While I frequent the south Lamar location more often I do love making my way out to this larger location every once in a while! They have the best Japanese food and beauty products. Love coming here for extensive food hauls! Their onigiri and food grade sushi is the best I've had in Austin! If your looking for specific Japanese products this is the place to go! Their staff is super friendly and always so helpful!! read more

One of the good things about staying home due to COVID is it's made me rely more on neighborhood stores. Asahi is a smaller Japanese grocery store, but they're better than larger stores at social distancing and masks, and they have a great selection of rice, Japanese snacks, treats, soup, tea, ceramics, gifts, and lots of frozen foods. They also do curbside and delivery through their website. If you, like me, have been getting a lot of Instagram ads for snack box subscriptions, maybe grab a few shrimp chips , dorayaki, or honey butter snacks from Asahi instead. They also have soft serve ice cream on Fridays and Saturdays as well as an onigiri station. read more

Really a nice Japanese grocery and gift shop with a great variety. We did not try the onigiri rice which had a variety of options. We were able to find some nice made-in-japan ceramic bowls along with some tasty snacks. For the rice connoisseur looking for something top notch, they had a few regional rices beside the normal california rices more commonly found like CalRose. read more

One stop shop for all things Japanese. On the weekend, there's often a line because they limit the number of guests in the small store. If you're looking for dry goods or snacks made in Japan then this is your store! They do sell food: a selection of onigiri, bentos style rice dishes and matcha/sesame soft serve. The ice cream is okay. The flavor is definitely unique but it's not as smooth as I would expect for soft serve. If you're looking for ONIGIRI only, I would recommend ordering online for pick up to save the waiting in line. read more

I love Asahi, it's a family run staple in Austin and one of my favorite places to come get fresh onigiri and bento boxes Wednesday through the weekend. Everyone who works here is so friendly and they always have fun promotions or prizes on their Instagram. It's also super clean and well organized. Love u Asahi! read more

The perfect grocery store for buying imported Japanese goods. If I want Japanese products, I prefer going to Asahi Imports as opposed to 99 Ranch Market. Parking is not an issue since Asahi is never crowded, and the workers are friendly. The store is neatly sectioned, has sufficient light, and has a bakery part of the store that also sells handmand onigiris. I come to Asahi mainly for the onigiris. A single elderly lady is always wrapping onigiris while facing the walls. By mid-afternoon most of the onigiris are gone with the exception of the more unique flavors like their Austin Onigiri, which there might be a single one left. The mini Onigiri wrapping station also serves soft-serve ice cream. I'm not a fan of the soft-serve since it's pretty expensive, and it tastes pretty average. I'd recommend Asahi Imports for your Japanphile needs. Come here for food and beauty products, and go to Kinokuniya for books. read more

Something I truly miss from Japan are the Onigiri I could easily pick up from any 7/11. To say that I was so excited when I found out about Asahi Imports would be an understatement. They make fresh Onigiri on the daily, and even offer bento boxes! The Onigiri gave me such a wave of nostalgia, I was in a good mood all day. They also have a plethora of Japanese snacks and drinks and keep the floor super clean and tidy. So glad to have discovered them! read more

Asahi Imports - Shrimp tempura and abura (pork) miso onigiri - International Grocery Near Me - Austin, Texas

Fairly small store; however, they manage to pack it full. All things Japanese: from utensils, to serving dishes, all the funky candies, noodles, sauces, toiletries, frozen goods, limited fresh produce, and a pretty impressive sake selection. I would say about 99% of the items are directly imported. I am able to find all of the items I need to make my Japanese (and a few Japanese Korean fusion stews - shhhh...don't tell anyone) dishes at Asahi. The prices on some items are a little elevated compared to other local Asian markets; but it's totally acceptable. They have items I have only seen in Japan and are not available at other Korean or Chinese focused stores. Plus, when I visit I get the chance to practice my limited Japanese with the cute little lady behind the counter. Always smiling and not the slightest bit weirded out or judgmental (or at least she doesn't show it) when I tell her "watashi no namae Asahi desu" - which means my name is Asahi. Asahi is a masculine name and the name of her store of course, but there is no translation for Dawn in Japanese, so my friends gave me the title when I was in Japan because it's the closest...means sunrise. Overall, charming little store, loads of inventory, friendly customer service, and "I think I'm turning Japanese...I really think so!" Domo arigato gozaimashita! Note: Also a great place to buy a gift - traditional geta, tea set, adorbs chopsticks, or perhaps even a beautiful Japanese money card to present the gift of moola in - just be sure not to buy one that is meant to be used for a funeral - or do. If your friend is gaijin they probably won't be able to tell, right? ;) Yes...I made that mistake...twice. read more

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This is the best place to get any Japanese groceries in Austin! Great selection and the onigiri is also such a great, affordable lunch or snack. read more

Lots of things in Japanese Onigiri Soft serve Cooled and uncooled teas Parking lot read more

Asahi Imports - Napkin - International Grocery Near Me - Austin, Texas

Asahi continues to be amazing! Eric R. and I stopped here after lunch a few days ago and he actually was willing to come inside! Usually he waits in the car when I scavenge in Japanese markets. One thing I immediately noticed is that the space was much larger and less cluttered. It was newly remodeled! At the entrance, there were gifts, serveware, and cards. Then, shelves of dry goods very well organized with clean floors and lots of space. On the left side of this first part of the store (the original main part), there were refrigerated cases that included fresh produce. I found yellow yuzu here again!!!! and shiso leaves!!! My shiso plant already hibernated for winter over a month ago so I was excited to see these! The second half of the store (on the left side) had more dry goods like noodles, frozen food, sake and other alcohol (e.g., plum wine), baked goods, and onigiri. At the front of the store was also magazines and books in Japanese. The staff was very friendly, answering questions I had such as about the freeze-dried tofu that I saw on NHK's Itadakimasu! Dining with the Chef show. I left with lots of great ingredients (including yuzu somen)! I would love to shop here again and would be a regular if I ever return to Austin to live here. read more

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I came here one weekend after hearing about it from word of mouth. I was surprised that I didn't know that this place existed until now. It's a small convenience store that carries a variety of Japanese snacks, instant ramen, food, vegetables, etc. My favorite part was trying their freshly made onigiri. The shrimp tempura was my favorite. It was tasty with their special sauce. Because it was freshly made, the rice was nice and warm and my taste buds were satisfied. I came here on a Sunday, so food variety was limited. However, they do serve bento boxes from Wednesday - Saturday. The black sesame soft serve was very delicious and creamy. I definitely will be coming back here to try their matcha soft serve and their other food offerings. read more

Asahi Imports - Black sesame soft serve - International Grocery Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Asahi Imports is very similar to the Minnano Mart here in San Antonio except slightly bigger and just a bit further... okay, a lot further... like a gas tank to go there and back furher. I loved it though. I liked the 'mini' produce area with the daikon. I'm used to having to go to the bigger Asian markets in order to get fresh produce. Complete with sake sets, traditional masu cups, chopsticks and what have you. I also enjoyed the fact that I found a lot of my sushi ingredients together in the freezer section. I know you can get sushi grade tuna at HEB but to see it with all the other like items (tuna, salmon, inari, roe, etc) was pretty cool. Of course a lot of other Japanese items I'm always on the lookout for are available - from candies to curries and mochi. The prices are comparable to a lot of other places I've been to for the same or similar items. Plus it's always nice to see a place really well-kept and in order. read more

Loved my experience here! Because of covid, they only limited a certain number of people in the store at one time, which is great! They also provide hand sanitizers, and had AMAZING service. There were so many varieties of Japanese food, snacks and drinks. The food from their kitchen was so yummy too! We got the katsu sando and chicken karaage bento. Both were equally yummy and reminded us of our trip to japan!! We also had to get the matcha soft serve which was in my opinion the best thing in the shop!! Would totally shop here again! read more

Asahi Imports - International Grocery Near Me - Austin, Texas

I have been looking for a reliable Japanese market since moving to ATX and Asahi Imports does not disappoint. The amount of spices and goodies they have available is really impressive, and it carries sort of a mom and pop feel. The store is mostly staffed with young college kids who were very helpful and kind. I got asked several times if I needed help finding anything or if I had any questions which was really awesome considering I couldn't read most of the packaging. I ended up getting several onigiri - 3 tempura shrimp, 1 "Austin" onigiri and 1 bonito, an assortment of spices (MSG, White pepper and furikake) and a few other goodies. The onigiri (especially the shrimp and "Austin") was fresh and delicious. Over all, it was an incredibly pleasant experience and I will definitely be coming back! read more

A great place to go if you need anything from their Onigiri to their Bento boxes! Amazing staff and you don't want to miss it!

I go out of my way to shop at Asahi Imports and support local. The workers have always been kind and helpful. With the limited capacity and restrictions, there is often a line outside during peak times but the staff offers complimentary bottles of water and is very thankful for the patience. The store is tiny but carries a good selection of Japanese favorites. This is also the only store I know of in Austin that sells comforts of home (Hawaii) such as S&S saimin. The fresh onigiri is a must! Ask for a punch card if you don't have one already! read more

Big fan of Asahi. I wanted to make some Japanese recipes and needed some specific ingredients. I went to Asahi and someone there helped me get every single item from my list. This store is located in a little strip mall, so there is plenty of parking in front. read more

There is no better option for getting quality Japanese foods than Asahi Imports. They have hard to find things like Koji and bran for home-aging pickles. Of course they have *all* the other things you would expect, and the best selection in town. Ever since their expansion, this place has really just been spectacular. I love to pick up a few onigiri because they're so cheap and delicious! read more

I stopped by during a week day lunch time. There were lots of bento box options and more!

Mmm.. the matcha soft serve is so yummy! This small Japanese store is split into two parts. Half of it has marketplace items like dry goods and vegetables in a refrigerated section. The other half has fresh foods including musubis and soft serve. The soft serve is fabulous! They have green tea matcha flavor and black sesame seed. You can also get it split serve. It's very yummy! I also enjoyed a musubi here. It was filled with mentaiko and was very tasty. It was also warm and freshly made. The items in the market side of the store were more expensive than I'm used to paying for the items, but I'd highly recommend this place for the musubis and delicious cold treat! read more

Well I been looking for some authentic Japanese food to try and this place was recommended by a fellow yelper Ashley C. I arrived Saturday about 11:45am. The store is like 2 stores in one. To the right is all the neat snacks and candy's etc. A freezer with some more great food. To the left was a bunch of people waiting for some made to order food. The smell is wonderful. Oh i forgot to mention that I was greeted by a ex co worker that used to work for me. She is the manager there and she is always happy and very talkative. If you go here ask for Candace a wonderful person. My main mission was to grab a pork cutlet sandwich. Once the other guests grabbed there food I was alone in front of the bento boxes and Nori, Lots of variety's. I never had one but I hears others say they were out of this world. I grabbed 3 onigiri Tuna, Beef and Pork. $1.99 ea a steal. I did not see a pork cutlet so I asked the lady behind the counter and she informed me they were sold out.. Darn, I was too late. So I looked at the Bento boxes and there were only Tempura and Chicken and some fish. left. They all looked good so I settled on the chicken. )See Pics)_ as I cant really describe them for lack of knowledge lol. Also found this little pastry (See Pic) For the review , First time Onigiri try. It was different , loved the packaging.It was warm and little salty, seemed like It needed to be paired with something else. The Bento box chicken was crispy and the dipping sauce was mayo I think was good. Rice great and the side of I think Daikon radish was sweet, the other side was something that was in vinegar. I different experience but it was shared and ok for a first timer. The pastry i never got a chance as it was eaten by someone else but I'm told it was great. I will definitely go back earlier and find that elusive pork cutlet sandwich very soon and much earlier as well. Happy Yelping! read more

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The people who work there are amazing a good at their job! Me being Japanese, I love the classic Japanese food they have and love how most of the workers speak Japanese. read more

Want Japanese pickles? Natto? Curry? Snacks? Onigiri and bento? Even sushi grade fish? They have it. I was really pleased that they had just about all of the condiments I was looking for to make Japanese meals throughout the week; specifically curry rice/udon, okonomiyaki, nabemono, onigirazu, etc. If you like green tea kitkats, they've got two kinds! read more

Cute little Japanese grocery shop, really nice staff and service. Onigiri are the bomb, cheap and tasty. I really recommend trying the mentaiko onigiri, it's spicy and savory, just perfect. You can text the onigiri hotline to order them ahead for pickup ((512) 953-7423) Haven't had the chance to try their bento boxes since it's only available Wed-Sat, but seems like they have a bunch of good options to try out. Check out their website to see when certain items are available during the week. read more

Nice, well-stocked lil Japanese grocery store. The real reason I'm leaving a review is the Onigiri! The best Onigiri I've ever had. The Chicken Karaage is soooooo good. I also had the Umeboshi one, and it was great too! Very traditional! If you need any Japanese groceries, want to try another culture's snacks, or just want a quick bite for lunch, This is the place. read more

Very cool little Japanese grocery store. Best part is the hot foods made fresh. They have various rice bowls, fried foods, and various onigiri. All of it tastes homemade and still warm. Cap it off with some soft serve afterwards. They had matcha and black sesame when I was there. read more

Asahi Imports is the only place in Austin where you have access to a full range of Japanese groceries (and fresh bentos!) most of which they don't sell at the big H or 99. Plus it's a local business run by the nicest people you'll ever meet. I shop mostly at the South Lamar location these days since it's closer and they have most of the staples but I still go to the Burnett location when I want the full selection. I remember when they just had the one store at half the size. Happy to see Asahi Imports thriving. read more

I love this gem and so happy I work nearby. I often come in for fresh onigiris and recently was able to find my favorite candy I came across in Japan! (Fettuccine sour grape strips) The staff at this store are always so sweet and friendly. Sometimes they have free goodies they give you too. read more

I can't believe I've never stopped by this store despite living in Austin since 2011. Apparently it used to be smaller but it is quite sizeable and carried a lot of products. They have some household items and many food products like sauces, rice, dried noodles, alcohol, even some veggies. I came by on the weekend because of their soft serve offerings. I love matcha but surprisingly the black sesame took the cake this time. I think things are on the pricier side here, but they do have a good amount of options and snacks I've never seen before. On other days they offer things like bento boxes. There's also a mini bakery and onigiri offerings as well. read more

Asahi Imports - International Grocery Near Me - Austin, Texas

This place is awesome. I can't believe I'd never heard of it before. They've got everything Japanese you could possibly imagine -- freshly made onigiris, bento boxes, snacks, side dishes, tableware, etc. You can basically find anything you need here. They run out of onigiris around 3pm - i think they stop making them so if you have to get there earlier before they run out. So worth it though. They limit the number of people inside now because of COVID and so during busier hours, there will be a considerable line out the door, but it goes by really fast! The wait is definitely worth it in my opinion. read more

Very nice and clean store and they carry everything you can imagine! We went for the Origini Event. Definitely will attend the next one!

Having lived in Japan for many years it's a treat to find good imports. I have made this a pilgrimage and roll it into any trip while nearby. They have a good rotating stock of the best products and one of the few places to find really quality soy sauce. I'm a fan of the gold labeled Yamasa. Need Bonito? Check. Dashi? Check. Canned coffee? Yep. Pretty much everything I had while in Japan. Nice staff. Very strict about hand sanitizer and masks. In Japan half the population wore masks anyway and that was in 1990. So yes. It's like being in Japan. read more

Yay! Finally found a Japanese grocery store! They also have Japanese gifts,food,snacks,beers,sake and they make there own bento ! Why only 4 stars? Well it's very pricey! It's about 2-3 times the cost in Japan! But I know it's costly to import stuff!! Highly recommend this place!! read more

Asahi Imports - International Grocery Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Such a fun shop filled with all the Japanese goodies you'll ever want! Don't miss out on the soft serve they sell on weekends. If you're looking for Japanese groceries or just want some unique candies, head over here and you'll definitely find something unique! Big fan of the black sesame soft serve. The flavor reminded me of tahini and wasn't too sweet. If you love matcha don't miss the matcha soft serve. Or get it swirled together! read more

Asahi Imports - Black sesame & matcha swirl - International Grocery Near Me - Austin, Texas

Asahi imports is a great place to check out if you're a fan of japanese products and are limited to the locations in Austin. In terms of japanese produce and products, it probably has the best in Austin, but the selection is nowhere near mitsuwa in Plano, Texas or stores in houston. Certain days they make bentos that are only available in limited qualities. when i go there around 2 pm they are always sold out but stocked fully in their onigiris. The onigiri inside is more like powder and seasoning rather than actual fish meat so i'll warn you of that before you get your hopes up. I do like the taste though! it makes me kind of miss the giant 5 dollar rice balls you could get at momokos with raw salmon in the middle. My favorite thing to get there is the drinks and their strawberry daifuku which is available on thursdays. In conclusion, very pricey, but hard to find japanese food items is how i would describe asahi. read more

Asahi Imports - Salmon onigiri - International Grocery Near Me - Austin, Texas

The best place for a Friday afternoon snack after work! They have a small, 2-seater table where you can go on a food journey: 1. Start with some housemade onigiri or a katsu bentob box. Someone seems to be constantly forming onigiri behind the counter! At around $2 apiece, stuffed with salmon and other goodies, it's delicious, cheap, easy, and fun to eat! If you've never had onigiri before, pay attention to the way you unwrap it- it's genius! 2. Grab a cold refrigerated apple soda, matcha latte, calpico, ramune! 3. Buy soft serve! This is only available Fri-Sun. They make their own matcha and black sesame soft serve ice cream that is divine. $3.25 gets you enough! 4. Browse their bakery and displays for other sweet/savory snacks 5. Buy your favorite japanese snacks and other goods for home on your way out! They have a great selection. If you're curious about making your own okonomiyaki, taiyaki, tempura, sushi, ramen, udon... the employees are happy to show you where to find the supplies read more

I love this place. When I started getting more serious about cooking Japanese food, and started researching the best soy sauces, miso, short grain rice, ponzu, and Mirin brands that are actually used in Japan I was delighted that all the brands where here in one place. The owners really have curated some of the best of the best merchandise for customers to create a truly authentic Japanese experience for themselves. I love the grab and go bentos and onigiris, and I always try to stop in when I'm up north. This place is the only true Japanese market in Austin. H-Mart, Han Yang, and Hana World are more Korean. Ranch 99 is more Chinese centric. MT is probably the most pan-Asian of them all. Either way, what I'm saying is I can kinda find some of the stuff I need at these places but not everything, and Asahi always comes through when I'm on a Japanese binge. Plus they are local biz that you can see really cares about there customers and service. read more

Wonderful little Burnet gem! This spot has everything Japanese - from vegetables to snacks, sake and beer, kitchen tools, fresh bread, handmade dishes and even soft serve ice cream. I would definitely check this place out even if you're not looking to grocery shop. It's just fun to walk around and admire the beautiful ceramics and snacks. We tried the sesame soft serve and the matcha, and they were really good! Very smooth and delicious. I love that they give you the option to mix them if you like, and the staff is very friendly. I'm so glad I discovered this place and would definitely return! read more

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Excellent store. The staff is very professional and excellent social skills. The sushi grade frozen tuna was excellent. I will be back . read more