By Vibrant Dot StaffEver visited Don Don Donki and been amazed by its endless selection of Japanese products? We’ve picked out 10 of the best and quirkiest you may have missed out on!
1) Weird-tasting sodas
Rated as the first and third most disgusting sodas in Japan, the Squid Soda and Natto Soda are not for the faint-hearted. Living up to reputations of dried squid and natto, their rancid smells will assail your nostrils as you open the bottles.
These sodas retail at $4.90, and Don Don Donki advertises them as their “disgusting sodas”. It seems only fitting that people are repulsed by them. On the flipside, these sodas could make for a good prank on a close friend! Imagine the look on their faces when they take a sip of this!
2) Costumes
Don Don Donki’s wide selection of party or halloween costumes may seem confusing to some. A Donald Trump mask? A synthetic Afro wig? A Japanese maid uniform? These are just some of the costumes available in their aisle of party tricks.
Affordable and amusing, these costumes are good for a quick buy if you’re not picky about quality or realism. Dressing up for costume parties and halloween doesn’t seem like such a far-fetched idea with Don Don Donki. The costume section is located at B1 of the Orchard Central branch.
3)Cheap and good pork and beef
Exclusive to Don Don Donki, their meat section is a rare gem among supermarkets here. Ranging from shabu shabu meat to premade hamburger patties, there are options for different occasions and cuisines. They have pork and japanese and american beef of varying qualities.
Catch them at a certain timing, and they have further discounts ranging from -10% to -50%! We highly recommend picking up a few packs for a steamboat party or a hearty dinner with family. The meat section is located at B2 supermarket section at the Orchard Central branch.
4)Beer snacks
Popularly eaten in Japan, beer snacks are quintessential to the Japanese drinking culture. To no surprise, Don Don Donki has a huge variety of them!
Ebi-pea is a popular peanut cracker snack that is often eaten alongside beer. The shrimp flavour on the coating allows for a taste strong enough to cut through the beer. We also recommend Kaki-no-Tane, which are crescent-shaped fragments of senbei, or rice crackers. They come in both salty and sweet flavours, such as salted peanuts and strawberry white chocolate respectively.
Give them a chance and pick them up the next time you head to Don Don Donki!
5)Clear drinks
Remember when suntory came out with the clear milk tea and literally everyone was mind blown? Don Don Donki boasts more than just clear milk tea with its champion variety of clear goods.
Think of clear Iced Peach tea or clear Coffee. Their mismatched aesthetics and taste confuse your senses from the first sip. More for novelty, this trendy set of drinks gives anyone a conversation starter of sorts and makes a good gag gift for those who don’t already know about it!
Give into curiosity and try one out the next time you drop by!
6)Nose hair wax kits
With a rise in care for personal hygiene, the Japanese are quick to jump on the bandwagon with this personal nose hair waxing kit. Complete with matching gender sets, this kit helps one wax their own nose hairs at home easily.
Online reviews touted this product to be fuss-free, effective, yet affordable; everything can be done in less than 5 mins. Try this out on your spouse or partner for a guaranteed laugh but also genuine hygiene care!
Pick one up at Don Don Donki’s beauty section!
7)Facial masks in a pack
The facial masks we’re most familiar with are often packaged individually, which can be quite environmentally unfriendly because of all the resulting plastic waste. Here in Don Don Donki, Japanese facial masks are sold in packs of 7 to 32!
Brands, like Saborino and Lunlunlun, make statements with their colourful yet compact packaging. Designed similarly to wet wipes packs, each set of masks has its own unique scents and properties. The masks are made for quick everyday use, and are a must-try for beauty-lovers who need to rush every morning!
8) Flavoured Toothpaste
Tired of conventional toothpaste with the normal mint or menthol flavour? Why not try out indo curry or cola flavour? At just $1.90 per tube, with 31 flavours, you can change the scent of your breath everyday of the month!
9) Character-themed food products
A classic Japanese treat, character-themed food products are no stranger to Japanese children. They were rare commodities, found only in small quantities at speciality stores, until Don Don Donki hit Singapore.
The branches here showcase a huge range of character goods, including famous Disney characters and Pokémon, as well as brand mascots that are well-known in Japan. We recommend trying out the ready-made retort pouch curry! These products sometimes contain fun little treats resembling the characters they are tied to!
10) Chu-Hi “Canned Cocktails”
Not to be confused with ciders or beers, Japanese Chu-Hi or “Shochu Highball” is a mix of flavoured carbonated soda and Shochu. Chu-Hi is considered a convenient cocktail and can have an alcohol percentage as strong as 9%. You can also find types of Chu-Hi that are made with vodka, instead of shochu.
Chu-Hi is recommended for infrequent drinkers who prefers sweetness over the usual bitter taste of alcohol. We recommend pouring it into a chilled glass and topping it off with the appropriate fruits to round off the whole drink!
Pick a few up at Don Don Donki’s alcohol section!