If you’re craving massive meals on a budget, portion-boosted convenience store foods are the way to go.
On the days that you forget to bring your lunch with you, or you’re simply too busy to prepare one, Japanese convenience stores are like an oasis in a desert of hunger. Yet, while the portion sizes are reasonable for those with a moderate appetite, if you’re one of those with a penchant for big eating, the popular convenience store trend of boosted sizes is a welcome endeavor. From August 25 until August 31, the second phase of Ministop’s Zukkyun Increased Portion Fair will run, featuring five items that are guaranteed to leave you feeling stuffed.
Rushing over to our nearest Ministop, we checked out the latest lineup:
1. Tuna Salad, Ham, and Egg Salad Sandwiches for 321 yen (US$2.02), with an additional Egg Sandwich.
2. Okinawa-style Pork and Egg Rice Ball (with Barley) for 321 yen, with double fillings.
3. Super Spicy Mapo Tofu and Spicy Fried Rice for 645 yen, with 50 percent increased volume.
4. Spaghetti with Garlic, Chili Peppers and Sausages (also known as the Sausage Peperoncino) for 572 yen, with over 50 percent more pasta and an extra sausage.
5. Infinite Cream for 321 yen, with a more than 50 percent increase in the amount of fresh whipped cream.
Starting with the Sausage Peperoncino, which felt the heaviest upon picking up, the weight turned out to be an incredible 604 grams (or 1.3 pounds).
The taste didn’t give us any surprises, being a fairly regular convenience store peperoncino, but the addition of one extra sausage was pleasant. Rather than having an obscure ingredient boosted, the sense of getting a good deal was very forthright.
Next up was the Mapo Tofu and Fried Rice, also being quite hefty at 540 grams (1.19 pounds).
While it doesn’t quite reach the “super spicy” level it claims to be, it still has a fairly solid kick, being at a level that some people might not be able to tolerate. So, if you’re not comfortable with the heat, it’s best to steer clear of this one.
The selection of sandwiches may just have one extra egg sandwich added, but it is pleasing in its simplicity.
Unfortunately, the store we went to didn’t have the Infinite Cream available, so we were unable to include it in our testing, despite our tongues longing for the sweet, velvety texture of the whipped cream.
For our top recommendation out of the entire lineup, it has to be the Okinawa-style Pork and Egg, which is absolutely packed with fillings.
Taking inspiration from the classic Okinawan food of the Spam Rice Ball (“Spam Musubi“), this rice ball is definitely one you should try, without even having to leave the mainland. The secret to this dish is how they’ve focused on increasing the fillings rather than the total weight, delivering a very high level of satisfaction and capable of satisfying a light hunger with just a single piece.
So, if your stomach wants to join in the extra food fun, the Okinawa-style Pork and Egg is recommended for overall satisfaction, but the Sausage Peperoncino is best for its cost-mass ratio. The number of items in Ministop’s fair might not be large, but they make for an enjoyable lunchtime.
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