Japanese Convenience stores are second to none. From their delicious sweets, bentos and snacks, you could fill a banquet hall with all that they have to offer. But, with the large variety of foods comes the opportunity to experiment... Through trial and error people have mixed and matched different products to create the ultimate convenience store hacks. While there is an endless list of these inventions we went through the trouble of narrowing them down to our top 3!
Curry Cup Ramen and Mochi Ice Cream
Simple yet amazing. Adding mochi ice-cream to the Cup Noodle Curry Ramen creates an amazing blend of creamy, sweet and spicy flavors. This ranks so highly because of the low amount of effort that it takes to prepare and of course the amazing taste!
How To:
Step 1: Pour boiling water into the Cup Ramen and let it sit for 3 minutes. Be sure to close the lid to keep the moisture inside! You can be innovative, in our case we used a stapler!
Step 2: Prep the Mochi! Open the Mochi and place one of the balls of ice cream into the cup ramen. Stir until you get a creamy consistency and enjoy! (Be sure to eat the leftover ice cream too)
Fami Chiki Pancake Sandwich
This is perhaps the most popular convenience store hack to date, and rightfully so. This hack tastes pretty similar to chicken and waffles but in sandwich form. Its the perfect go-to combination if you're craving something sweet and savory (or trying to cure the Chu-Hi hangover).
How To:
Step 1: Pick up a bag of pancakes in the pastry section of the convenience store. They'll typically come in packs of two, so you can share with your friends! To pick up the chicken, you'll have to go to the register and order for a "Fami-chiki" if you're in a FamilyMart, "Nana-chiki" if you're in a 7-11 and "Pari-chiki" if you're in a Lawson.
If you dont know how to order the chicken, simply say:
*Insert chicken name here* hi-to-tsu one-gai-shi-masu!
(May I please have one piece of fried chicken!)
Step 2: Open one of the Maple and Margerine Pancakes, put the fried chicken inside, and enjoy your sandwich! If you're on the go, the top of the fried chicken packets can tear off to keep your hands clean!
Onigiri, Kimchi and Egg
This hack might be for the more experienced palette and for those that have an extra plate on deck. That being said, it's probably the most flavorful hack for someone trying to eat a quick bite while hitting most of the food groups!
How To:
Step 1: Pick up a poached egg, onigiri of your choice and a container of Kimchi. The wider the container the better!
Step 2: Open the container and place the onigiri inside. Then, proceed to crack open the egg and pour it over the onigiri.
Step 3: Enjoy the mess! While putting it in the Kimchi container can be practical when it's big enough our personal recommendation is to put these three in a bowl. The spice of the Kimchi, sweetness of the egg and the flavors from the onigiri make this such a satisfying hack!
Have you tried any of these hacks before? Which one was your favorite? Did we miss any? Let us know on our Instagram and be sure to follow us to keep up with everything Japan!