All you need to know about Great World City’s Meidi-Ya, opening 27 June

Veteran Japanese specialty grocer Meidi-Ya is opening its second Singapore outlet at Great World City on 27 June 2019! After operating out of Liang Court for the past 16 years, Meidi-Ya is now reaching out to customers at the other end of River Valley Road.

One more location where one can purchase quality Japanese groceries, food items and products? We can’t refuse.

With Liang Court tenants, including Meidi-Ya, still being in talks with the landlord about their future, it’s good that they’ve established a foothold in Great World City (GWC) so that regular customers won’t miss them. GWC is currently under renovation, but many tenants are still open for business. The Meidi-Ya outlet here won’t be hard to find as it takes up almost the entire Basement 2 floor space.

Like Liang Court, the GWC outlet will include a Hokkaido Dosanko Plaza, which is a section with a food court and a souvenir shop selling a variety of products from Hokkaido. One can pick up a soft serve ice cream to go or sit down for a bowl of authentic Japanese ramen at the 40-seater dining area at the Hokkaido Dosanko Plaza. 

But wait, we are getting ahead of ourselves. Sorry, we can’t help it—we’re so excited after touring GWC Meidi-Ya’s aisles ahead of the official opening! Here’s everything you need to know about GWC Meidi-Ya.

New Great World City exclusives

About 70% to 90% of the products at GWC Meidi-Ya will be familiar to shoppers who frequent the Liang Court outlet, but we’ve rounded up those that you definitely won’t find anywhere else!

1. New premium range of in-house jams

Meidi-Ya is well-known for its original in-house products, including “My Jam” and “My Syrup”. Now, they’re introducing a new line of jams (S$9.40) exclusive to the Great World City outlet. These new jams use more premium ingredients and are a step up from the ones you already know and love.

New premium line of Meidi-Ya jams (S$9.40)

2. Japanese ice bars and ice cream popsicles

Remember those old-school ice pops we used to get from mama shops? This is the atas Japanese version, made with real fruit puree. These fruit ice bars and ice cream popsicles are available only at the Hokkaido Dosanko Plaza in GWC.

Ice bars (S$4.30)

Ice cream popsicles (S$3.40)

3. Machimura Farm Cream Cheese Pie and soft serve toppings

The Hokkaido Dosanko Plaza will also be offering ready-to-eat Japanese confectionery at the Machimura Farm store, including the Cream Cheese Pie (~S$9) which you can only get at the Great World City outlet. The Cream Cheese Pie is made on location, with Hokkaido cream cheese and butter from Machimura Farm.

L–R: Kamayaki Sweet Potato Tart (~S$9), Milk Ice Cream and Dorayaki (~S$5), Cream Cheese Pie (~S$9)

We got to try this Machimura Farm vanilla-melon soft serve made with authentic Hokkaido 3.6 Milk (~S$5) and it was really good! It’s also available at the Liang Court outlet, but Great World City has the added option of free sauce toppings: chocolate, strawberry, caramel, and matcha.

Milky soft serve ice cream in melon and vanilla flavours (~$5)

4. Sapporo Nishiyama Ramen and Gyoza

Great World City’s Hokkaido Dosanko Plaza will also host the first and only authentic Sapporo Nishiyama stores in Singapore. These sister stores will be serving hot gyoza and ramen, with noodles delivered directly from the famous Nishiyama Ramen Factory in Sapporo.

Sapporo Nishiyama Ramen and Gyoza

Prices range from S$15.90 to S$18.90 for the noodles, with variations of Miso Ramen, Shoyu Ramen, Tonkotsu / Shio Ramen, Dipping (Tsukemen), and soupless Miso and Shoyu Soba. The Nishiyama Ramen Onigiri (S$3) is available in Miso and Shoyu flavours as well.

Same mind-boggling variety

Apart from the new exclusives, Great World City’s Meidi-Ya boasts a total of 4,150 unique product offerings across the supermarket and the Hokkaido Dosanko Plaza. 

Meidi-Ya is instant noodle heaven, with rows upon rows of cup ramen and tsukemen in myriad flavours.

Instant noodle aisle

According to a Meidi-Ya representative, the Nissin Donbei Tenpura Soba (S$3.80) and Nissin Donbei Kitsune Udon (S$3.80) are super popular in Japan, so you know you’re going to have to get some.

Nissin Donbei Tenpura Soba (S$3.80) and Nissin Donbei Kistune Udon (S$3.80)

Those who appreciate Japanese short-grain rice will love the range of instant rice and uncooked rice (white, brown, sprouted, 16-grain) in the rice aisle.

Japanese rise aisle

Plus, you can get a great selection of authentic Japanese ingredients that are more difficult to find in Singapore, like natto (Japanese fermented soybeans). Meidi-Ya even offers organic options.

Japanese natto section

Serious bakers will love the baking aisle, where you’ll find every variation of flour imaginable: cake flour, rye flour, corn grits, durum semolina, graham flour, bread flour—there’s even soufflé pancake mix for those who want to recreate the fluffy soufflé-style pancakes which are all the rage now.

Baking supplies aisle

The range of imported sake, shochu, and beer at this outlet is also similar to that of the Liang Court one, but now you have twice the quantity to choose from. Meidi-Ya tells us that popular picks like the Dassai sakes, imported exclusively from the brand’s brewery in Yamaguchi, are often sold out.

Sake section

Popular Dassai Sake range

Shoppers can also look forward to fresh meat, vegetables, and fish every day as Meidi-Ya prides itself on its quality fresh produce. With senior management brought over from Japan to maintain quality and service standards, the shopping experience here is as authentic as you’re going to get.

Opening promotions

So what can you look forward to at the grand opening on 27 June? The event hall in the supermarket will be offering specially curated items like Hokkaido crab bento sets, fried croquettes from Kyushu, tori karaage (fried chicken) from Kochi, and a range of delightful yuzu-based products.

There’s also a limited range of Japanese sorbet desserts, exclusively for the opening of the Great World City outlet. These will be on sale until stock runs out, in mango, pear, and even tomato flavours! The tomato sorbet is made with Tokuya fruit tomato from the Shikoku prefecture. We were told by a Meidi-Ya representative that this variety of tomato is legendary in Japan.

Great World City’s exclusive seasonal sorbets

L–R: Murata Masayuki Mango (S$24), Maruharinashi Pear (S$10), Tokuya Tomato (S$10)

Make sure to head on down to Great World City on 27 June 2019 for Meidi-Ya’s opening special and get first dibs on these authentic Japanese products before they sell out!

Address:
#B2-101 Meidi-Ya (Hokkaido Dosanko Plaza)
#B2-120 Meidi-Ya Supermarket
Great World City, 1 Kim Seng Promenade, Singapore 237994

Opening hours: 10am – 10pm daily