Irasshai

A stone’s throw from the Bourse de Commerce, this showcase of food culture from the Japanese archipelago opened its doors thanks to Xavier Marchant and Thierry Maincent (Japan Experience), both of whom are passionate about all things Japanese. It’s a cross between family-style shokudo eateries, kissaten-inspired cafés, cocktail bars and a fine dining restaurant run by chef Mitsunori Kozen, and most of all, the ultimate fine foods shop, boasting over a thousand carefully-sourced products, most of which are hard to find in France, and are also sold via their website. For an inventory worthy of Prévert, consider the following: an entire aisle dedicated to soy sauce, ponzu, mayonnaise and other marinades; twenty-some types of seaweed; all kinds of noodles; pre-packaged bags of rice and rice sold wholesale; an insane number of condiments (miso, gomasio, etc.); numerous vinegars and sesame oils; frozen edamame, gyoza, ice cream, salmon and lotus root; mysterious sodas; a collection of teas; beers; whiskey; liqueurs; and of course, top-notch sake. And the pièce de résistance? The section dedicated to kawai junk food where you’ll find wasabi chips, matcha-flavored Kit Kat bars, and sakura Pocky (if you know, you know!) Kampai! // Madeleine Proust

THE HIDDEN GEM: Of all the delicious pastries and sweets they sell, we can’t resist the genmaicha or hojicha flavored mochi (€3.50).