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- Hours:
Mon-Sat 9 am - 7 pm
Sun 10:30 am - 6 pm
- Price Range:
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$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
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- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
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81 reviews for Super Mira Market
Review Highlights
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"...the best secret about this place is Yasukochi's Sweet Stop." In 8 reviews -
"famed for their famous coffee crunch cake." In 5 reviews -
"Excellent source for Japanese seasonings and sauces." In 42 reviews
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81 reviews in English
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Review from mimi k.
San Francisco, CA
12/1/2011
Every Wednesday, you'll find me here buying their Japanese-style bread during lunch. Although they don't look exactly like the ones in Japan, the test is pretty spot on. I'm a big fan of the fried fish one. The sauce is just perfect, and every bite is heavenly.
I also really like the bakery inside. The crunch dessert is too sweet for me, but the matcha one is not bad. -
Review from Janet S.
4/9/2012
Love to leisurely browse the shops/markets in J-town and happened upon Super Mira. I saw their chirashi bowl for only $9.99 and it was stuck in my head. Walked the rest of J-town,but had to go back for the beckoning chirashi. Nice variety of maguro, shrimp, salmon, octopus and tobiko. Hubby had some tempura and a maguro salad. For dessert, a guava cream sponge cake. Nice casual lunch:)
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Review from Tracie F.
1/11/2012
I am not a local so I don't honestly have much to compare it to. I live in the island state where the items sold in this shop are staples in our Safeway. Nonetheless, this store seemed to stock all the necessities to make the most complicated of Japanese delicacies. After much deliberation we settled on a pack of Hi-Chew. A little pricey but always worth it. Staff was friendly and the store appeared clean and organized. Parking was difficult but it appears that most of the little ladies shuffle in here on foot so it probably isn't a huge concern for most of the patrons. If you are driving bring some quarters and some patience.
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Review from Bodhi D.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 9/15/2011
A little shout out to Super Mira -- Domo Arigato for carrying organic umeboshi pickled plums!
Organic, no msg and no food coloring by Junsei Yamazaki. Worth the 20 bucks. Can't find this anywhere else in J-town. Haven't even seen it at J-markets I've visited in LA either.
If you want your blood to be more alkaline, then follow a macrobiotic diet and eat umeboshi plums.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/31/2011
I love to get their ready made food. They usually offer brown rice bento boxes with some organic… Read more »
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Review from Janette M.
San Francisco, CA
12/16/2011
Wow! They just started making homemade oden and it's the best one I've had yet. Even better than the ones you get in Japan. Lucky me, the place is half a block away. Thanks Mira for making my winter very warm and cozy. :)
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Review from Ed U.
5/22/2008 16 Check-ins Here
If Nijiya Market is the Safeway of my peeps, then surely Super Mira Market is the Piggly Wiggly. You don't know Piggly Wiggly? Well, pardner, y'all have to come to Texas where we still got them l'il markets where you can get your fixings for Sunday supper after church. Well, you can get your fixings at Super Mira, too, but it'll be for bento after Buddhist temple. And make sure to hurry after work since they close at 7pm on weekdays.
There's definitely enough good-quality Japanese food in this compact space to warrant a quick trip over, and of course, it has the mutha of Japanese bakeries, Yasukochi's Sweet Stop, to the right. But you may want to save some of those calories for the packaged delicacies they have in the refrigerated section in the back. I have been known to partake of the chicken kara-age now and then, especially with the potato salad with carrots and cucumber bits. Who needs KFC when you can get a more reasonably grease-free version here?
I'll probably still default to Nijiya if I'm in a hurry to get a fix of nourishment from my peeps. My mom has been long gone to satisfy those requirements. But Super Mira makes a nice back-up, especially when I need a slice of that coffee crunch cake at Yasukochi's to tie me over.Listed in: Memoirs of a Geezer
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Review from wendella a.
San Francisco, CA
10/13/2009
Super Mira is small but well stocked, personifying quality over quantity. I definitely prefer it to its big sister around the corner. They carry organic produce, fresh seafood, brown rice sushi (the good kind, not the made at hippie camp kind) and their onigiri are always plentiful, varied and filled with a lot more in the center than big sister's. I like Super Mira's selection of prepared bentos and other ready to eat treats for quick deliciousness (without msg).
Insiders know the hidden jewel in the crown is Yasukochi's Sweet Stop daintily tucked into the corner. More than worthy of its own separate review but definitely part of the overall excellence that is Super Mira. It's my kind of market - 5 stars. -
Review from Derek B.
San Francisco, CA
9/4/2008
Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch Mochi Moch
Mmmmmmm -
Review from Travis C.
Berkeley, CA
4/9/2011
This is my must-go every time I go to japantown! I love their homemade food! This place is always clean and very neighborhood! Their staff are always sooo nice! And they make their own tofu (what can be more exciting than that?)!
The only bad thing is that their product is a bit more expensive than other supermarkets and if you go there in the afternoon, they won't be that much of a variety in freshly-made food than in the morning. -
Review from JeFF T.
Fremont, CA
2/25/2008
I love gonads! No, not those type...the seafood type...uni or sea urchin to be exact. For someone who's usually picky about food textures, there's just something about that creamy, buttery, yellow goop that I can't pass on. It's like crab fat (or mustard), yet without the concentration of PCBs and heavy metals (crab mustard is actually part of the crab's digestive system). I have to have it at every sushi joint that I try. And if they don't have it, well, they just end up losing a star from me.
So who would've thought that I'd have one of the best servings of uni from a grocery store? To my surprise, the tray that I got last nite had about 6 super scoops of the lovely delicacy; I'm usually used to getting about 12 small scoops on a tray. The uni was of high quality as it was creamy and buttery, yet firm, not mushy. I almost felt bad for only eating it with just rice. I hear it's good cooked too. The second tray that I had was equally good, but came more the way I'm used to seeing it.
While they don't have a fish display case with fish mongers like Suruki Market in San Mateo, or even Uoki on Post, they do have quality seafood...nice and fresh. Their hamachi (yellowtail) and sake (salmon) were excellent. They also have small ama ebi (sweet spot prawns) in little packages too. Their selection is not as stocked as Nijiya's, but maybe that's because I usually get there late in the afternoon and it's all gone by then.
The store itself reminds you it's your friendly neighborhood corner market, as the staff is very helpful and pleasant to everyone. It's no Nijiya or 99 Ranch. They have just a little bit of everything that a small market should have to satisfy its clientele. They seem to be carrying more organic fruits and vegetables now, although the pricing is a tad more than normal. Not to be missed is the in-store bakery, Yasukochi's Sweet Stop...famed for their famous coffee crunch cake. While I've had the cake here, I personally prefer Eastern Bakery in Chinatown, but Sweet Stop's cake works in a pinch. -
Review from Richard T.
Carlsbad, CA
2/18/2009 3 Check-ins Here
Super Mira is like the Little Japanese Market that COULD!!! Sure it's smaller than Nijiya down the street, but the aisles are considerably wider, the relaxed setting is less claustrophobic, and you seldom get jabbed in the thigh by peevish dudes with unresolved "sMS" issues! Both the produce and the grocery sections here are First Rate and the prices are competitive with the two other Japanese stores in the area.
What really SHINES about this market, in addition to the Most Excellent Yasukochi Sweet Shop, is their small yet really delicious Organic Japanese Deli and prepared foods section. They make their tsukemono (pickles), seaweed salads, and other assorted take out foods without MSG or other food additives! How AWESOME is that?!
Their sushi is tastier than Nijiya's (more of a homemade flavor) and they even make some rolls and rice balls with organic brown rice (more fiber and lower glycemic index vs. white rice)! Having interned in a diabetes ward in a hospital, I can testify first hand that Asian Americans are NOT immune from the growing problem of hypertension and heart disease that our Nation faces. Major kudos to Super Mira for providing healthier alternatives to combat this mounting problem!!! -
Review from stephanie i.
San Francisco, CA
11/13/2006
Walking into Super Mira gives me warm fuzzies. I love this place. It took me a while to figure out why I like this place better than the others located near by, but I finally figured it out.
It reminds me of my bachan's (grandmother's) kitchen.
Of course her kitchen wasn't huge, but I'd pick through her pantry and find all sorts of Japanese goodies, just like I do here. From dozens of types of furikake, Pokey sticks (though we only had chocolate back in the day), arare, manju, cream pan and teriyaki nori to the multitude of liquid seasonings, mirin, sake, shoyu, memmi...the list goes on.
Heading back towards the refrigerated section is like opening up her fridge to see if there is anything good to eat, or to check out what she'll be making for dinner. You have the prepared section which has the bento boxes, donburi, hijiki, tsukemono and sushi ready to go, and over in the seafood section you have sashimi grade fish and seafood, not to mention thinly sliced cuts of shabu shabu and sukiyaki beef (which is impossible to find at a butcher shop.)
What can I say? My grandmother was an awesome woman and a fantastic cook. Oh wait. This review is about a grocery store right?
Sorry. See what I mean? This place feels like family.
Long live Super Mira.Listed in: Japantown, San Francisco
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Review from May T.
San Francisco, CA
9/3/2008
I love this place, and come in whenever I need to pick up a lone item or a few things before heading home and making dinner. Tonight's basket items included:
fresh tako
bottled soba sauce (I'm lazy sometimes, yes)
dried organic soba noodles
daikon piece (they cut them up into smaller sections and sell them piecemeal)
Shrimp Chips (keepin' it real)
rice crackers with seaweed
What's not to love about this place? It's a feel good, neighborhood store, and the fishmonger takes special orders. I overheard a couple ordering fresh sashimi in bulk for a dinner party. So awesome.
Smaller than Nijiya, but nicer too. -
Review from megan w.
San Francisco, CA
5/6/2007
Obviously, fresh handcrafted mochi is preferable to pre-packaged mochi. That pretty much goes for everything, doesn't it?
But sometimes the thing that's more important is making a breakfast of it, and at Super Mira, you can get a package of good (not Benkyodo, but good) azuki mochi in white, pink and mugwort with a nice, even ratio of mochi coating to bean paste filling, a brown rice and seaweed onigiri, and you can make it happen with the Visa check card which is, as you may know, the way I make things happen. -
Review from Nobu K.
San Francisco, CA
10/24/2006
Decent, clean and open till 7 pm.
I go there when I couln't make it to Uoki-market on Post St.
Uoki closes 5:30 sharp.
They don't give shit.
That is Uoki's attitude.
They don't care about you.
But they are still little bit cheaper than Mira.
For example,
There is a high-end large Sake bottle, calls "Kan-Chiku", It'll cost you $75- at Mira, but $68 at Uoki.
Well,
But,
Mira is more welcome.
When you walk in to Mira, you'll hear " Ira SShai Mase!".
welcome in Japanese to you.
Some of Japanese restaurant will say that too.
you know, I am from Japan. I like to feel welcome when I go to a Japanese market at least.
I hate to say this but, it is true that Uoki-market is Americanized Japanese.
Nothing wrong with that.
I am just sayin that I like Mira more than Uoki.
and Mira market is doing their job as much as they can even the price is a little bit higher than Uoki.
So,
Go Mira, Go!Listed in: Japan Town!
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Review from M'ia K.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 12/13/2009
As of Dec 09:
Available Every Saturday: (near the registers)
Home made (in-house) Mochi! I am eating one now, it is yomogi-mochi (also called Ohagi)... for about $1 each!
YUM!
Benkyo-do still reigns supreme in the 'hood, but if you're in the mood for something new and different.... there ya go!
ALSO: in a land of mega-packs from Safeway and Costcos, it's NICE to know that I can buy one chicken breast (organically raised, Petaluma Poultry) .. JUST ONE, for a reasonable price. I guess you could go to Whole Paycheck or Mollie Stone's.. but i can't remember last time I walked in to one of those...Listed in: J-town, Nihonmachi,…, My favorite places to share…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/23/2006
(Woah, how did I miss reviewing this place?)
SO, their selection of foodstuffs is just perfect if you… Read more »
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Review from Berna T.
3/18/2008
When I can't make it out to Berkeley Bowl, and I don't want to go to Mollie Stone's (rip-off) or Whole Foods (clusterfucked rip-off), I come down to J-town for groceries. Usually by the time I get home, Uoki K. Sakai is closed and my only options are Nijiya or Super Mira.
Super Mira is smaller than Nijiya and Uoki K. Sakai, but with enough good stuff to qualify for a four star rating. I used to come here all the time when I took the #2, #3, or #4 buses down to Union Square...they sell onigiri with salmon (one of my absolutely favorite foods of all time, partially because you can walk and eat) but you need to get it early because they sell out really quickly. They also have prepared fish, hijiki salad, that bright green "ocean salad", and other Japanese foods that are ready to eat. Also in store: fresh meat, fish (even sashimi grade!), tofu, alcohol, produce, and snacks. I also adore the little bakery section they have going on - it reminds me of my "hanabuttah days" back in Hawaii and going to St. Germain's Bakery in Shirokiya. They even have that thick bread that I love so much....it's the only kind of bread I really like anymore.
It's a pretty comprehensive grocery store for its size, definitely a great thing to have in the neighborhood!Listed in: I'm Turning Japanese (I Really…
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Review from Robert Z.
Silicon Valley, CA
4/11/2010
A rare weekend in town with nothing to do and all weekend to do it, I walked over to visit this shop from a friends' place. (and the dessert shop that was said to be inside of it) This weekend (and next) have the Cherry Blossom (Sakura) festivities occurring, so there was all kinds of excitement in the air. (Although J-town is always busy)
I had read that this place had a deli, I was hoping to find "Yakisoba Pan". (Fried soba noodle sandwich, it's bombtastically delicious, hard to find outside of Japan apparently, if anyone knows where to find one, please do tell) Today wasn't going to be the day to satisfy that desire, however in the back there are a variety of ready to eat foods.
On par with the average "Kombini" (Convenience) stores in Japan, there is pretty much everything you would need to survive within its compact interior. Definitely more "Nijiya" and less "Mitsuwa" in size, only about a dozen or so aisles in total. I picked up two "Gyu-don" (Beef Bowls), Inari Sushi, some Calpico drinks and rice crackers.
The checkout line moves quickly, when a third customer (in front of me) had lined up they open a second register. Customer service, a concept dead in the west. I would have hoped that there would have been more ready to eat foods, however I'm certain this was because of the higher than normal population coming in from the festival. -
Review from Wan T.
San Francisco, CA
2/9/2006
The only two reasons you need to shop at Super Mira:
1) San Jose Tofu on Thursdays. The San Jose Tofu sign goes up every Thursday, and it's usually sold out by closing time. If you get really lucky, there are still a couple of containers left early Friday, but not often. It's damn good tofu fresh from the San Jose Tofu factory--packaged in styrofoam take-out containers with no labels. Very soft, very tasty. I know I'm weird, but I usually buy a couple of extra containers to give to friends. Everybody loves San Jose Tofu.
2) The bakery. Good god those cakes are good. You can buy a whole cake or slices of yummy goodness. Even in the evening when the bakery is closed, the grocery store section still has a great selection of packaged cakes. The packaged "cheese cake" is especially good.
Those are reasons enough to shop here, but add a huge snack section and fresh sushi and box lunches, and it gets even better. -
Review from Joanne G.
9/4/2008
Last weekend I dropped by Super Mira for Yasukochi's Sweet Stop and their freshly baked goodies. After picking up a guava cake, a chocolate chiffon bundt cake, and finally, a slice of lemon crunch cake for the road (oink...), I took a quick look around Super Mira.
There I discovered:
Onigiri! And spam musubi! So exciting!!
Each was under $2. There were several types of onigiri, including salmon, tuna with mayo, spicy cod roe, and umeboshi.
I had to spend over $5 (minimum credit card payment), so I also bought some packaged red bean and green tea mochi too. On a side note, what's up with Benkyodo? Why is that place NEVER open? Ever?
The onigiri? Very good! The spam musubi? Even better. Super Mira, I think I like you. -
Review from Toro E.
San Francisco, CA
4/9/2006 1 photo
So, which is better, Nijiya (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) or Super Mira? It's a close call. Super Mira has more of a retro look. Even the naming 'Super' which doesn't mean big, but a Japanese word that came from the word 'superstore,' which was a popular term a couple decades ago, but now has a outdated ring to it. Mira usually has less customers than Nijiya, probably due to their location, where Nijiya is attached to the mall & right next to the garage.
I like buying fish at Mira because they have packages of one piece and doesn't force you to you buy two. Even vegetables, you can buy per piece rather than per package like Nijiya. San Jose tofu is also a plus. I also like their 'nuka-zuke' (pickled veggies), which looks much more fresh than the ones they have at Nijiya. Mira doesn't have as much pre-made bentos-to-go as Nijiya.
One clear advantage Mira has over Nijiya is dessert. They have a separate pastry store, Yasukochi's Sweet Stop, inside the store. (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) Nijiya's desserts are all prepackaged stuff with a load of preservatives. They've tried to have a crpe store inside, but that disappeared within a month.Listed in: Places to buy Sake aka…
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Review from umeboshi l.
San Francisco, CA
3/27/2007
I love Super Mira, not only because they have everything I need to cook traditional Japanese foods, but more importantly their service. Plus the owners and I have a common love...our pugs.
They take care of their customers in a very traditional way. Plus having Sweet Stop right there is an added bonus! -
Review from Ann L.
10/18/2006 1 Check-in Here
I went here after turning in my China visa application and was pleasantly surprised. There is a strong fish smell in this store though.
I didn't notice the bakery because they're on vacation until Oct 27, 2006. They are on the right hand side of the store.
I found some items worth getting:
Milky candy for $2.98. It's similar to the Chinese rabbit candy, well, just cute packaging is all that is.
Hana flavored lychee sake produced & bottled by Takara Sake USA Inc, Berkeley. a 750 ML bottle is $9.98 before tax. They have raspberry flavor too.
Also got two boxes of Yamamoto decaf green tea, 20 tea bags for $3.98 each.
Got some sushi to go which I though was just ok. Cheap though.
Male cashier was friendly. They take Credit Cards.
Open daily 9:30am-7pm
Times visited: 2 -
Review from Amy N.
6/14/2009
3.5. Caters to those who want organic food. This is a small mom n' pop store with all your basics, but Nijiya wins if you're in the area and want to browse for snacks.
The produce looked fresh, as did much of the fish, and I have to give kudos for having brown rice balls in addition to the regular selection of salmon, tuna mayo, and ume onigiri ($1.75). They even had spam musubi (but mine is better). Nijiya doesn't have spam musubi or tuna mayo onigiri, so now you know where to get it.
They close at 5pm, so no after work shopping. I saw some fresh ramen noodles in their refrigerated section, but unless I read the tag wrong it costs $25 for just enough to feed maybe 3 people, 2 if you're hungry. -
Review from amy t.
Dublin, CA
4/6/2007
***
UPDATE: 4/17 - While perusing reviews, I just realized that Yasukochi's Sweet Shop (which is reviewed here on Yelp) is inside Super Mira Market and they are the ones with the FAMOUS coffee crunch cake!!
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This is a great little market on the outskirts of J-town. One thing they make here that I'm pretty sure you can't find anywhere else is their COFFEE CAKE. I didn't even know they had a bakery until a family friend introduced us to this amazing cake that they make. It's probably made mostly with butter and sugar, with a touch of flour to help hold it together... :oP What makes this cake so special is the homemade honey coffee crunchies that are not only inside the cake, but all over the outside. They melt in your mouth. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM....
They have a decent selection of Japanese groceries and their prepared foods seem pretty good as well.
They sell dango. Yum. -
Review from Tak H.
San Francisco, CA
7/18/2007
I've been going to Nijiya for my bento fix for around year now and although they are great, I needed a change (as the old saying goes: "its not you, its me").
And Mira stepped up to the plate with winning colors.
A lot of the pre-made goodies are organic and they have a more homemade feel to them compared to Nijiya.
The deal clincher is that on Wednesdays, they have japanese style sandwiches stuffed with other starchy products such as spaghetti and yakisoba(not fAtkins you say). They also have sweet corn & mayo, mentaiko (spicy cod roe), croquette, curry, menchi katsu(deep fried hamburger meat) and many more!! All tastey and most of them around $2, its a 'Super' Deal.
"You gotta catch 'em all".
I must add that this is the only location i know of that sells Japanese style sandwiches in SF and on top of that the guys who work here are really friendly and take their jobs seriously and do so graciously, therefore, you need to check 'em out.
Their rice balls are great aswell (rice balls ...yea i didn't know rice had balls either - ha ha......hmm). Loaded with salmon, mentaiko(spicy cod roe), ume(pickled plum) or tuna mayonnaise, they are yummy-licious.
Yes, alot of this may sound darn right weird and yes, you might be saying to yourself: "dog might taste like pumpkin pie but i'll never know cos i wouldn't eat the flithy MF-er" but trust me, ITS GOOD, they're all Good.
So support your local "Super" and get to Mira!
(BTW. Their organic plums are ridiculously plum, sweet and amazingly scrumptious! --oooh)Listed in: J-town hits
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Review from Trinh P.
San Francisco, CA
7/28/2011
Well, I don't know much about Japanese food. I wanted to just rate it but Yelp makes me write something so here: It's a nice market. The salmon and tuna I bought was super fresh, even fresher than some of the Japanese restaurants in town. What else...hmmm. Prices were good. Nothing too expensive. Clean and not stinky. I hardly understood the cashier but he was really really helpful with a very big smile all the time.
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Review from Wes M.
San Francisco, CA
8/11/2007
I've gotten to the point in cooking where I don't really use recipes anymore. I have the basic idea of what flavor & texture certain ingredients provide, and from this I can deduce what combinations will yield something tasty and well-balanced. So I can make all sorts of Ameri-bastardized curries, stir-frys, pizzas, pastas, enchiladas, etc, without much forethought.
But that approach goes out the window when it comes to Japanese food. For starters, even some of the most basic ingredients are alien to me (Dashi? What's that?). And also, there's an inherent delicacy to the cuisine, like an edible haiku, that sort of precludes the type of carb-centric mash-ups that I am so wont to make.
So, clearly I need a Japanese cookbook. And an apprenticeship with Nobu K (if he could tolerate my ignorance). But it also helps to have a non-overwhelming place to shop for ingredients, and I think Super Mira is that place. It's very much got that pseudo-dated, psuedo-retro, late-60's style that seems to pervade Japantown. It's hard to put the effect into words, but somehow, when combined with its modest size, it just gives you this cozy feeling, like you were shopping in some sleepy Japanese village. I could definitely get used to this.
I didn't actually solicit help from the staff here, but they seemed more approachable than the guys at Uoki. Plus, there's a lot of pre-made dishes if you're still not up to cooking something from scratch. And you can always just chicken out and pretend you were only coming there for the coffee cake at Sweet Stop.Listed in: Japantown & Pac Heights
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Review from Susy C.
5/8/2007
oh my goodies.. my goodies.. my goodies. how i love thee, for thou provides! MIRA PROVIDES! and although i'm not Japanese, I like how they speak Japanese to me.
But the best secret about this place is Yasukochi's Sweet Stop. And the old ladies that work there are awesome too, they always call me Susy-chan. No "chan" is not my last name fools, " is often attached to children's names when calling them by their given names. It can also be attached to kinship terms in a childish language. -
Review from Yan M.
San Francisco, CA
4/30/2007
Such a cute lil grocery store with an attached bakery!
Staff were really friendly and greeted us upon entry. Bought the packaged seaweed for $2.50 and they also have smaller packaged fishes for what seemed to be a very reasonable price. Assortment of Japanese snacks, mochi, udon, frozen items, fresh vegetables, etc.
Will be back to pick up some fresh block of fish (salmon, tuna) ebi, sweet omelette for some home made nigiri sushi soon! -
Review from Gigi T.
San Pablo, CA
7/11/2008
Super Mira quite possibly means Super Market Mira (duh!), nono, hear me out. Suupa in Japanese means Super Market... yeyp yep. Anyhow, nuff with the non-sense, Super Mira carries the essential Japanese grocery items at slightly higher prices comparing to Nijiya or Uoki, with no or very short line at the cashier.
Sometimes I just want to be relax and shop for my Japanese grocery without dealing with the crowds.
And the best thing in Super Mira? Yasukochi's Sweet Stop! Why buy pre-packaged pastries when you can get fresh, creammmy, sponnngy cakes, pastries, and freshly baked cookies from Yasukochi's! -
Review from Daiki K.
San Francisco, CA
3/1/2010 1 photo
I guess I'm the second employee that'll write a review, I'll try as much as possible not to be biased...it's hard but here we go.
There are 3 different Japanese grocery stores within just 2 blocks and I understand this makes it difficult for customers to decide which one to go to...All are similar in choices since we all share nearly the same distributors but Super Mira takes further effort into having well selected speciality items that other stores won't carry.
There are some speciality products that they serve such as:
- Various breads from Clover Bakery on Wednesday. This is the ONLY PLACE IN SF that carries Japanese style breads (such as Yakisoba Bread, Croquette Bread, Tonkatsu Bread, Fried Shrimp Bread, Spaghetti Bread, Melon Bread,etc.) These come in around 12:00PM and will eventually sellout at the end of the day.
- San Jose Tofu (freshly made homestyle tofu) on Thursdays
- Kumidashi Tofu (very soft pudding like tofu, specially shipped from LA) on Fridays
- Ohagi (homemade traditional redbean rice cakes, it's not daifuku) on Saturdays
Vegetables are very fresh. Honestly there isn't an extraordinary amount of choices of vegetables like other markets but they are selected very carefully and is well taken care of because of it.
Their prepared food selection is very healthy and has more of a home-styleness compared to other stores. They have brown rice sushi and rice balls as well as vegetarian options!!
Price is cheap. Despite being a small family owned store, many of the product's prices are cheap. This isn't the case with many smaller stores but Super Mira has pretty good deals on stuff.
Also, we have a 20% OFF FRESH FISH SALE w/ online coupon going on. I uploaded the image on the gallery so please either print or show the coupon with your iphone. -
Review from Marie G.
San Jose, CA
9/2/2009
I had worked here 4-5 years ago as a cashier/stock. Being bilingual helped my bosses out (mom and pop shop) and the foreigners that frequent the store asking directions or asking what mochi was. I like that this place gives you a local and homey feel especially when Sweet Stop is baking their goodies ^_^ mMmMMmm yumm!
My coworkers made my job less boring when it was quite austere in the store. After I had left to go to college I found out a lot of them had quit. :( sad. Oh well, they were doing it for their own good. I got along with everyone there. My bosses were nice but they made sure I had corrected and learned from mistakes whenever something out of the ordinary had happened. Often times all they would come complain to me about is their son. yeah, kinda awkward since I don't have a son? I wouldn't know what else to say. ha. And their son was attending wallenberg on the jv basketball team so dad asked me a couple times about the location of his games and whatnot. I see a lot of familiar faces here so it's nice to see them if I haven't seen them in a long time.
Overall this place is a good market, local produce, prices are a little more expensive, it's less crowded, friendly staff, and lots of locals :) -
Review from Michele D.
Sterling, VA
6/30/2009
Great little neighborhood store.
I highly recommend stopping in to get some of the prepared foods to go, including the sushi. Totally reasonably priced and looked very fresh. We almost picked some stuff up to eat, but instead decided to see if we could find a more substantial meal at one of the local restaurants. Had we not found somewhere to sit down, we would absolutely come back to pick up some food to have on one of the benches near the main shopping building in Japantown.
I only wish I had one of these in Virginia.Listed in: Headin' to the Bay Area???
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Review from Judy K.
San Francisco, CA
4/27/2008
Super Mira does not have a vast selection like Nijaya but when they do have it at Super Mira- expect to buy it for a lot less! The staff is friendly so support your local small businesses!
In the back of the store, next to the musubis, is where I have found my new favorite Japanese snack. It's kind of like a candied anchovy with sesame seeds on it. I am not sure what it's called but it sure is tasty! It is sold by weight, in a small styrofoam plate, only labeled "home made Japanese snack". I will be sure to take a picture of it for you, the next time that I get it! -
Review from Curran H.
San Francisco, CA
10/1/2005
Best Japanese grocery in Japantown for a SECOND reason: genuinely nice Japanese employees! The much bigger chain store Nijiya (downstairs of the Kintetsu Mall) feels more like a Japanese Safeway (which is not far off the mark), and has many Chinese checkers (no pun intended). Nothing against the Chinese, but I want authenticity from my Japanese food shopping experience, and of the three groceries within a couple of blocks of each other, only Super Mira offers that.
The owner is a very nice man who is happy to discuss the relative merits of this sake or that Okinawan beer with you. The checkers always greet you warmly, and the stockers are friendly and helpful.
They also have a very well chosen selection of fresh produce, obscure Japanese traditional greens and probably the best selection of Japanese snacks of any of the three competitors.
Super Mira offers by far the best Japanese grocery experience that I've found, outside of Japan. Try it for your Japanese food needs, and I think you'll agree with me.Listed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from tina g.
San Francisco, CA
6/9/2009
This is a great find as I'm trying to go macrobiotic. I can find everything I need here and for not a ton of money. I'm really looking forward to going back.
And after months of searching, Super Mira actually had a pickle press. Go Super Mira! -
Review from Niki M.
San Francisco, CA
5/31/2007
This past weekend, before a marathon 4 hour carnaval rehearsal on treasure Island I was ordered by good old (but very cool since she's in a samba drumming group and over 50) mom ordered me to go into Super Mira and get 6 salmon onigiris for lunch for the two of us and pops, thats 2 onigiri's each.
After being watched in that "oh what is she doing way" by the presumed manager/owner he smiled at me as he rang me up and said, "So... you like our onigiri huh?" I nodded, thinking I must look like I haven't eaten in days since I bought all 6, only to find out mom buys out the onigiri section quite often for standard practices their groups holds near by.
After even further thought I realized mom and I look a like and so the gentlemen in the store probably thought I was her and is now sure she has an even more serious onigiri problem.
Which is probably not too far from the truth since its the number one thing we get from Super Mira. Oh well, guess we just made that one worse on our own. Love Mira for small pick up lunches/bentos. -
Review from Ken and Yuri Q.
San Francisco, CA
12/6/2006
Nice clean market to get your Japanese goods. Actually a pretty varied selection of sashimi, but in smaller quantities, and rotates a lot it seems. When I was there, they had Japanese Aji, which is less common here, I have found.
Good place to get the basics for a sushi party. -
Review from miriam b.
San Francisco, CA
5/8/2006
Pretty good broiled fish. Pleasant cashiers. Doesn't feel like you're in a zoo with the other shoppers. WanT. has it right: go for the San Jose Tofu on Thursdays...really different and good compared to the factory tofu from Wu Chong, etc.
Coffee crunch cakes from Yasukochi. Sponge cake. Very big slices and really only for large gatherings.
Like the Futomakis from time to time, but if you know they made the chirashi that day, wow, pretty good inexpensive fast food for $6.98- two slices of maguro, hamachi, ika, kazunoko - alone about $2.00, two slices of egg-tamago. This is a tiny, tiny section and thngs are not as factory, massed as Nijiya.
