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About This Business:
For a taste of Mexico, come to Carnival Supermarket and stock up on difficult to find Mexican ingredients!
106 reviews for Marukai Market
Review Highlights
"Great store for some of your Japanese needs."
(in 48 reviews)
"They have sashimi grade fish for a reasonable price, and it..."
(in 3 reviews)
"They are cheaper than Mitsuwa and Nijiya, but usually more..."
(in 4 reviews)
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106 reviews in English
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Review from Wendy B.
1/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
There are several Marukai stores in the greater Los Angeles area. That is how we first became familiar with them. We have been loyal customers for at least 15 years, and know we can count on them for fresh fish, even sushi quality, and prime and choice cut meats that are specifically geared for the Japanese community. I also love the snacks, teas, other Asian foods we find stocked on their shelves, not to mention imported kitchen and household goods and decorator items that are uniquely Japanese in origin.
This is a fun ethnic experience for us non-Asians who get great joy out of emersing ourselves in their unique culture. And a great way to get ideas for a healthy eating life style. There are three separate buildings at this location, so make sure you visit all three for the total experience.
If you like what you see, make sure you purchase a year's membership. It only costs $10, and gets you discount coupons, and future discounts on your purchases each time you visit. You'll find yourself coming here often, so it will be well worth it. You may even find yourself bowing deeply as you shuffle out the door.Listed in: San Diego County, Asian delights, Fresh Seafood, Meat Market
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Review from Ed H.
San Diego, CA
11/26/2011 3 Check-ins Here
I LOVE this store. Dollar stores rock - but their Japanese dollar store (which equals $1.98 in US money) is very cool.
Lots of weird, unique items. Be prepared to study packages and follow arrows - but omgosh, the cool stuff you will find.
Must see :) -
Review from Jade W.
9/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
It's small, but smartly stocked with most of the essentials.
I find they have about the same prices as competitors but they run a ton of sales so I normally would say to check here first. Also if you have a Marukai membership card ($10) then even more savings! Another note for savings is at night near closing their bento boxes are discounted so it makes for an easy packed work lunch the next day.
Overall it's a decent market and really close to Mitsuwa so easy to go back and forth if you need a specific item (always flavored KitKats for me!) -
Review from Tyrell H.
Imperial Beach, CA
2/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
Cheaper then Mitsuwa.
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Review from Gaelle N.
San Diego, CA
1/24/2012
I love this place! They have a great selection of sushi at a very affordable price. Also, they carry big boxes of Hello Panda Milk cookies!!! They also have many Asian snacks and candies that I love. Get the membership card too, it's so worth it!
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Review from Sandi W.
San Diego, CA
11/6/2011 4 Check-ins Here
Compare to other Japanese supermarket, it is a little more reasonable.
Make sure to check their monthly flyer. -
Review from Caitlin C.
San Diego, CA
12/8/2011 15 Check-ins Here
Oh, I love coming here after bikram yoga! I walk straight to their deli section. I'm not sure if they call it the deli section, but this is where all the sushi is at! Oh my goooooodness!!!! The sushi here is fresh, tasty, and you get your $$$ worth. I like to get their seaweed salad and spicy tuna rice bowl. They even sell handrolls here for $1.75! WOW! There's a good selection of snacks and drinks as well. Not to mention, you're also a few steps away from their other two stores that sell house hold good/products with hello kitty!
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Review from Monique F.
San Diego, CA
10/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
I love that people greet you when you come in and you can find all sorts of cool things. Not a lot of stuff in english obviously but heck thats half of the fun of traveling.
Got some snacks, were tasty treats for me. I will be back even cooler is there 99cent store across the parking lot, funny and useful finds in there. Makes me want to throw a sushi party. And be a better person. -
Review from Anya S.
San Diego, CA
9/2/2011
The first thing that comes to mind about Marukai Market is that they have such great prices compared to their competitors. Various common everyday items always go on sale, and when I say sale, it's not just a about 50 cents off it's about $1 or more, that's a lot when you add up how much you can save! I like how the portions of meat and fish are packaged enough to prepare one meal-- you won't see huge portions of 2lb ground chicken here; for me that's a plus. They have a vast selection of instant curry if you're a curry fan and are looking to make some quick curry. Nice selection of rice crackers, snacks and candy.
The thing that really strikes me about this place is how respectful the cashiers are. I shop here daily so I can safely say that I have gone through having my groceries rung up by pretty much all of the cashiers here and all of them, again, are very respectful.
The amount of money I save daily is what keeps me coming back. -
Review from Christal B.
San Diego, CA
6/1/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I vow to come here and try out one of their sashimi salads.
They looked amazing.
Anyways, Marukai Market it definitely a great place to buy
your hard to find japanese snacks.
They also have a great selection of high quality green tea.
I was just a little bummed out at the produce selection.
Having been to a number of Asian grocery stores in SD,
I've realized that I'm not a big fan of the prepackaged and priced produce.
The selection here was more limited than I had expected.
Overall, a cute and clean store that has a lot of specialty items.
I can't wait to check out the other Marukai buildings next time I'm in the area. -
Review from Vareen O.
San Diego, CA
11/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
Came in here looking for POG and hi-chew. Other than that, kinda pricey.
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Review from Malia P.
5/7/2011
They have limited sashimi selection. I tried a sashimi platter from here. The squid was kinda slimy, and it got slimier the more I chewed it. Is that normal? The octopus was tasteless. Tuna was okay, salmon is always the best. I got a pack to slice myself.
They have a $10 year long membership and $1 a day membership. I don't come here enough to get one but if I came here more often I would definitely get it. The cashier was awesome. He gave me the discount because I shopped next door. :) -
Review from LilMiss S.
Alhambra, CA
4/17/2011
*****A MUST TO VISIT (FOR TOURIST TOO) IF YOU'RE A MARUKAI FAN! I'm extremely jealous of you San Diego-ans.***
I have to truly say that since this is Marukai lot, x3 store specialties, it is so far the best out of all the Marukais I've been (year of 2011). It's pretty organized. My eyes where dizzy trying to find what I might need. Haha. I was beyond happy that it is so far the biggest Marukai.
I've been to the one in:
Gardena, CA (2 in Gardena).
Torrance, CA (2 in Torrance; I think the 98 cent store in Torrance was closed; I miss this one).
Cypress, CA (Closed down probably of the economy and the location; I miss this one).
Costa Mesa, CA
West Covina, CA
Little Tokyo, CA
West Los Angeles, CA
Honolulu, Hi (Wholesale one - not worth wasting your tourist time when you have better ones in California). Yes, I am a fan of Marukai.
Coming back home, I just realized I missed out finding a perfect cleaver knife I'd been looking for. :( Oh well; one day, one day. -
Review from Svetlana V.
San Diego, CA
2/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Japanese version of 99 Ranch. It is a lot smaller too. Some items are cheaper than at 99 Ranch, but some are more expensive.
I love their ready-to-go lunch boxes. I haven't seen them anywhere in the US stores yet, but they are very popular in Japan. -
Review from Anri T.
San Diego, CA
1/19/2011
I used to go to NIJIYA but I don't go anymore after I got a membership card here.
I would think it was not cool to pay $10 for a membership card coz I wasn't sure if it was gonna worth it. But it actually is. Now I think this place is all about the discounts with a membership card. If you have it, you usually get some great deals like I do. If not, I suggest you to go to NIJIYA. ( For some reason, I don't like MITSUWA...) -
Review from Bree F.
San Diego, CA
10/11/2011
I think I'm in love! The sushi, the seafood, the meats... They had everything Asian I was looking for and more :) I already have a list prepared for the next time I return. Two thumbs up!
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Review from Allen C.
8/30/2011
It's nice to have another Japanese market alternative... when mitsuwa would run out of milk tea, i usually could find it at Marukai, albeit at a higher price. They do discount their fresh daily meals or meat at night when they are trying to get rid of the remaining stock, which can lead to some pretty good bargains if you're not absolutely adamant about having the freshest beef or sashimi around. You can also join their member card program to get additional discounts if you come here often.
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Review from Jennifer H.
Huntington Beach, CA
4/22/2011
Wow! I've never seen cheaper kobe beef and foo in general. For 10 bucks you can become a Murukai member and get meats for dirt cheap and sushi as well. I walked out of here with beef tongue, kobe beef, marinated kobe beef, a big slab a tuna and some nice spiral dessert cake. They even had my favorite organic milk for 2.50 instead of the usual five. Great place for cheap meat.
Can't beat half lb of kobe beef for 5 bucks! -
Review from Bruce M.
Solana Beach, CA
4/11/2011
Marukai is great. We shop there a lot. The food quality is average, but prices are better than some of the other Japanese grocery stores. What makes Marukai special is that there are multiple stores here, from the grocery to Japanese nicknacks, to furniture, to just general products from Japan.
If you ever want to see an amazing version of these stores, visit the big Marukai in Torrance! -
Review from Ryota S.
Gardena, CA
7/23/2011
Best Japanese Super Market! This is the place to buy Japanese grocery. Better selection than other Japanese Market like Mitsuwa and Nijiya.
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Review from Samantha S.
Los Angeles, CA
9/2/2010
Oh, Marukai!!!!!! How I love thee!!!!
My obsession with Japanese culture and products is far beyond my comprehension, but when I need my fix, this place is as good as it gets!
I do also frequent Nijiya, and Mitsuwa. Although, Marukai offers lower prices and customers the option of a membership (Think Costco, but cheaper, portions for the AVERAGE person, and savings!) Marukai also offers their living stores, with a variety of everyday needs. I want to review Daiso separately so I will keep the review to the market only.
The market is smaller than the other Japanese markets in the area, although Marukai offers more through their living stores. I never really come in here needing any kind of food in particular. They definitely have a large aisle for candy/cookies, which is great! I have picked up soy milk and packaged ramen at the store as well. They have wonderful fresh cut sashimi at great prices, I was expecting more of a cafe/dining area, and was slightly disappointed in that.
Aside from the smaller market and cafe, The membership prices are great if you do come here a lot, they did have excellent deals on their udon and ramen noodles that come in large packs, they also had good deals on their expensive bottled tea, and a rather large beer and sake selection, with many sale prices as well.
If I were shopping strictly for food, I usually go to Mitsuwa (Prices are higher) or Nijiya. Although, coming to Marukai, means you get to browse through the living stores, with offer home goods, hello kitty items, and many other random necessities that you will just have to have.
If you do come here, I recommend walking to the shopping center behind the marketplace and trying Tajima 2, they have THE best noodles I have tried yet in town. I have been on a quest for authentic japanese noodles.....Both the Ramen and the Udon hit the spot!
Review of Daiso. Coming soon. -
Review from Gabriel A.
San Diego, CA
9/16/2010
Pros:
Prices for food items are relatively cheap.
Becoming a member is easy.
Fairly stocked.
Cons
Three seperate buildings, it would be more convient to just have one large building with all three stores inside.
Parking lot is small in comparsion to Mitsuwa. -
Review from Vi P.
San Diego, CA
7/21/2011
Pretty cool place, it's separated into three shops, which are all right next to eachother. Good prices :)
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Review from Tamara L.
Updated - 1/10/2011 6 Check-ins Here
I was at Marukai a couple of weeks ago and their mixed sashimi plates were gone. :-( I hope this was just an off night I was there.
I discovered Marukai when I first moved here and fell in love. Oh ho, what is this in your fish section. Plates overflowing with sashimi of all different assortments and dayum! check out the price on them. And after 6 or 7 pm, it's 20% off! (Now these are frozen not fresh, so you'll understand why they are so affordable) At the opposite corner they have their bento boxes, little chirashi and udon bowls and a small assortment of rolls. (also 20% off after a certain time). They have some of the requisite staple produce selections and in the spring they sell vegetable plants. I bought and Japanese eggplant and cucumber to plant in my garden.
You can a buy a membership card ($10 / 1 year, and incrementally more for 2 and 3 year memberships) which entitles you a monthly newsletter (which I couldn't read-oh well) and occasional discounts on certain items that they may have on sale. I bought the card when I first started shopping here, but so very rarely used it, I don't think I covered my $10 investment, so I probably wouldn't do it again.
They have a great assortment of Asian or Ethnic (whichever is the most PC flavor of the day) goodies. I like to pick up the occasional pint of green tea or azuki bean ice cream. Most of the stuff, I have no idea what it is as I can't translate it, so I get a little experimental and try different things. This can turn out to be a hit or miss, but I have made some yummy discoveries.Listed in: San Diego Grocery Stores, Conquering Convoy
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/19/2010
I like to stop by here from time to time. I discovered Marukai when I first moved here to SD last… Read more »
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Review from Dan N.
This is your pretty standard japanese market. You can find all sorts of imported goodies. The main reason I go here is to get fresh sashimi grade fish and great cuts of beer.
They have all types of sashimi sushi you can try out at 1/2 the price you would pay in the store. It taste just as good and you can enjoy it in the comfort of your own home.
They have a great selection of cuts of beer and they slice them up very thin for shabu shabu which I love because you can use it for korean BBQ or cheesesteaks or whatever else you can think of. Once cooked and seasoned the meat comes out perfect and melts in your mouth no matter what choice of beef you get.
Also as an added bonus this is a great place to find hott asian girls.
Although not as cheap as a regular american market you definitely get your money's worth. And Japanese food is expensive anyway so who really cares. -
Review from Miguel H.
10/12/2010
I love this little Japanese super market for many reasons.
It has everything I need, and everything is easy to find.
They have a lot of noodles, and the ramen they sell here is the best ever. Also they got a huge variety of curries, and is the only place here I can find the Extra spicy kind. People that work here are polite & willing to help you find just about anything, -
Review from Annie K.
12/13/2010
Their sushi is really pretty good and cheap :)
Bought a bunch of tuna, hamachi kama, octopus, and some other goodies all for around $30. I'd probably go back there again. Small and not as crowded as ZION....that place is a zoo. -
Review from SubPrimeTime T.
Escondido, CA
7/15/2010
I just came in for a lunch snack and a tea drink. I guess the whole club pricing made sense after I got home and read the reviews. You can go to their website and select the "translate to English" button to read the club rules and such. I agree though, it does seem deceptive.
It's a smallish market but it is well designed and the areas are clearly labeled. It look seconds to find what I was looking for.
I think you'll come here if you're seriously looking to shop for necessities rather than looking for a marketplace experience. For that, I like Mitsuwa. -
Review from michael L.
San Diego, CA
11/19/2010
MAURKAI MARKET....The name tells you where the focus of this market is. Japanese groceries and products. However, if you have been to any other Marukai in SoCal you may be a little disappointed.
It's a very small space. But, it is easy to shop there as there is never many people in the store whenever I was there. I've been two times and left both times without buying anything. Very minimal selections.
A BIG disappointment is that the other Marukai Markets have a huge inventory of HAWAIIAN products. Produce, frozen and fresh food,snacks etc. I believe all I saw here were a couple of canned juice selections. Not really a fan.
I went twice because I thought I would give it a second try. No change,same experience as the irst time. I won't be back. Also, the workers had such attitudes, and not good ones.
In the area I like 99 Ranch Market...in National City Seafood City -
Review from Oliver A.
San Diego, CA
Excellent and convient place to some grocery shopping for Japanese items. The quality of the food is amazing and the presentation of the food is great. I love going here to get a bento box for lunch. Their Ahi Poke is just awesome.
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Review from Vicky K.
La Jolla, CA
7/19/2011 5 Check-ins Here
If you go sunday afternoon you can find a lot of their lunchboxes half off! Very reasonably priced selection of fish. I would recommend becoming a member so you can take full advantage of their sales! I come here to get the hard to find Japanese snacks!
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Review from Walter K.
San Diego, CA
Updated - 7/25/2011
Finally tried one of their Sushi Platters for a party we had. 40 pieces of 5 different kind of rolls spicy tuna, crispy shrimp, philadelphia, salmon and california for $30. Just great! Fresh and Tasty!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/25/2010
I've been going here since it opened and also have been a card carrying member since then.
Pros:
… Read more »
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Review from Briget P.
4/8/2011
Cute little grocery shop. Wide array of goods. Plenty of different flavors of furikake, makes it hard to choose one! I enjoy simply browsing everything because Japanese goods are so creative and cute!
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Review from Cindy W.
San Diego, CA
2/21/2010 1 photo
We came in here for some sashimi and most of them were frozen, some that were claiming it was fresh, still felt a little hard, so I didn't buy it, it was really questionable. I ended up loading up on mochi, red bean desserts and drinks that I used to get from Japan's vending machines. I was missing Japan and this store brought back some memories. The produce was a little overpriced, so I didn't get any.
I wasn't crazy about the "non-member" prices. I mean, how often do I come here for me to want to become a member? It wasn't going to be worth it. Nonetheless, I was really happy to leave there with desserts and drinks I thought I can only find in Japan. -
Review from Angelica D.
San Diego, CA
5/10/2011
Love this lil' market. The prices are slightly cheaper than Mitsuwa (which is across the street) but the quality and freshness of their produce is great. I love that their shabu shabu meat selection and they carry my favourite ramen noodles!!
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Review from Lyn P.
4/5/2009
There are an abundance of Asian markets in Kearny Mesa but I found a unique reason to go here. They have a wide selection of items that are from Hawaii at reasonable prices. All sorts of choco mac stuff plus the fruit and mac treats and island girl popcorn. Plus they have the mini Lion coffees in an assortment of flavors - toasted coconut and chocolate macadamia...I'm back in Hawaii on my lanai drinking Lion coffee and having a snack of pineapple macadamia candy.
Also found on this trip - family size Pocky and the regular assortment of Pocky that my friend from TX will be stoked to get when I see him next week. Woo hoo! -
Review from Borneo G.
San Diego, CA
9/11/2010
Although Mitsuwa is larger and their parking is *slightly* better, I have a soft spot for Marukai. A couple years ago when I was visiting Japan, one of my favorite things was not eating at the restaurants (which are usually VERY expensive...cheaper, local eats were not easy to eat at unless you had some understanding of the Japanese language) but eating at the convenience shops. The bento food here is freshly prepared like the Japanese convenience shops and in my opinion, tastes better than Mitsuwa (and is cheaper, too!). There are also tons of sale items and you can get great deals on a lot of their merchandise...however, usually you can only take advantage of it if you have a card membership (which is about $10 for a year...if you like to shop there a lot, then definitely take advantage of that).
What else do I like? Next door there is a Daiso (which I also frequented when I was visiting Japan) and furniture/modern living shop. Great deals at the Daiso!
What I don't like...horrible parking (can be scary at times), it's kinda out of the way and difficult to get in and out of, and as I mentioned before, if you want to take advantage of the market discounts, you need to be a member. -
Review from Mike C.
Updated - 12/15/2008
Li Hing Powder! FINALLY FOUND IT! After searching many Asian markets in San Diego, I finally found Li Hing powder! Oh yeah baby... only at Marukai.
Went here this weekend because I knew this was the best place in town to pick up some salmon and tuna for sushi and sashimi. Woohoo! I also picked up some of my other favorites; Meiji cheese curls, Ichiban Udon noodles, daigo, cans of bacon Spam and Tobasco soaked Spam. When I got to the register, the cashier asked me if I wanted to start a yearly club membership for 10 bucks. I wasn't too sure but after she mentioned that for members, a can of Spam only costs $1.98, I was like, "Oh hell yeah"! If I can get Spam for less than 2 bucks a can, I'll buy 2 memberships, LoL.
Markai is the best!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/14/2008
*update 6/25/08*
WOW! At Marukai grocery store they now sell Hot & Spicy Spam (spam soaked in… Read more »
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Review from Abigail G.
San Diego, CA
6/5/2008
HOLY CRAP, i love how fresh the fish is here...
and the kobe-style as well as kobe beef. ^_^
EEEEEEH!!
Super clean and easy to navigate through... I also LOVE the fact that I can get simple sushi rolls for a snack at only ~$2.50!!
I just WISHWISHWISH there was someplace I could find fresh wasabi at... :((( -
Review from Robert L.
Escondido, CA
5/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Even if it's snaller than Mitsuwa and the other well known asian markets around this location, I still like shopping at this market. There are lots of great snacks, tasty bread (especially the pig face shaped one), and the sushi is real good.
