murugye
MUJI's new flagship store, following the ones in Ariake and Ginza, opened on November 17, 2022, near Ikebukuro. Located along Yamanote Street, near the Takamatsu entrance of the Central Circular Route of the Metropolitan Expressway, the store occupies the former site of the Hatasports Center, including the Hat Bowling Alley. This year in September, a separate building of the store opened on the large site of the former Maruei Itabashi Minamicho store. The combined parking space for both stores is 226 cars. With a floor area of approximately 1,200 tsubo, this location is one of the largest for MUJI.
On the opening day, I visited the store on my mountain bike with the intention of purchasing some deli items from MUJI Kitchen for lunch and dinner. Although I did not plan to go on the first day, my wife requested it, so I decided to scout out the place. The store features an open MUJI terrace where customers can enjoy the food they purchase from MUJI Kitchen. The place was packed with people who seemed to be interested in new things.
I bought a teriyaki burger for lunch, which consisted of hand-kneaded hamburger, tomato, grilled onions, avocado paste, and mayonnaise sauce, priced at ¥780 each. For dinner, I purchased Tokyo Butter Tempura (collaboration with a local bento shop, Ahoudori, using Tokyo-grown buttercup squash), seasonal leaf vegetable and hijiki salad with golden sesame dressing, and smashed eggplant with a tangy soy sauce dressing mixed with onions, shiitake mushrooms, and scallions. The teriyaki burger was satisfying with its thick and flavorful patty, and the tempura had a delicious sweetness. The salads were refreshing, and the smashed eggplant paired well with beer in the evening.
The deli items are also available at the East Ikebukuro store near Sunshine City, but this store collaborates with local shops in Yomemachi and Itabashi Ward to offer various products and contribute to local revitalization. It will be interesting to see how these large-scale stores differentiate themselves and attract customers in a time when prices are rising. As a customer, I look forward to watching their development. Apologies for the unrelated content to food reviews. See you next time.