I wasn't even planning to write a review for this place until my BF made me try their weekly…read morespecial ice cream swirl. This week's flavor was Red Bean and Matcha, and HOLY WORD-I-SHALL-NOT-SAY... this absolutely blew me out of the water. The red bean and matcha balanced each other so perfectly, and somehow tasted even better swirled together. Both cashiers were super cool too (was that Japanese I heard them speaking?). The guy with the awesome silver hair mentioned he was also from Houston, and we somehow ended up talking about how Austin's Asian scene just can't compare to how insanely diverse Houston's is. Still, it's always nice connecting over a mutual love for a great Asian environment--which Asahi definitely is. Wow--I've been here for 15 minutes, and I already have so much love for this place. My phone is literally dying as I hastily type this, but I felt obligated to spread the gospel immediately.

I walked into Asahi Imports with ONE GOAL: black sesame soft serve. That was the mission…read more Anything else I bumped into would simply be a bonus. And I didn't know what to expect my first visit. I thought I was going into a mini Japanese version of H Mart or something, but nope. This is very much a Japanese CONVENIENCE STORE with a little extra bonus on the side, so adjust any expectations. SIXTY PERCENT OF THE STORE IS NOODLES. Like WTF...is this a noodle headquarters? It felt unbalanced...like I had walked into the wrong store and wasn't supposed to be there. So many noodles, it scared me. I expected a variety store. Carry on. The layout is also a bit confusing for such a small space. I genuinely wasn't sure what areas were designated for customers and what areas were for employees...at one point wandering way into the back. My bad. They've got a solid selection of imported goods. Slightly pricey, but this is expected since they offer quite a few niche items you can't find everywhere. Still affordable, though. I HAPPILY grabbed some black sesame latte mix to whip up iced lattes at home as well as some black tea flavored soy milk. This is what you come to these stores for! The niche items. Now to the soft serve: Flavor-wise? Good strong black sesame flavor. Texture? Not so great. This was very icy and not creamy at all as I had hoped. The online pics were deceiving. Plus there were clumps in it that should've been blended out. However, it was refreshing and I could MAYBE see myself returning on a hot day for more if I'm close by. They only offer it on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. It's good, but no need to run for this. You can walk. Lol. It scratched the itch but I'm not running back for it. All in all, not an everyday stop, but an "I'll see you when I see you" spot. Know what I mean? 3 stars.

I stopped by Asahi Imports on South Lamar, a small Japanese Market, looking for a quick lunch and…read morewas impressed by their selection of prepared meals and Japanese groceries. You call to reserve the bento box and then stop by to pick it up. I originally wanted to try the Ebi Fried Shrimp Bento Box, but it had already sold out. So I went with my second favorite, the Shiromi (white fish fry) Bento Box, and it did not disappoint. The fish was crispy on the outside, flaky on the inside, and paired well with the rice and sides for a satisfying lunch. The sides include kinpira, tamago yaki and snibazuke. I also picked up a Moshi Sparkling White Peach Yuzu drink, which was light, refreshing, and had a nice balance of sweet peach flavor with a citrusy yuzu finish. If you're looking for authentic Japanese snacks, drinks, or a fresh grab-and-go meal, Asahi Japanese Market is definitely worth a visit.

Been wanting to check Asahi Imports out for over a year now and finally got to do that today. And I…read moream in love! So many Japanese products, including ready-to-go snacks and drinks. I love everything Japanese and this was such a cute find for me. We got some items today, including a black sesame and matcha soft serve that is only served on weekends. The matcha soft serve is average but I really like and can taste the black sesame soft serve. This is a legit Japanese grocery store to check out, especially if you can't find certain items in typical stores.

Love it Got a lot of information on my trips to Thailand…read more Very interesting! Can't wait to go Bangkok

A very nice elderly gentleman runs the place and you'll find unique oriental items there that are…read morehard to find in Austin. I was able to find real bamboo mats (2'x5') for just $1.75 a piece, an unheard of price! And a cute dolphin wind chime. Perfect for my balcony. Whether the shop is actually open is hit or miss being that he frequently travels to his home country but if you're able to catch it open it's worth a look inside.

Please avoid this place…read more They sell bunch of expired and not good stuff. I was looking for lavash/ wrap an I purchased two, one made in Turkey and one from Latvia. I opened it 3 days ago and look at mold all over the bread. Also it was all breaking apart which was a reason I could not make some veggie wraps. I bought it on 2/14 afternoon. There was a date on one exp in April and the other one did not have any date on a package. $10 for both went to trash. Sadly it's not the first time I get rotten or spoiled product. I would not recommend! Service is hit and miss . They treat Muslims better for sure. Not going to support such a business with poor customer service and poor quality.

They have a really wide selection, especially when it comes to spices, teas, and herbs, and the…read moreprices on those are actually great, which was a nice surprise. A lot of the canned stuff, like different types of beans, isn't really any cheaper than what you'd find at places like H-E-B. Fruits and veggies looked pretty standard, but the prices were oddly higher than in regular grocery stores. They do carry some interesting sweets, and I always enjoy checking those out. Coffee, though, was more expensive compared to other international stores I've been to. What really stood out in a bad way was the attitude of the staff. No one was rude exactly, but they act like they don't really want to be there, and definitely not like they want you to be there either. Product-wise, no complaints. But the vibe from the people working there? Pretty unfriendly.

The Shuk is a great little Kosher store in northwest Austin. I was actually looking for a deli but…read morefound this shop instead. Inside you'll find a varied selection of canned goods, snacks, candy, fresh and frozen meats and pretty much anything Kosher. Israeli ex-pats will likely find the Shuk to be a treasure trove of foods and goodies that they can't buy anywhere else. It's a little difficult to locate but well worth the effort. The owner is very friendly and helpful. If you're seeking Kosher groceries, this is a great place to start. Highly recommended.

I found out about The Shuk today from the president of a synagogue. He said they sell the best…read morehummus in Austin. It opened one and a half years ago. The Shuk is the only Israeli grocery in Austin. I loved the grapefruit juice on sale. They have a ton of gluten free options. I bought some gluten free challah bread and Bamba snacks. Israel has the lowest rate of peanut allergies as a lot of their children grow up eating peanut Bamba snacks. I love the Dorot frozen herbs including basil because it's really convenient to add to a caprese salad. They sold out of their gluten free puff pastry to make bourekas. They didn't carry any kidney beans.

One of the very few Indian grocery stores in Austin which is very well organized!…read more The ambiance is good! Very customer friendly! The service is so cool! I visited last Sunday. We were looking for a particular Deep brand sweet lime pickle. I asked a gentleman to find it for us. He looked for it & said it's out of stock. Two days later, as I just entered the store, he reached up to me and said, "the pickle you were looking for is here! " I was pleasantly taken aback! :)) for someone to even remember what the customer is looking for. That's paying attention to detail. Well done! His name is Mr. Santosh. I hope the store owners appreciate and recognize you!! Unless you are the owner... that's cool too! :)) The vegetables are all arranged well. Very fresh. They were continually checking if there's any rotten produce to be thrown away. The namkeens were all arranged well in a full section. The spices, lentils, organic stuff, grains, utensils etc. Everything is organized so well!! Very well lit aisles. All within reach. I am sure to visit again! :)) Enjoyed shopping here!

Some items we were sold out but over all great experience. They have a dedicated parking lot…read more Everything is labeled above the aisles. They also have a frozen section and produce section.

There was one night that we drove by and happen to see the open sign was on when the Google hours…read moreshowed it was suppose to be closed. I'm so happy we busted a u turn and was able to snag some items before they closed! We were their last customers. I was hoping to get some marinated salted oysters but they didn't have any. Instead they had marinated raw octopus which I was hesitate to grab but I am so glad I did! That was honestly one of the best items I tried there! It went really well with rice and I really enjoyed the chewy texture of the raw octopus. 5/5 ! Radish kimchi: 3/5 not the best radish kimchi I had but it was decent. It didn't keep well in the refrig for over 2 weeks and went bad. The radish was crunchy and crispy. It was sour and everything you expect in a kim chi radish. Marinated raw crabs: 5/5 it was really good as always! This item I always snag consistently when I come there to get banchan. I was really super this time that crab was super firey hot. not sure if they were just heavy handed on the red pepper flakes but damn it was hot. It definitely slow me down from eating it all. It's usually not that spicy but this batch was for some reason. Do I recommend this place? Yes homemade traditional Banchan and you can enjoy it from the comfort of your home. Prices are somewhat reasonable and this is perfect with a bowl of rice or two ;)! Great way to try Korean food from OG cooking.

As a Korean who's spent many years in South Korea, I have high expectations for banchan. I never…read morethought I'd say this about a place in Austin but the banchan here is the best I've had in the US (including LA!) and on par with banchan in South Korea. Try all of them at some point and if you're a health nut like me google the health benefits of some of the vegetables you may not be familiar with. Things like bellflower root and lotus root are superfoods! Their kimbap, beef broth and other prepared foods are delicious. The best part is that it all tastes homemade with real ingredients. They even do catering! If you like birria and/or ramen you need to try their gamjatang. Spicy, rich deep pork flavors. The big chunk of potato makes the flavors all meld together. Tons of collagen in it too to get that natural youthful skin!

This place is AMAZING! It is the cleanest market I have ever been in. Everything is so neatly…read moreorganized. The bathrooms are extremely clean as well. The Hot Deli is where it's at! I tried the Lengua Torta. It was $7 and so filling. The salsa Verde has a perfect kick to it while not being overbearing. The tomato and avocado slices were plentiful. The buns were perfectly toasted. There were plenty of tables to dine in. I can't wait to come back and try the rest of the menu. Breakfast is served from 6am-10am.

This place is trully a hidden gem. Great variety of fresh produce, meat, dairy and hispanic…read moreproducts. Everything was clean and organized. The employees were nice and helpful. We also tried the barbacoa and carne asada at the eatery, both were delicious and surprisingly cheap. Excelente lugar! Gran variedad de frutas, verduras, carne, lácteos y productos hispanos. Todo estaba limpio y bien organizando. Los empleados fueron amigables y serviciales. Probamos la barbacoa y carne asada del comedor, ambas estaban deliciosas y a buen precio. Highly recommend! Muy recomendable!