Mitsuwa Marketplace
There are lots of little Asian markets throughout the South Bay but today we’ll cover Mitsuwa Marketplace, a Safeway-sized supermarket of yummy, Japanese goodness.
Mitsuwa, formerly known as Yaohan, is located on Saratoga Blvd, just south of the 280 FWY. Parking can get crazy here so I recommend you make every attempt to to avoid the crush of Japanese families during peak hours on the weekend.
Inside, there’s a nice selection of affordable to expensive Japanese glazed, ceramic dishware. From tea pots & cups, ramen- rice- & miso soup bowls, sushi plates, chopsticks, plates and more you’ll easily burn through a quarter of an hour just browsing. If you’re looking looking for a special gift, this is a good place to run through. Several items come with their own gift box and I believe they can do wrapping for you right there after you ring up your purchases.
There’s a small food counter where you can order hot udon noodles, bento boxes and curried rice plates, or pick up some premade sushi to go. If you’re a credit card junkie who never has cash, like me, don’t hesitate to get the to go food and walk over to the cash registers to pay.
There’s lots of exploring to do at Mitsuwa. I always check out the $1 tables (that have morphed into $1.99 tables) where I’ve picked up odds and ends like stationary, microwaveable dish covers, cartoon-y plastic containers, etc.
They’ve got a small produce section with standard Japanese veggies like cabbages, burdock & daikon radish roots, eggplant etc. You’ll find several brands and styles of miso, fresh udon and ramen noodles, fishcakes and tofu in the refrigerated section along with nice individual serving sized pieces of sushi grade salmon, tuna, octopus, shrimp and more.
If you *are* in the market on the weekend, head over to the specialized tsukemono or pickled vegetable section in the far left corner of the store. They often have samples out and this is a great, low investment way to try new things you might not otherwise have a chance to partake. I’m a big fan of the cucumber pickles which you’ll see in odd colors like red, purple and bright green. The colors may be disconcerting until you get used to them, but they’re quite crunchy and fun to eat. As you browse through here, note how expensive some of the tsukemonos can be!
The frozen cases can get you some good instant, microwavable food hits. Pick up some shumai dumplings or gyoza potstickers & edemame soy beans to serve with hot rice for a quick dinner.
Japanese are known for their love of packaging and I am no exception. My addiction to crinkly, cute, wacky, boxed & bagged things is definitely encoded in my dna. Every visit, I always make a point of exploring the cookies, candy and bottled drink sections for new things to try. Over the years my tastes have changed so I’m more picky about the junk food I actually enjoy enough to eat, but I still can’t resist this stuff for the packaging. I recommend you succumb too.
Plus, it’s just fun to try new things. You never know if it could be yummy. At the very least you can purchase something bizzare-looking to give to a friend. 
Over the next few days, I’ll post more pictures and descriptions of a few of the items I purchased during my last visit to Mitsuwa. You can find most of them at any well stocked Asian food market so I hope they will encourage you to give something new a try.
If you’ve got favorite purchases you make at Japanese markets, please share!
DETAILS
Mitsuwa Marketplace
675 Saratoga Ave.
San Jose CA 95129
(408)255-6699
9:00AM - 8:00PM
Additional stores throughout CA as well as IL & NJ
Browsing fun: **** stars
