Emart24 Osaka Night Market Box Review [Korean Food]

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Hello! Today’s new Emart24 lunchbox is the Japanese-themed Osaka Night Market Box. Emart24 has been rolling out game and chef collaborations lately, so it’s been a while since an original new lineup like this. Even the series name leans into a fun concept: “no immigration check needed,” packing the menu with Japanese flair. Among multi-side lunchboxes, the quality here is quite good, and I enjoyed it a lot! So let’s take a closer look, shall we?

Table of Contents

📋 At a Glance

Product: Osaka Night Market Box (the “no immigration check needed” series)
Store: Emart24 (convenience store)
Price: 5,900 won (approx. $4.30 USD)
Calories: 770 kcal
Weight: 427 g (sodium at 83% of the daily recommended intake)
Main components: karaage, pork and fish katsu (with tartar), yakisoba topped with bonito flakes, inari-style rice, Japanese pickles (fukujinzuke, jalapeno, danmuji, chili pickle), katsu sauce
Verdict: ★4.0 — captures the Japanese multi-side bento vibe, filling, and a solid value box!

Osaka Night Market Box: Price and Key Points

This menu was built around two ideas, “Osaka-style” and “no immigration check needed,” to serve up various slices of Osaka’s mood. Other convenience-store chains have run versions of this with airlines or tourism boards, so I looked into it, but this one has no such tie-in. Instead, it launched as a series of Japanese-flavored single boxes and gimbap-style items. Even the English name, “Assorted Japanese Style Dishes,” seems meant to evoke exactly what comes to mind with a Japanese bento. The price is 5,900 won, with a slightly premium feel.

The whole box weighs 427 g and comes to 770 kcal, with sodium at about 83% of the daily recommended intake. For the price, the volume and calories feel just right, and in absolute terms it looks filling enough. The price does read as a bit premium, but plenty of pricier convenience-store boxes are out these days, so it doesn’t feel all that expensive. One note: when heating, remove the side tray and the katsu-sauce pouch first. Chopsticks come included, too.

Japanese flavor convenience store lunchbox anticipation

What’s Inside the Box

Let’s check the layout. The moment I opened the lid, it was obvious this was built from the dishes you picture with a Japanese bento. Broadly, it’s fried items, yakisoba, pickled sides, and rice.

Two Mains: Fried Items and Yakisoba

The first main, the fried items, includes two pieces of karaage plus half a pork katsu and half a fish katsu each. The fish katsu already comes topped with tartar sauce. Since fried food is a must for a Japanese bento, they clearly built it out generously.

The second main is the yakisoba. Judging by the durum-wheat dried noodles listed as the base, they probably used spaghetti noodles. On top go a measured amount of yakisoba sauce and teriyaki sauce, finished with bonito flakes. I haven’t tasted it yet, but I really like that they piled on a thick layer of bonito.

Inari Rice and Pickled Sides

There was something on the rice that looked like garlic powder. On a closer look, it turned out to be finely chopped fried tofu (inari). Usually these boxes just get a seasoning furikake, so this was an unexpected touch, if a small one!

The pickled sides that go alongside are fukujinzuke made in a red-danmuji style, jalapeno, danmuji, and a tsukemono called chili pickle. Under the tray, a katsu sauce pouch is tucked in. Drizzle the katsu sauce to taste.

Looking at the whole spread, it clearly nails the “Japanese-style bento” feel while pushing the value quality as high as it can. The portion is substantial too, so one box should leave you pretty full. And honestly, the visual alone won me over!

Taste Test: How Does It Actually Taste?

Now let’s dig into this box. Rather than drizzling the katsu sauce straight onto the sides, I poured it into a small dish separately. There was no warning against leaving the lid on while heating, but since it didn’t seem prone to splatter, I heated it uncovered. Of course, I left the pickled sides out.

Starting With the Yakisoba

First I tried the yakisoba. After microwaving, the hot steam made the bonito flakes flutter a little! I mixed it well with the noodles and took a bite. The sauce goes on in a measured way, not overdone, so it wasn’t heavy at all.

The sauce tasted like the Worcestershire base we all know. With a touch of teriyaki added, it does read a lot like a convenience-store box, but the overall balance was quite good. That said, convenience-store boxes are mostly similar anyway, and instead of the Chinese-style noodles used for real yakisoba, this seems to use spaghetti noodles. Even so, it was very edible. The quality was better than most single-item menus, too!

Tasting the Three Fried Items

Next I tried the other main, the fried items. First the pork katsu! It’s thicker than I expected, but the quality doesn’t stray far from the usual convenience-store feel.

Japanese night market lunchbox composition

It’s not on the level of a whole-loin katsu, of course, and it’s a lunchbox made with ground meat, but the taste wasn’t off-putting at all. Eaten with the lightly seasoned rice, it was quite decent.

Then I tried the fish katsu! The fish katsu itself wasn’t remarkable in quality, but it was perfectly fine as a lunchbox side. Its pairing with the tartar sauce was decent, too. It’s quite mild, so it goes well eaten alongside the other salty-savory sides.

The karaage is seasoned, so it’s a little salty. Even without a separate sauce, it was plenty to eat on its own. Like the katsu, it also pairs well with rice, and it definitely has more of a karaage character than the usual sweet-fried-chicken sides.

Final Verdict

I ate the remaining pickled sides together as well. They’re strongly seasoned overall, so a bit of salt lingered on the palate, but sides like these definitely brought out that Japanese-bento feel even more. On the whole the portion was quite filling, and while the side lineup itself wasn’t special, the combination worked, so I enjoyed it. For anyone after a hearty meal, it’s a solid pick!

Convenience store lunchbox price comparison

To sum up, even though the side lineup itself wasn’t special, the balance of the combination was good, making this a filling multi-side bento that captures both Japanese flair and value. If you want to enjoy that signature Japanese-bento mix of fried food, yakisoba, and pickles at a convenience store, you’ll be plenty satisfied. For travelers in Korea, it’s an easy taste of Japan at any Emart24.

For more on the origins and makeup of the Japanese assorted bento, you can read Wikipedia’s entry on the Japanese bento.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How much is the Emart24 Osaka Night Market Box?

It’s 5,900 won (about $4.30 USD). The box weighs 427 g and comes to 770 kcal, with sodium at 83% of the daily recommended intake. It’s slightly premium, but the generous portion makes it decent value.

Q. What does the Osaka Night Market Box taste like?

Personally, the mix of fried items, yakisoba, and pickles nails the Japanese-bento vibe. The yakisoba has a balanced Worcestershire-teriyaki sauce, and the salty karaage pairs well with rice. Just note the yakisoba uses spaghetti noodles, so it differs a bit from true yakisoba.

Q. What’s in the box?

It’s a multi-side bento with three fried items (karaage, pork katsu, fish katsu with tartar), yakisoba topped with bonito flakes, inari-style rice, and Japanese pickles like fukujinzuke, jalapeno, danmuji, and chili pickle. The katsu sauce comes separately in a pouch.

image sources

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