Long before Don Don Ki entered the Singapore market, there was only 2 supermarkets in Singapore that offers a good range of Japanese products. One of them is the Isetan supermarket at Isetan Orchard and the other is the Mediya supermarket at Liang court. Well visited by most Japanese expats, Mediya is the to go to place to grab authentic Japanese groceries and baked goods. When Mediya announced their latest and biggest outlet at Millenia Walk on 25 November 2020, most Japanese food lovers were rejoicing.
Located near the main entrance of Millenia walk, the 1st storey is brightly lit and very spacious.
The right side of the first storey is occupied by Gokoku Japanese bakery from Kobe Japan with more than 59 years of experience in bread making. The full name of the bakery; Gokoku Shichifuku which means 5 grains 7 fortunes in Japanese believes in in bringing customers happiness and fortune by providing healthy bread using quality Japanese ingredients and hearty grains essential for daily nutrients
Using techniques from Japan, the wholesome goodness of the ingredients are retained giving a soft, chewy texture filled with the original flavour. There are about 3 glass casings housing a pretty decent range of buns being offered and you can find most Japanese inspired flavour bakes here.
If you are not sure of which bun to buy, you can choose from their monthly top sellers shown in their poster.
On the left side of the ground floor, there is a sushi and sashimi counter, desserts and ice cream area as well as the Hokkaido Dosanko Plaza which features popular snacks, desserts and ready to eat Japanese biscuits imported from Hokkaido.
In the chiller areas, you can find Japanese imported ice cream in tubs
There are also a variety of frozen Japanese swiss rolls and cakes available
You can also buy fresh cakes by Chef Yamashita from the famous Japanese artisan patisserie bakery located in Tanjong Pagar. This dessert counter also offers Japanese soft serve ice cream
Between the bakery and the chiller section, you can walk down this path to access the back of the supermarket where cooked and hot food are being served at the food hall. The hall can accommodate more than 80 people including indoor and outdoor seats. Diners can choose between ready bentos or ready packed sushi and sashimi. For those who prefer freshly cooked items can choose between Japanese curry, Tonkatsu rice or Sapporo Nishiyama Ramen at the small stalls within the food hall. You can also chill out at the al fresco Japanese café within the food hall.
The sushi and sashimi selection may look small at level one as these are mostly for diners at the food hall as there is a more extensive range found on the 2nd floor of the supermarket.
As all the sashimi are being brought in by Nakajima Suisan who is Japan’s largest fish supplier, you can also find some quality frozen seafood imported directly from Japan available for purchase if you are looking at whipping a good Japanese meal at home.
Once you travel up the travellators, you will find a small section dedicated to selling Japanese household products like small household appliances, tumblers, bowls and plates as well as other small accessories you might usually find in Daiso or Isetan.
On the left of the household section is a small Japanese pharmacy selling pharmaceutical products like masks, medicated toiletries, off the counter medicine as well as sanitary products.
To get to the international supermarket, you will pass the checkout counters which are just next to the pharmacy.
The layout of the supermarket is quite similar to the one at Liang Court as you are greeted by rows of dry goods first ranging from noodles, spices, hot beverages and snacks.
Other than Japanese groceries, you can also find some groceries from other parts of Asia like Vietnam, China, Hong Kong and Korea.
Once you make it past the endless rows of dry goods, located at the far right side of the supermarket is the fresh vegetable section where you can find imported fruits and vegetables from Japan. The price of most of these produce are definitely higher than those we find in our local supermarkets as they are flown in from Japan and the quality is visibly high.
Behind the fresh vegetable section, you will find a huge area dedicated to fresh meats and seafood.
Something interesting to note is that the fresh meat section actually offers different parts of beef or pork; thinly sliced specifically for sukiyaki or shabu shabu. You can also score some premium meats like wagyu beef at reasonable prices here
There is another section offering an extensive selection of ready packed sushi and sashimi on this level compared to the one at the food hall. For those who have never been to Tsukiji market and love seeing how the chef slice up sashimi, you can watch the chef here slice up an entire fish at the live stations. Those looking for premium cuts of sashimi like the otoro or chutoro can also get them here.
There are a few more section which I did not take pictures of including a dedicated Japanese liquor section selling quality sake, Japanese whiskey and wine, a tofu factory offering silken, yaki and momen tofu as well as soya milk and beverages. You can also find some rare frozen items or pickled dishes here which is not available elsewhere.
For those missing Japan from their travels, you can definitely make a trip here and indulge in all the Japanese produce here and grab some treasured finds here not available in other Japanese supermarkets out there.
Address: 9 Raffles Boulevard #02-26 to 36 Millenia Walk
Operating hours: 10 am to 10 pm
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