3 “Gourmet” Groceries That Came Straight Restaurant Kitchens

Going out to eat and trying new restaurants is, by far, my favorite sport — but even top athletes in the game need to give their bodies (and their wallets) a break. Although I’m a decent cook, some nights I’d rather add a gourmet zhuzh to make simple dinners feel a bit more luxurious. Luckily over the past few years, many of my favorite restaurants have expanded into grocery aisles. 

Aside from being a strategic move for business, it also allows restaurateurs to make their food more accessible for the everyday cook. They’re usually made at smaller scales and with premium ingredients, which means they’ll cost a few extra bucks. I tried as many as I could over the past few months — these are the three best pantry staples that make home-cooked meals taste like they came from a professional kitchen. 

My favorite chicken karaage is from Japanese restaurant Bessou in New York City. Its double-fried tenders are always perfectly golden and crisp, without losing the juiciness of the chicken. These days, the food hall outpost usually pairs the karaage with Bessou’s signature sauces, but the extra kick of umami that I loved at the original downtown location (which has since closed) came from a sprinkling of its furikake.

Bessou Furikake is rich in flavor and in texture. You can actually taste the brine from the seaweed and the nuttiness of the sesame seeds, and get a decent crunch from the puffy tempura bits. It’s not just great on karaage, but also on rice, eggs, salads, a sandwich, or popcorn.

Buy: Bessou Furikake Jar, $18 for 8 ounces at Bessou

I’ve never had the privilege of dining at three-Michelin-starred restaurant SingleThread in California, but I can say that I’ve had a taste. That’s because Kyle Connaughton, co-owner and executive chef of the restaurant, has collaborated with Japanese specialty shop Dashi Okume (which has its own small eatery in Brooklyn) to create instant dashi packs.

SingleThread Sweet Shellfish Dashi is a tasty blend of sweet kelp, black throat sea perch, scallops, cabbage, and onion. It’s subtly sweet and light, and somehow manages to be flavorful without being rich or full-bodied. It makes for a great base for miso soup and, well, really any stock. 

As someone whose pantry isn’t typically stocked with the ingredients required to make dashi — let alone a unique custom blend — I find these packs to be super convenient. They’re easy to use, and take under 10 minutes to heat up.

Buy: Dashi Okume Sweet Shellfish Dashi, $38 for 15 packs at Dashi Okume 

Since it was founded in California in 1996, BCD Tofu House is one of the best to ever do soondubu. In fact, the soft tofu stew is so good it’s actually expanded to South Korea. And while, with the right ingredients, it’s easy enough to make your own soondubu, BCD Tofu House makes it even easier with their line of Soon Tofu Soup kits. 

I’ve purchased these more times than I can count, for lazy girl dinners that are more satisfying than packets of instant ramen. What’s great is that the beloved restaurant has a kit for every spice level, too, depending on your tolerance. I usually go for Medium Hot for an even, balanced heat.

Buy: BCD Tofu House Medium Hot Soon Tofu Soup Kit , $3.49 for 13 ounces at Weee! 

Got any favorite dinner finds from actual restaurants? Tell us about it in the comments.