Conbini Boys
By Conbini Boys
Conbini BoysApr 29, 2021
ConbiniGPT
This week, we decided to let AI to do our work for us. We asked ChatGPT to generate a script for an episode, and were really impressed with it came up with.
Follow us on Twitter
Check out the Newsletter
Watch us on YouTube
Mother's Day with the Conbini
After a long break we’re back talking conbini. We review Mother’s Day catalogs, celebrate 20 years of cheese Karaage-kun at Lawson, and look at a stale hot dog at FamilyMart.
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/conbiniboys
Subscribe to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaSPvGGbEW7VKQ8Y4MTPBoQ
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://conbiniboys.substack.com
The Lost Episode
This week, we take a look at a lost episode. We recorded this one a month or two ago, but couldn't get it out until now. Who knows what we talked about? Something about 4 billion Karaage-kun sold? Sour cream and onion Famichiki? No one knows, but I'm sure it was pretty cool.
Follow us on Twitter
Check out the Newsletter
Watch us on YouTube
6X Seaweed and Flameball Pandas
In this week’s episode we take a look at a bonanza of seasoning and dorodoro ramen at Lawson. Mike issues a warning about spread of the Sugoonigiri and reviews the entire Juicy Asia lineup at McDonald’s.
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/conbiniboys
Watch us on YouTube:
Read our newsletter: https://conbiniboys.substack.com
Mystery Fried Chicken
This week, we take a look at an exciting campaign out of Family Mart featuring nazo – that is – mysterious fried chicken. Each region of Japan will have its contender, and the champion will see a nationwide release. We talk about some other mysterious items such as bonjiiri yakitori, Sugo-Oni, and drinkable slime, and then Matt and Mike try to decide if smoked sausage is an acceptable flavor for chicken.
Follow us on Twitter
Check out the Newsletter
Watch us on YouTube
Crowning the Conbini World Cup Champion
In this week’s episode, we celebrate the ConbinI World Cup champion and review some of the tournament’s surprising outcomes. We take a look at 3 new chikis, pull back the curtain on a dirty diaper from 7-11, and Mike has a hot take on the Yuzu Kosho Famichiki.
Join dumb conversations on Twitter: https://twitter.com/conbiniboys
Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@conbiniboys3092/featured
Conbini World Cup: Round 1, Pretty Much Done
This week we check in on the first round of the Conbini World Cup. We pick up a couple of matches that stood out to us, including a few shockers that left us both speechless. Then, Matt introduces us to an amazing roast beef sandwich chain.
Follow us on Twitter
Check out the Newsletter
Watch us on YouTube
100 Episodes!
This week, we celebrate our 100th episode by taking a walk down memory lane and looking back on some of our favorite episodes throughout the years. Then, Matt has a big announcement concerning the return of the much loved conbini tournament.
Follow us on Twitter
Check out the Newsletter
Watch us on YouTube
Conbini Christmas Preview
In this week’s episode we preview Christmas lineups from the Big Three Conbini. We announce the start of bone season. Mike promotes Mabo tofu and Matt finds one of the strangest conbini items to date.
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/conbiniboys
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://conbiniboys.substack.com
How Much Cheese is Too Much Cheese?
This week, we’re taking a look at a cheese campaign coming out of Lawson. Will it live up to the legendary Nice Cheese Grand Prix of yore? We’ll have to see. We talk soups and burgers, and on the topic of burgers, Matt relays his experience with an amazing new burger out of Shake Shack.
Watch us on YouTube
Check out the Newsletter
See dumb stuff on Twitter
Buy us a Chiki
Finding Love in a Conbini Haul
In this week’s episode, we offer more love advice by sharing how to spot THE ONE based on conbini hauls. We take a look at pizza karagekun, Matt questions Monster energy drink rehab-flavor, and Mike hunts for the curry L-Chiki.
Subscribe to the Conbini Boys newsletter: https://conbiniboys.substack.com
See dumb stuff like this on Twitter
Finding Love at the Conbini
In this week’s episode we offer dating advice to Zoomers, evaluate 192 new items from 7-11, and Mike takes a trip to 7-11’s headquarters.
See dumb stuff on Twitter: https://twitter.com/conbiniboys
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://conbiniboys.substack.com
The Robots Are (Eventually) Coming
This week, we’re catching up on the latest installment of a story that we’ve been following for a while – robots at the conbini. This time around, it seems like there’s been some progress, and Matt and Mike talk about what we can hope to expect with autonomous conbini machines. We talk Korean chikis, weird salad chickens, an amazing pudding selection from lawson, and a big development for Mike at the genba.
Watch us on YouTube
Check out the Newsletter
See dumb stuff on Twitter
Buy us a Chiki
It's a Curry Summer
In this week’s episode, we discuss two huge curry campaigns out of 7-11 and Ministop. We roast a five cheese tortilla. And Mike takes a deep dive into Lawson’s Machi Kado.
Join the dumb convo on Twitter: https://twitter.com/conbiniboys
Read our awesome newsletter: https://conbiniboys.substack.com
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/JQXOjrERYWA
PSA - Keeping Cool at the Conbini 2022
This week, we’re bringing you a public service announcement about how to stay cool at the conbini. Last year, we recommended a number of items, but this year we walk you through each of our own strategies for keeping cool. The chiki wars are still in high gear, and in a heated segment, Matt and Mike talk about the merits of craft beer.
Last year's "Keeping Cool at the Conbini"
Watch us on YouTube
Check out the Newsletter
See dumb stuff on Twitter
Buy us a Chiki
Two Trips to Hokkaido
In this week’s episode, we take two trips to Hokkaido with 7-11 and Lawson. We review FOUR new chikis. Mike tries a Sugoonigiri from New Days. And Matt pumps Tim Horton’s.
- Follow us on Twitter
- Subscribe to our weekly newsletter
- Watch us on YouTube
Conbini Pick 3: Main Dish, Beverage, Snack
This week, we take a look at some replies to a tweet that asked you to choose your go-to main dish, beverage, and snack from the conbini. In the winners and losers, we both take aim at the question of “what is a good summer item?” Finally, we investigate Family Mart’s new style of store, otherwise known at the Famima concept.
Watch us on YouTube
Check out the Newsletter
See dumb stuff on Twitter
Buy us a Chiki
7-11 Says 'Aloha'
In this week’s episode Mike and Matt take a trip to Hawaii with 7-11. Mike wonders whether it’s safe to eat shelled shrimp. And Matt reviews his local Dunkin Donuts following its renovation.
Join the conversation on Twitter: https://twitter.com/conbiniboys
Subscribe to the newsletter: https://conbiniboys.substack.com/
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/EpP7cWDPLKw
Buy us a chiki: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/conbiniboys
We Love the Dads (And of Course the Moms Too)
This week, we’re looking at father’s day, and trying to unravel a mystery about why there are so few father themed items at the conbini. We check out a bizarre cheese and Chiki release, revisit a spicy chicken sandwich, and take a look at a truly incredible collaboration between pizza chips, fish and cheese.
Watch us on YouTube
Check out the Newsletter
See dumb stuff on Twitter
Buy us a Chiki
Matcha Sweets and Cold Noodles
This week we take a look at two interesting campaigns, one featuring matcha flavored sweets, and the other featuring all the varieties of cold noodle dishes Japan has to offer. In the winners and losers segment, Matt picks up probably the worst sandwich we’ve ever seen, and Mike picks up a mystery item that the two try to solve. Finally, in "At the Gemba", we at long last take a look at some items outside of the categories of chiki and chuhai.
Watch us on YouTube
See dumb stuff on Twitter
Check out the Newsletter
Buy us a Chiki
Buon Appetito Viva Italiano
In this week’s episode, we discuss 7-11’s Trattoria Open campaign — a celebration of Italian cuisine. The chiki wars heat back up with smoked fried chicken. We stare down a spam sandwich from Lawson and Mike reviews the Super Chuhai from FamilyMart.
- Listen to the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conbini-boys/id1506381271
- Join the convo on Twitter: https://twitter.com/conbiniboys
- Subscribe to our newsletter: https://conbiniboys.substack.com
Critical Infrastructure
This week, we’re happy to introduce our brand new Conbini Newsletter. We fill you in on the good news, and then discuss a recent experiment where certain conbinis have opened their bathrooms up to the public. We check out an Okinawan themed karaagekun, talk burgers, curry ramen, and American dogs, and finally Mike catches us up on Family Mart’s attempt at the egg McMuffin.
Watch us on YouTube
See dumb stuff on Twitter
Check out the Newsletter
Buy us a Chiki
Brown Sugar Bonanza
In this week’s episode, we discuss an Okinawa-themed campaign at 7-11, check out a tartar sauce karaage-kun, mourn the struggles of Daily Yamazaki, and meditate on ice cream.
Join the conversation on Twitter: https://twitter.com/conbiniboys
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/5KDYMm5IMaU
Who Doesn't Love April Fools (at the Conbini)?
This week we take a look at the Famichiki Frappe, an imaginary item that Family Mart introduced as an April fools joke. And so of course, we take some time to imagine some of our own wacky April Fool’s style items, and come up with some pretty interesting things. To round out the show, we visit Matt’s Munchies, where Matt walks us through a number of incredible pairings of snacks and another feel good item.
Watch us on YouTube
See dumb stuff on Twitter
Toilet Bowl or Gratin
In this week’s episode we take a look at a Children’s Day Kabuto cake, dive into an Okinawa-themed campaign, question skid marks on a 7-11 gratin, and review FamilyMart’s crispy chicken.
Join the dumb conversation on Twitter: https://twitter.com/conbiniboys
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/_NaYAFruWTg
A Little Happy and a Little Kyushu
This week we take a look at two exciting campaigns coming out of 7-11, with the “choi happy” sweets campaign, and another focused on the cuisine of Kyushu. Matt and Mike collide during the winners and losers segment, opening up a debate over the strength of Japanese paper, and “At the Genba” Mike introduces the greatest melon pan that the two have ever seen.
Watch us on YouTube
See dumb stuff on Twitter
Praise for Normal Strength Booze
In this week’s episode, we take a look at the long-awaited emergence of new 5% chuhais, sippable Godiva chocolate pudding, and Mike tries a Famichiki sandwiched between a maple syrup nikuman.
Join a dumb conversation on Twitter: https://twitter.com/conbiniboys
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/rKYZ3E-MGic
White Day, Asian Cuisine, and Famichiki Fuel
It’s a jam packed weak at the conbini. With Valentine’s Day coming to a close, we look ahead to White Day, and also 7-11’s Asian Gurume Fair. Matt reviews a new chicken sandwich from a fast-food place in the states, and to close it out, we read a story about how Famichiki grease is being used to power public buses.
Watch us on YouTube
See dumb stuff on Twitter
Conbini Apocalypse
In this week’s episode, Mike describes an apocalyptic scene at his local conbini. We talk pig ears, yakiniku-sauced karaagekun, choux cream stuffed with brownie, and Donald-Trump-styled beer foam.
Join the dumb conversation on Twitter: https://twitter.com/conbiniboys
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/RINalS5yE7M
Back and Better Than Ever
Royal Farms, Au Jus, and Costco
In this week’s episode, Mike and Matt record together for the first time in the United States. They step away from Japan and discuss some of America’s icons like Royal Farms and Costco, they celebrate the Au Jus summit, and they encourage everyone to buy a new TV.
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/I3j7-fy1AAA
Read dumb stuff on Twitter: https://twitter.com/conbiniboys
The Conbini Boys America Tour
This week, we’re talking about the Conbini Boys America Tour… that’s right, Mike’s back in the states, and looking forward to meeting up with Matt. They discuss their agenda, with exciting things like eating Prime Rib, going to Sheetz, and checking out the TVs at Best Buy on the docket. In conbini related news, it’s a crazy week in the Chiki wars, where we see maybe the highest number of new chikis that we’ve ever seen.
Watch us on YouTube
See dumb stuff on Twitter
The Bones Are Back in Town
The Extreme Cheese Festival
This week, we take a look at the Extreme Cheese Festival from Family Mart, which promises lots of new items with lots of cheese. Matt picks up an amazing, sweet potato themed winner, and Mike finds a loser that shows that there are somethings that even the conbini doesn’t do well.
Watch us on YouTube
See dumb stuff on Twitter
Merry Christmas from the Conbini
Christmas Lineups
FamilyMart
Lawson
7-11
Matt's Featured Item #1
Matt's Featured Item #2
Mike's Featured Item #1
Mike's Featured Item #2
Chiki Wars
Garlic Butter Karaage-kun
Crunky Hot Chili Chicken
Cheese-in Chicken and Crisps
Winners and Losers
Mike's Winner
Matt's Winner
Mike's Loser
Matt's Loser
Watch on YouTube: youtu.be/i-2aVKkz3ts
Read dumb tweets: twitter.com/conbiniboys
There Can Only Be One King (of Famichiki)
This week, we check in on Mike, and see if he was able to hold his lead in the Famichiki tournament to become the king of his conbini. In the Chiki wars, Lawson’s Parichiki makes it’s debut, and in the scoreboard, Family Mart makes a strong comeback. Matt picks up a surprising winner, and Mike’s winner has both Matt and Mike excited for the future of Nikuman.
Watch us on YouTube
See dumb stuff on Twitter
Paripari Pikotaro Chiki
This week, we take a look at Lawson’s Parichiki, which claims to be an extra crispy Chiki coming out this week. We get an update from Mike about the Famichiki competition, and see if he’s still hanging in at the top of his local store. Finally, Lawson takes some hits in the winners and losers, where Matt picks up perhaps the saddest bento we’ve ever seen.
Watch us on YouTube
See dumb stuff on Twitter
A Celebration of Ramen
In this week's episode we check in on Mike's position in the Famichiki Tournament. Lawson launches a nationwide celebration of ramen. The scoreboard heats up with Kimetsu no Yaiba items. And we look at a cake sandwich from 7-11.
Lawson Ramen Festival
Chiki Wars
Winners and Losers
YouTube and Twitter
Updates from the Famichiki Competition
This week, we’re checking in on the Famichiki competition, where competitors battle it out over a month by eating as many Famichikis as they can. The prize: more Famichikis. Matt picks up a bizarre water, and Uchi Cafe continues to be the talk of the town.
Watch us on YouTube
See dumb stuff on Twitter
The King of the Famichiki
This week we take a look at the Famichiki Competition, where competitors try to eat as many Famichikis as they can to hopefully win a years worth of Famichikis. Matt sings the praises of Uchi Cafe, Mike introduces a Toyama themed instant ramen, and then we check in on the Tsukimi Burger, the legendary McDonalds burger that is out now.
Watch us on YouTube
See dumb stuff on Twitter
Final Fantasy Fried Chicken
In this week's episode we talk about a FamilyMart campaign that brings back some old favorites from long-lost conbini like Circle K, Sunkus, and ampm. We look at a Lawson-Godiva collaboration. And Mike gives a shocking review of the highly anticipated Final Fantasy XIV Karaagekun.
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6yWr0YjfxuM
Read dumb Tweets: https://twitter.com/conbiniboys
Items DiscussedIt's Time to Talk About Cup Noodle
This week, we’re taking a look at a very special section of the conbini, and that is the instant noodle zone. And what better way to start, than to introduce the king of instant noodles themselves, Cup Noodle. Mike continues to try to track down the Final Fantasy Karaage-kun, and Matt picks up an amazing man that neither of us have experienced before.
Watch us on YouTube
See dumb stuff on Twitter
Nikuman-ia
In this week's episode, we welcome the coming of fall with the arrival of nikuman. Their blessed colors - yellow, orange, and white - paint the hot box like foliage blankets a New England landscape. We check out Takoyaki ice cream and Mike reviews the Razor Red Ghost Pepper L-Chiki.
Item we cover:
- Ministop's nikuman lineup
- Family Mart's nikuman lineup
- Salt and Lemon Pokechiki
- Matt's Loser
- Mike's Loser
- Matt's Winner
- Mike's Winner
- Double Red Karaagekun
- Razor Red L-Chiki
Watch us on YouTube
See dumb stuff on Twitter
Chikis for You, Chikis for Me
This week, the chiki wars are taking over, with multiple chikis coming out across the conbini landscape. Family mart commemorates its 40th anniversary with 40% larger versions of a number of its items. Matt and Mike clash on the topic of vegetable sticks, and try to track down the illusive Final Fantasy 14 Karaage-kun.
Other ways to enjoy and support the conbini
Keeping Cool at the Conbini
It's August, which means it's hot as all hell in Japan. Mike and Matt share some tips on how to keep cool at the conbini covering everything from body wipes to cold noodles. The Chiki Wars cool off with just one new boneless fried chicken product out. And the new item scoreboard shows record low numbers. The Big Three product development teams may be giving in to the heat.
Items to keep cool
- Gatsby cold wipes
- Hiyashi chuka noodles
- Grape frappe
- Pocari Sweat jelly
- Pocari Sweat slurry
- Garigarikun
- Coolish
Chiki Wars
Winners and Losers
Other ways to enjoy and support the conbini
The Conbini Games Continue On
This week, in the spirit of the Olympics, we continue our Conbini games, where Matt and Mike offer each other scenarios and try to choose their gold, silver, and bronze conbini items for various situations. The Chiki wars are still hot, and we see the introduction of a Taiwanese chiki into the mix. In the winners and losers section, Daily Yamazaki and 7-11 continue to take hits, while sweets continue to make progress. Mike reviews the ketchup and mustard Karaage-kun, and finally, we take a look at a haul by the one and only, Conbini Ojisan.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaSPvGGbEW7VKQ8Y4MTPBoQ
Join the conversation on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/conbiniboys
The Conbini Olympics
In this week's episode, Mike and I compete in the Conbini Olympics to celebrate the start of the Tokyo Olympics. We take a close look at a Miso Katsu donburi and Mike reviews the Cheese-in Curry Famichiki.
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/hubsXIbMp4U
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/conbiniboys
Conbini Items featured:
Hot Dog Summer
It’s getting hot out there, but our old friend the Gooodog is here to save the day, with Lawson proclaiming that this summer will be the “Summer of Hot Dogs.” The Chiki Wars are alive and well with a ton of new offerings, including a curry-infused Famichiki and a Final Fantasy themed Karaage-kun. Finally, in the winners and losers section, we see some winners sure to keep you cool, and some losers that make us once again question the photography team at 7-11.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaSPvGGbEW7VKQ8Y4MTPBoQ
Join the conversation on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/conbiniboys
Conbini News Lightning Round
In this week's episode, we do a lightening round of conbini news. We take a look at the scoreboard and share our winners and losers, including an entire bento box packed into an onigiri. Then Mike heads to Gemba to talk McDonald's 50th anniversary.
See all the goodies on YouTube
Follow us on Twitter
Jimoto Frappuccino
In this week's episode, Mike and Matt go Conbini adjacent and look at the Jimoto Frappuccino campaign at Starbucks featuring unique Frappuccinos from all 47 prefectures. We take a look at the new item scoreboard and share are winners and losers for the week, where Mike continues his assault on the 1/2 day vegetable claims.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Follow us on Twitter: