Tokyo Onigiri Singapore: New CBD concept serving up made-to-order onigiris from S$4.90

Seen the buzz around Tokyo Onigiri at One Raffles Place and curious about all the hype? 

Founded in Tokyo as Ichiryu Manpuku in 2023, the brand expanded internationally under the name Tokyo Onigiri in Mongolia in 2025, followed by Taiwan this year, and most recently in Singapore’s very own CBD on Monday (October 12).

The concept is the brainchild of Yuka Hayakawa, 30, who wants diners to feel happiness as they bite into an onigiri, a traditional Japanese rice ball that’s often shaped into a triangle, at her stores. 

Her grandparents were rice farmers so she had always been familiar with rice. 

While the Ichiryu Manpuku branches in Tokyo are dine-in, Tokyo Onigiri’s first outlet in Singapore is takeaway-only, with orders made via a kiosk or QR code. 

But what’s stayed the same is the made-to-order nature of its onigiri, where every rice ball is freshly moulded, packed, and reaches you still warm, albeit in a plastic takeaway container. 

Tokyo Onigiri Singapore’s key offering is its two-onigiri set (from S$13.90), which comes with two classic onigiri, miso soup or canned drink, and a choice of a pickled side. For the voracious eaters, there’s also a three-onigiri set, available from S$18.80.

It dishes up 18 different onigiri fillings that you can choose from at the moment, served with the concept’s own special rice blend, and seaweed from Omori, Japan. 

There are classic (S$4.90) ones such as konbu (seasoned kelp), popular (S$5.90) selections such as soy marinated egg yolk and tuna mayo, and signatures (S$6.90) such as salmon mentaiko mayo and hotate soy butter (scallop).

There is only one premium (S$10.90) offering for now — the ikura, which features plump salmon roe.  

However, those who love more decadence in their onigiri can opt for preset double-filling onigiri inspired by the concept’s most popular combinations.

There are combinations such as soy glazed meat & soy-marinated egg yolk (S$7.90), roasted salmon & ikura (S$9.90), and salmon mayo with yuzu kosho and mentaiko (S$8.90) to name a few. Yuzu kosho is a bright and zesty condiment made from chilli peppers, yuzu peel, and salt. 

Most of the fillings are cooked or cured, save for the tuna and regular salmon items. 

There’s also a limited-time local special sambal chicken (S$5.90), which packs a good amount of heat, though it leans a little sweet. 

The flavour was created just for the Singapore outlet, so if you’re an Ichiryu Manpuku diehard fan, you shouldn’t miss out on this.

Through its online ordering system, customers can also mix and match their own onigiri filling, to a certain extent — we’d trust the experts on the best permutations! 

For sides, which you can get at S$2.90 each a la carte, there’s a small selection of miso soup, pickled cucumber, and daikon. 

It’s not an extensive menu, compared to the dine-in Onigiri Gon at Fortune Centre, which we tried earlier this year, but seems like one that would work for the fast-paced, fuss-free crowd.

However, owing to the excitement surrounding the brand, it seemed like wait times had increased to 60 minutes, up from the 30 minutes on its first day.

It can be at odds to the CBD lunch crowd who might be after a quick grab-and-go situation. Go only if you have a slightly longer lunch hour to work with, else it also opens till 7pm on weekdays, and 10am to 3pm on Saturdays. 

News reports in Japan say that Yuka has her sights on some 30 outlets domestically and internationally. Meanwhile, Tokyo Onigiri Singapore’s independent franchise owner, who wished to remain unnamed, has said that they do hope to bring the brand to more parts of Singapore after building a strong foundation at its maiden store. 

For now, the Tokyo Onigiri Singapore outlet at One Raffles Place is the only place where you can get a slice of Ichiryu Manpuku here, so we’d gear up for a wait if we were you. (Or just head down when the crowds die down!) 

For more new Japanese spots, check out The Choya Ginza Bar, and Nekobushi Udon at Orchard Plaza.