There’s a new Asian market in town and this one is right by my office. The University Place location is not the Japanese market’s first in the city, but it’s the first one I’ve been to.
While they have different origins (Korea vs. Japan) I can’t help but compare it to H Mart and noticed that this store felt way more spread out. The price of those wide aisles is fewer products (not as many SKUs) since they’re not cramming everything in there. However, the items they have are great. It feels more grab-and-go essentials, like an Asian 7-11 is often described to me, and I certainly grabbed.
In addition to a frozen section and pantry aisles, there’s a matcha bar (with soft serve) and a very nice selection of prepared foods – lots of fresh fruit, mochi, and bento boxes. (The Japanese hot dog looks yummy.) And if you want to catch some of those viral goodies (fruit sandos, that mango ice cream on a stick, or even labubus), they’ve got you.
I happened to walk by the day it opened and got chips, cookies, red bean cakes, ttoekbokki, and more. And then I immediately went back the following week to pick up sushi for lunch. I’m wary of pre-prepared and/or inexpensive sushi, but I could immediately tell the quality was there. I got a 6-piece tuna and salmon nigiri set ($13) and a kani roll ($8). It was delicious (none of that hard refrigerated rice nonsense) and had a great fish:rice ratio. I have a feeling I’ll be getting it weekly.
Peaches to Apples 