O-Komé, quality onigiri and Japanese grocery in Saint-Germain-des-Prés

O-Komé opened its doors in a tiny shop on a quiet street in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district, expertly run by Gilles. Having himself fallen under the spell of Japan's triangular snacks, which are very common in the Land of the Rising Sun, Gilles has turned his hand to onigiri with the determination to make them the way they're meant to be, so that Parisians can finally discover all the richness of these healthy finger foods.

To achieve this, the owner relies on a selection of top-quality products imported directly from Japan, and in particular premium rice from the Niigata region, the Rolls Royce of Japanese rice, with which the Japanese-born chef prepares the onigiri. On the menu, then, are 5 onigiri that change every week in the display case, some revealing their best features on top of the rice, others, on the contrary, containing well-kept secrets at their heart.

The day we visited O-Komé, we tasted the traditional onigiri with salmon and nori seaweed; then we discovered an onigiri carefully covered with a paste of grilled miso and a candied shiso leaf; a very comforting onigiri with a mixture of beef, shitake and ginger; and a more luxurious onigiri, in the style of a chirashi, with shrimps, salmon roe, umémiso and omelette.

And let's not forget our favorite, a vegetarian onigiri with Japanese salted plum, green shiso and purple shiso, with a tangy delicacy. There's no doubt that these onigiri are prepared in the greatest tradition. The result is carefully matched rice prepared just as it should be, neither too sticky, nor too sweet, nor too vinegary.

As for side dishes, the Japanese tradition is again the order of the day, with miso soup with silken tofu, chawanmushi flan with shiitake and spring onion, edamame salad with fresh yuzu vegetables, and somen salad with vegetables. You can also tryochazuké beef andochazuké salmon, dishes of rice, vegetables and meat to which boiling water is added just before eating.

For those with a sweet tooth, O-Komé unveils Japanese desserts prepared on site, from chiffon cake with black sesame and chocolate mousse with tofu, to pannacotta with black sesame and mochi with red bean paste.

• To be read
• Japanese restaurants in Paris
• Japanese restaurants in Paris, our best addresses
• Tips for the week of December 23 - 29, 2024 in Paris: free or cheap outings

And to keep the party going at home, this little onigiri corner, which is also a grocery store, offers a fine selection of Japanese products for sale, including premium rice, Japanese salt, soy sauce, yuzu ponzu sauce, miso paste and other travel-inducing teas.