Up until five years ago, Delhiites had to make do with the occasional packet of instant noodles or a pricey sushi platter at a luxury hotel. But the scene today is strikingly different.From the bustling lanes of Humayunpur and Safdarjung to quiet corners in Sultanpur village, Japanese and Korean supermarkets have become the new destination for shoppers — offering gochujang (Korean red chilli paste) by the kilo, fresh tofu, and Pocky sticks in every flavor.And the growing popularity makes one thing clear — Delhi has fallen hopelessly in love with East Asia, from its TV dramas and pop stars to its pantry staples.Tucked away on the bustling main road of Safdarjung Enclave, Dotori Sushi & More is easy to miss amid the flashing banners of fast-food chains and takeaway joints. Step inside, though, and the chaos of the street fades away.The space is hushed, almost reverent. There’s no music, no chatter, only the soft hum of refrigerators and the occasional honk from outside. In a city where even supermarkets blast curated playlists, the silence feels almost meditative.The store, which opened its doors in 2010, is the brainchild of Park Yun-Su. She originally started the store to serve Delhi’s small but growing Korean expat community.“Many of them work with Samsung or Suzuki,” explains Rohit Kumar, the store’s manager. “It’s natural to miss home and crave the food you grew up with. That’s why madam (Yun-Su) decided to open the store. 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.”Story continues below this adDotori’s shelves are stacked to the ceiling with everything you’d need to recreate a Korean kitchen. Instant ramen, seaweed snacks, and fizzy Korean sodas share space with jars of gochujang, bottles of soy sauce, Kewpie mayo, and even hefty sacks of glutinous rice. On the side are three freezers filled to the brim with cuts of pork from Belgium, salmon filets from Norway and slabs of Tuna from Thailand.The customer base for Korean supermarkets exploded after the pandemic. 29 Fresh Mart in Humayunpur, Safdarjung Enclave. (Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal)A man who runs a small grocery store in Humayunpur, also named Rohit, says business skyrocketed as soon as he reopened after the lockdown.“This area is unique,” he explains.“Most of our customers are either from the Northeast or Nepal. Many also come from the nearby diplomatic area. They would tell us to bring in some Ramen… but for us, everything was just Maggi,” he says, bursting into laughter.Story continues below this adBut a cousin’s trip to Malaysia soon changed his perspective. His cousin brought back some packets of ramen — especially the non-vegetarian variety. “I had no idea something like Maggi could have so many varieties, flavours and sizes,” Rohit admits.He had found a few sellers and bought some packets, but this was before the Korean wave had fully reached India, so sales were minimal.By 2022, he noticed a new wave of shoppers — mostly locals — curious to try Korean products. He was also approached by a ready-made food company to sell frozen products such as Kimbap (seaweed rice rolls with meat/vegetable/tuna filling) and Eeomuk (fishcakes). Much to his surprise, the products practically flew off the shelves.“I think a lot of people got introduced to Korean music and TV shows during the pandemic. Earlier, only students from the Korean Cultural Centre would come to check out the supermarket. Even then, it was only because their teacher would tell them where to get Korean food from… now it’s different,” says Rohit at Dotori.Story continues below this adHe recalls opening a pop-up stall for an event in BITS Pilani. “We only brought vegetarian Kimbap with us because no one thought they’d be open to eating fish… we didn’t even think we’d sell many. But all the students were clamouring to eat the food. And they were asking for tuna and salmon! It was astounding,” he says.But with booming demand has come fierce competition. The market for Korean food is now cutthroat, with restaurants popping up across the city and driving up demand for ingredients and suppliers.One of the oldest players navigating this growing ecosystem is Daily Need Exim, an imported goods supplier and wholesaler that once 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 eager to test the waters of the Indian market. At the time, Japanese expats in Delhi had only one grocery store selling authentic Japanese ingredients. Takahashi saw an opportunity and a challenge.Story continues below this ad“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. Back in 2010, there were maybe three or four restaurants serving sushi, and most of those 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 key players bringing Japanese food to Indian tables. Pickled umeboshi, dried kombu, miso paste, adzuki beans, bonito flakes — you name it, Takahashi probably supplies it to the Japanese restaurant you frequent.To reach an even wider audience, he launched a web portal, letting customers order these specialty ingredients straight to their doorstep.Food has always been one of the most intimate ways to experience another culture. 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. And perhaps that’s the quiet magic of these stores. Every jar of kimchi or packet of furikake is more than an ingredient. It’s an invitation.