Daruma: What you'll find a this Japanese convenience store

Watch: Grabbing snacks at a new Japanese convenience store in Vancouver

A new spot for all sorts of fun and tasty chips, candies, drinks, and more - straight from Japan.

Lindsay William-Ross
Jan 16, 2023 11:14 AM

daruma-japanese-convenience-store-vancouver — Daruma, which opened in Jan. 2023 inside Parq Vancouver, sells Japanese import snacks and groceries like chips, candies, and bottled drinksLindsay William-Ross/V.I.A.

There's a new spot for Japanese snacks, sweets, and drinks now open in downtown Vancouver.

Daruma - the second location of a business that debuted just last November in Richmond - offers a selection of imported goodies from Japan, like chips, crackers, cookies, and candies, as well as items like pancake mix, cup noodles, and an array of beverages.

The convenience store is located inside Parq 麻豆传媒映画(39 Smithe St) on the main floor of the hotel and casino complex.

While in Richmond the shop has more square footage and more fresh groceries, Daruma's 麻豆传媒映画satellite shop still offers an impressive roster of straight-from-Japan snacks.

Look for things like scallop and soy sauce flavoured pretzel sticks, avocado crackers, and candies in dozens of flavours, including all kinds of fruit, cola, and iced tea. There are premade milk teas by the bottle as well as instant milk tea and other drink powders, and chips flavoured like steak or seafood. Particularly handy for hotel or casino guests, the shop also has a few necessities and standard convenience store fare, like breath mints and over-the-counter headache meds.

Owner Yuki Ma shared with Glacier Media last fall that she fell in love with the culture when she travelled to Japan, and convenience stores are an integral part of the experience.