Even five years ago, Delhiites had to make do with a batch of instant noodles or an expensive plate of sushi at a luxury hotel. But the scene today is strikingly different.
From the busy lanes of Humayunpur and Safdarjung to the quiet corners of Sultanpur Village, Japanese and Korean supermarkets have become the new destination for shoppers – offering gochujang (Korean red pepper paste) by the kilo, fresh tofu, and poke sticks in all flavours.
The growing popularity makes one thing clear: Delhi has fallen desperately in love with East Asia, from TV dramas and pop stars to food staples.
Tucked away on the bustling main road of Safdarjung Enclave, Dotori Sushi & More is easy to miss amid the flashing signs of fast food chains and delis. Step inside, however, and the chaos of the street melts away.
The space is silent, almost reverent. There is no music, no conversation, just the soft hum of the refrigerators and the occasional honking sound from outside. In a city where even supermarkets are bursting with curated playlists, the silence feels meditative.
The store, which opened its doors in 2010, is the brainchild of Park Eun-soo. I originally started the store to serve the small but growing Korean expat community in Delhi.
“A lot of them work with Samsung or Suzuki,” says Rohit Kumar, store manager. “It’s normal to miss home and crave the food you grew up with. That’s why Mrs. Yeon-soo decided to open the shop. Her husband was working in Delhi at the time, and they would often meet people from their community and lament how much they missed home.”
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Dotori shelves are stacked to the ceiling and contain everything you need to redesign a Korean kitchen. Instant ramen, seaweed snacks, and fizzy Korean soft drinks share space with jars of gochujang, bottles of soy sauce, Kewpie mayonnaise, and even huge bags of sticky rice. On the side are three freezers filled to the brim with pork chops from Belgium, salmon fillets from Norway, and tuna slabs from Thailand.
The customer base of Korean supermarkets expanded after the pandemic.
29 Fresh Mart in Humayunpur, Safdarjung District. (Quick photo by Tashi Topgyal)
A man who runs a small grocery store in Humayunpur, also called Rohit, says business skyrocketed once he reopened after the lockdown.
“This area is unique,” he explains.
“Most of our customers are either from the northeast or Nepal,” he says, bursting into laughter. “Many of them also come from the nearby diplomatic area. They would ask us to bring some ramen… but for us, it was all just maggi.”
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But a cousin’s trip to Malaysia quickly changed his view. His cousin brought back some boxes of ramen, especially the non-vegetarian variety. “I had no idea that something like Maggi could have so many varieties, flavors and sizes,” admits Rohit.
He found a few sellers and bought a few packages, but that was before the Korean Wave had fully hit India, so sales were minimal.
By 2022, he noticed a new wave of shoppers — mostly locals — who were curious to try Korean products. He was also approached by a ready-to-eat food company to sell frozen products such as Kimbap (seaweed rice rolls with meat/vegetable/tuna filling) and Eeomuk (fish cakes). To his great surprise, the products practically flew off the shelves.
“I think a lot of people got to know Korean music and TV shows during the pandemic. Earlier, only students from the Korean Cultural Center would come to visit the supermarket. Even then, it was only because their teacher was telling them where to get Korean food… now it’s different,” says Rohit of Dotori.
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He recalls opening a pop-up booth for an event at BITS Pilani. “We only brought vegetarian kimbap because no one thought they would be open to eating fish… and we didn’t even think we would sell much of it,” he says. “But all the students were clamoring to eat it. They were asking for tuna and salmon! It was amazing.”
But with booming demand came fierce competition. The Korean food market is now very active, with restaurants popping up all over the city creating increased demand for ingredients and suppliers.
One of the oldest companies navigating this growing ecosystem is Daily Need Exim, an imported goods supplier and wholesaler that previously catered only to Delhi’s fine dining restaurants and high-end hotels.
When Takahashi Kazuya first arrived in India in 2008, he was working with a Japanese food company keen to test the waters of the Indian market. At that time, Japanese expatriates in Delhi had only one grocery store that sold authentic Japanese ingredients. Takahashi saw both an opportunity and a challenge.
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“Japanese food was, and still is, an exclusive cuisine,” explains Sahil Pawar, a senior executive at the company. “It’s an acquired taste for most Indian palates, and it’s expensive. In 2010, there were maybe three or four restaurants serving sushi, and most of them were in five-star hotels.”
Over the next decade and a half, Takahashi built a supply chain that now stretches across eight cities in India, becoming one of the major players bringing Japanese food to Indian tables. Pickled umeboshi, dried kombu, miso paste, adzuki beans, bonito flakes – you name it, and Takahashi probably brings it to the Japanese restaurant you frequent.
To reach a wider audience, he launched an online portal that allows customers to order these specialty ingredients directly to their doorstep.
Food has always been one of the most intimate ways to experience another culture. And in Delhi, Japanese and Korean supermarkets have turned what was once a niche curiosity into a weekend ritual, inviting everyone to taste a different world. Perhaps this is the quiet charm of these stores. Every jar of kimchi or packet of furikake is more than just an ingredient. It’s an invitation.
(Tags for translation)Delhi East Asian Food
