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Japan's humble onigiri took over lunchtimes around the world

theguardian.com

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Re: Japan's humble onigiri took over lunchtimes around the world

#51

Post by legalamb »

onemoresoop wrote: post #47
flakiness wrote: post #45

Once we made these onigiris for a potluck my kid's school hosted and they went away very quickly. So we have stopped exploring other menus and just have kept making them every potluck since. And it goes away quickly every time. One thing I noticed since is that it can be a great vegan option: You can make one from rice salt and dried kelp/seaweed plus some pickles (umeboshi etc.)

Do you recommend making these over buying them?

Yes, very inexpensive to make, but outside of Japan they can be priced fairly high as specialty items.

Re: Japan's humble onigiri took over lunchtimes around the world

#52

Post by j7ake »

Tiktaalik wrote: post #46
rootsudo wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would you pay $6.99 for a onigiri? Sure they're ~120 JPY-240JPY. But it wouldn't be the same price. Plus would they really sell them in the USA? Same for more of the other options, I don't see it really happening. There's a reason hotdogs, nachos and whatever else they offer in USA is the norm. That's what the market takes and settles on and even then, it's over $5.

Honestly even at this high price point I’d still be saving money from current lunch options. That’s how bad food inflation has been. It’s challenging at this point to get a lunch cheaper than C$15.

A typical American won’t be satisfied on the calories of one onigiri for lunch.

Re: Japan's humble onigiri took over lunchtimes around the world

#53

Post by j7ake »

thenewwazoo wrote: post #29

Having never had one, are onigiri filled with anything? I think of eating something that's basically entirely rice and wonder where's the protein? It seems to just be all simple carbs, which feels like a setup for an insulin spike and sugar crash.

It’s most like carb. Most Japanese diet is much more carb heavy than a typical Californian diet.

Re: Japan's humble onigiri took over lunchtimes around the world

#54

Post by metalcring »

bigstrat2003 wrote: post #20
kaycebasques wrote: post #4

Fond memories of grabbing a few of these in the little shop within Shimokitazawa station, people watching with my wife as we wolfed them down, then heading off to the train with satisfied stomaches to explore Tokyo. Are they hard to make at home? I haven't found great/reliable spots to get these in SF. (Where are the great SF spots for these??)

> Are they hard to make at home? A bit. I've tried it but didn't have a ton of success. Main thing I found is use plastic wrap when trying to shape the rice, or else it tends to stick to your hands more than it sticks to itself.

I was running into the same issue. I recently bought some cheap molds off of amazon and it makes shaping them a breeze.

Fill bottom half with rice > Add Filling > Top off with rice > Press and done!

Re: Japan's humble onigiri took over lunchtimes around the world

#55

Post by tmpz22 »

RajT88 wrote: post #34
electriclove wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where at?

Bolingbrook, IL. As of now - opening date seems like late Nov., but of course we're new to the resto business and there's a learning curve on all of the non-food bits of it.

Do you think the $3 price is sustainable or optimistic? My dream would be to make enough dough to start a restaurant affordable and friendly enough to become a community hub. Best of luck on your venture!

Re: Japan's humble onigiri took over lunchtimes around the world

#56

Post by maupin »

These are what I miss most about my years living in Japan. I made them for my kids a few weeks ago and they adored them. You can buy plastic-lined seaweed sheets to fold the rice into, so opening them is almost the same experience as onigiri from a Japanese conbini. For a filling, I just mixed together some tuna, salt, and mayo.

Re: Japan's humble onigiri took over lunchtimes around the world

#57

Post by kyawzazaw »

tmpz22 wrote: post #55
RajT88 wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bolingbrook, IL. As of now - opening date seems like late Nov., but of course we're new to the resto business and there's a learning curve on all of the non-food bits of it.

Do you think the $3 price is sustainable or optimistic? My dream would be to make enough dough to start a restaurant affordable and friendly enough to become a community hub. Best of luck on your venture!

I feel like $5 is not too expensive

Re: Japan's humble onigiri took over lunchtimes around the world

#58

Post by n1b0m »

thenewwazoo wrote: post #29

Having never had one, are onigiri filled with anything? I think of eating something that's basically entirely rice and wonder where's the protein? It seems to just be all simple carbs, which feels like a setup for an insulin spike and sugar crash.

The pickled plum ones I had in Tokyo were delicious

Re: Japan's humble onigiri took over lunchtimes around the world

#59

Post by n1b0m »

cedws wrote: post #28
n1b0m wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I fell in love with them when I visited Tokyo and I was pleasantly surprised to find them in a lot of grocery stores in Paris recently. Unfortunately, we don’t seem to get them in the UK at least not in the big supermarkets.

I haven't seen any in supermarkets, but bought two in a shop in central London recently and it cost £9, which is eye watering compared to Japan 7-Eleven prices.

I had feeling they were easier to find in London.

Re: Japan's humble onigiri took over lunchtimes around the world

#60

Post by squeaky-clean »

onemoresoop wrote: post #47
flakiness wrote: post #45

Once we made these onigiris for a potluck my kid's school hosted and they went away very quickly. So we have stopped exploring other menus and just have kept making them every potluck since. And it goes away quickly every time. One thing I noticed since is that it can be a great vegan option: You can make one from rice salt and dried kelp/seaweed plus some pickles (umeboshi etc.)

Do you recommend making these over buying them?

They're definitely better freshly made, either at home or a nicer restaurant that makes them to-order. Make sure you buy the correct kind of rice or they won't shape properly.

But the premade ones are a very easy grab-n-go food. It's like how a homemade burger will always beat a McDonald's burger. But there's times and places where you want a burger but aren't able to stop and cook one up yourself.

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