Japanese dollar stores outside of Japan

[Anna N]

 We have a topic devoted to 100 yen stores, and one devoted to dollar store shopping. I don’t have a yen to my name and not much of a yen to acquire any.  And dollar store shopping while exceedingly interesting, pales in comparison to shopping in a Japanese dollar store.  Hence this new topic.

 

Today  @Kerry Beal  and I ventured out to North York to find Oomomo.

 

 Here is my haul (well at least the food related stuff).

 

 

 

I could explain everything but I think it’s much more fun if I leave things alone. Lots of you will know what each of these things is and for those who don’t, feel free to ask and I will do my best to answer.

 

 I have to say this place was enormous. We only skimmed the very surface of it. By the time I got to the really interesting merchandise, the tableware, my feeble body was begging for mercy. We shall return as someone else once said. 

 

[Smithy]

What fun! Is the plastic thing with the ruler, at the bottom right, a combination measuring/cutting board? My first thought was that it was a binder insert such as one might use in school, but I bet it has a cooking use.

 

I love your yen/yen word play.  

[rotuts]

nice nice nice

 

perhaps next time

 

some pics of the store itself might be interesting ?

 

I see a wonderful selection of pans

 

some S.Steel

 

and some not ?  I count 5

 

and some sort of SS item w a gripper '

 

for smoothing stuff out ?

 

after you recover , I know I might like a little bit more info on

 

the Harder stuff  not so much the bags.

 

nicew a gain it is

 

[Anna N]

32 minutes ago, Smithy said:

What fun! Is the plastic thing with the ruler, at the bottom right, a combination measuring/cutting board? My first thought was that it was a binder insert such as one might use in school, but I bet it has a cooking use.

 

I love your yen/yen word play.  

Yes. It is for when you wish to have your leeks sliced in carefully measured  and consistent centimetres. I don’t often fuss quite that much but every once in a while I find myself wishing that I had something to guide me.  I probably should just get a life.

 

Thanks. I couldn’t resist the word play. 

[Anna N]

42 minutes ago, rotuts said:

nice nice nice

 

perhaps next time

 

some pics of the store itself might be interesting ?

 

I see a wonderful selection of pans

 

some S.Steel

 

and some not ?  I count 5

 

and some sort of SS item w a gripper '

 

for smoothing stuff out ?

 

after you recover , I know I might like a little bit more info on

 

the Harder stuff  not so much the bags.

 

nicew a gain it is

 

 Thank you. The one that you think is a tray with gripper is a zaru.  It is meant for serving cold noodles. Traditionally they are made of wicker but this one is a little more sanitary and easier to clean as it is plastic. Eventually I might like a traditional one.  This one will serve well for now.

 

 The white tray has a stainless steel rack in it and is used, or will be used, to drain breaded food before and after deep frying it.  I have larger ones that would serve the purpose but I’m taken with this one.

 

I think if you click on the website you will see photographs of the store which is why I didn’t bother taking them.  

 

Here you go.

 

 

Edited April 3, 2019 by Anna N
Edited to add a link to an article on the store with lots of photographs. (log)

[Smithy]

I've taken the liberty of cropping your photo, posted above, for a closer look and for clarity.

 

 

The mesh basket in the foreground has what looks like the perfect handle-bend so it can rest on the rim of the pot. Is that to allow drainage back into the pot once an object has been fished out? My question is about the size and intent of the mesh basket, and what sorts of objects would fit in it. I'm used to seeing broad, shallow scoops for things like tempura. What would this be used for, and how big is it?

 

In the background, at the right: is that the rack you're describing to rotuts as being for cold noodles? I thought sure it was a grilling rack!

[Yiannos]

1 hour ago, Anna N said:

I probably should just get a life.

 

I sometimes feel this way too, but then I go and eat a pie I made or something and it goes away.

[Anna N]

@Smithy

 

That is a noodle strainer. I have never thought that it would be used to hang on the side of a pan but I suppose if you had the right pan.... Someone with more knowledge of Japanese kitchenware will surely jump in here and fill in the blanks.   It is quite small, perhaps the size of a Japanese tea cup.

 

While shopping in this Japanese dollar store I got the sense that I had entered the world of lilliputians. It  wasn’t “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids”,  but honey, I shrunk all the kitchenware. So much seemed to have been miniaturized. 

 

 Yes the item you think is a grilling  gizmo is for serving cold noodles. If you do a search on ‘zaru’  you will see that they are normally round rather than square. I fancied a square one. 

Edited April 3, 2019 by Anna N (log)

[Anna N]

@Smithy

 

Does this help?

 

 

 

[KennethT]

The hook on the side of the noodle strainer is for use in a professional situation.  They don't boil noodles in a pot, but basically a deep fryer that continuously boils water.  Noodles to be cooked are placed in the basket and lowered into the water, with the hook over the edge, keeping the basket submerged but the handle from falling in the water.  When ready, the whole basket is removed and shaken to get the excess water out.

[KennethT]

5 minutes ago, Anna N said:

@Smithy

 

That is a noodle strainer. I have never thought that it would be used to hang on the side of a pan but I suppose if you had the right pan.... Someone with more knowledge of Japanese kitchenware will surely jump in here and fill in the blanks.   It is quite small, perhaps the size of a Japanese tea cup.

 

While shopping in this Japanese dollar store I got the sense that I had entered the world of lilliputians. It  wasn’t “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids”,  but honey, I shrunk all the kitchenware. So much seemed to have been miniaturized. 

 

 Yes the item you think is a grilling  gizmo is for serving cold noodles. If you do a search on ‘zaru’  you will see that they are normally round rather than square. I fancied a square one. 

 

huh... I didn't realize it was that small... the one I have (from a Chinese rest. supply store) looks just like it, but the strainer portion is about the size of an eggplant.

[Anna N]

Just now, KennethT said:

The hook on the side of the noodle strainer is for use in a professional situation.  They don't boil noodles in a pot, but basically a deep fryer that continuously boils water.  Noodles to be cooked are placed in the basket and lowered into the water, with the hook over the edge, keeping the basket submerged but the handle from falling in the water.  When ready, the whole basket is removed and shaken to get the excess water out.

 Thanks I think I knew this but my brain shut down tonight so I really appreciate you jumping in and explaining it so well. 

[Anna N]

Just now, KennethT said:

huh... I didn't realize it was that small... the one I have (from a Chinese rest. supply store) looks just like it, but the strainer portion is about the size of an eggplant.

 Certainly this one is not the size of an egg plant but is probably a little bigger than a teacup. As I said my brain is not working so well tonight. Must be all that sake.

 

 It is approximately 9 cm in diameter and 9 cm in depth.  

[Smithy]

14 hours ago, Anna N said:

@Smithy

 

Does this help?

 

 

 

 

Yes, thanks for the closer-up shot. The earlier pic didn't show the noodles clearly; at least on my screen that pile of noodles looked more like smoke!

[blue_dolphin]

Here's what I picked up on a recent visit to my local Daiso

Probably not as large as the one that @Anna N & @Kerry Beal visited but still plenty of interesting gadgets to capture my interest!

[rotuts]

I love the idea of the 

 

Japanese dollar stores outside of Japan

Id enjoy a perusal

 

Im guessing they have not arrived in N.E.

[gfweb]

20 minutes ago, rotuts said:

I love the idea of the 

 

Japanese dollar stores outside of Japan

Id enjoy a perusal

 

Im guessing they have not arrived in N.E.

 

I guess its one of the compensations for living in Canada

[chromedome]

15 minutes ago, gfweb said:

 

I guess its one of the compensations for living in Canada

Well...major centers in Canada, anyway. I don't expect to see one where I live anytime soon.

 

Greater Toronto is said to be the most cosmopolitan urban area in all of North America, surpassing even NYC, so it's not surprising to find such amenities there.

[blue_dolphin]

39 minutes ago, rotuts said:

I love the idea of the 

 

Japanese dollar stores outside of Japan

Id enjoy a perusal

 

Im guessing they have not arrived in N.E.

 

There is a nice distribution of Daiso shops in the LA area:

[rotuts]

BTW

 

@chromedome

 

Im not sure id call NYC

 

more than it is these day

 

aout of respect for the few eG members there

 

Ill stop now.

[dtremit]

On 4/4/2019 at 11:58 AM, rotuts said:

Im guessing they have not arrived in N.E.

 

Sadly not -- I go on a pilgrimage to Daiso every time I'm in California or Texas for work.

 

I did read recently that one has opened in Flushing, Queens, so maybe there's hope for us someday. If Muji and Uniqlo thought Boston was a good market...