This place is inside Mitsuwa. There is no separate billing counter. I tried the fan favorite…read morefukujinzuke That was flavorful. This is the first time I am trying Japanese pickle. May be I should try more next time.

As an American-born, first generation Nihonjin, I have a palate to satisfy in the pickle…read moredepartment!! Not only those yellow daikon pickles (takuan), various pickled plums (umeboshi) and ginger pickles (gari) that may be an excellent addition to your home made sushi will be here; but also, these little perfect pickles you crave can be found by just asking the japanese ladies who listen to you rant about what you've been craving. Even if you don't know the name of it.. Example : "I had this daikon that was pickled with cherry blossoms and it's kind of sweet but not overwhelming..." She got it. TY to her knowledge, I still don't know the name of it. PERFECT EXAMPLE IRIS! Boom tish. Anywho, the restaurants come here to buy this emperor-status, Japanese pickles by the bulk. Ask for samples if you want. Oh, and this is at the veeeery back inside Mitsuwa Marketplace.

Beef No' Guy here…read more For today I'll be the Hokkaido Fair Man. Folks it is still not too late to check it out. http://www.yelp.com/events/san-jose-hokkaido-food-fair-mitsuwa-supermarket runs from 9/18 to 9/21 Low tech cel phone pix http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/vvguHpTixlM3xztWDybefw?select=bxwgG7b_cC-oH1Os-_QpRQ But is it worth the trip if you are coming from as far up as SF? That depends how hungry for a slice of Hokkaido you are. This Hokkaido Fair is arguably much smaller than the ones at Costa Mesa and Torrance which hosted Sumire's miso buttercorn ramen and another vendor's. $an Jo$e only got $antoka, FYI, so if you love shio ramen you are in luck. $antoka Ramen temporarily takes up shop in Mitsuwa's Daikichi Sushi booth (that has a full blown kitchen in the back), where they sell sushi and bento boxes to go, adjacent to Miyabe Tei. For $7.99 + tax (ca$h only), you get a ticket to redeem one bowl of freshly piping hot ramen. Quickie slam bam thanks doods and mam's review: $ANTOKA RAMEN (Kanji is Fire Head Mountain, like a volcano) Men - good yellow and not too thin slightly curly al dente slurpy noodles that were a bit on the hard side. Net reports say the noodles are imported from Japan. Toppings - one thin but large piece of cha shu, followed by two small blocks. Nice flavored porkgasm. - Not sure why they put the fishcake in there, but it was not needed. - Several long slices of menma (bamboo shoot) that was decent but I've had better. - Several strips of nicely cooked kikurage (woodear funghi or mushroom) - freshly cut up negi (scallions) that elevated the experience - the grape sized looking chesnut was UMEBOSHI! WOOOOOOOOOOOF it kicked my ass. Tasty but interesting addition to the ramen. Broth - fatty but flavorful, thick, and well textured. Shio-Tonkotsu? Definitely a highlight. Overall? 3.75 stars. Fan$ who are $ick of overhyped $anta Ramen (aka $aint Nizzle) will enjoy thi$ bowl that is a ta$te of Southern Cal Japanese ramen and probably better than most of the top 10 in the SF Bay Area. My biggest gripe? They used disposeable bowls. Creeps me out that the uber hot broth and ramen contents will cause chemical reactions to break down the material of the bowl. It is like drinking hot coffee from a styrofoam vs ceramic cup. C'mon $antoka, please use CERAMIC bowls and REAL wooden spoons otherwise it's high end food court ramen. When inquired with the cashier, she was unable to tell me whether Santoka plans to open in the SF Bay Area, but they have a location in hmmm Chicago, and New Jersey as well as Southern Cal. Either way, if you are sick of the SF Bay Area ramen scene, head to Mitsuwa SJ this weekend to see why Southern Cal has it good. Other than that, there was a Hokkaido Seafood booth that sold mini bento boxes of crab meat, crab legs, ikura, and uni over sushi rice. Kanikosen Bento (crab and ikura) - $15.90 + tax King crab gokai bento box (leg meat and ikura) - $19.90 + tax Sanshoku Bento box (all three minus crab leg) - $17.90 Skip the uni, it tasted meaty and dry. Uni is supposed to be smooth and silky. Imagine having female gonads and tasting male gonads instead (uni that is). Ugggh....Hokkaido uni fans will be very disappointed. (Update: Thanks Randy F for spotting that the folks were DEFROSTING the uni, squid, crab etc). However the Hokkaido ikura was "bomb a$$ yo", where you can taste the natural flavor (unlike overly salty salt marinated ikura from farmed generic salmon fish bait offering clumped together that looks like George Costanza's shrinkage at your local pseudo sushi joint). Next to the seafood bento booth were two booths of deep fried stuff (croquettes). In the back of the right corner of the supermarket is the rest of the fair, ranging from fresh seafood/whole fish from Hokkaido, refrigerated desserts/cream puffs/caramel candy from the city of Otaru, a booth that sells assorted snackeries from shiokara to marinated fish. The only fresh dessert snack made on the premise is Ishikari Ohaga, a ball of flavored rice (could be sticky rice, but uber small grains), wrapped with dark delicious looking red bean paste all over (hence the shape of a stone, or ishi). Also spotted: Fish booth: Big whole piece of kinmedai (alfosino) Karei (flounder) Surume squid Pike Mackeral Marinated seafood booth ($13.99 to $49.99 /lb): Ika Shiokara Koika Tobiran Karashi Mentaiko Asari Jyan Ikasashi Wasabi Ika Jyan Kara Ikasashi Matsumaezuke Hotate Wasabi Miso Ika Shiokara Kazunoko Matumaezuke Amakuchi Tarako Hokkai Tako Wasabi Yubari Melon Jelly - $7.99 Hokkaido Eco friendly red beans Hidaka Seaweed (Konbu) - $10.99 Hokkaido Vinegar (3 kinds) Seafood bento booth: Ika Meshi Bento Box - $5.90 (two pieces of grilled squid over rice) Go go go! Hokkaido Fair Man - Miso Hawny For $antoka $hio Ramen and Hokkaido Ikura, Me Luv You LONG time! Well until the end of $unday. :-(

I had heard about these festivals at Mitsuwa before, but I always missed them because I was too…read morebusy. So this year after getting several reminders about it in the Chow website, I made an extra effort to not miss it. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/vvguHpTixlM3xztWDybefw?select=09ldJd8T-yEYWWuaQkGFrw I got to try the shio ramen with pork broth ($7.99) from the Santoka booth, located to the left as you enter the store. It was good. CASH only. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/vvguHpTixlM3xztWDybefw?select=e2YlIJU0nf1H5n85h7634w Once you enter on the right side of the market, it's like in any supermarket, you pick up anything you want to buy and then take your basket to the register when you're ready to pay. Credit cards accepted. My favorite items were the croquettes (what can I say, it's fried food): http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/vvguHpTixlM3xztWDybefw?select=xojt96xqBBAnMuFfqW-dNw - corn, vegetable, priced at 3 for $4 (or $1.50 each) - fish cake, fish cake with crab, with scallops, with shrimp, etc. all @$2.50 each They also had a tiny version with squid, 20 for ~$5. I didn't think that those were worth it, so I skipped them. The croquettes were so good that I had to get 2 orders, but more about this later. I bought the king crab sushi combo for $15.90 - 3 slices of maki roll and 4 slices of oshi sushi (pressed sushi). Expensive, Costco sells king crab @$15/lb. Ishikari Ohagi, 2 kinds, sold in packs of 2 for $4. This is sweet glutinous rice balls wrapped in sweet red bean paste, one smooth & one coarse. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/vvguHpTixlM3xztWDybefw?select=27RnbWcag8j5TcHPTGwrkw They had a display of seafood from Hokkaido for sale that included hairy crab, king crab, squid, clams, snapper, flounder, mackerel, fish roe, etc. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/vvguHpTixlM3xztWDybefw?select=8u4tAzWFxo_lNF9q4rPk2g Marinated seafood from Yamacho Hasegawa. This was really great! I got to sample all of them. They were all good, but I liked the ones with wasabi better (it wasn't too spicy). http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/vvguHpTixlM3xztWDybefw?select=hgqtOomy6xvPhHhBLytX-Q I also bought some of their specialty sweets and grocery items, including their melon jelly. There was no Kare Pan (curry bread) here, but you can always head to the Clover Bakery & Cafe located next door along with other retail stores, to buy some Kare Pan, sandwiches, assorted breads and pastries. Apparently some customers bought an empty box of the frozen cream puffs from Hokkaido, so the employees were opening and checking all the boxes. They found about 8 empty boxes. I think that they gave some free samples earlier, but someone mistakenly put those empty boxes in the freezer. Later I decided to go back to the croquettes booth section, and one silly security guard was following me around thinking that I was not going to pay for the food I picked up. I kindly asked the serving lady to make me another order of the croquettes because I had already eaten everything, and I showed her my basket with empty containers. The security guard laughed and then left me alone. At the checkout register the bagging lady was chuckling because I was paying for empty containers (I had already devoured half of what I was buying).

I'm Polish and the Slavic Shop has been my 'go to' place for Eastern European cuisine. Their…read more'Pierogi's' are awesome

I've been a regular customer here and often bought their house-made meat crepes. This time I bought…read more10, and when I got home, they smelled like spoiled meat. I called the store and was told to return them. When I came back, instead of addressing the issue, the employee tried to place the blame on me for not bringing the receipt, shifting the focus away from the fact that spoiled food had been sold. I then received a silent cash refund placed on the counter -- no apology, no explanation, and no acknowledgment of the problem. Selling food that smells spoiled is unacceptable. Handling it without even basic courtesy makes it worse. Very disappointing experience. . 10 -- . . , , , , , . -- , , - . . . .

Great local spot! Euro Market has a fantastic selection of European products, friendly service, and…read morea welcoming atmosphere. Everything was fresh and well-organized. Definitely worth stopping by if you're in the area. Anthonyxibarrax

A MUST STOP, especially if you're in the area or if you're eating at the Euro Grill next door. The…read moreolder gentleman manning the shop was taking a break outside, saw us approaching, and immediately went to open up. It's a cute and cozy shop filled to the brim with European goodies. Lots and lots of chocolate and snacks (gummies, candies, biscuits, cookies, etc.), dried pasta, sauces, soup mixes, and so much more. Definitely a lot to look and and the variety is top notch with lots that are difficult to find elsewhere if you're not specifically at a European market. While checking out, I was eyeballing some of the chocolates that they had at the counter and the gentleman working was super nice enough to give my boyfriend and I some samples. Super friendly, welcoming, and giving the best grandpa vibes ever. I got some tea biscuits of various sizes and some really fun looking Garfield hazelnut wafer cookies and my boyfriend got himself some pasta and dried soups. Definitely will stop by again the next time I'm in the area.

This is the go to Japanese supermarket in the San Jose area. Many Japanese supermarkets pop up but…read morethis remains the go to spot. I do love that they have all of your Japanese needs like microwaveable food, vegetables, meat, seafood, snacks, and so much more. Their food court area is amazing. You can get your ramen, curry, matcha, etc after shopping . Many people come here to eat without grocery shopping. The seasonal section is wonderful. You can get what's in season in Japan and sometimes it's by region! There is a Japanese bookstore inside in addition to a makeup/skin care store. There's even a toy store with a TCG section. What doesn't this store have?

This is probably the biggest Japanese supermarket in the area. Things are generally on the pricey…read moreside, especially the Japanese snacks and food stands near the entrance. My goodness, they are expensive! My kid loves the strawberry sandwiches, and the drinks are pretty good too. The store itself is nothing fancy. I haven't really bought much produce here, so I can't comment on the fruits and vegetables. They also have a pretty good selection of Japanese beauty and skincare products. Right next door, there is a Japanese bookstore and stationery store, a food court, and lots of gashapon capsule toy machines. There is plenty to browse around even after you finish grocery shopping.

Unusual Korean grocery store with "premium" products. . .I saw them unpack boxes that were packed…read morein ice, some stuff here I'd never seen before in other Korean stores, things suitable for gift giving. A woman possibly the owner was very friendly though she mostly spoke Korean. They had some Korean cosmetics and I got some for half off. The store is tiny but the items are well displayed.

Growing up in the early 80s, there were only a few small Korean grocery stores around here. Over…read moretime, I see big markets like Hankook Market, Kyo Po Market, Mega Mart, and H Mart and it's been amazing to see the change. But, I really miss those old mom/pop grocery stores there was such warmth and heart in those places. Wooltari, though a smaller grocery store, is on a different level. They carry high quality food, most of which comes directly from S.Korea either frozen or dried to preserve its freshness. Seafood, variety of rice cakes, ready to eat meals, excellent sesame oil, handmade dumplings, seasoning marinades, crab, and many organic items. I tried their frozen persimmon shake a bit pricey, but I loved it. I think the guy working there is the owner, and he's incredibly pleasant. If you have any questions about Korean food, he'll kindly answer them all. I highly recommend it definitely check it out.

Pre-ordered $75 of Bordier butter through their Frenchery pre-order program. Pickup date was…read moreconfirmed twice in writing (receipt + the owner's own email) a month ago, then pushed 2 weeks out the day before scheduled date. They admitted they only caught the error because I contacted them. When I said I'd still keep the order and wait, they cancelled and refunded it anyway without asking. Then came the texts: I should find another Bordier vendor because they're "obviously not up to your customer service experience standard," followed by "There's nothing more I can do. Feel free to leave bad reviews." (Screenshot attached.) The refund was quick and there were plenty of apologies, but cancelling against my explicit wishes and then telling me to shop elsewhere was the worst customer-service experience I've had with a specialty food shop.

What a great idea when you want authentic FRENCH foods. I have a hard time finding boudin noir…read more It was magnifique!

My friends gave me warning for being over charged before going to the store so I was paying…read moreattention when the employee was scanning the items and he noticed it. I paid $100 in cash and I received $5.63 back. I checked the receipt as I was walking out. The receipt showed change back of $7.63. I was shorted $2. I went right back inside and presented my receipt and the change back. The employee apologized and gave me back $2. I should mention that they were not super busy at all. 2 star is for not trusting the check out process. I will go back there again for shopping with full attention to scanning and checking the receipt. The management needs to work on gaining the public trust back. I reversed the review to 5stars for timely response from the business.

Diverse Middle East grocer with fresh butcher meats and deli. Some of the produce outside in the…read morelarge bins are of questionable quality however

Unique Market is a great store with a large variety of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern products…read more They have many spices, teas, cheeses, rice, frozen foods, sweets, and Persian items. I was impressed by the variety of stuff they carry. The store is clean and organized, and the staff are friendly and helpful. I recommend this place if you want authentic and unique foods.

Great new Middle Eastern store adjacent to a Persian bakery/restaurant/coffeeshop. In fact, you…read morehave to enter via the coffeeshop to access the store. Then is a surprise as is not that small as one would think. I did not see an sign identifying the store, the way I found this place is because I was craving assortment of olives marinated in different ways and especially the Middle Eastern ways and did a search for that and found that the Unique International Market had already one review...well, now it has 2! I found tons of cool products, like the sugar infused with saffron that I have not had for long time. Got a variety of very thin high quality rice similar to Basmati but not the same (tastes so good and earthy). Of course I found olives galore. Mostly canned/glass products, not a place to find vegetables or fruits. Interesting for any foodie around.

Really loved this place! If you like Mediterranean and Egyptian food, you have to try it…read more Everything is 100% Halal, and the grilled meat was super juicy and packed with flavor. The outdoor lounge is definitely the best part. It has super comfortable seating, nice lighting, and a great relaxing vibe. The staff was super friendly and made us feel right at home. We will definitely be back!

If you're looking for halal Mediterranean/Egyptian food, this spot is definitely worth checking…read moreout! They have tons of options and are very vegetarian-friendly as well. Everything is made fresh to order, and you can really taste the quality in every dish. I especially loved the grilled meats -- they had that perfect smoky char flavor straight from the grill. The staff were incredibly friendly and took the time to explain the different dishes and the best way to enjoy them. Beef, Kofta & Chicken: Super flavorful and packed with spices, with an amazing grilled/charred flavor. I loved being able to build my own wrap with all the different veggies and sauces! Hawawshi Traditional (Egyptian Meat Pie): Similar to arayes, but even more flavorful and juicy. It comes generously stuffed, and the arugula paired perfectly with it. Chicken Breast Bowl: OMG, the fries were so good! The chicken and fries combo worked perfectly together. The chicken had subtle hints of lime and was served over a creamy mayo-style sauce that tied everything together. Salad: Light, refreshing, and topped with onions, pickled veggies, fruit, and vinaigrette. Overall, it's such a fun and casual place to hang out. There's an outdoor patio with self-serve tea and water, and I loved the cozy lights and tent setup. I'll definitely be back!