peach Juice, so cartons may differ slightly from each other. Regardless, you’ll get a burst of sweetness and tang in each mouthful.
Price: $13.90
This is only 9 out of the 42 items you’ll be able to find at the Seijo Ishii pop-up, with many more items available like jams, salad dressings, and marinade sauces made in house. They’ve also got more drinks, like fresh Japanese mandarin orange juice, and yuzu honey that’s both refreshing and soothing for the throat.
You’ll want to stock up on these pantry staples because this event is only happening from now till 17th November 2022. As an added perk, those who spend above $20 will get to take home a limited-edition Seijo Ishii reusable shopping bag. There are only 399 left – we got the first one – so get to Isetan Scotts for the pop-up stat.
Date: 4th-17th November 2022
Time: 10am-9pm, Daily
Venue: 350 Orchard Road, Level B1, Shaw House, Singapore 238868
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