Japanese grocery stores and ingredient suppliers in Hong Kong
February 11th 2021
This page is for food lovers and professional chefs in Hong Kong that are looking for Japanese cooking supplies.
Rice
All rice consumed in Hong Kong is imported from other countries. Although Indica Rice is mainstream, Japanese rice is also widely known and easy to find. Most of the Japanese rice available in Hong Kong is grown in China, after China, the biggest supplier is Australia, then the US, and finally, Japan itself.
Soy sauce
Of course, soy sauce is indispensable in Chinese cuisine and there are likely more than 2,000 soy sauce makers throughout the country. Many kinds of Japanese soy sauce are also available.
Miso
Japanese miso is also very easy to find, more than 10 different kinds can be found in local high-end supermarkets.
Seafood
All kinds of seafood is available in Hong Kong, but with no tariffs and fewer import restrictions than most countries, it is also easy to import seafood from Japan. Many restaurants purchase fresh seafood from Japan, especially tuna, sea urchin and young yellowtail.
Alcohol
Popular Japanese sake includes “Dassai”, “Juyondai”, “Kokuryu” and “Born” Sake. Fruit wines, such as plum wine and Yuzu liquor are popular with women.
List of Japanese grocery stores and ingredient suppliers
Below is a list of Japanese food importers who wholesale to supermarkets and restaurants, as well as supermarkets that sell Japanese food to the general public.
This list consists of vendors frequently used by Japanese in your country. (Some shops carry not only Japanese cooking supplies but also kitchen ware)
〇JFC Hong Kong Ltd
Ever Gain Centre, 43-57 Wang Wo Tsai Road Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong
http://www.jfc.com.hk
〇Zen Foods Co., Ltd.
11/F, Sandoz Centre,178-182 Texaco Road,Tsuen Wan, New Territories, Hong Kong
http://zenfoods.com.hk/
〇GOGO Foods Co., Ltd.
Unit 1214, 12/F, Chai Wan Industrial City, No. 60, Wing Tai Road, Chai Wan, Hong Kong
https://gogofoods.com.hk/en/company/
〇AEON Stores Hong Kong
http://www.aeonstores.com.hk
〇SOGO Hong Kong
-Causeway Bay
East Point Centre And East Point Centre, Hennessy Rd, Causeway Bay,
Hong Kong
-Tsim Sha Tsui
20 Nathan Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
https://www.sogo.com.hk/
〇Yata Department Store and Supermarket
https://www.yata.hk/
Number of Local Japanese People
25,572 Japanese people live in Hong Kong, as of 2018.
Number of Local Japanese Restaurants
According to data from the Hong Kong Statistics Bureau, as of April 2019, there were 17,750 restaurants in Hong Kong in 2018, and 1,360 of them were Japanese restaurants.
For Hong Kong People Wanting to Study Japanese Cuisine in Japan
Do you want to study Japanese cuisine in Japan one day? Chefs Wonderland, an agency for helping foreign visitors study cooking in Japan, can make all your cooking school dreams come true.
There are two main ways to study Japanese cuisine in Japan.
One way is to enroll in a culinary school.
The other is to find work at a Japanese restaurant in Japan, although this is not very easy to do.
How Many Hong Kong People are visiting Japan?
As of 2018, 2,207,084 Hong Kong people visited to Japan in 2018.
Study Japanese Cuisine at a Culinary School
If you want to attend a Culinary Technical College for Japanese people, you need to be able to speak fluent Japanese, but even if you can’t speak Japanese, you can study Japanese cuisine at one of the following schools that offer English courses lasting anywhere from one day to three months.
There are classes for beginners, short-term intensive courses to get a certificate, and private classes for professional chefs.
Culinary Schools in Japan
Tokyo Sushi Academy
The first and the most popular sushi school in the world.
Japan Culinary Institute
Japanese culinary training including sushi, kaiseki, yakitori, wagashi and more.
Miyajima Ramen School
More than 1,000 graduates from over 50 countries.
International Ramen School
Ramen study program combined with OJT
Study Japanese Cuisine While Working
Under the current immigration laws, foreigners have very limited opportunities to work in restaurants in Japan, you would need a working holiday visa, a spouse visas, or a type of special activity visa issued only to a few people. If you want more information on studying Japanese cuisine while working in Japan,
please see the following article.
Working Holiday in Japan
Working holiday visas are issued to Hong Kong nationals between the ages of 18 and 30 with a maximum of 1,500 people per year. If you can get a Working Holiday Visa, you can enjoy vacationing and working in Japan for up to one year.
If you are thinking about going on a Working Holiday to Japan, please see the following article.
Japan Working Holiday Guide – 15,000 youth get working holiday visa every year