Asahi Imports

Their rice balls are so comforting and many varieties too, plus you can find some really delicious and fun snacks.

Asahi Imports is such a hidden gem in Austin! I stopped by for the onigiri and let me just say.. they’re so good. Fresh, flavorful, and perfectly packed. You can tell they use quality ingredients, and each bite is just ridiculously satisfying. I’ve already been back multiple times… and honestly, I’d go back a fifth time without hesitation. It’s that good. If you’re craving something quick, delicious, and different, this is the spot. Highly recommend checking them out!

Don't have a wifi account for guest if you don't want them to use it. Overall great store, super clean and tidy, you can find all kind of goodies including your favorite snacks 🤤. I got mochi too on top of rice crackers, chips, and barley tea. Great pit stop if you are waiting next door at Uptown Cheapskate

Stopped in yesterday and was so glad we did!! Everyone was so nice and friendly and the store (though they say more items like produce, is coming) is stocked full of all kinds of food, frozen food, sake, snacks and fun things. We picked up a few items and will be back to try more. Loved the recommendations on the food and Sake and grabbed some Sour Cream and Onion chips that were amazing. They offer lunch items/prepared items as well and will be back to try those (the basket photo). We did see a line when we went initially but found out that is not for them- mentioning this in case anyone else pulls up and sees the line- it's for the title company- good info to have I think as we had turned around and went back later in the day. Must Visit! You will be glad you did! Can't wait to return and try out more things/ learn more and start cooking and making items at home!!

Great place to grab a quick lunch. The rice balls 🍙 are awesome! They have a nice variety for vegetarians as well! They also have a good selection of Japanese goods. Groceries, sake, candy and a few home goods.

Sometimes you just want some Onigiri for breakfast and this place is perfect. Amazing variety, fresh and delicious!!

Best store for Japanese groceries and the staff is amazing. They also have a great loyalty program

I love ordering rice 🍙 balls here - plus the snack packaging is so cute !!! I like to buy the Japanese candy boxes because they come with a surprise sticker. The jasmine tea bottle comes with a clever hiaku on the back. Overall it’s always a fun experience shopping here!

I want to live in this store!!! Love the matcha options and the onigiri made fresh in store. It's a small store but has just about everything you need. The people that worked there were super friendly. Can't wait to come back and try a bento box!

This store closes at 6pm. They have a variety of Japanese snacks, cooking staples, desserts, Japanese sake and beer! My favorite were the seaweed snacks and the plum Onigiri!!! These sold out really fast. The store is small and the cashiers were really friendly! They also sell little tea cup sets.

I didn't know there was another Asahi Imports here! This one looks to be a bit smaller than the other location. I like that I can buy fresh onigiri here. You can also order specific flavors in advance! They have all the Japanese convenience store staples such as ramen, seasonings, tea, and more.

Omg, THIS PLACE IS AN ABSOLUTE GEM. I have placed myself in the fan club of Asahi Imports! There are parts of me hesitant to share this review because I want no one else to know about how awesome it is, but the other part has to brag about them to help keep business good! I stopped in here because I kept seeing repetitive Tiktok videos of folks making crispy rice and sushi (damn algorithms). I was all like, "oh I can do that." So I googled sushi grade fish in Austin and this place popped up. The fish was frozen when purchased but when it thawed, it was complete perfection (see photos). It even SMELLED like complete perfection. I felt like a true sushi master handling these filets. Truly delivered, my dish was incredible. My crispy rice didn't turn out like those on Tiktok but it was still delicious. I can't wait to go back here and buy a bunch of Japanese candy and sake!

If you're looking for authentic Japanese foods/goods this is THE place to go! While shopping you must try their daily oni giri specials, as well as their Bento boxes. You can order online for pickup as well.

Sister store to the north Austin location on Burnet Road. The best place in Austin for authentic Japanese food, glassware, and gifts. This store has items that simply aren't available anywhere else, even at the humongous H-Mart stores. It's worth a trip just to gawk at the amazing array of awesome goods. Super staff as well. Highly recommended.

The CUTEST quiet cute shop for japanese groceries and fresh baked onigiri! This shop's employees are so kind and willing to help you find whatever you need. The onigiri is freshly baked and if you go near closing time, they discount all of them! We got some onigiri, red bean filled pastries, and some drinks. I think this is a place worth checking out!

this little shop is great! it's mostly snacks with some frozen meals, drinks and cooking ingredients. i love that i don't need to drive all the way to north for some asian goodies. i love their candy gummies selection, they're so addictive. they have all kinds of onigiri and it's so affordable. employees are always friendly. def check them out if you're in the area!

Love this place for so many reasons. I love the pickled vegetables, the little seaweed rice cakes they make fresh, the many options of noodles, including their real soba noodles, which are made from buckwheat and many places don't sell real soba noodles. All of the different broths also are amazing. I just recommend going because you just need to look around to find the things you like or are willing to try. Have fun!!

It's a small Japanese store that sells authentic Japanese snacks, groceries, gifts, and other products. Everyone there was so nice! When I checked out, the lady spoke in both Japanese and English. I thought it was rather charming. Snacks galore! I wanted to grab everything even though I couldn't tell what they were! I was able to find some good premium sakes there. Probably spent more money than I'd like. The original quest was finding mochi ice cream for a NYE party, and I found some matcha flavored ones. They tasted so yummy and authentic. Unlike some other brands, no need to wait to thaw the mochi for a few minutes, it was chewy fresh out of the freezer. I also bought a couple of onigiri's (salmon and karaage/mayo) made that morning. I was there about 20 mins after they opened. The onigiri fillings were still warm and delicious. when I got home. They also sell cute gifts such as sake sets and chopsticks. Due to the lack of Asian grocery stores in South Austin, it's a 5 out of 5 stars from me!

Marvelous little place. We visited Japan and really came to love Okonomi Yaki. I made with ingredients from this beautiful store and it's become something we really enjoy regularly. There are all sorts of strange and exotic snacks, rice cakes and excellent prepared foods to try. I'm really glad there's one down South now and I hope to get there soon.

FINALLY! A Japanese market south of the river, bringing a taste of The Land of The Rising Sun closer than ever! This second location for the famed Asahi Imports is still in soft opening mode at the moment, with fresh onigiri coming this Thursday and a grand opening celebration planned for January 2022. That's right around the corner, but why wait? There are still plenty of tantalizing snacks, drinks, frozen specialties, and pantry goods to snap up. They're still feverishly stocking shelves so you may not see everything you want at the moment. Be patient! Everyone working here is incredibly friendly too; don't be afraid to ask in case they might have more in back. Price tags are also forthcoming, for anyone daunted by unknown expenses. Other big pluses: Ample free parking! Easy access on South Lamar! Fresh produce! Lovely people to practice your terrible Japanese language skills with (or maybe that's just me?)! It's already wonderful and promises even greater foodie riches in the near future.

Love that this place is in South Austin now. Onigiri made fresh here really satisfies a craving - the have a mix of seafood, veggie and meat. So Good. They also have some bento boxes for those wanting something other than onigiri or something to supplement. Other than that they have assorted Japanese groceries/staples (including sashimi grade fish). As a speciality shop some of the prices are slightly elevated as you would expect. Complaint - not open late enough for me to swing by after work to get onigiri. Maybe they need an after hours onigiri ATM.

I've lived in Austin since 1995 and have been to this little shopping mall where Kerby Lane and uptown cheapskate is I can't even tell you how many times and I've never noticed this Japanese market before! What a great find! I'm eating a Bento box that they have brought in fresh made Wednesday through Sunday. Everyone there is friendly, and they have a very good selection of Japanese goods. I will be back!

Love this store. The staff is awesome and helpful. The food quality is great too. We desperately needed better Asian food options in south Austin. Unfortunately for my wallet, this place is 5 minutes from my house. I love purchasing their frozen sushi fish, shiso leaf and ikura for an easy sushi lunch. Randomly grabbed the frozen tamago and let it thaw under refrigeration before slicing thin. It was so delicious.

RUN, DON'T WALK, TO ASAHI ON S LAMAR! I am so happy we stopped in here one day. I have been pretty interested in Japanese and Asian cuisine & culture as a whole for a while now. This store is incredibly cute with the candies and snacks. We noticed the different Onigiri (which we had never tried before) and decided to try the Kara-age (fried chicken) one. It's safe to say we have a new obsession. They allow you to text in your order and pick it up. It's SO easy! Everyone here is extremely nice and helpful!

I'm a huge fan of Asahi Imports and am so happy to have a location closer to me on the South side, so now I tack it onto my Central Market grocery runs since they're close to each other. It's actually a little dangerous because having the original Asahi be further away was a natural laziness barrier to grabbing onigiri on a whim. I now don't have that excuse. This location is tucked in the middle of a strip mall on South Lamar that has a Torchy's. Also next door to Asahi is an Auto Title store that always has a huge line for DMV services, so don't mistake that line for getting into Asahi like I did on my first visit. Compared to the North location, this Asahi is a bit smaller and narrow but bright and clean, making it feel more like a compact Japanese convenience store. It has a bunch of the staples I come here for - frozen items (gyoza, karaage, takoyaki, sushi grade fish), ramen, snacks, condiments, yuzu juice, onigiri and bento. At the moment, it doesn't have as many groceries as the original location and I'm not sure if that will change. Notably missing was fresh shiso leaves that I use for raw squid, cocktails, and salads. It has the same amazing staff and prepared foods so I really can't complain. It adds such a quality of life to have Asahi in the community.

Such a cute little Japanese store selling Japanese goods and little gifts. They have Japanese meals as well for sale if you need a quick lunch on the go. This is clearly a store that takes pride in what they sell. The employees are sweet as well.

Asahi is my go to for all things sushi! They have the best frozen sushi grade fish cuts at such a reasonable price and the best onigiri! Love coming here weekly to get my fix of Japanese goodies! They also carry the sando bread which I use to make my own egg sandos at home! The staff is always so friendly and helpful!

Love Asahi and there every weekend. Really nice selection of Japanese food and drink. Have onigiri freshly made. Staff is super friendly.

We stumbled upon Asahi during a random day out and were delighted to find a charming store full of high quality, fun Japanese treats. My kids enjoyed picking out a yummy sweet that they'd never seen before. I perused the sake wall and received incredibly helpful guidance on how to make a selection. We look forward to going back to try the ongiri (rice balls)...I'm especially intrigued by the one with shishito peppers and miso. Yum!

Love the freshly made Onigiri! Salmon, Mentaiko and Salmon Kombu are absolutely delicious. The staff are very friendly! The store has a large assortment of authentic snacks, groceries and gifts. Asahi Imports is a must go whenever we're in Austin!

meh. lots of out of stock grocery (went there looking for 4 items all were not available) AND they don't have a matcha ice cream machine means that i will have to trek to their north location.

I am here mainly for the Origiri and picked 3 today for quick lunch and dinner as well as an icy cold coffee. The food is fresh and delicious, and the lady at the register is friendly and polite.

Such a fun, experience and I can try something new every time I go here to try. I love the skincare and freezer section. Any time I've asked a question at least 5 were answered I didn't know I needed to know. It's nice to see a place where customers experience actually is top priority. So clean and organized not a hair out of place. Top notch

This store has made it so much easier for me to make nigiri at home with their selection of sushi grade fish. So far I've had the hamachi, the sake (salmon) and the tuna. Excited to keep going here for years to come! Great alcohol selection as well.

Tiny Japanese market with bento and freshly wrapped onigiri. There's a selection of snacks, sakes, teas, and even fresh produce. The best (and only?) Japanese market you'll find in South Austin.

A cute little Japanese grocery store, really just came here to check it out as we don't have one of these in Houston, and let me just say.. They have fresh onigiri!! The chicken & mayo one... SO BOMB!! (We were able to check out both locations, by accident and the one on burnett I think is just a bit bigger with more house wares)

Great store. Many unique Japanese items to select from. The sales I was very helpful with which Miso Paste would be best for me per my tastebuds and wish for a low sodium one. Will return to purchase more items in future and certainly will sign up for Cooking Lessons when they are offered in the future :)

so much joy from this place. simply put, its my happy place. i want to go every single day. i want to buy all japanese grocery items only from asahi.