Mitsuwa Marketplace
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Lunch
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
77 Reviews for Mitsuwa Marketplace
I go here to stock up on items when I get a craving for meals I loved as a kid. This place has all the ingredients necessary to make your own curry rice, yakisoba, sukiyaki, udon, and shabu shabu including the portable butane gas stoves. If you're looking for fresh sashimi to fix on your own or want something made and boxed by one of their chefs, this is the place to go.
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Pocky goodness all the way! I prefer the strawberry, with a side of the original Calpico please!
Not only that but they have beautiful dishes that make great last minute gifts (think hostess Martha Stewart except with cooler stuff), the have two noodle restaurants, the have kind of an odds and ends store where you can get Shiseido shampoo for 8 dollars (on sale), and their bento boxes bean Nijiya's.
They have everything I need there and there is always some sort of sale going on which makes it a plus. Oh, and sometimes they have vendors outside that sell really yummy stuff!
I love this place! It makes me happy!
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Irasshaimasen, mina-sama!
If I could giggle like a giggly Japanese school girl I would. If I could dress like one, I'd do that, too! *teeheeheehee*
JUST KIDDING! (At least, about the dressing up part....)
Mitsuwa brings back memories of the bygone days that I spent as a Navy brat, in Japan. I love coming to this place for lunch, and try to make it, at least once a week. I typically try to grab a bite at the food court, feening a pork katsu rice plate or a steaming bowl of ramen noodle. Plenty of options.
If I wanted other options, I can pick up a freshly made bento lunch box, at their "deli" section, further in the market. Got chicken karagi? Sushi? Fried squid legs? YUM! Or, I can look for my favorite snacks: Almond Crush Pocky, Hello Kitty Gum, Japanese Rice Crackers, Wasabi Peanuts and cold Kirin Coffee!! I just love this place!
Other things to check out: Dinnerware, Japanese-brand houseware, a video store for those Japanese anime lovers and a Japanese bookstore. Cool to just browse around.
Mitsuwa is the ultimate J-otaku* paradise! And even if you aren't a J-otaku, it's a cool place to check out, grab a snack or have lunch. ^_^
(J-Otaku = slang for those who have a fanatic interest in all that is Japanese.)
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Mitsuwa is what Mitsuwa is... The prace basicarry has a monopory on Japanese ploducts sord in SD. Evel wondel why that nisei japanese cashiel is a dick...cuz he can be!!
Whele you gonna go? Whele? Hmmm? What? What was zat-o? Got nothing to say? Thats what I THOUGHT...
You gonna fry to Japan for a 5 pound bag of Nishiki lice? You gonna have youl homies riving in Japan send you a $1.50 coffee which costs $10 to package, ship, and handre? You gonna pound mochi and glow beans so you can make some zenzai?
Oh and to all you import racers and drifters out there....STOP GOING TO THE FREAKING BOOKSTORE...you guys look like total HERBS!!!
NOONE CARES ABOUT OPTION 2 MAGAZINES!!! THAT WAS LIKE TEN YEARS AGO!!!
Just boycott Japanese food artogether...you rive in America...eat American food...bunch of fuckels...
Disclaimer: This ad was paid for by Nijiya
Man...I hope they dont ban me from that place...cuz that would totally suck three legged giraffe ballz...
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I will go here when I need to stock up on stuff my mother-in-law used to bring us - frozen unagi, mochi (they had a special on the ones for Boy's Day), condiments, furikake, soda, omg - pickles! They have a pickle room. One of the side shops closed, the one with the cheap kitchen stuff. I hope something else moves in.
The shopping center feels kinda empty. It's not like Little Tokyo or SF Japan Town, but Mitsuwa has what I need.
We got noodles at the shop by the entrance once. It was good. Don't remember what we got, but it was a cold gloomy day and the ramen and green tea hit the spot.
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Mitsuwa has everything that every other Japanese grocery store in Convey Street has, with the added benefit of REALLY LONG LINES.
Seriously, more people on the checkout please! And accept AMEX! Until then, I'll continue frequenting the other stores in Kearny Mesa.
My better half loves the new Ramen restaurant here.
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Suki desu!!!!!
Wasabi peas, Pocari sweat sports drink, udon noodle bowls, ready made spicy tuna bowls, fresh sunomono salad, dried shitake mushrooms, rice crackers, Japanese beer snacks...this place is awesome and makes me miss Saipan! I love to wander around and peruse the cookware, Anime comic books, Wall O Sake, and frozen critters in vacuum sealed bags. I always find something new that is "suggoi oishi" (super delicous!)
Plus, being a blonde white girl I get a huge kick out of the look of surprise I receive when I ask a question to the staff in Japanese. *Sigh* Yes I am quite easily amused.
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$5 bottle of saki and a great sushi section!
Ohayo Gozaimasu People san!
I love Mitsuwa. It's grrreat.
Ummm let's see, they have oodles of noodles, a plethora o Pocky, cornucopias of Calpico, an assortment of coffee drinks to keep you hopped up to your eyeballs, and a huge assortment of Japanese culinary products of which I have no clue to since I don't read Japanese. There's also a lovely ceramics shop ( beautiful sake sets and green tea pots), a bazaar o random schtuff tucked in the back corner, a cafeteria that serves yummy food, Mochi!!, fresh fish counter (excellent place to get sushi grade fish), and a fantastic bookstore.
The bookstore I particularly like. There's plenty of manga for you comic junkies, and for you fashionistas (i.e. me) it's a great reference for all things uniquely fashionable. They have a huge assortment of magazines that vary from high class foo-foo (Vogue, Elle, etc..) to wildly eccentric (Gothic Lolita, Harajuku, Fruits, etc...).
And, and, and...
who can forget about the alcohol section. Bottles and bottles of beer, sake, and soju to choose from.
Can't say much about the set up- ambience is definitely not its strongsuit, but hell, it's a grocery store so whatever. But for all practicality, it has everything I need.
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I don't really shop in the market section, but I go there often to eat their delicious authentic Japanese ramen in the cafeteria on the left side of the entrance. Of all the ramen places I've tried there is just one that's better (Daikokou in Japantown in LA). But this place is still the real deal and seriously good! Slurp!
Their sushi has improved recently I feel. Before, the rice tasted dry. They also sometimes have some special events like ramen fairs going on here. Last time I went, they were selling fresh-made osaka style okonomiyakis. This place is definitely worth checking out. For more variety though (and slightly cheaper bentos), head over to Nijiya.
Went for the Ramen Festival this past weekend. The miso ramen from Sumire was absolutely insane. Hoping Santouka sets up shop soon, as its rumored to be here in May?
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I stop by the store now and then, but I can't recall any specific purchases I've made there. There is always some interesting snack or tea, but that's pretty much it. I need to mention the selection of sake, but how often would you need to buy it?!
The fish may be good - but it's pricey, so since I never make sushi at home I simply go to Ranch 99, which has a comparable selection at a lower cost.
Oh, I like their smaller departments with household items and cosmetics. I've set my eye on the rice cooker, but didn't get it yet!
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This is not the review for the marketplace, just the food place~i forgot the name of it but it's NOT santouka, the one between it and the actual market.
I had the shrimp and fried onions on top of soy sauced sticky rice. It was soo good! I never had sticky rice as an entree. The sauce was soo good and they give you enough. The bowl is pretty big for like $6. They didn't have that much shrimp. I love the fried onions! It also came with soup and it was just okay.
They don't let you order takeout, cash only. But they have some clear small box if you have some leftovers.
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I usually come here to get fresh fish for sushi when I feel the urge to make my own sushi rolls. The bentos that they have in the deli section are decent and also cheap for what you would ordinarily pay for in a restaurant. I love Mitsuwa's food court too.
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i lovee this place!! there are so many little nooks of stores in this japanese market! I actually ate at the small restaurant there and got the curry donkatsu. YUMMY!!!~ O and i love those lil pickled radish or onion things they give with it.
This place has pretty cheap stuff too so check it out. but at busy times, you'll be in line for 15 minutes...
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the grocery is a bit pricey, but it is clean and the packaging of the products is very tempting. we like to eat at the noodle house inside the supermarket or get the ready to eat sushi rolls from the deli counter.
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I LOVE THIS PLACE! They have a HELLO KITTY store inside! lovelove
I love their pastry and breads here. Their bento boxes are cheap AND GOOD. They have so much variety of food here that I always end up spending an hour just looking at things to buy. The amount of crazy hello kitty food items that they have here is just SIMPLY CRAZY. I went on a hello kitty crazed and bought everything that had hello kitty on it. I bought hello kitty PASTA lol. oh you can even buy hi-chews here!
I also loved ramen place they had located inside the place. The food there is decently priced AND it's good. However this place is cash only remember!. I also enjoyed their bookstore, even though it's in all Japanese, but it's still enjoyable to flip through their magazines and look at their cute stationary and pens.
If I could give this place ZERO STAR, I would.
The products are OK, the prices are OK, but the customer service......TERRIBLE!!! Everytime I go there, I get this very rude Asian boy (non-Japanese) cashier who is EXTREMELY RUDE. He doesn't say "hi', "thank you" and the worst of all... HE THROWS GROCERIES AFTER HE RANG. HOW RUDE IS THAT!!!??? All he says is how much you owe. After you pay, he ignores you then move on to the next customer to be rude again.
If you are looking for a better place to shop for Japanese stuff and get good customer service, GO TO MARUKAI MARKET. Trust me on this.
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I wish the Bay Area had a Mitsuwa as good as this one.
This place is large, neat, and packed with Japanese goodies. I wouldn't consider this place super cheap, but they are reasonable. They have weekly specials so you can load up on essentials when prices are low.
The produce section lacks selection, but makes up for it in quality. They have a good selection of natto (I used to buy tons when they went on sale) and preserved goods (umeboshi and pickles).
Staples:
frozen udon
dashi in a bottle
natto
pea sprouts
bonito flakes
miso soup
seaweed
Also, check out their little shops (they have grid paper for kanji at one of them) and fast food area.
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When I first stepped foot into Mitsuwa some three years ago I'll be honest it was like heaven. Anything you could possibly imagine such as fresh produce, Japanese household products for the kitchen or the house, frozen food and desserts, fresh fish for sashimi and sushi, and all the other things you need for Japanese cooking. Not to mention the other little stores that hold different items as well. They also have a fresh bento and sushi deli that is relatively cheap if you need to grab lunch.
This one is small compared to the one in Orange County, but still has everything you could want. I like to stop by here for a quick bowl of udon with shrimp tempura when I have a craving. The little dining area is cash only which always annoys me, but it's worth the trouble of pulling the $$ because the food is pretty good & fast.
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Out of all the Asian markets in SD, this one is by far the best. It's really clean and doesn't have that really fishy smell that seems to permeate throughout the rest of them.
Plus there are a few random little stores inside. Like one that sells a ton of plates and bowls. Tip: do not bring your cart with you if you decide to go in. I remember at one point there were a couple of Toto toilet seats for sale but I haven't seen those lately.
The soup on the left side is really good. And so is their pre-made sushi and rice bowls. It's like the best place to get everything Japanese. The prices are a little bit more expensive, but it is definitely worth it.
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oh man. an asian dream come true. the layout is very nice and clean! its a supermarket with little specialty stores that surround the inside of it.
when you first walk in there's a japanese book store to your right. this bookstore has all kinds of things that i can't read. i mostly look at the japanese fashion and hair magazines, but there are a lot of really interesting ones like fruits, or perhaps the japanese chola/cholo mag.
to the left is little deli. i haven't tried it yet, but everything looks tastey and well organized.
then inside the main area there is an amazing ceramics store. this is where i found most of my dishes bowls and plates. when i was searching for dishware, i went to so many different places and couldn't find anything to my liking, so i came here and immediately fell in love. there are so many beautiful and unique pieces here.
i love coming here when i'm looking for japanese specialty items. specifically udon, miso paste, enoki mushrooms, yakisoba, ramen, etc... they also have agreat selection of fish. mitsuwa is the shizzy!
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Place is freaking awesome. It was actually better when it was called Yaohan some years ago, but it's still a great place to get all kinds of eccentic and great Japanese groceries and delights - from foods, pre-made goods (like sushi), ceramics, electronics, stationary...they even have a good restaurant in the front of the place.
A must for people who like anything remotely Japanese in nature.
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Different types of Japanese selections here. From small treats to sushi to cute hello kitty nick nacks. I ate her during breaks from class. If you don't have time sit down and eat and need food in a hurry, they sell sushi packed in clear cases made fresh around 1100.
I love this place.....sometimes I go here when I dont need anything at all...kinda like target.....anyhow...they have all the japanese goodies u cant find anywhere else in SD..as far as i know....my friend brought me here once cus he said he liked coming here and seeing all the cute girls....hah..kinda like target.....
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My husband and I shop here often because he super nihonjin. They have all the groceries to make that special japanese dish, as well as a deli for decient food to go. We especially love this little lady in the plate department named Sach-chan. She loves it when you call her "funky auntie". We have brought gifts for people from her and she is always nice.
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This is one of the best Japanese markets in San Diego. I normally go here for a few things:
-Lotte Black Black gum (this stuff is way better than Doublemint)
-sake (the junmai is cheap because Takara, Ozeki, and Gekkeikan brew theirs here in California. The nigori and the high-priced ones are imported from Japan)
-cheap "Japanese" beer (the US-market Kirin is brewed by A-B in the San Fernando Valley, while both Sapporo and Asahi are brewed in Canada. I couldn't find the Okinawan favorite Orion)
I'm not that big on their sushi. Nijiya has better futomaki rolls and inari.
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The place is great for its myriad selection of asian foods, but sometimes they don't have my favorite food, Uni (sea Urchin)
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Being the only Mitsuwa in San Diego, this store holds it down in an average sized retail space. Although not as large as other locations, they offer the staples that most anyone would be shopping for: fresh produce, meat, pickled items, seasonings, rice, candy + snacks, drinks with a small cold section, Mikawaya wagashi, and prepared bento boxes and sushi.
There's one restaurant called "Kayaba" in the small food court area that serves udon, soba, tempura, tonkatsu, etc. There's a Sanseido bookstore adjacent to the food court with a good selection of magazines and books. In the back through the grocery, there are several other stores including "Trendy", a Japanese anime/manga/toy store, and Yuki "Discount Store" which sells a variety of Sanrio and household items.
This is a pretty decent Mitsuwa although it can get a bit hectic due to the smaller sized aisles and general warehouse feel.
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I absolutely LOVE coming to Mitsuwa, I like how they have everything in one place. my favorite? the cosmetic section and the bookstore. The magazines in the book store is a little cheaper than places I go to in LA and SF, but the more popular magazine does run out pretty soon. I come here at the beginning of the month when they sometimes have 60% off the older issues, this is the time I stock up so I can follow the 3-month-old Japanese fashion trend. ^__^''
I love their hot food section, it doesn't have as big of a selection comparing to Nijiya, but I love their grill fish, it taste as good as the ones from restaurants - sans the real crispy skin because it's not as "hot off the grill", however, for about 1/2 the price and avoiding the embarrassment of dining by myself at a restaurant, this place really gets my salt grill fish fix.
- 1 star because the produce is kinda expensive, so after walking around the nice and clean store, I am still produce-less and I normally have to run to zion or ranch 99 afterwards for my fruits and veggies.
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This has to be my favorite Mitsuwa Marketplace. They have the grocery store section plus a small cafe serving udon in the front, a bookstore, and in the back there's a health store, a housewares store w/ Sanrio stuff and useful japanese household products (Trendy), and a pottery store. My favorite store is Trendy. They have cute Hello Kitty bento boxes, housewares, scented tissues, stationery...it's pretty much a Japanese general store. The prices are reasonable also.
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I love this market, but the one in Costa Mesa is a lot nicer and bigger. Also, the food court is much larger...meaning more selections :0)
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I love this place. For tastes of grandma's cooking its great. All the Japanese foodstuffs from my childhood are there, from the vegetables and fish to the snacks and sauces. Their prices tend to be a little better than Nijiya, and they have a separate little shops within also. I love the shop with Japanese homewares (dishes, sake & tea sets, etc.). And the separate tsukemono section. And the prepared foods and sushi are great in a pinch or for a quick meal. I haven't tried the restaurant in the lobby, but it was busy when I went and I'm sure I'll try it in the future.
The only fault I have are they close a little early (8pm).
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Located in the center of San Diego, this Japanese marketplace will entertain as much as fulfill your grocery shopping for your Asian dishes. A great place to introduce yourself to Japanese pop culture.
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I really like this market -- I was first introduced here when my mother would buy those pre-packaged sushi/bento bowls for lunch. I soon started to browse throughout this market, and was delighted with the wide variety of produce available here, and also with their adorable tea sets. They have a bookstore (which is quite large) near the entrance of the market, and several smaller shops that have things from bath/body products to rice cookers to plates/dishes for home.
At the front, they also have a restaurant that has more of a cafeteria-type seating. I like coming here to look at the teas, and I always find it amusing when I spot green tea here for $8.00 and find the exact same one at Whole Foods for $12.00.
I wish they would stay open a little later and I wish that parking would be easier, sometimes, but you can't really blame them because they're located in between a Japanese salon and Staples.
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Sushi Night at my house!
I wasn't a stoner, so I can't roll sushi very well but I will say this. The taste is all there my friend thanks to Mitsuwa . I was able to pick up everything I needed without the terror invoked at Ranch 99. Is the fish sushi grade? Why does that look like the 3-eyed fish Homer caught on the Simpsons?
Okay - so I don't understand what the package reads for the most part, but you can slowly maneuver your way around with a friend AND pick up some hello kitty crap for the 4 yr old niece. You'll even have a good time doing it. Make it part of your dinner party adventure!!!
Fresh authentic ingredients.
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Another great asian (grocery) store in SD! It has other little shops within it, including a bookstore, a little place to order food and eat, a Sanrio store, and little knick-knack stores. The downside to these extra stores is that they only take cash, which I never carry a lot of! So, boo for that....the bookstore is really great, but everything is in Japanese so I didn't spend much time in it, but it inspired me to learn Japanese.
The grocery part of the store is nice, could be a little bigger but it's not like I recognize all the Japanese food anyway! Everytime I go here I take a little longer then I would at a "regular" grocery store (ie. Vons) because I need to stop and really look at what I pick up to see if it's something I want or want to try. I always get some meat when I go here, the Hawaiian Kona Coffee drinks, daifukus, Pockies (thoug I could get those pretty much anywhere in SD), the melon popsicles, and my bf always gets these mini fried dough sticks in a bag. I love trying new things...and eventually I want to learn how to make my own sushi since they have some really great looking pre-cut fish, and all your sushi-making needs!
p.s.--the grocery section does take credit card :)
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Good, and worth the trip, but I'm more fond of NIjiya Market on Convoy...More reasonably priced, and a bit more variety. The little shops in Mitsuwa's are fun to go to though.
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