One of the building blocks in Japanese cuisine is dashi; it is the foundation of so many dishes from oden and miso soup to ramen and tamagoyaki. This specialist store in Azabudai Hills carries an extensive variety of premium, additive-free ingredients to make your own dashi. There are convenient pre-mix dashi packets as well as an assortment of ingredients including dried fish and kelp, the two key components in making dashi.
The options here can be overwhelming. Even the pre-mix dashi packs come in an array of styles, from the classic dashi mix with dried bonito, anchovies, grilled and dried flying fish, sweet kelp and koshin shiitake mushrooms, to the popular Kyoto dashi that has just three ingredients: dried tuna, rishiri kelp and shiitake mushrooms. The shop often gives out dashi broth samples to try, which hopefully will help you make your selection.
For seasoned cooks, you’ll love the eye-opening counter where you’ll find 36 types of dashi ingredients on display, including bonito flakes plus an assortment of dried fish, seafood and kelp.
Okume also stocks a good range of pantry staples sourced from all around Japan. There are artisanal soy sauce, regional miso, gourmet furikake (rice condiments) and everything else you need to make an authentic Japanese meal at home.