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Their sushi is always fresh, they have freshly made bento-like food in the sushi area, real Japanese people work here, and they usually have a great selection of mochi and manju. They definitely have tons of mochi around Japanese New Year (same as American New Year.) They're also really great for parties because you can order huge platters of sushi from them. I'm sure it has to be at least a few days in advance, but their sushi never disappoints.
When I was a kid I came here after painfully boring sessions at Kumon to indulge in the awesome candy, desserts in the freezer case, and imported Japanese drinks (I was a bit of a fatty...) But, now that I'm older and love to cook, I come here for really good sukiyaki meat, a wide variety of Asian sauces, SUSHI!, and really good produce.
If you're in the SGV and don't have time to head out to West Covina, Gardena, or J-Town for a Japanese market, Tozai is the best! I was lucky enough to grow up less than 5 minutes from here and I'll be sad when I move away..
(original posting on 10/22/09)
Ok I really dont know what people saw in this place. 1st impression: shady parkinglot, neon corona signs and lottery banners in the window of the store. This is a Japanese store? Looked like a quicky mart to me! I went inside. Most of the products are not only old and dusty but just packaged snacks like chips and candy. A few noodles and instant ramen packets. Very small selection of produce that you can get at pretty much any store. In the back they had some prepared food that didnt look too great. the "meat/fish section" (if you can call it that...) was not only very small but quite gross. Fish was frozen and thawing. Chicken was yellowing and meat was freezerburned. The rice bags were dusty and faded.... do I need to go on? I will say again, I don't know what made people give this place 5 stars... I don't know why I am giving it 2! I would say 1 1/2... just cuz the lady was sort of nice and said "hello."
(Added 10/26/09) I forgot to mention they had horrible Vietnanese pop music playing!!
Awesome, cool place to get fresh ingredients to make sushi at home. Also they have a big variety of Ramen I like getting a different one every time, some of the spicy ones are so retarded hot your asshole wishes the toilet was made of ice.They also cary cool stuff like dried squid and other dried sweet salty things, sometimes I have no idea what they are but the cartoon drawings on them look cool and my mouth likes cool stuff so why not. Friendly service, great products and yummy food.
Tozai is a Japanese mini-mart with a "deli" section such as a variety of fresh sushi, desserts and pastries.
It is not a megastore with Hello Kitty goods for you. This store is a MUST if you are short something in the kitchen or need an Asian junkfood fix.
My family stopped by to grab a few sushi boxes and some snacks all I can say is we had a DELICIOUS and affordable dinner.
Seriously, I can't imagine why people would buy fast food instead of stopping by this market.
A hidden gem.
This is where I go when I need good take out sushi fast. The staff is super friendly and there is lots of variety for whatever take out or groceries one may need.
Tozai is this fantastic little market in a strip mall where you can get some great food! They make some fantastic fresh sushi.
This is also where I pick up my wasabi, pocky and any other Japanese delicacies that I "need."
Libby and I will usually hit up this place at lunch time and then go back to work and grub down.
I dropped by here to grab a sushi box. It was the assortment sushi (10 pieces - tuna, salmon, shrimp, tuna, etc.) I think for $10.50. It turned out to be pretty fresh, I said pretty because the rice was could of been softer.
When you see the good assortment of different sushi boxes, you'll want to try them all (They range from $5 - $15 typical). A big plus for them making the sushi on site.
The store has all kinds of Japanese goodies and junk foods. Makes you feel like you're in a little corner store somewhere in Japan.
I shall be back. OR I shall be going to a sushi restaurant. ... now my mind is on sushi.
Looks can be deceiving, but not to the people here at Tozai. They speak to me in both in English and in Japanese. And when my non-East Asian self replies to them in Japanese, they are not surprised. They must know I was Japanese in my past life. (sugoi)
All joking aside,Tozai has been in my neighborhood for many, many years now. I've never taken full advantage of this place until now when I decided to learn how to cook.
So far, I've bought furikake, sashimi, kewpie mayo, panko, my spam musubi mold, dashi, and sheets of nori here. I also used to always get Haichuu here when I was younger. (best candy everr) There was no okonomiyaki sauce here when I tried to look for it. Bummer...
The parking lot is small, just like the place itself, but I've never had problems finding parking at all on the weekend or a weekday. Sure beats driving all the way to Mitsuwa or Nijiya when I need some Japanese goods.
I really like this store. My wife and I stop here so many times during the week for all our needs. It is convenient and the staff is polite and helpful.
I love the rolls at lunch time. They are mostly $5.00. I also love the Nimono packages they have and the Croquette patties. Especially the curry one.
I have been their customer for over 10 years and will continue to shop here.
Fresh!! Always fresh, if they don't have the tray you want they will make it for you! I love this place and the staff friendly, very friendly! The prices are reasonable. It's a little whole in the wall full of flavor:)
Love their take-out sushi counter! Very reasonably priced and a good variety. When we have potlucks or parties, we'll order big platters of sushi. They have several different combos to choose from or you can custom-order.
To the left of the take-out sushi fridge, there's additional bento items such as chirashi, tonkatsu, grilled salmon, spicy tuna patties, etc.
We usually buy our Japanese food items on our monthly visits to Marukai, but know that we could always go to Tozai for emergency items.
Love this place. I always stop by for albacore sashimi and chocolate mochi.
I love this little neighborhood market packed with Japanese food, chopsticks, drinks, chips, lotto tickets, snacks, produce,
knick knacks and SUSHI! You can buy different plates of sushi,
potato croquettes, teriyaki, pickled stuff, etc.
You can also order HUGE (I'm talking about barely fit-into-your car) platters of sushi for about 1/3 of what it costs in the Bay Area!
We go there whenever we visit my mom in LA....and have gotten
platters of sushi there for 15-20 years!
The staff is so sweet and polite! They understand English but will
speak to you in Japanese and English no matter who you are.
I had to crack-up the last time I was there,,,,,,,a bunch of us were waiting in line to check out ( I was the only Asian) and there was no clerk there. After a short of wait of about 1 1/2 minutes....this sweet, smiling woman comes from the back bowing about 100 times and saying over and over, "Oh....gomen nasai......gomen nasai.....gomen nasai....I'm SO sorry to keep you waiting!" How often do you EVER have anyone apologize to you for waiting in line?
By far, the best Japanese market in the San Gabriel area. Tozai is about the size of a regular Starbucks, but unlike Starbucks Tozai oozes substance and Japanese culture. I've been shopping here for my sushi needs since the mid 80s, and I have yet to be disappointed. This is about as family-owned as you can get.
Tozai is especially the place to go for your New Year's sushi tray (though for this event, you will need to order in advance). There isn't sushi that can't be made here. Their daily food is just as good (the fried food located in the mini-fridge next to the sushi counter).
Attention, all sushi lovers - since Fish King closed in Glendale, this is your best place in the San Bernarndino Valley to get fresh fish at a fabulous price. Just get there on Friday mornings for the freshest catch.
This was an absolute treat to find - Tozai Foods covers all the basics of a Japanese household: fresh veggies and fish, pickled fruit and various kinds of sake and Asian beer, little porcelain dishes and everything else you can think of. It smells like my dad's house :) And the people who work there are just as polite and helpful as ojiisan (Grandfather) and obaachan (Grandmother).
Don't be shy about asking what things are - you'll be given attentive and sincere help with anything you need. But be prepared to communicate in hand gestures if you don't understand people with accents readily - I have 'an accent' and I get that often enough ;)
Great little Japanese Market. Its run by these old Japanese friends/family and they're just so cordial and nice! Like being in Japan again.
I always go straight for the sashimi/sushi counter in the back. I notice that the fish is usually the most fresh/best on Fridays. Pretty decent price for salmon, hamachi, local yellowtail (when they have it) and tuna sashimi prices. They also have a heater full of sushi rolls, but you can still order them from the chefs behind the counter if you want something fresh.
They close at 7pm, so be sure to get your shopping done by then!
This is a tiny little market with tiny little carts to drive down tiny Little aisles. For what it is, though, it is great. The sushi counter at the back is the highlight. It is the place to go for a sushi platter to take to a pot luck or office party. It isn't great sushi, but they do a very good job.
The tiny little vegetable aisle is great, all the basics for Japanese cuisine are there somehow. The fish is top quality too.
Tozai is a pretty decent market for Japanese products.
It's awfully close to where I live so I don't have to go all the way to J-Town or Torrance/Gardena to go shopping. Unless they don't have what I want. The service their is pretty awesome. Very nice people. The sushi is alright. It's not a sushi bar. Duh! So yeah. They have a wide variety of Japanese stuff. Check it out.
This little market is packed full of stuff in a tiny place. Tozai is a great place for your quick japanese market fix. But they have great fresh sushi take-out! My family always gets sushi platters for parties here.
a very small store indeed... but the little japanese ladies and men are so nice. i guess it helps that i speak japanese but they are probably helpful even if you dont speak it. they have a nice selection of basically anything you can eat... fresh fish, meat, sushi... side dishes galore... with a very good price. i like to get this fish dish that is cut up into pieces... its less than $2 and it is very very good.
i stock up on candy and snacks ( i should cut back but i cant resist...) and if i have no plans for dinner, i'll pick up a few side stuff like korokke, fish or chicken. i think they are more reasonably priced than mitsuwa or marukai... so i'll be shopping here more frequently.
There are about 5 Japanese markets within a 20 mile radius of where I live and I think that I frequent Tozai the most. I usually go there to pick up some good eats when I'm super hungry and I want something fast other than fast food chains. I love their croquettes, aloe drinks, daily made fresh sushi maki choices, and potatoe salad. They have food that reminds me of my mother's cooking and tastes homemade! (Which makes sense since the workers are Japanese and they make everything on site) Though its tiny in size (I can walk through the whole store in a minute), it is cozy and gets the job done. I've never had a issue with the service, they are polite enough. And they always have my mochi with azuki desserts fresh and always so soft like it should be. As for the sushi, I love their shrimp (although you have to be there in the a.m. to pick these up, they are popular and go fast!) and their spicy tuna doesn't disappoint. It's hands down my favorite mom and pops market! And I feel fortunate to have it in my hood =)
Very close to my house so it's good when I need to pick up nori for makizushi or some ume which I crave constantly. Their packaged sushi and bowls aren't very good, and it's not like it's cheap either. Their produce seems okay if you're cooking it that night. The people are pretty friendly and they have a good selection of sauces/condiments and furikake.
It's a convenience store that sells sushi and Japanese food. I eat a lot of food from this store because my mother shops there. It's always good. People should check it out. when they need a sushi fix, and don't want to spend a ton of dough. Also, if you like tofu, they get fresh tofu here. If you don't know what fresh tofu is like, you should try it. It's delicious.
Rosemead, CA
Category: Japanese
Rosemead, CA
Category: Chinese
Rosemead, CA
Category: Delis
Rosemead, CA
Category: Cosmetics & Beauty Supply
San Gabriel, CA
Category: Donuts
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