Papaya Japanese Grocer @ Jln Melawai, Blok M

I have heard so much of Blok M, specifically Jl. Melawai being the "Little Tokyo" of Jakarta. We decided to pop over for a look-see when I found out that a friend of Hubs was running a sample booth for Huon Salmon at Papaya, a Japanese grocer located at the corner of Jl. Melawai.

The moment I step into Papaya, I felt like I was in Japan. Everything is neatly displayed, fresh food items hygienically packed in white styrofoam and wrapped with cling film, and rows after rows of imported Japanese groceries and household items. And the place was packed in Japanese expats, stocking up their weekly groceries.

And little wonder, because the quality of the fresh food is really one of the better ones I've seen, besides Ranch Market in Pondok Indah and Lotte Mart in Gandaria City.

Papaya also has a selection of cooked Japanese food items and salad, which seems to be very popular with the local Japanese community.

And they have a bakery as well, which smell and look ABSOLUTELY DIVINE! When I saw the selection of breads and buns, I half-jokingly asked Hubs if I can load myself up with tonnes of antihistamines and oral prednisolone to keep my wheat allergy at bay to savour some of these wheat-y goodness.

And judging from the queue to pay for the bakery items, I reckon it would have been worth it! LOL!