If you have ever found yourself mindlessly scrolling through social media (and let's be honest, who hasn't?), you would have likely come across posts like "Come with me to a convenience store in Japan" or "11 things to eat at a konbini in Japan" and felt some serious FOMO.
Well, you are in luck! This unique experience will soon be available in Cape Town, meaning you won't have to catch multiple flights to experience a taste of Japan's iconic food culture.
Rebecca Aziz and Minchan Kim - the duo behind How's Your Oni, an authentic Japanese restaurant located in Green Point - alongside Duncan Geldenhuys will be bringing the aptly titled Kloof Konbini (a little clue as to where this new pop-up will be located) to the Mother City.
It comes as no surprise to us that the team decided to open a pop-up store on Kloof Street, named one of the Coolest Streets in the World in 2022 by Time Out.
Speaking to Time Out Cape Town, Rebecca provided some insight into what led to the opening of the konbini.
"We decided to open a konbini in Cape Town because we just thought it was something Cape Town was missing! Many of our customers from How’s your Oni would say their favourite part of their trip to Japan was the convenience stores."
Konbini directly translates to ‘convenience store’ in Japanese, and the Kloof Konbini will be bringing the authentic experience to life.
"Our konbini will be offering a range of Japanese takeaway food, as well as matcha and other Japanese drinks," adds Rebecca.
Three key highlights that Japanese food fans will be delighted to know will be on offer includes:
- Bento Boxes: A single-serving Japanese meal-in-a-box that features rice or noodles, protein and vegetables. The perfect on-the-go meal.
- Onigiris (arguably the best staple in Japanese cuisine): Rice stuffed with either vegetables or meat, shaped into a triangle and wrapped perfectly with seaweed.
- Sandos: Japanese milk bread sandwiches that feature meat, eggs or fruit as the main filling/spread.
Additionally, all the meals on offer will be under R200.
While the official opening date is currently unconfirmed due to ongoing renovations, the store plans to open in October and will be located on 121 Kloof Street.
Now to answer the question on everyone's lips: Will a permanent konbini or multiple locations be opening in Cape Town?
"For now, we are just focusing on the one in Kloof, which will only be a pop-up, so maybe when our lease for the pop-up is over, we will consider finding a new space," points out Rebecca.
We cannot help but be biased and hope that a permanent store and or multiple locations open across the city.
Must know details:
Address: 121 Kloof Street.
Opening hours: At the time of publication, the opening hours will start off as 9am to 5pm.
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