J-Town

I love walking around J-​Town. The food court inside the main building (joining the grocery store) sells authentic Japanese food for a fair price. I only wish there were more stores to get lost in!

Their Japanese style cakes are the best cake I ever had in Toronto
I found some French pastries are overpriced and too sweet, but this place has the best ratio for sugar and cream
They close pretty early, and their cakes sell very well so come early if u want to buy the popular one
The snacks section is pretty tiny– I prefer T&T for snacks

Somewhat difficult to explain, but J-​Town is a cluster of small businesses on the ground floor of 2 – 3 commercial buildings. The main portion of J-​Town would be the grocery store flanked with a couple of food stalls, with seating, on either side.
In between the buildings, there is a small ‘courtyard’ area. There’s no directory, but then again, it’s not really needed ’cause there aren’t that many businesses here.
J-​Town By The Sea, which is also a food stall, sells sashimi grade fish. Other than that, I can imagine that most things at the grocery store can be found in other larger Asian grocery stores.

When I first found out about J-​Town, I was literally here every weekend.
J-​Town is hands down the one and only place where you get a real, authentic Japanese feel. The foods/​restaurants all around are super delish, no complaints. Be sure to try the katsu/​curry combo, or the Father’s meal directly inside the main building! You won’t regret it!
The main building is split in 3 different sections. There’s a section with fresh seafoods and meats, which are ridiculously pricey, and if they are actually imported from Japan … I wouldn’t actually know. The quality of the meats and seafoods look top notch though, so I guess that’s a plus?
The next section is the bakery and grocery area. Now this is usually what I come to J-​Town for. The bakery and sweets they offer are to die for, and look and even taste like they were made with the utmost of delicacy. I find they might not be as super sweet as Chinese bakery goods, but just as good!
The next section is a sit down eating area. They have a little food stall there, I can’t seem to remember the name though. You just order up front, they give you a number and they deliver your freshly cooked food to your table. So be sure to have your number (which is on a plank of wood) visible enough so it’ll be easier for the waiter/​ress to find you!
All in all, J-​Town is a definite place to check out if you’re ever in the area!
My one issue with J-​Town though, is it isn’t big enough! I wish our J-​Town could be as immense as California seems to have, or even like the K-​Town we have here. J-​Town could offer SOOOOOO much more and then some.
TIP: Be sure to have some moolah on you, J-​Town isn’t the cheapest. And, I don’t know if they’re still there. But there were these 2 guys standing outside making fresh takoyaki, which is a puff pastry made in a waffle cast iron with a piece of octopus inside. It was hands down THEE best takoyaki I have ever had in my life. Absolutely worth a try!

If you’re looking for Japanese ingredients or basic Japanese household goods you may well find them here, but the selection is not that broad and the place somewhat under delivers but it does what it does well enough. I would not make a detour to visit but if you’re in the area it’s worth a stop.

This one of those hidden gems. A small Japanese themed shopping mall with Japanese themed foods, goods, and cafes. This is a great place to visit during a rainy day. Prices here are very reasonable and if you have a sweet tooth, the baked goods are a perfect cure for that. You can also enjoy the foods of several cafes here and experience Japanese fried chicken, ramen noodles, sushi, and a great selection of snacks. My only complaint? I wish it were a little larger, but definitely a fun place to visit and yes it is worthy of a 2^nd visit!

Much smaller than I thought. But this place has a really warm welcoming vibe.
Those dishes and treats on the counter didn’t really attract me, so I Went to the café and ordered mushroom pasta.
Well, not bad but nothing special. The pasta is kind of hard, I prefer it boiling longer. The sauce is creamy, but salty. What disappoint me is that the flavor just stop at «salty». Nothing impressive.
Their salad is good though. Really fresh.

It’s not as big as many of the Japanese enclaves down in the state, but hey what do you expect when our Japanese population in the GTA isn’t that big?
I’ve been down to many of the Japanese places down in LA, SF, NYC, etc. J-​Town provides a good sampling for what it’s worth. You have a beauty store, an animé/​DVD store, a Japanese supermarket, a seafood store, a sushi store, a ramen place, a katsu place, and an izakaya restaurant. There are also various sit down tables inside J-​Town if you decide to order lunch specials in the main building.
Everyone inside is very attentive and speak excellent English. I mean, they have to; how many Torontonians actually speak Japanese after all? A few places also charge no taxes; the Heisei Mart being one of them.
The place may be up in Markham, but if you’ve never been down to the states and want something close to a true Japanese community experience… this is the closest you’ll get.

Toronto has its own little Tokyo in Markham
Its a series of independent owned shops serving up food, fresh sushi grade fish, Wagu beef and other specialty items
Ok so its not the Akhibara for electronics those shops are up the street BUTit is the mecca for the best in japanese food
I was also able to purchase some kitchen items (yes they have a pickle press and wonderful Bento boxes) as well as a great assortment of Japanese magazines and books.
I swear they must have 12 different Togarashi condiments to choose from
I suggest you time your visit so that you are hungry enough to have a sit down take out meal and grab some bakery items for the ride home.
The green tea cakes shaped like crabs are a must.
Also the pricing is reasonable and the Miso soup packages are cheaper than the other asian stores
The only thing missing from the real deal in Tokyo is you wont get run over in the fish market by the crazy Tsikiji fork lift truck drivers, you wont be ordering your ramen noodles from a vending machine and no irasshaimase greeting by kimono clad ladies
Its a great shopping experience and is spread across a few buildings and the owners are super friendly

Quaint little shopping experience adjoining rooms that leads from one food wonderment to the next.
1. There’s ready to eat sushi and a fresh fish market, hmm :) uni and hamachi heaven. Lots of made to order hot meals with miso soup combos.
2. A butcher with the best organic chickens, Wagyus and local meats. Got a few grass fed on a few occasions not always available but the wagyu is melt in your mouth delicious. They also offer great lunch take out combos and the portions are big.
3. Huge selection of grocery @ home Jap Chef –exception, not many perishable vegetable or fruit but there are usually the japanese staples eg. daikon, cabbage, carrots, perilla leaves etc.
4. On site Japanese Bakery Nakamura, All their cake are delicately sweetened. I always get cakes here for my mommy and aunties. They all prefer cakes that are not overpoweringly sweet.
5. Café Green Tea for made to order food. Which is just okay, wish they would change their menu up though, it’s been the same dishes for the past few years. Usually get the curry chicken katsu on rice.
I almost forgot there’s a tiny corner for japanese knick knacks and kitchen utensils. Pretty cute.
Across from here is also a string of café’s and restaurants which has their own Unilocal page so I’ll leave it alone.

I remember when my mom first found this place (8 years ago+?) It was my favourite place. I loved all the Japanese candies and everything about J-​Town. I just enjoy walking around looking at everything. It’s always neat and tide, which is great. From fresh veggies, to ramen to candies and snacks.
Probably my favourite thing (besides the candies) is the cake. The Tofu cheesecake is to die for. It’s light, creamy and nothing like tofu. You can feel less guilty about eating it too! Their mont blanc (chestnut cake) is also very tasty. I believe that all the bakery items are all made at the bakery. *could be wrong. The buns and breads are so cute, they have turtles, pandas buns filled with some sort of custard/​filling.
The best part about all their bakery items are that they aren’t overly sweet and everything tastes fresh.
The only negative comment I have is the premade food just sits there until someone buys its. Occasional, I’ll grab something like a corn croquette and I can tell its been sitting there for awhile — its soggy and cold.

JTown is an uptown gem that not too many people frequent. They have the best french bread at the bakery and I’ve tried mostly all the popular bakeries in Toronto. They have Onigiri for super cheap, only $ 1.50 tax-​in, also a butcher with premium meat and a great café of sorts on the other end.

This place is miniscule. It’s basically this: golf shop, eatery (ramen and bubble tea type of stuff), cosmetics, overpriced supermarket, butcher, prepared foods, bakery, sushi. From the name «shopping center» I was expecting a bigger complex. We drove out of our way to come here.
1. Cosmetics store: overpriced, you can find most brands for cheaper at other places like hmart, t&t or order online. There’s a spa at the back, and they also sell magazines and DVDs and offer delivery/​courier services.
2. Bakery: unsanitary. They ask you to pick up things with a thong and put them on trays, but the trays are all dirty, and most pastries don’t have paper underneath. Other Asian bakeries that I’ve been to that also do the tray system keep their trays clean. When I asked for a paper bag so I could put my pastry straight in it, the girl pointed at the dirty trays. Oh and the pastry I got (éclair) was very stale
3. Prepared foods section: the katsu and other croquettes are stale and overpriced. There was one older white woman buying a dozen of croquettes so I assumed they were good! At 2.5 to 3 $ a patty, they were mediocre at best.
3. Groceries: everything was more expensive than at t&t and other Asian stores except for a particular brand of candy
2/​5, see me after class

Have been coming here for ages. It’s changed quite a bit over the years, but is now a pretty good place that has a variety of shops. If you’re in need of authentic Japanese stuff (mainly good), Japan Town is where to go.
Heisei — The prices seem a little higher than necessary. I recently came back from a long term stay in Japan where I went to the grocery store often and noticed the very significant differences in price.
FaMu — Shop here for some great meats. They also have their items packaged, which come in handy on those nights that you don’t feel like cooking. FaMu also serves daily lunch specials.
¥100 Shop — A lot of good finds here. I often buy their clear plastic folders for work. Their Tupperware comes in handy as well.
I could go on, but these three shops are where I go to the most.
Good for: Japanese goods

J-​town is a hidden gem! I love this place to pieces, their prices are moderate, and best of all they carry Japanese snacks! All the green tea snacks! Although they are pricey compare to those you would buy in Hong Kong due tot he duty and shipping. But its worth it if you love Japanese snacks! I always get the curry rice. Its soooooo good!
Also they close Mondays! So make you don’t wander in there to avoid disappointment.

J-​Town is a hidden gem on the edge of Markham and Scarborough. I have lived in Markham most of my life… it was this mystery spot to me and although I knew its location, I never ventured out… Until now — cue singing angels.
It’s tiny, but so much to discover… Definitely come here for the food tho.
I was in the market, browsing while waiting for my friends to arrive for our lunch at Izakaya Ju. I had to refrain from buying anything… Everything was sooo enticing! All the bento boxes, desserts, fresh sashimi… They have blue fin tuna and wagyu beef — I WANT THEM!
If you don’t like line ups or big crowds (ie. Guu and Pacific Mall), J-​Town is a nice relaxing place to hang out, do a bit of shopping and have lunch/​dessert or spend some serious cash on wagyu or blue fin. Plus there’s lots of parking!

J-​Town used to be a small store run by a few Japanese, yes, a store, not the speciality food store complex you see today.
Now not only you can get all the Japanese groceries for your everyday cooking needs, but they also have a bakery (from loaves of bread to some greatest Japanese cheese cake), a small diner (which serves Japanese dishes of course), a butcher (fine fine meats and unique Japanese style cuts of meat), a seafood store (great selection of FRESH seafood), a bookstore /​videostore, a hair salon, a beauty store…
I am surprised to found that this place is still not known by most asian who lives in the area.
I guess it has to do with the fact that it’s not facing the street, sorta hiding in a bunch of office buildings.

A recent visit here with a group of old school friends for a casual lunch gathering. I liked that you have so many choices when you eat at Jtown, you can either order from Café Green Tea (which serves home style Japanese food), or buy bento and sushi/​sashimi from the other parts of the grocery store.
We were here after lunch. Some of us ordered curry chicken rice and omelette rice and others got sushi and chirashi from the fish house. The sushi wasn’t as cheap as Chinese grocery stores but you are really paying for the quality and the freshness. The lady at cash offered soup and because it was after lunch hours, she gave us more than one for free. The soup was very flavourful and you can see bits if salmon in the broth.
After lunch we got some cakes from the bakery. Their cheesecake and green tea mouse cake has always been my faves.

Today’s trip made me realize how much I miss coming to this store. For Japanese food ingredients this place has no rival in Canada. One has to look south to find a more dedicated Japanese grocery store (Mitsuwa).
Sure there are other stores that carry Japanese items but those are relegated to an aisle or two worth of goods.
The place gives me a feeling of Zen as everything is so calm and nothing seems out of place. Want some Okake there is a wall full of those. Need that impossible to find seaweed base for the soup sure they carry that. Looking for ultra premium rice they carry that as well (alas I need to learn how to cook and appreciate them the right way as I let my rice cooker handle the rice).
Other somewhat hard to find items are Japanese chocolates and knick knacks.
This is by no means a discount store it specialises in one region of cuisine and does it well.
I would say its worthwhile for me to trek all the way up to Markham from downtown.
Given where we are there is no better store for all things Japanese.

I love visiting J-​Town!
Hey I love anything that is Japanese and here is as Authentic Japanese one can get!
I can spend a whole day eating here and I will be so happy
Café Green Tea
— Best and reasonably priced Udon I have till now
Izakaya Ju
— Maybe not as good as Guu… but hey I don’t have to line up for 2 hours in order to eat here and they have lunch specials!
Bakery Nakamura
— Japanese infused Western pastries. Best suit for Asian taste with less sugarless and taste is more subtle
Niwatei
— Ramen Ramen!
Shiso Tree Café
— Enjoy a cup of tea and chit chat with your friends!
Shopping
— Japanese beauty products
— grocery
— meat
— raw fish!
— DVD and Japanese comic/​magazines
— boutique
Unfortunately nothing open on Mondays my day off. so I guess I cannot really spend a whole day here!