A Trip to Korean Supermarket Hiroba
Korean Food and Cosmetics in Osaka

There’s no denying it—Korea is hot right now! Movies, music, food, cosmetics, and fashion. You name it, Korea’s got it and they’re inspiring the world.

Recently I’ve been watching Korean TV at home and every time they eat something I start to get hungry. Everything looks so good! So I decided to look for some Korean food in Osaka. Fortunately, we’re surrounded by Korean culture. Even though it’s hard to travel right now, I’m not letting that keep me from getting my Korean food fix.

Of course there are lots of Korean restaurants in Osaka and we even have Japan’s largest Korea Town, but today I’m on the search for ingredients to cook something on my own. My friend Kim suggested visiting this supermarket in the Minami district of Osaka that specializes in Korean food items, Korean Supermarket Hiroba. So let’s take a look and see what it’s like.

First, I took a quick ride over to Nagahoribashi Station on the Osaka Metro. It’s just one stop away from Shinsaibashi Station, so it was easy to get to.

Head South from exit 4 of Nagahoribashi Station.

This is it! It was easy to find because it’s right on the main street, Sakaisuji.

It looks like they have duty-free shopping too. See, it says Tax-free Shop on that sign👆.  Since I’m a resident, I can’t get the tax-free shopping perks, but be sure to get yours if you’re visiting from overseas.

What a lineup. Right in front of the store they’re selling sweets, hangover drinks, and sweet potatoes!?

Inside I found a lot of cosmetics. Everything from face masks to lipstick and foundation. I picked up a few items and kept going. On to the food section. That’s really what I came for.

Here are some of the instant foods. Perfect for bachelors or travelers, or really anyone who wants a quick meal. They had so many kinds of instant ramen. It’ll take me a while to try them all.

Plus they’ve got rice porridge, tteokbokki (stir-fried rice cake with meat, eggs, etc.), and jjigae (stew) too.

And here is the refrigerated section. Wow!

They even had frozen kimchi. It keeps for a long time, so if you want to stock up, this is a good item to get.

These all look delicious! Drinks in all different flavors. I really feel like I’m in Korea. It’s fun to choose drinks based on the label. You can imagine what they might taste like by looking at the pictures.  They make good gifts so I got a few extra to give to friends.

And look, heart-shaped shot glasses💚 How cute!!!

Here’s another nice thing about this supermarket, they stock cookware too. So if you’re looking for the right pot for your  jjigae (stew), or if you need a cup for your makkolli (alcoholic rice drink), they’ve got just what you need.

Here we have the seasonings.

There are so many different kinds of gochujang (Korean red chili paste). I have no idea how to choose! Are different kinds used for different dishes???

And here are some sauces for chicken. I bet they are all delicious. It looks like all you have to do is coat the chicken and cook. That looks easy💛

This looks even easier. There’s a whole selection of prepared foods to choose from💛

This is a great place to pick up lunch on the go and explore the culture of Korea through food. It was fun to see all the different ingredients and I picked out a few things to take home with me.

Here’s one of the drinks I bought and drank on my way home. It was a sweet peach “ponpon” and it tasted like heaven💛

I’ll definitely be back for more! The supermarket is so close to Shinsaibashi too. Next time I’m sightseeing in the southern part of the city, I’ll pop over for a little Korean deliciousness.

And on my way home I got a good view of the sunset too. What a nice day💛