Listen closely. Is that the chorusing of angels? Is it the godly strains of Hallelujah emanating from high above? Actually, it was just the “ding” of an automatic door sliding open as you step into a Japanese convenience store, but that’s OK. You could be forgiven for thinking this is a religious experience. A Japanese “konbini” is a thing of beauty, a little corner store filled with every convenience you could ever desire, including foreigner-friendly ATMs, public toilets, free charging points, and a whole lot of very tasty, very fresh and very affordable food. Yes, in Japan you eat from the 7-Eleven, or the Lawson, or the Family Mart, and it’s good. It’s very good. Here are the 8 most delicious foods you have to try from 7-Eleven in Japan.
This is the true legend of the konbini world: the humble egg sandwich. Boiled eggs are mashed up, mixed with a huge smoodge of kewpie mayo and a little salt and pepper, then sandwiched between fluffy, slightly sweet white bread. The result is probably the best convenience-store snack on the planet.
Fruit in a sandwich? If that sounds strange, get yourself to a konbini stat, because you need to experience the wonder of a Japanese furutsu sando, a sandwich of sweet whipped cream with seasonal fruits. And while we’re doing fruity bread snacks, don’t miss melonpan, so named because the top of the bread looks like a melon. It’s fluffy, crackly and sweetly delicious.
Here’s another iconic konbini treat that you will find in every shop across Japan. An onigiri is a ball of rice, usually with a savoury filling, wrapped in a crisp sheet of nori. It’s a classic carb-heavy hunger-buster, though with fillings like pickled plum, tuna mayo, and salted cod roe, it’s also very tasty.
Look for the cups of ice in the freezer section. They’ll seem strange until you realise you’re supposed to take them to the coffee machine at the front of the store, press the button as normal, and hey, you have yourself an iced coffee. The quality is surprisingly high, too – much better than the canned stuff.
Normal rules do not apply in Japan, which is why you can flat-out ignore your justifiable urge to avoid raw fish served in a convenience store. In Japanese konbini the sushi is fresh, tasty and affordable, and there’s usually a great range of nigiri and maki rolls sold in packs.
Japanese beer is the best. Sapporo, Kirin, Asahi, Yebisu… it almost doesn’t matter. They’re all good, particularly on a hot day, and they’re all available and very, very cheap at a konbini. Just don’t go out on the street and slug them in public – it’s not the done thing.
Craving something sweet? Time to get your hands on carbs wrapped around red-bean paste. First choice in a konbini is anpan, a small white roll filled with red beans, a much-loved marriage of Western and local ingredients. For another appetising option, try dorayaki, two light, airy pancakes sandwiched around that classic paste.
You’ll only find this during the colder months in Japan, but it’s still a staple: oden, which is essentially stuff on sticks, braised in warm broth. Keep an eye out for the steaming baine maries with skewers poking out, and you’ll be able to grab fish cakes, boiled eggs, daikon, tofu, sausages and more, piping hot and delicious. Beats a dagwood dog any day of the week.
