Easy and abundant parking and good selection of grocery and sundry items. The prepared foods assortment is great! If I take an early flight from HNL to the Mainland, I go shopping the evening before to get bento for the flight. read more

This store has a lot of products, food, and drinks to choose from. So much great food and drinks...my goodness! The hot foods and cold foods like the sushi...amazing! I really enjoy the hot food line they have. Everyday there's different dishes they have you can purchase for plate lunches. The store is pretty clean. The only thing is that the store needs to have the floor fixed and redone. The floor has cracks all over the store. Plus the floors are uneven. If you leave your shopping cart unattended, you may see your cart rolling off in different directions due to the uneven floor. The staff is friendly and helpful. read more

Went at 6:30 pm to buy some chicken and beef that were on sale. The meat department was practically empty. She said the butchers went home at 6. How do they not take out more meat, especially if it's on sale, before they leave? The store was open until 8:00. It's a certainty that I wasn't the only one who came for meat that evening. Another complaint is the parking lot. Stalls are too narrow, when it rains, it puddles too easily, and the handicap stall looks straight into the men's restroom! Yikes! read more

I Heart Marukai Going to Marukai is like being in a candy store for me. Entering the store, my senses are barraged with upteen choices, starting with snacks. Really have to hold myself back as I could subsist on Japanese snacks alone lol. Love that freshly milled rice is available here, amongst the myriad of bagged rice choices. Hot and cold food available here, along with poke bar and food items of regional fairs regularly held here. Getting here may pose a challenge with lane closures due to rail construction. Once you get here, finding parking is usually not an issue (save special holidays). Perhaps tonight I will be dreaming of having a shopping spree at Marukai where I get to consume what I wish to my hearts delight! read more

I can count on this location for fresh bentos, hot and cold selections made daily under $10 during breakfast and lunch. If you need bentos for dinner, some may be discounted for $1 to $2 less than the regular price. Most of the employees running the kitchen are done for the day. I have bought some items regarding party favors. If I need to find specific Japanese items or brands, I can browse and generally find it here. You're welcome to bring your own shopping bags. There's also recyclable bags available for purchase. read more

Marukai Wholesale Mart - Wholesale Stores Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Marukai is the OG. If Don Don Donki is the flashy sibling, this place is the quietly cool boutique version that's been holding it down forever. I grew up wandering the aisles with my Grandma, both of us on the hunt for inspiration and fun Japanese finds--and it's basically where my obsession with kakimochi, holiday gift tins, cute toiletries, and clever kitchen gadgets all began. Honestly, I could drop way too much money here, but the prices stretch farther than expected thanks to their "wholesale" concept, and no membership fee means it feels super accessible. I've tried DonKi, but Marukai has my heart--it's familiar, curated, and just...better. IMHO, it's not even close. read more

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This wholesale market used to require a pay membership to access the store, however, started a few years ago, you don't need to pay for any membership and you can walk right in and do your shopping. If you like to shop merchandises from Japan, this is the place to go to. They have produces, meats, seafood, poke, cooked food, bento, sushi, wine, drinks, snack, frozen food, sake, household items. Kitchen items, etc. It is like a mini department store, combined with a supermarket. We really enjoy coming to this place once in a while just to walk around and every time we visited the store, we will buy a bunch of stuffs. Go check this out read more

Marukai Wholesale Mart - Wholesale Stores Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

All the food is great- the king crab bowl- they need to take out the shell, and need more seasoning. Sushi is good and plate lunches are excellent. read more

Went looking for mochi but there wasn't much of a selection. I did find manju to go with what I did find. I went at 7am, and not everything (bento etc) were done being put out. But I'd still go back to check out everything they have. Lots of selection, food and non food items. read more

Marukai Wholesale Mart - Mochi and Manju. - Wholesale Stores Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Pretty good daily take out menu! If you can go early in the morning everything is made so fresh, lots of different kinds of nigiri sushi, and bentos. read more

Marukai Wholesale Mart - Daily Hot Plate Menu - Wholesale Stores Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Marukai is that spot where you can find products from Japan that aren't mainstream, but are absolutely delicious. I enjoy the seafood and the meats are absolutely prime cuts. I haven't tried their hot and ready foods, but the foods that we get to cook with are top notch in quality and value. Hubs is one of those guys who will drive the cart and add what he sees and wants to try, so when I just need one or two things, I leave him home. What can I say, sometimes willy nilly shopping can get expensive! The staff are all friendly and helpful and they have spotlighted areas in Japan which rotate regularly. If you want to know what area they are spotlighting, I suggest getting on the digital mailer so you can see the sales and specials. If you are a fan of wagyu and kurobota pork, this is your spot. When I make sweet and sour spare ribs, this is the only place that I can find the ribs cut long way (makes for more meat and easier eating). If you are a fan of hot pot, they have soups ready to go. They also have veggies and noodles premade and all the cuts of meat for that shabu shabu experience. The construction on the rail makes the entrance a little tricky depending on what side of the island you are coming from, just know there is a back entrance behind the gas station. read more

Guarantee to have something for everyone! Always such great grinds! Was Ono for spicy ahi, musubi, takoyaki and roast pork, but that's the one thing was already sold out! Our fault we went later in the day! It's all good tho because cravings was satisfied! read more

Marukai Wholesale Mart - Wholesale Stores Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I admire people from Japan because they are polite and courteous; diligent and hard working; reserved and modest; believe in group harmony and avoid confrontation. I can see all these virtues in the owners of Marukai Hawaii, located at 2310 Kamehameha Highway, where Dillingham Boulevard turns into Kam Highway. The Honolulu Rail Transit Project, the Skyline, has started construction of Segment 3, the final Urban Honolulu Phase of what is the largest public infrastructure project in Hawaii's history. For the last five months, Dillingham Boulevard, from Marukai to Alakawa, has turned into what I can only describe as a war-scarred street in Gaza City. I've been a loyal customer of Marukai since they opened their doors as Marukai Wholesale Mart and Marukai Market Place in Ward Village, in the late 1980's. They satisfy my needs with their variety of products and I visit Marukai at least weekly. I love shopping here because surprisingly, prices are sometimes cheaper than at Don Quiote and Times Supermarket. I see troubling signs and worry that the Skyline project is having devastating effects on Marukai and all business', as the rail project has made Dillingham, a street people avoid. This has reduced customer visits to Marukai. The way construction is moving, Dillingham will be a disaster area to business' for at least the next six months. Contractor's have the daunting task of rerouting electrical lines; move storm and sewer lines; build columns, median strips, rail platforms, rail stations and repave roads on the Dillingham corridor. Presently, you cannot turn left into Marukai's main entrance from Dillingham when heading Diamond Head because that section of road has been coned. No left turns allowed in either direction. With all this going on, Marukai and owner, Don Quijote, Company, seem to believe in the empathetic Japanese Kotowaza (Proverb) "Shikata ga nai!" which translates to "it cannot be helped," "it is what it is." Me being a yonsei of Japanese ancestry, have a born and raised in America mentality and describe my feelings about what is happening to Marukai with this contemporary American saying ....."WTF ASS_ _LES!" My guess is that customer visits and total sales to Marukai are down between 15% and 30% and only see things getting worst, before getting better, as the rail project creeps slowly into the urban core. Marukai and Don Quijote, Co., seem to believe in the admirable Japanese proverb "Nanakorobi yaoki!"; which translates to "Fall down seven times, stand up eight." For me, I grew up watching the 1970's TV series Sanford and Son and think Fred Sanford best describes my feelings regarding Marukai's predicament .... "This is the big one Elizabeth! I'm coming to join you!" I can only imagine how painful it is for Marukai and Don Quijote, Company to see pillars of the rail project start going up outside their entrance. They show uncommon perseverance and work hard to make Marukai a desirable destination for shoppers by providing good quality fresh meat, fish, vegetables and Japanese products at competitive prices. They seem to cope, understanding the purpose of the project but I think silently, repeat the Japanese proverb "I no naka no kawazu taikai o shirazu" which translates to "The frog in the well knows nothing of the ocean." The Skyline is up and running from Kapolei to the airport and ridership is fearsomely low. The project presently has a two billion dollar shortfall and is roughly five years behind schedule. The way things are going, this could easily be four billion and seven years. It is highly unlikely, the federal government, Trump administration will provide additional funding for the project, to cover any deficit. The only logical source of revenue, to make up any debit, will be for the City and County of Honolulu to again raise property taxes on business, industrial, resort, apartment and residential zoned property. From my view, the Skyline will not have anywhere near the ridership it needs and will operate with a cavernous deficit. Additionally, the cost of maintaining the system will be astronomical. Rail is a heedless pipedream that will end up being a woeful nightmare. Rail is slowly sucking the life out of property owner's and business' like my beloved Marukai and my fear is that many business' along the route will be R.I.P. casualties of this project. When I was 20, my boss said something profound to me that sums up my feelings about the rail project. I was pushing a wheelbarrow full of fresh mixed concrete up a ramp; lost control and dumped that whole load of concrete on the floor; damaging all the new construction material stored in the area. He ran over screaming ..."WTF!! YOU BETTER GET YOU FR'KIN HEAD OUT OF YOUR FR'KIN ASS AND CLEAN UP THIS FR'KIN MESS!! Which translates to ... "WTF! IF YOU FR'KIN DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE FR'KIN DOING; YOU CAN SORROWFULLY CREATE A RUINOUS FR'KIN MESS!" Five stars to Marukai for their perserverance. Gambate!! read more

Marukai Wholesale Mart - You cannot turn into the Marukai parking lot when on Dillingham heading Diamond Head. - Wholesale Stores Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I love Marukai. But they make spam musubi, katsu don (they call that tonkatsu oyakodon, means pearent and kid bowl, which is chicken with egg omelet) and other bentos with sushi rice. They don't know how to make those so using sushi rice. I wouldn't buy those any more., I hope they can make those right. Their sushi is great. And also other island of bentos are great. Do not buy bentos, rice bowls and musubis at sushi side. read more

The bento prices doubled in two years! Food not even tasty. Got some roast pork (aka lechon kawali) and it was all tough to chew. $15 spent to dump in the trash! read more

Bro this is the gem of HI supermarkets you don't even know. My mamas mama be whispering to me about this spot while i was in the womb. Def don't get the chu toro it was the most buttery sweet tuna I've ever had even compared to JP. Trust me just leave all the pieces for me I'll take one for the team. If this place closes on god ima crashout. Bulk approved. read more

Marukai Wholesale Mart - Chu toro - Wholesale Stores Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Marukai Wholesale Market, our long time favorite Japanese merchandise and grocery store. They have an enormous selection of Japanese food products and snacks. Their prepared food section has a good variety of different cuisines to choose from. In addition they also have sections for clothing, housewares, and liquor. Staff is very knowledgeable and helpful. Definitely a great place to shop for Japanese products read more

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Memorial Day '25 Talk about memories... Back in the mid '60s I visited "Big Island's Original Holy's Pie Bakery" I remember my Auntie baking the Apple Pie n the house was filled w Apple Fruity Buttery Goodness! Somehow back-in-the-day that pie was better You could see the Butter boiling out of that Puka in the middle of that Golden Brown Crust... if you know You Know but Nostalgiagically... I'd buy it again! Support Local Find that Ono Pie n other flavors in the frozen case read more

Marukai Wholesale Mart - Memorial Day '25 Holy's Pie - Wholesale Stores Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I'm usually a huge fan of Marukai, but today I seen something severely unappetizing! There was mold growing in their fruit sandwiches. One sandwich was literally all moldy. Quality control needs some checking. read more

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Marukai has been my favorite market for decades. I remember buying oxtails on sale for $1.99. I used to enjoy Marukai more before Times bought them out. There used to be more festivals from Japan that are more elaborate. I still come about 2-3 times a week. They have and elaborate Japanese snack and sweets selection. The bento and buffet style hot foods section is very popular. The meats sold here are quality meats including shabu shabu and yakiniku sliced meats. Marukai is a must to visit during the holidays when they bring in specialty products from Japan. I've overheard tourists raving about their experience here and they describe it as a good stop during their visit. So much is offered here that you just have to visit and explore. read more

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Marukai Market is a well-known Japanese grocery store in Kalihi area. Centrally located, it sits close to the Kalihi rail station (currently being built) on Kamehameha Highway. Marukai Market offers a wide range of Japanese food products, snacks, beverages, and household items. Love their food court as it offers a variety of delicious Japanese dishes and snacks, providing customers with an authentic taste of Japanese cuisine. From sushi to a variety of hot bentos and delicious dessert. There's something for everyone to enjoy! Many locals and visitors enjoy shopping there for its unique selection of Japanese goods. It's a great place to find authentic Japanese ingredients and specialty items in Hawaii. Opening its doors to the public was a great move as Marukai Market is able to cater to a broader customer base. I've definitely noticed an increase in foot traffic when I'm shopping there. read more

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This is an Asian style Market, it reminds me of Don Quijote. They pretty much have everything here. Takeout sushi/sashimi boxes, ready prepared food, produce, t-shirts, kitchen tools, seafood, meats...everything! This was my first time here and was close to my aunt's place, It was a little confusing getting here just cuz of the construction going on outside. There is free parking out front. read more

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Seems this place has now been bought out by Don Quixote. There are a lot of Don Quixote branded merchandise here. They do have a few items here that they don't have at DQ. I bought a few bags of ogo here and some other fresh foods. But for the most part its very similar to Don Quixote. read more

Convenient Japanese market - I like getting my Koshihikari rice here since they have a bigger variety. They have weekly sales here you can check on their website. The fish choices are decent too. When I came last week they had someone who mills your rice to your liking. The food fairs are a good place to get unique items you wouldn't find anywhere else in Hawaii. I enjoyed the last Okinawan fair since I got to try so many new food items and make new dishes. They even have hot dishes available and if you come after 5pm they have a discount. Workers are always so polite and helpful here. Usually not too crowded on the weekdays either unless you come during certain times on the weekend. Plenty of parking and restrooms are clean- located outside right at the entrance. Recommend since you can find pretty much anything you want here! read more

Marukai Wholesale Mart - Wholesale Stores Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Lots of items. Some cheap, some not so cheap. I got boxes of Japanese crackers/cookies because my family loves them. Meat selection is like don quijote. Some of the fruits were looking really old, but what can you do. Not in a great area, small streets, terrible roads. read more

Have you ever been to Marukai? If you haven't, then you definitely should add to your next supermarket stop. Marukai is similar to Don Quijote, Times, and Tokyo Central. They have lots of Asian snacks, ramen, ice cream, liquor selection, seafood varieties including prawns, and also a few selections of beauty products. I like Marukai specifically for my Asian sauces that I used to mixed in my cooking like the pasta sauce. The meat selections are pretty good too with meats perfectly cut for cooking such us nabe, stew, grill or hotpot style. Marukai also sells ready to eat bentos and musubi. I love their salmon wakame combination. This one always satisfies my hunger after a long grocery shopping. read more

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I love shopping at Marukai! Yes, even if I have to drive through all of the crazy potholes and road construction going on! It's worth the fun of shopping here. You will find fresh local produce, imported items from Japan and more, cosmetics from Japan, local design t-shirts, bentos, plate lunches, every type of seasoning and types of shoyu you can imagine and so much more. Sometimes I feel like I'm on a treasure hunt to find something unique here. I often pick up items for the home and to send to my adult children who live abroad. We enjoy picking up hot meals from here when we are not in the mood to cook. I love the variety of mochi here as well, local made and packaged and imported from Japan. Right now you can enjoy the holiday gifts and New Year items they have for sale. read more

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My humble Japanese market. You gotta love all the things you can get a this little location. Sushi, hot foods takeout, those giant cheese puffs! It used to be a membership club but no more. There used to have a location at Ward. Having been a customer these many years, I have fond memories. The original Japanese food market. ( I'm just saying, I could be wrong. But it was my Japanese market). You can get a poke bowl at the fish counter. You can get live crab and, sometimes, live abalone. Whiskey, sake. Whole Goteborg sausages. Wagyu beef. The list goes on and on. They have senior days for you senior readers out there. Finally, don't let the construction stop you from going there. It's worth the slight inconvenience. read more

Marukai Wholesale Mart - Chicken Katsu Curry bento - Wholesale Stores Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Happy New Year 2024. I've been re-elected as a Yelp Elite for the 11th year in a row this year! I appreciate that this is also the result of everyone's support. Thank you very much! And this year's first review is the Japanese's favorite grocery shop "Marukai". The first review started when I found this store because I accidentally got off at the bus stop by mistake. This time, I stopped riding an unfamiliar bus to prepare for the New Year, so I drove a car and went shopping. The parking is shaded under a roof, so it's comfortable! And the sign at the entrance door said , "No membership card required!" I was happy to see this sign because I didn't know that Marukai's paid membership system was abolished. The inside of the store was very crowded as I expected, so my husband and I focused on buying what we needed first. But I felt as if the delicious Japanese ingredients that intrigued me were winking at me and saying "Please buy me!", so I bought a lot of unplanned things. Mochi, glutinous rice, sake, Japanese sweets, ingredients for Osechi dishes and hot pot dishes, fresh fish such as my favorite scallops and salmon, Japanese vegetables, etc. . . Before I knew it, one cart was not enough (ha, ha!). But I came by car, so I added another cart and managed to finish shopping completely. There was a line at every cash register, but the cash register went quite smoothly, so we were able to pay the bill and go out to the parking lot in no time. My husband and I were very satisfied with our trunk full of ingredients. I was very happy to receive great praise from my American husband that the Osechi cuisine, on which I wielded my cooking skills for the first time in a long time, was more delicious than any high-class restaurant. I think this is also because Marukai offers carefully selected ingredients! I hope that Marukai will continue to reign not only for Japanese customers but also as a locally concentrated grocery shop rooted in the local area! 2024年明けましておめでとうございます。 私は今年連続11年目となるYelp Eliteに再選されました！ これも皆さまの応援があってこその結果だと有り難く受け止めております。ありがとうございます！ そして今年初のレビューは日本人の大好きなグロサリーショップ「Marukai」です。 最初のレビューは偶然バス停を間違って下車した為このストアを見つけた事から始まりました。 今回は新年の準備の為に慣れないバスに乗るのはやめて車を運転して買い物に行きました。 パーキングは屋根の下を選んだので快適です！ そして入場ドアには「会員証不要！」の案内がありました！ Marukaiの有料会員制度が廃止された事を知らなかったので私はこのサインを見て嬉しかったです。 店内は私の予想通り大変混み合っていましたので、私と夫は先ず必要な物を買う事だけに集中しました。 でも、私の興味をそそる美味しそうな日本食材が「私を買って下さい！」と私にウィンクしている気がして、予定外の物を大量に買い込みました。 お餅、餅米、日本酒、日本のお菓子、おせち料理と鍋料理の食材、大好物の貝柱や鮭などの鮮魚、日本の野菜、などなど。。。 気が付けばカート一つでは足りなくなりました(笑) でも車で来ているのでカートもう一つ追加してお買い物は何とか無事に終了しますた。 どのレジにも列が出来ていたけれど、レジはかなりスムーズに進んだので私たちはあっという間に会計を済ませてパーキングに出る事が出来ました。 トランク一杯の食材を乗せて私と夫はとても満足でした。 久し振りに腕を振るったお節料理はどんな高級料亭より美味しいとアメリカ人の夫に大絶賛を受けて私はとても嬉しかったです。 これもMarukaiさんが厳選した食材を提供されているからだと思います！ これからも日本人顧客は勿論のこと、ローカルに良い商品をどんどん供給して欲しいと願っています！ read more

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The benches outside are very dirty! The men's restroom is horrible! The toilet seat is dirty so terrible! The loud air conditioner outside is deafening!!!! And so hot air coming out of it! read more

Marukai Wholesale Mart - Wholesale Stores Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Going to Marukai is more than a shopping experience for me. It's a walk into my fondest childhood memories. My grandma would take me shopping with her at Maruaki and all the workers knew her would say Hi. Going to Marukai is more than finding the great selection of products but childhood nostalgia. read more

Undeclared ingredients in prepared foods! Ok now that I have your attention, Marukai is awesome, the prepared foods are great on a run or if you are headed into work. I am personally a fan of their Tuna Mayo Omusubi. The store is a bit chaotic but if you've been to a Don Quijote you should be able to figure it out. Where they lose two stars is due to the fact that prepared foods don't have major ingredients listed. Not really an issue for me because I'll eat anything in the local Asian/Japanese cuisine range, but it is an issue for my wife and friends. Today I bought bentos for us, "Chicken Katsu Curry" is all it says on the lid. That's it. So that tells me that there is -Chicken Katsu -Curry I can see through the lid what I believe to be rice as well as some red ginger. But when we open it? Hidden under the slab of chicken? Beans! Again, not an issue for me, but I am the only one that eats beans! There are beans mixed in the rice, so many beans that the chicken tastes like beans. And I know what you may be thinking You are saying Tell the non-bean people to get over it And I agree Get over it non-bean people The issue is that I had no way of knowing they were in there prior to opening the food and rooting around in it, and that's a problem, especially when these things cost like $9 and now I'm the only one that can eat mine. The beans are a major ingredient, they should be listed on the label or on the signage or something. "Chicken Katsu Curry with Bean Rice" I would have bought something else for everyone else. Now they get to watch me eat by myself while they try to figure out what they are going to do and wallow in their chickenless sadness. read more

Love coming here! They have a variety of Japanese goods, snacks, and tools all at a cheap/reasonable price. It's honestly nice to see that Marukai is open to the public and has a lot of parking! I'll definitely be back here again! I love the wide variety of goodies!! :) read more

Marukai Wholesale Mart - Outside - Wholesale Stores Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I love this place. If you like Japanese food and Japanese snacks this is the place for you. They pretty much sell everything that's Japanese here. You can find skincare, appliances, alcohol, even furniture. I mostly come for the food. I really like their hot entrees, fried calamari and sushi. The best section in the whole store is the poke section. They have better poke than Foodland. I always pick up the raw crab, spicy ahi and volcano ahi. They have a lot of mochi crunch and Japanese soft drinks. Those are good too. read more

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I personally liked Marukai more when it was a membership business, but they are still a great place to go to for New Year's foods. Unfortunately I waited until the day before New Year's eve to do my shopping. It is quite busy. Usually it isn't so bad. The prices are a bit high, but the quality of the foods is good. Produce so-so, but the other goods are much better than the generic standard fare. read more

Marukai Wholesale Mart - Outside - Wholesale Stores Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Saw a ad for sushi and uni and couldn't pass it up! Ordered a tray of nigiri and a tray of uni, both were excellent! Great value for the price as everything was extremely fresh. Would definitely order from here again! read more

Marukai Wholesale Mart - Wholesale Stores Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I had yet to find good nigiri sushi takeout in Honolulu. They look appetizing, but I usually find that too much rice is used and maguro not up to par. For the fish, true, this is takeout so expecting good maguro in the assorted sushi is asking for too much. I was pleasantly surprised with the 8 piece Salmon/Maguro/Unagi combo box. It was also the cheapest of the offerings. Though moist, the rice was delicious and what I most appreciated is the small amount of rice used. I would always leave about half of the rice uneaten with a guilty feeling. They're probably using unagi from China, but the preparation was excellent. The only complaint is too much sauce is poured over it. Salmon was good, and maguro so-so, but would buy this combo again for the unagi. read more

Normal, they were out of stock of oxtails, which is one of their priority meat products. It is very lean and most of the fat has been cut off. I guess, being the weather has been chilly they cannot keep up with their sales? I am hoping the next time I go there it will ne in stock again ? read more

Oh, how I love to shop at Marukai Hawaii, which is Hawaii's first and only warehouse-style discount market focusing on Japanese and Asian products. Marukai Wholesale Mart opened in Kalihi in 1987, with a 2nd location in the Victoria Ward complex, which eventually closed on 9/30/17 due to the Kakaako redevelopment. There was a membership fee of $10 per year ($5 for seniors ages 50 and over) and birthday gifts of merchandise given to members on their birthdays. As a side note, Don Quijote entered HI in 2006 when it acquired the Daiei stores. Don Quijote purchased the Marukai chain stores in the US in 2013, and the stores either became Marukai or Tokyo Central Markets. In HI, Don Quijote bought Marukai HI, Times Supermarkets, Shima's, Fujioka's Wine Times, and the Big Save Markets on 9/30/13. Since 2022, membership fees were eliminated, and Marukai HI was open to the public. It is a popular market of predominantly Japanese products for local shoppers. I love their merchandise and marketing strategies that include: * Japanese "fairs" of different prefectures, e.g., Shizuoka/Tokai, Tohoku, Kyoto, Hokkaido, Okinawa, Wakayama, Kagoshima, Nagano, Ishikawa, Iwate, Kyushu. When traveling in Japan, each prefecture has its own homegrown product that is only found in its prefecture; once to leave that prefecture, you won't find those products in other areas of Japan, unless you know of certain stores that carry them. Marukai HI has these prefecture fairs and brings in these products, so you need not travel to these prefectures to get them. (During Covid, however, these fairs were temporarily stopped due to the unavailability of products based on the planned dates of the fairs.) I look forward to these fairs to get these specialized products! * Specific merchandise for holiday celebrations, e.g., Boy's/Children's Day, Girls' Day, omiyage gift sets for Christmas, holiday seafood and sushi platters, New Year's Day décor and foods. The week between Christmas and New Year's is extremely crowded in Marukai HI, as shoppers are getting their ingredients and decorations for New Year celebration parties. * Takeout foods for lunch/dinner. Marukai HI makes Chinese pretzels, sushi, musubis, bentos, side dishes, and hot /cold dishes for takeout, which is a convenience for customers. It also contracts with Island Manapua Factory in offering Chinese dim sum and roasted meats for takeout. * Japanese and local products, e.g., bottled sauces, snacks, produce, mochi, noodles, natto, meats, seafood, variety of rice that includes Yasuda rice milled daily in store, sake, teas, drinks, and more. I like that this store has easy-to-find products for local and Asian cooking. * Variety of non-food merchandise imported from Japan and locally sourced products. These include kitchen utensils and equipment, dishware and porcelain mugs, clothing, beauty/hair care items, bedding, towels, tote bags, t-shirts, Sanrio items (Hello Kitty, My Melody, etc.) * Marukai HI contracts with the Aloha Andagi organization that cooks and sells its popular andagi donuts in an area outside the store on certain weekends. Marukai HI produces weekly ads online and on glossy front/back paper for shoppers if you're looking for sale items. Recipes are oftentimes given, using their products. The store's parent company, Pan Pacific Retail Management USA, has also donated $50,000 to the Maui Food Bank and the HI Community Foundation - Maui Strong Fund, to support relief funds to help with Lahaina's wildfire victims. It is nice to see that Marukai HI gives back to the local community when in need. Store is clean with neatly stacked displays of items for sale, with green tags noting the weekly sale items. I especially love the Japan fairs, with an area in the middle of the store, set aside for these products that are imported from specific Japan prefectures. While floor staff may not be too knowledgeable about their products, staff at the Customer Service Desk in the front when you enter are very helpful and friendly if you have questions on certain items. Hours of operation are from 7a to 8p daily. Free outside and covered parking for shoppers in their private lot. Be aware of ongoing rail construction in the area that may affect traffic routes to and from Marukai HI. Marukai HI is often a regular one-stop shop for me for Japanese and local food products and non-food merchandise. I always look forward in browsing their items, as new products are often brought in. So glad that we have a Marukai HI where I know I can get these specialized items! read more

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Marukai is a great place to buy Asian products, food, and spirits, beer, wines eg sake. Good selection and fair prices. It is a pain driving around the area on Dillingham right now due to the construction. So best time to go is mid day. We buy our mogu soju there as it seems to be the best price. The folks are friendly and helpful for finding items. read more

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