Marina Food

Across the street from me. Good and convenient. Service is okay, a bit of a language barrier though. Food is not always fresh, so always double check.

I never cared about writing a review for a supermarket unless it’s really good or ridiculously bad. Marina is the latter. Bought some tamarind drink. Apparently it’s already expired. I’m not talking about two days expired but it’s off by a year. Mine said expired in October 2015. I bought it in May 2016.

I wish I had read reviews before heading over to Marina Food. I also see that Marina Food management obviously don’t care about Unilocal reviews. Hopefully more people will read the reviews, like I hadn’t :(, and perhaps at some point the power of the people will prevail.
I had been wanting to try this market for years. I love to support local businesses and I love to go to authentic ethnic markets. When a chef friend of mine suggested I try Marina for a Japanese blade mandolin, I was excited to finally give the market a try. When I got my new mandolin home I discovered it was missing the blades. As I had made a special trip to the store, I didn’t get back for 3 weeks and I had not seen the sign on the register (not the receipt) that stated they have a 7 day return policy. Not only did they not allow me to exchange the item but the manager accused me of losing the pieces and attempting to return the mandolin. She REPEATED the accusations as we had our heated discussion over the matter, essentially accusing me of theft. I just wanted the pieces that came with it, an exchange, a store credit, something reasonable. Yet she was insinuating I was trying to pull something over on her and get $ 25 cash. The customer service was simply insulting and shocking. I wish I had read reviews and I hope that enough people find alternate markets that this company gets the point. AND sadly, small businesses treating people this way, pushes us towards big businesses with great customer service (ON that note, as they are a small company and I realize that they can’t afford to replace EVERYTHING like a big box or on-​line store can, it is even MORE important that they provide good customer service even if it’s not what the customer was hoping for – I would have left that store bummed but understanding if I had been denied a return due to their policy but with out being insulted and accused of theft.)

I’ve come here for years primarily to pick up wild fish aside from the typical types sold at the American grocery chains we’re all familiar with. In the process, I browse around for the other treats found at Asian markets.
The attitudes behind the fish counter have never been great, but the smiling faces I encountered are no longer. Either way, the curtness isn’t anything new behind the seafood counter at most Asian markets. I can’t even find a fish worth buying here anymore unless it’s swimming in the tank. These fish possess all the signs of unfresh: cloudy, sunken-​in eyes, dull scales etc. I have actually questioned my judgement once and took home some white bass only to realize I should have gone with my initial assessment.
They have a decent selection of sake and usually something nice on sale. I’ve tried picking up hot chili pepper in oil, but the only one I found with no MSG doesn’t seem to be in stock often. They no longer carry my favorite Sheng Xiang Zhen brand of hot peas. I can still get my mushroom assortment and baby bok choy though.
Marina is losing favor with me. The extra distance to Foster City’s Ranch will have to be made to complete my Asian grocery shopping expedition.

Been going here for a couple years now. Customer service isn’t the greatest, nor is the location the cleanest. But if you know what you want, prices are reasonable.

Local Asian (mostly Chinese) supermarket. While not as clean as 99 Ranch, it feels more homey… err…homie ;) Great deli, candy selection, and drink selection. The plaza is also much better than the plaza that Foster City’s 99 Ranch is in too.

I went around looking for Jicama which they did not have. None of the vegetables were reasonably priced. I was foolish enough to try the hot food just because I was there and did not want to waste my trip. I bought chowmein, orange chicken and the spicy looking chicken. It was so awful! It qualifies as the worst Chinese food I have ever had. We had to spit the chicken, or chicken like substance, out as we could not swallow it. We threw out the food and learned a lesson– don’t buy it just because it looks good.

This place has the worst customer service. I was at the meat department and there were four workers behind the counter. They ignored me for at least 30 seconds or so and I asked for help and no one bothered to help or looked up at me. I waited for a good 5−10secs before asking…“can anybody help me?” The man closest to me said…“he’s busy packing ground meat and can’t help me” then another one signaled to the third guy to help me. No response. l was disappointed with their inattentive service. I finally left the meat department and reported to the manager but I doubt there will be any change in service quality. Their lack of even a ‘just a moment’ with a smile and minimal respect towards the customer is unacceptable in this day in age. They come across as if they don’t care or even want my business, I am sure their competition does.
Bye-​bye Marina!

smaller than ranch 99 near by, but seems better… parking can be troublesome… small and mostly chinese… some korean, vietnamese and japanese groceries mixed in… produce looking decent… napa cabbage, sea salt, korean radish, green onions, garlic, fish sauce, rice starch, rough ground seedless red peppers, salty brine shrimp, sugar, apple and onion to make kimchi… beef leg bones to make some bone stock for soups… wang jjajjang is better than lot of restaurants that sell black sauce noodles… just stir fry some diced pork belly, zucchini and onion before adding the black sauce… boil noodles for 5 minutes and great jjajjang myun… marina food can cover most asian cooking needs… deli counter for chinese take-​out, fresh seafood and meat… fresh fruits outside and inside… some looking freshly picked and little rough…

I’ve had some very bad customer services experiences here. They need to learn how to treat customers with respect. Unfortunately, the customer is always WRONG at Marina.

This place is shady. We got the beef because it looked so fresh. When we got home and opened the package, we realized the meet underneath are completely different and not fresh! Wish I could share the picture here. Not gonna go there again.

The fish guys in the back need training in customer service I was standing there waiting to order fish and they passed me by 4 times and helped other people they knew I was next but ignored me I waited 15 minutes that Mexican and Chinese fish guys need customer service training i will never go there again I went to 99 ranch and those guys are great and I was out of there in 5 minutes I spent $ 75.00 in seafood marina fish guys should have a number system in place to be fair to people who don’t speak chinese

This is basically a smaller bit cheaper version of Ranch 99. Has its pros and cons, definitely smaller selection but come on who needs 10 different soy sauce brands? They have enough variety and more importantly it’s definitely cheaper than Ranch 99 if you compare identical products. The only reason this is getting three stars is cause their staff is extremely rude and unwelcoming, checking out is a sure way to ruin the mood — they always seemed annoyed with the customer, which is the WORST.

I went to find a better live for our dinner at around 5:00pm this evening. I have work in a Chinese restaurant for many years which also provide different kind of fish. When I looked at the fish tag, I saw a kind of fish which I want to buy but they didn’t show out the price. Then I wait for someone to ask for the price. After few minute, I asked a man who was around fifty years old working in the seafood department in Mandarin” I have something want to ask?” His answer make me shock. He said «Are you just asking or you are going to buy something?» And I ask him to repeat what he was saying. He repeat the same words another time. After that I told him that nothing I want to ask anymore and now I will not buy anything from here.
I want to ask the management of this store. Did the store have responsibility to show out the price for all of your product? And a customer can’t ask any question if he have not yet decide to buy your product!!! Since seafood can’t for a long time and it can cause your company a big lost if you want to keep that kind of employee.
Never come back again!!!

This is the worst place for food and service. Chinese owned and obviously if you are not Chinese you’re treated like an immigrant rat. I’m Korean and I would think Asians in general would support local businesses and have some hospitality etiquette but you get yelled at or no one speaks ENGLISH. I stood in line for some Chinese food and waited 15 minutes while a Nazi Chinese worker passed me and other non-​chinese customers while giving me a stare down to let me know she did not care about the wait. I out waited her because my curiosity was «why me?» Then suddenly the line was getting so long because other Chinese people cut the line and even workers at the Marina got food before paying customers. A Hispanic customer behind me finally yelled at the Crazy Racist Giant Chinese Cook Server on the buffet line and said a few nasty remarks. I am not getting into an argument over customer service because Unilocal,Facebook, Instagram and other virtual feeds are much more helpful then arguing over etiquette of business services.
I hope this post helps you understand that even Asian to Asian racism is very prevalent and needs to stop. Also they price gouge on all items not from China. Clorox 2 quart $ 5.99 when Target has Clorox half the price. This place is walking distance from my place so I come often for convenience but I am not going to support angry Asians who think that belittling others is best practice. Another example of cost is a non-​name toothbrush straight brush is between 5 – 8 dollars!!! I am really surprised at what this place gets away with for being absolutely rude and angry. Fortunately I am a rational individual and Unilocal my revirws.
Thank you for reading and I hope this is helpful.

Good deals and THEY HAVE RUSSIAN GROCERY’S FOR CHEAP! I haven’t found any cheap russian grocery stores since moving here and I missed home, but I found some here! grechnevaya kasha and chocolates and cookies! Also a big selection of other good stuff for cheap! :))

I like to shop at Marina Foods because the pricing is cheap and it has all the Chinese food and ingredients. It has a mediocre deli but a good variety in the meat and seafood departments. The vegetables and fruits are fresh enough but oddly they don’t stock up until later in the afternoon so going there in the morning to get things is futile. The other problem is that they have a very busy seafood department but no clear way of lining up. So people are there waiting forever on the mercy of the likes of the seafood staff and sometimes you wait there FOREVER. They should implement a take-​a-​number method. But they do offer a good variety of live seafood. They do have plenty of Chinese sauces and they offerore exotic fruits than Ranch 99 like dragon fruit and star fruit. And pricing is a tad cheaper than Ranch 99.

11 more minutes before the store closes and they wouldn’t let us in to get one thing.
This place hasn’t changed much over the past couple of years, other than renovating their deli section. This prices are average and the place is clean somewhat. However the service still sucks. The workers at the deli have a lot of attitude and the floor staff are not helpful. The employees need to have an in-​service on customer service and simple hello or smile would be nice.
I would only come here as last resort.

several days ago ve bought fish in this store
OMG so bad… horrible
smel imposible …
never never i wil to go this place again
never nobady buy in this placce fish if you think yours healthy

Compared to 99 ranch, prices are cheaper. They have a wide selection of potstickers/​goyza/​dumpings/​wontons stuffed with either chicken, beef, pork, or vegetables. Prices were great for a lb or 18 oz of frozen dumplings and such. Produce was good, although a hit or miss on some vegetables like the green onions when I went in. It was not fresh, but four for one dollar: I can see why. Prices on produce seem to be the same compared to other supermarkets. The real deals are on tofu, meats, Asian frozen items, and some fish.
I did not try the food court. Can’t give an opinion on that. However, I can say that compared to 99 ranch and Pacific Market in South SF, I have to say Pacific Market was my favorite. Also compared to both, the store is smaller and the other two stores offer more variety. That being said, I still like this store for what it has. Service was fine at register and I do check my receipts. Parking was fine here, I don’t know why people are crying about that.
Overall: great price, good selection, good service

Marina is a local Asian grocery store. I’ve been to a few around the Bay Area.
The aisles are pretty narrow. I don’t even know why they bother providing carts in this location because it’s actually quite difficult to maneuver around with carts. Try not to block the aisles.
The selection of Asian goods is ok, although there were a few items that my sister wanted (green tea soymilk) that we couldn’t find in this grocery store.
There is ample parking in the lot, at least at night there is (not sure about during the day).

Marina is a smaller version of Ranch 99 conveniently located off Hillsdale by the 101. Be aware the parking lot has some of the narrowest parking spaces with a high propensity to get your vehicle banged up. I’d play it safe and park on the street if you’re interested in keeping your car nick and dent-​free.
You can forget about organics here. Mushrooms are the extent of that. The produce is decent but sometimes, the onions in the bins are in the early stages of rot. The seafood counter is nice and fresh. Other times, the fish are dull in the eyes and the scales lose their luster completely. I will ask for one fresher in the back, but depending on who you get to help you will determine the results. I find the Hispanic guys are much nicer than the Asian guys– especially the old man with the hat that works there. That guy will blatantly ignore you and make you wait for the next guy to finish with his customer– even if you are the only customer in front of the seafood area. Some of the customers can be pretty gnarly coming in here. Grabbing fish with your bare hands is just gross.
They have spices divided into Japanese, Filipino, Asian and Hispanic which is pretty cool. They have a pretty decent sake selection and other typical goodies found in Asian markets and cool Japanese gadgets (like a touch of Daiso).
If you have a Marina card, you get credit for spending over $ 30 kind of like Ranch bucks for the hot bar area.
Yeah, Marina is good sometimes. They are inconsistent though.

The selection here is quite comparable to Ranch 99 and even cheaper in some cases. I get all sorts of fresh produce and kitchenware here for home. I think Ranch 99 has a bit larger selection of fish and seafood, but everything else is pretty much the same. The deli is also good for roast pork or duck.

Looking to do some grocery shopping I ended up coming here to Marina food to get some of the Asian specialties you won’t be able five and store such as Trader Joe’s or whole foods or even Safeway. If you’re looking for Asian specialties such as noodles, spices, even specialize seafood and meat this would be a place to go.
Are the aisles spacious and clean, not really. As a staff friendly and helpful, not really. Can you find preserved duck eggs or those befall you get in Vietnamese phở, yes and yes.
The meat and seafood is much cheaper here than at your local Safeway and they carry a larger variety. Looking for asian specialty food, this is a good place to go. If you’re looking for organic you’re better off going somewhere else.
I’ve also ordered some takeout from hot food section here. Well it’s not the best tasting food do you get a lot for what you pay. Take a look at my picture for 3 entrée combo which ended up costing eight dollars. It was enough to feed two of us and still have some food left over. Is it a great tasting meal, no. Will fill you up and be quick to pick up, yes.

I love coming to Marina food. I know it’s dated, even after their remodeling, and service can be a bit well… non existent, but sometimes, you have to take things with a «grain of salt» if you will.
One of the guys who works at their deli have been «chop-​chopping» roast duck here forever. It’s nice to see a familiar face. The Asians looks at me really weird because I give him a tip afterwards. Heck, if they only knew that I’ve been coming here for awhile, and the service this nice gentleman provides me, maybe they will too!
What I also enjoy coming here for is listening to the Taiwanese ladies speak Mandarin. The Mandarin language is music to my ears. I don’t understand it, but it sounds fantastic. Though, if I take my «Putonghua» classes again, I might be able to pick up a few and converse!
Their veggies here are not bad. I think 99 Ranch has larger selections. I also don’t buy their fruits here as it can be a hit or miss, usually a miss! LOL
Their fish here though is not bad. Always buy the ones swimming in the tank if you can. They just taste so much better, especially if you are planning on steaming it. But if you have to buy fish that are laying on ice, their catfish or tilapia is usually «priced» right. Don’t forget to tell them to clean it and cut it for you. Makes less mess in your kitchen.
Lastly, if there is one thing that I come here for, it’s usually for my «Mochi!» They always have them on sale usually around $ 2.99 each. Get the mango one if you can. It is delicious.
Parking here can be a challenge as Marina shares their lot with neighboring businesses. Don’t come shopping here for lunch during the weekdays, you’ll piss yourself off and drive away.
Until then, Cheers! ~ :p

They do have good selection of items but beware when they ring up your groceries. I have noticed many times they double some items I bought. And price wasn’t as they advertised. I did confront the cashier, not only they pushes one person to another, and they made me wait forever, it just wastes my time. The cashiers were like zombies. It just makes me feels like they don’t care and they are rude. Just watch out when u shop there. It makes asians looks bad, shame on you!
Make sure to WATCH them at check out and DO CHECK your receipt!

I’m addicted to dumplings and dim sum. To satisfy my cravings at odd hours of the day, I have to rely on restaurants being open late at night. Many nights, tears of addiction were shed when no one around town was willing to serve me dumplings.
But then I found Marina — specifically, the aisle filled with dumplings and frozen dim sum. Now, I rely on no one. I am my own supplier. I AM THE ONE WHO KNOCKS when I crave dumplings.

Not much to say, but expired food basically means 0 star!
Found a whole lot of «Thousand yr eggs,» those Chinese black eyes expired on the shelves. The product says ²⁄₂₈ expiration date, and today is ⁴⁄₂₀! This means the workers and inventory people don’t check or do their jobs properly. 2 months due and it’s still on the shelves.
YIKES! byebye