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Categories: Grocery, Seafood Markets, Ethnic Food
Neighborhood: Southwest PortlandMon-Sat. 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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The Source of all that is ASIAN in Oregon!!!
Uwajimaya is based out of Seattle and is filled with all the Asian foods & goodies u can get ur hands on. Here are a few things that caught my eye ;)
assorted drinks mmm calpico, pocari sweat, milk tea and coffee:
http://static.px.yelp....
Matcha powder: http://static.px.yelp.... ( I love this stuff!)
Kinokuniya Bookstores!!: http://static.px.yelp....
Make your own PMT: http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Make sure your child learns how to stir fry young?:
http://static.px.yelp....
Ox bag ^_^: http://static.px.yelp....
I even found stuff i use like:
Japanese hairclay: http://static.px.yelp....
RAMUNE!: http://static.px.yelp....
They even have Ciao Bella now : http://static.px.yelp....
Overall shopping at Uwajimaya would be complete because you can buy everything here. From veggies, meat, seafood, baked goods, gifts, SAKE!, ice cream, ramen, udon, soba and the list goes on.
If i were ever to move to Oregon, it would have to be somewhere close to Uwajimaya. :D
I could probably shop here if i made more than minimum wage. Oh wait, I do! Except when i do shop here I might as well be making minimum wage because my dollar just doesn't get me very far here.
at least they kept the integrity of Japan with the whole "expensive" concept.
anyway --- this place is like a museum to me. only touch what you intend to either steal or buy. since I'm no Thomas Crown, I end up touching about 3 or 4 items max. I'm mostly here for the Hawaiian goods, but I haven't bought any yet in over a year because why pay Premium-Unleaded prices for cheap gas? (no, that's not a metaphor)
i wish i could love you more. but i need to win the lottery first. so for now, SIYONARA!!!!!!
The grocery store itself is slightly more expensive that Fubonn, but has a wider and more neatly organized selection. Plus they dedicate an entire aisle to snacks, which is really all I go to the asian market for.
Alas, I didn't feel that it was dingy enough for me. Asian markets are supposed to be cheap and sometimes a little gross...it's just the way things are. Unless you're HMart and have an insane selection to make up for the lack of mom and popness.
Fun! I hate grocery shopping, but when it involves a $7 giant bottle of sake, I'm on board.
And the best terrifying/awesome seafood section.
Uwajimaya is the bomb! That is coming from a Hawaiian Islander. They have things that you would only find in Hawaii along with asian things like other oriental stores. This store makes me feel like I'm home except with friendly customer service instead of a grumpy old korean lady (I miss that old battle axe).
Prices are better than other oriental markets and the selection is huge.
I always feel like I'm about to be a healthier person after I've done my groceries here. Baby bok choy, chinese broccoli, japanese eggplant, huge mexican papaya, fresh lychee....is your mouth watering yet?
It reminds me of how my mom who is an awesome cook, kept us lean growing up. Asian food the way it is cooked in daily living is vegetables with meat as the condiment on the side. Unlike in America, it's the other way around with vegetables as the side or the stuff to just make things pretty.
I couldn't wait to go home and cook some steam rice and stir fry some baby bok choy and some fresh mangoes. Yum!
They also have fresh crab, clams and fish here swimming in a huge honkin' tank that they will scoop up for you.
Here's a tip, that if you EVER buy live crab, they will wrap it up but when you open it up at home, note to self: they are still alive and will crawl off your counter! Freaked me out!
Anyway, enjoy this store, where can you find 10 different varieties of soy sauce, kimonos, beautiful tea sets, bubble tea, a Shiseido counter, Anime books, chinese sausage, and quail eggs.
LOVE THIS STORE!!
They have every ingredient (fresh or off the shelf) needed for cooking asian dishes. This place is inspirational. The Chef makes fresh udon noodles by hand daily for their udon soup.
It's fun going up and down the aisles exploring their unique selection of food. But it doesn't end with the food. They have fun gifts to buy (I love their dishes). This is a fun place to try new things.
four words:
giant wall of pocky.
enough said.
It is always fun to go to Uwajimaya, especially the bookstore. Although I don't really know Japanese (three years of High School Japanese had gone already), but it always for to take a look at the Mangas, and check out the CDs.
Depend on what it is, some of the items are bit over priced, but some of the little Japanese snacks are not that expensive. Also, it is one of the few places that you can fresh (alive) seafood in Portland metro area; and they manage to keep that section very clean.
For years I led a secure existence. My love of our friend the octopus and his close chum the squid was not reciprocated by anyone else in the house.So when I indulged in such culinary pleasures it was replete with the joy that can only come with the knowledge that I wasn't going to have to share.
But then I had a child.
Whom I took to Uwajimaya. Imagine the joy I felt at finding Baby Octopus in Sesame Sauce at the deli turning into heartbreak as I saw them vanish into my child's mouth. The same thing happened to the Squid Salad (which is absolutely delicious), stupid genetics! Thanks for passing along the palate!
Seriously though, this place is my favorite place to go shopping with my (3 1/2 yr old) kid. We always grab a snack at the deli (which you've got to hit) It's the best place in town to get all your Asian ingredient shopping done at once (and the quality's always excellent), my kid loves checking out the live fish tank ("I want to eat him Daddy!"), and the Kinokuniya bookstore is absolutely fantastic (& plus they'll special order non translated Manga).
If you haven;t gone go, and if you have then you don't need me to tell you how awesome this place is!
I think Uwajimaya is wonderful not only because of the extensive variety of different types of Asian foods you can get here, but also because they have some hard-to-find local Hawaiian food as well...such as Zippy's frozen foods, S & S saimin, Redondo's portuguese sausage, etc. Being a Hawaiian expat, finding Zippy's chili locally is a huge deal.
The quality and selection of veggies, meats and seafood is unbelievable. I only buy my thin-sliced beef for Korean bulgogi from Uwakimaya, as the brands are reputable and super high quality.
Since I live in NE Portland, my trips to Uwajimaya take place only on the weekend, when I can take my time there, and not have to deal with major traffic on the West side.
Unfortunately, due to its popularilty, the parking situation at Uwajimaya on the weekend is comparable to a Saturday trip to the mall. Parking can be awful sometimes, but totally worth the hassle.
Geo-duck, Oysters, and Crab oh my! What a wonderful smorgasbord of Asian/Hawaiian staples and exotic foods. The fish market here always carries an array of frozen or sushi quality cuts ready for you to take home and enjoy. The produce available is always wonderful, super fresh and they usually have samples of different fruits that you can try.
The deli here is also a must visit. From steamed hum bao, to Pork Adobo or salt and pepper shrimp, there is something here to please everyone. The combos are pretty good size and definitely a great value.
They candy/cracker aisle is in a class all by itself. Shrimp crackers, seaweed crisps, Pocky, Giant Pocky the size of drumsticks, Kiwi Gummies and many, many more to name a few. Seldom will find such a great selection in one place.
The staff is always on hand, ready to answer any questions you might have about products that don't' have English labels.
Definitely a worthwhile stop if looking for Asian ingredients that mainstream supermarkets don't' carry.
Some people get all weak in the knees when they walk into a Department store, or salivate over their favorite boutique; Uwajimaya is my addiction, my kryptonite, and shopping therapy, all rolled into one. I'm pretty sure that my affinity for Japanese culture is fairly obvious to those who read my reviews, but my appreciation for this place goes beyond a mere need to immerse myself in Japanese products.
The selection of items on sale (from Japanese, Korean, Thai, Laoatian, Indian, Filipino, and other culinary wonders) is vast, assuring no less than 100 million-bajillion* different meal combinations are there for those with the skill, patience or desire to do so!
I mean, where else can you go in Beaverton to pick up a set of lacquer chopsticks, a sake decanter, rice cooker, forty (!!) differenty kinds of rice seasoning, tofu of countless varieties, fresh sashimi, bean buns, rich pastries, 10 billion lb bags of rice**, dried squid, pocky (omgomgomg), tiger shark, green tea mochi and geoduck all under one roof?
...for that matter, where else in Beaverton can you find geoduck at all? I mean, come on...I asked someone at Safeway if they had any and I got the reply "is that some kind of pokemon?" I mean, I don't expect that people WOULD know what it is, but seriously...they have it at Uwajimaya, and that, my friends, is awesome!
And the sauces! Do you need sweet and sour sauce? Soy sauce? Tempura sauce? Gyoza sauce? Peanut sauce? Hoisin sauce? Plumb sauce? Sriracha? Hot oil? Hot PEANUT oil? Fish sauce? Chili sauce? Chili powder? Chili oil? Hot chili oil? Curry sauce? Curry powder? Yeah - they got that.
There's also an entire section of shelving dedicated to instant noodles! Conventional flavors like beef, chicken and shrimp meet more exotic variants such as satay and miso flavors. And these packages are not the lame, single-packet seasoning deals, either - they are filled with seasoning, flavor and texture oils and more!
I think that the bookstore deserves its own review in the near future, so I will refrain from comment there, except to say that, yes, you guessed it: concentrated awesome.
Anyway, chances are you have the best chance of bumping into me here at Uwajimaya - I love just spending my time examining all of the neat products and coming up with creative meal ideas. Trust me, there's no shortage of either here! (And if you can't think of anything, the free recipe cards will surely help!)
* - This figure may or may not be a slight exaggeration
** - This, too, may be a tiny bit over-stated
Went by here on the way to Togo's. It really reminds me of Mitsuwa in San Jose. It's a little pricey, but they sort of monopolized Asian products in west-side. The produce and fish look really fresh and the candy isle is really large and selective. :) They use a lot of local fish as well, like duck clams and salmon. My dad found some Japanese honey-dew melon there, which is hard to find in the states.
There's even a little bookstore. I didn't go in, but I'm assuming they boast Japanese novels and mangas. They sell some common utensils from Asia including Japanese bento boxes, sushi-rollers, etc. This place does have an extensive Philippine, Chinese and Vietnamese selection as well, even though the place is focused on Japanese groceries.
It's like I'm in the Bay Area for once, without the large crowds. Finally, a larger selection of rice... Not the small selection and tiny bags at Fred Meyers or Safeway.
I lived in Japan for a short amount of time and since being back in the US I've seriously missed my japanese favorites (like Shoyu ramen, delicious japanese drinks like Dakara, and Odango for starters) and I'm so glad Uwajimaya is around. It's overpriced, but that's what happens when you have to add in import costs to everything in the store.
There's also a little boostore called Kinokuniya in here that I love spending time in. So many books and manga, and they also have stationary, wrapping paper, pens and pencils and stickers.
Someone mentioned parking hard to find but I've honestly never had that problem and it's generally pretty busy when we go.
This place gets five stars for having FRESH lemongrass and lime leaves so I could make tom kha. . . .AND durian. It helps me remember who I am when I get lost in this honky-tonk world. And yes, I did mean it that way.
I was beginning to feel a bit wary when I realized that normal markets in Portland do not carry the produce or merchandise I'm used to purchasing in San Francisco or Honolulu. Where do I get my jackfruit, rambutan, thai curries, or ume musubis?! Then I was introduced to Uwajimaya, and the aneurysm forming in my head disappeared.
Uwajimaya, although it can be pricey, has a wide selection of 'ethnic' goods that you can't really find anywhere else in Portland. Can there really be a price to culture? It's always fun to find something exotic and try it.
Oh, and the shrimp chips are bomb. Try the cheese flavor. I had four bags in the last 2 weeks.
There are various kitchen items too.
why am I so catatonic all of a sudden ?
This Uwajimaya has a produce section.
Gift-wrap paper again.
I like to yell at the cashiers so they can understand what I'm saying.
ooh, Mochi.
Don't go to Uwajimaya when you're hungry!!! Just kidding.
Whenever I need ingredients for Pad Kee Mao, spices or seasonings for my attempts at Asian cooking, or gifts (to boot) with a cultural flair, I come here. For a healthy lunch, I'll also pick up some fresh sushi. Since my niece loves Japanese candy, I love getting herself some treats (and sometimes some for myself).
Staff is extremely knowledgable and friendly; it's a big market but it feels more like a big family in a small market.
Plus, one thing (to be said) is the produce section. Great stuff at reasonable prices.
I totally forgot to talk about the grocery section of the Uwajimaya. This is best Asian grocery in the area. I've only found places better than this place in San Francisco and San Jose CA. The grocery has an insane noodle and rice selection. If you can't find the type of rice or noodle you're looking for it probably doesn't exist or you are thinking Italian.
For Asian food this is the place to go. Selection is great.
The food's good. One of the few places to find Ramon. The waiters know what they are talking about… Read more »
I gotta dis this place a little for being ghetto w/o the charm, but not too much cause after pulling teeth trying to find decent asian food in upstate New York I really shouldn't be complaining.
I think after shopping at some great PDX gourmet markets and hearing so much Uwajimaya dis n' dat buildup, I was expecting a little too much.
It's kind of dingy, dark, and messy here. For all the Hawaii transplants this place reminded me more of a dimly lit "Don Quixote" (the store formerly know as "Daiei" and previous to that "Holiday Mart") then Shirokiya or Marukai. But, ya know things like that never stopped me from shopping at "Donkey Hole" (What local's back home started calling the place when they had pronunciation issues) and it certainly won't stop me from shopping here. Just saying the owners might want to take a walk around Trader Joe's, Whole Paycheck, or New Season's for some notes on better product presentation.
Now that I'm done biting one of the hands that's been feeding me...I gotta admit that I'm thankful this place is here. I've heard there's hidden storage bunkers of Asian food gold to be found up n' down NE 82nd, but it was really nice being able to stock half my kitchen all in one place (the other half is filled with Italian food!).
Aloha Shoyu, Kikkoman Soy Sauce, Korean Bar-B-Que Sauce, Seasame Oil, REAL Wasabi, Mirin, Japanese Vinegar, Furikake, Edamame, Shitake shrooms, Bamboo Chopsticks, Hawaiian Sun juice, etc....
They even carried SUPER duper ultra mega premium hand-shined-&-polished-individually imported Japanese short grain rice. The bags have those little preview windows so you can see the difference. Tempting. Almost drool inducingly so. Anyone who's had rice like this can understand why, but being jobless at the moment even my reckless self wasn't going to blow TWENTY SEVEN bucks on a tiny bag.
Finally I gotta give props to their seafood department, it can't touch the fish markets on the little rock where I'm from BUT they carry Hamachi (frozen from Japan) and Kona Kampachi (flown in fresh from Hawaii). The fish are similar in texture and flavor, but since the later is much cheaper and fresher I walked out with that (last Thursday they didn't even have it out, so ask and they'll cut you a fillet). Look I'm telling you this cause I trust you, I am more *addicted* to this stuff than Board Games, more than Pasta, more than even Yelp...it's my crack...my Turkish Delight. If they had one of those "Hi my name is Josh and I too am a Sashimi addict" groups I'd be there (or at least should be).
Wow, okay...I've insulted (I mean provided feedback), then praised, and now spilled my guts...stick a chopstick in me I'm done!
note:Sticking chopsticks in a bowl of rice and leaving them straight up is very very bad as I learned experientially (even "the Pain" referred to in the Princess Bride doesn't accurately describe the horrors that would be fall you should you choose to do so...consider yourself warned)
Did someone say portugese sausage? After transplanting here, I found my fried rice missing a couple of key ingredients...portugese sausage and Aloha Shoyu. Well guess what? They can be found here, at a price though. Dude, back home we can get Potcho's for a buck on sale at Long's, Daiei, and every other supermarket on the island, but here it costs like $5 a pop! But, at least they do have it along with Redondo's hot doggies!!
I'd much rather shop at H-Mart in Tigard for all my Asian food needs. It's much larger, cleaner, and they have a huge selection of things, minus the Hawaii goods. Uwajimaya is good for those times when I'm craving a taste of home, like passion orange juice. Other than that, it's just overpriced and a bit dirty.
I remember when they opened this location, I was so excited after going for so many years with my step mom to the one in Seattle. I have not been dissapointed yet.
Excellent service and the produce, fish and meat are always good. But the fish is really the stand out here. I get all my fish for sushi/sashimi nights here. I usually order it a few days in advance, they are great. They will block cut out my fish, if I know I am going to not have as much time for prep and I always get my live crabs for sushi here too.
Wow if you are trying to find nearly any dry good from Hawaii to Hong Kong it is here. Even the bookstore is great. The prices are not always the cheapest but it is one stop shopping!
This store is great!
I thought I already checked off Asian markets (H Mart and Fubonn) on my "things I need to have in Portland" list but then I found this store. It has all the Japanese food items that I need including other Asian items. I was especially thrilled at the fact they do carry Rufina patis (fish sauce) because I was so bummed that I couldn't find it at the other stores. Their selection of fruits and veggies are excellent and they do have a small selection of fresh exotic fruits and seeds to plant so you can grow your own Japanese herbs and vegetables (grilled shishito peppers, anyone?). One of the things I liked is that this store also has a Kinokuniya bookstore in the back. I loved going to the location in SF to buy fashion magazines and I'm glad I can do that here too. There's also a housewares section to satisfy all your Zojirushi needs and toilertries with enough varieties of hair wax to let your inner Goku out.
I was first brought here first when I was 12 and I immediately loved it, even though I didn't understand any of it. I just liked the market feel and how everything was different and new.
Now that I studied Japanese and spent a while living in Japan I appreciate the place even more. Since I live in Seattle now, I only go their with my parents to show them some of the stuff I had when I was in Japan. It's a good place to get Japanese drinks, foods and candies. They can be a bit overpriced but there is a large selection. They also carry many foods from all around Asia and even some imports from Europe.
So i just heard of this place last night and i wanted to go see it right away. Those of my fellow bay area folks will think of mitsuwa or nijia... (i know i butchered that spelling) and it's very similar to that. But then again it's also different. Where i was expecting to see a huge selection of japanese goodies, i saw nuoc mam, some philipino snacks, chinese goods, and even hawaiian stuff. Wow it's more like an asian market then a japanese store.
i like the idea of the convienance of supplies, but then it hurts the depth of the selections. Even if i wasn't that impressed i will need this place when i need sashimi to take home to make sushi.
It may not come cheap but they have things you won't find elsewhere and really the prices aren't bad. I've found Thai coconuts beers from all over and lots of other surprises.
They store variant Japanese stuff there.
They have Sashimi to go! Nice!
You can find good stuff there.
BUT quite spendy... especially you've already been to Fubon.
I go there only for buying Japanese books.
But always having fun with checking Japanese items.
There are only two things that I miss of Beaverton. Target and Uwajimaya. I heart Uwajimaya because of the fish cakes, mochi, pastries, Japanese candies, Coconut juices in cans, and other Asian goodies that you can find here.
They really need to open one in Portland, preferably right next to my apartment. Well that can't happen. How about two blocks away from my apartment. That will be better. So I can have my fish cakes fix all the time!
Their Produce is out of this world.
Also, I like their selection of "top ramen"-esque noodle packages, especially the "Soybean Paste" ones. Yummmmmmmmmmm.
Typical japanese grocery store with reasonably priced food and overpriced appliances. I mean who is going to pay $200 bucks for a small rice cooker, no matter how advanced the "nuero fuzzy" is?
A large asian grocery located near target on beaverton hillsdale hwy. Parking can be a problem even though there is a private lot. I was there this past weekend and it was really busy.
This store has a lot of the same stuff that the smaller asian stores have only a lot more choices. I bought some tapioca pearls and rice veggie wraps. I had several sizes and brands to choose from. Other stores may only have one brand or size. I thought the prices at this store were slightly higher than the smaller asian stores. The service was good and the wait time to check out really wasn't too bad considering all the people there.
They have a deli, seafood section, baked goods, fresh veggies, and your typical frozen and packaged items. They also have a gift and kitchen tool section.
Overall not a bad place. I will go back for certain things only.
I admit I was kinda looking forward to seeing some Harajuku girls during the Uwajimaya Sakura Festival this weekend. But instead I saw a small collection of tents and random vendors freezing in their parking lot. Really not much going on outside, although I scored some cool stuff from the Chinook Winds ladies.
Uwajimaya is the biggest and best Asian market and department store in the area. I always feel a little dazed and confused walking the aisles in the best sort of way. I have my favorite items (bring on the humbao and Thai and Indian curries), but always choose one or two new things to try as well.
Because of the festival there was more than usual going on inside the store (sake samples anyone?), but the best part was the people watching. Lots of kids were dressed up and roaming the aisles. Some wore (semi) traditional kimonos, many had wigs or animal ears and one girl inexplicably was wearing a French maid's outfit.
Aside from the food, they have a Shiseido boutique, huge selection of rice cookers (my Zojirushi gets a lot of use), tableware and a large bookstore. My kids also love to go to the seafood section to watch all the little critters in the tanks.
Good web site which has a description/translation of food items and suggested recipes if you want to try something new.
In the interest of full disclosure.... I'm from the SF Bay Area. So I'm used to Tokyo Fish & Ichiban Kan for food and tchotchke (gad is that hard to spell `er what?). However, they did have a nice selection of donabe on sale.
I liked that they had a Kinokuniya in the back. Hint: Kinokuniya has a fun selection of pens & pencils for those pennaphile friends of yours.
Eyes wide open, I walk in and stare in awe at the most gigantic Japanese market I've ever seen. Where to go? What to see? What to buy?? I could hardly find anything to get at first 'cause it was so overwhelming, so we headed to the Kinokuniya bookstore in the back. It was small, but stocked with just what I was looking for: the two Legend of Zelda manga I needed! Yes! So great!!
Now anything I find in the grocery will be an added bonus. And what did we finally come up with but some Doraemon chocolate biscuits, a bag of mixed wagashi stuff, durian wafer cookies, and dried mango and chocolate macadamias for mum. I really wished we could've gotten some Calpico and Ramune popsicles, but I think they would have melted on the way home.....
I am sadly limited in the ways of Asian cooking because I have a mommy who will make delicious food for me. Or at least she used to when I lived with her. Nowadays, I'm on my own and Uwajimaya has become my source for the food I ate on a regular basis for 20+ years. I've dared to make several Korean dishes and Safeway obviously doesn't carry the necessary special ingredients. (Although the one by my apartment does have kimchi). Uwajimaya has ingredients for fresh cooking, and a great selection of "ramen" type noodles for my lazy days. (Those are many in number). My absolute favorites are Neoguri (spicy seafood noodles) and Chapagetti (soybean paste flavored noodles). The snack aisle brings back memories of me in my younger days, begging my mom to buy me some Pocky or Botan rice candy. I now have a slightly more sophisticated snack palate and Uwajimaya has the rice crackers, mochi, and spicy dried squid (to just name a few) to satisfy my snack attacks.
I actually made a trip to this store last night and found metal chopstick/spoon sets (a must-have!), noodles (I've been really lazy lately), and mochi. I also needed to get rice cakes for the duk-boki I plan on making tonight, but alas, they were out of the flat kind so I had to settle for the cylinders. Fortunately for this reviewer, that doesn't happen very often at all.
Uwajimaya,
Phoenix Grand Opening: 2009.
Just think about it.
Thanks,
Elle
This is just a great grocery store for all things Asian in Portland. If its Asian most likely it is here. Unfortunately you might have to search around for it....i.e. dashi is not in the soup base aisle.
But overall this is a great grocery store. It also has a great selection of beer.
Is this a tourist trap? It just seems so American.
It's not an authentic market by any means,
and that makes me kinda sad.
They really sold-out to please the American public with a
stereotypical view of a Japanese market.
Maybe I'm too used to Zion Marketplace in San Diego.
THAT is a real asian market. Yes, it's Korean,
but yes, it's like stepping into a store in Seoul.
The real deal.
I appreciate Japanesey, but not not cheesey!
But alas, I still like this store a lot, even though it's
missing a lot of my favorite stuff.
Beware of high prices. Their tofu selection is top notch, but their other items are on the pricey side. The place is bright and clean. You will not be disappointed, but maybe a little about the expensive prices.
Okay okay, I must confess, I'm from CA. It might be hard to believe, but there are entire malls in California that are populated by asian stores. So you must forgive me for not being impressed by this place. The food is overpriced and the market, albeit a nice touch, is even pricier.
Since there is no other asian market around that I know of, I will continue to come here to get my dumpling wraps and my asian snacks, but I'm not happy about it.
Neighborhood: Southwest Portland
Category: Grocery
Neighborhood: Southwest Portland
Category: Bookstores
Neighborhood: Southeast Portland
Category: Shopping Centers
Tigard, OR
Category: Grocery
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Toy Stores
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