Uwajimaya

This market is huge and amazing. So much to see, so much to buy. Live seafood, all types of Asian food, and gifts. This place is a must see.

The «Whole Foods» of Asian markets: spacious, clean, well-​stocked, well-curated…which also means… well-​equipped to burn a hole in one’s wallet. Most of the categories are as expected for a supermarket, with the following that deserve honorable and not-​so-​honorable mention.
PRODUCE: There is one thing that veggies specific to asian dishes and veggies used in all cuisines (those social butterflies) have in common here– FRESH! You can always count on Uwajimaya’s selection. Btw, I once picked up a garlic bulb a size of a –going along with the cultural theme– badminton ball! Being a garlic lover, it was love at first sight.
MEAT: Your source of thinly sliced shabu-​shabu meat, which also comes in handy for quick stir-​fry dishes. Yum!
BEER/​WINE: An entire aisle with asian goods (ex. sake) to wine, moderate selection of beer
ASIAN SNACKS: Wow-​weeee! For a good part of my life, I grew up in Asia with access to the utopia of Taiwanese and Japanese treats– find them here! It’s the aisle that makes my heart sing and my waistline weep.
«WESTERN» GROCERIES: If there were a sad place in this supermarket, this would be it. Understandably so, since this is not where people go for western groceries. However, it would be nice to have a wider selection of pantry items so that a grocery run can be completed within one location– now I’m just being greedy!
FOOD COURT: There is a non-​authentic fusion asian food buffet akin to panda express, which I was a little disappointed by. Shilla Korean restaurant was also a letdown with bland food upon an initial encounter (perhaps it deserves a second chance). Then there’s a build-​your-​own stir-​fried noodle place that I would probably give 2.5 stars to. It’s a quick bite and the sauces make the meat and noodles quite flavorful (you can choose teriyaki, ginger, and other flavors), but the noodles can occasionally have globs and chunks. There is a crepery and a vietnamese booth that I look forward to trying the next time I make a grocery run with a rumbling stomach.

Great shopping experience and always fresh, delicious seafood!

A very well stocked Japanese grocery that also includes products from other Asian countries. We were impressed that we were able to buy some of our favorite Filipino sweets here. We brought Ube Biko and Puto cheese treat. They were the best commercial ones that we ever tasted. But the one item that really elevated this store to 5 stars was the Ube cheese cake. We had never seen one or taste one before. So we had to buy the large cake instead of the individual size to eat at our hotel with coffee. It tasted even better than it looked. We really tasted both the Ube and cream cheese. Since we brought more that we could eat, we shared the cake with the two hotel front desk staffers which happened to be Filipino. They had never had Ube cheese cake before and they loved it. We wish we can take two or three of this amazing cheese cake with us back to Texas.

If heaven was a place on earth it would be Uwajimaya.
I could spend all day talking myself out of buying maneki neko tea boxes and frog shaped egg pans while deciding what kind of rice seasoning to get.
Uwajimaya, you have my heart.

This place would’ve gotten 3 stars but +1 because they also have an Elleno’s pop up here! YAS. Avoid the craziness of Pike Place Market and get your Elleno’s fix while you shop for Asian groceries.
Anyway, I really only come here because it’s convenient. I think things are generally overpriced, but again, it’s easier for me to stop by here than other Asian markets.
I appreciate the wide variety of Asian snacks and ingredients you can find here like noodles, ramens, kimchi, Japanese pickled ginger, gyoza, seaweed, korean side dishes, and pan de sal/​Asian baked goods!
Parking is validated and free only if you spend a certain amount at the store. (I believe 2 hours if you spend $ 20?)

Love this market. They have an huge selection of asian groceries, have an Ellenos yogurt onsite, a sizeable home goods section (where they sell Mac knives) and they’re attached to the Kinokuniya bookstore.
Parking is free for an hour with $ 7.50 purchase, free for 2 hours with $ 15 purchase, after which each additional hour is $ 7.50.

The only notable spot worth checking out in the Chinatown/​International district. Enter and you will find a long row of Asian cuisine booths leading up to a bookstore (must visit!). There is also an Elleno’s inside. Try the delicious yogurt! And there is of course a bunch of Asian snacks and groceries available. Overall, a spot worth coming to.

It’s truly a nice supermarket with a good selection of Chinese and Japanese food. The big Japanese supermarket in New Jersey only sells Japanese but this one sells everything because there is no good Chinese supermarket in Seattle.
The only complaint I have is that the Japanese snacks and food are much more expensive than those I bought from Japan. I used to stay in Japan and realized the sushi bento box in supermarket only cost $ 2 with high quality in Tokyo. Here in US it costs $ 10-​$ 15 for a good box.

Love love LOVE uwajimaya!!!
Has a bountiful diverse selection of Asian groceries and goodies.
Attached to the grocery shop is a great mini food court. The food court has some really savory and authentic dishes.
Uwajimaya is my go to place whenever I’m back home or showing my friends around.

It’s right across the street from where I work, which makes it dangerous but also great if I need to pick up a few things. But in general, this place can be too pricey to get a lot of groceries beyond a few items.
I love that this is a locally-​family owned store. They have some decent vendors like Bearded Papas and Hood Famous Bake Shop.
I have a lot of community pride in this store but giving it 3 stars for it sticker price!

I mostly perused the kitchenware and home goods as I live in a Southern Californian Japanese enclave and have no need to bring perishables back home. So.many.things I haven’t seen in the LA J-​Town or South Bay. But be warned some things are triple the Amazon price so keep an eye on price comparing before you pay. Even with that, I ended up spending almost $ 100 on items I can’t get at home or on Amazon.

As an Asian American, I find it disgraceful to witness Uwajimaya (ownership, staff, and security) racial profiling those of an African American ethnicity. Shame on you! Racism is degrading emotionally to even the people who have to hear and live around racism.

Customer service is arguably more important than the products sold.
Uwajimaya grocery store has forgotten about the human element of business ownership. I am disturbed by the recent actions of Uwajimaya’s store security who not only detained but assaulted an African American shopper merely on the grounds of suspicion– racial profiling at it’s worst.
Let me be clear, this customer was not stealing. An apology was later offered but this is simply not acceptable. It is disappointing to learn that businesses of this size have not taken the time or effort to properly educate their staff on appropriate practices. It is never okay to physically harm shoppers you wish to question! Staff involved should not only be fired, but all-​employee education should be implemented.
I urge shoppers to consider visiting other grocery stores and avoid a business that clearly has no regard for other minority shoppers. Let’s stand together to fight prejudice in our communities.

You know that feeling you get when you get super excited and your stomach flutters? That’s how I feel when I come here. It’s not just a grocery store, but it has a bookstore, a beauty section, gift shop, and food court!
If you spend $ 7, the first hour of parking is validated for. If you spend $ 15, two hours is validated for. We stopped here before heading to the airport because they have a section of prepared foods including but not limited to: nigiri, bento boxes, sashimi, Japanese pastries, kimchi, sandwiches, you name it! The meat section (pork, chicken, beef) is lacking, but the seafood section is impressive.
The entire store is organized and very clean. I’m not sure if I’d shop here often as a Seattle resident, but Uwajimaya is a pretty fun place to go to!

Uwajimaya is a huge Asian supermarket with a large food court, gift shops, and a bookstore. The grocery store is similar to Mitsuwa and Ranch 99. They carry products (snacks, drinks, food, toys, and etc.) from many different countries including Japan, Korea, China, and more. They have a relatively large deli with fresh meat, seafood, and to-​go sushi. The food court also had food from different countries. There’s Vietnamese food, Thai food, Japanese food, Hawaiian food, Chinese food, and more. The gift shops has beauty products, kitchenware, gadgets, and tons of other things.
I wouldn’t say this is a must-​go spot in Seattle but you can find some great Asian goodies here!

This place is too overprice plus you have to find a place to park without getting charge for everything is expensive in there

When I heard the name, Uwajimaya, from my friend at the first time, I couldn’t connect this name with a supermarket. But after I went there, I found it is really different from other normal markets.
Uwajimaya is located in Chinatown. Its area is huge. If you go
there, you will see a statue with Chinese characteristics beside the exit. It looks like a huge traditional lantern.
The first reason why I think Uwajimaya is different is because it almost has every kind of Asian food, from Chinese to Japanese to Korean to Thai. There are over 35,000 square feet of Asian food products from different countries. I had already bought a lot of snacks and each kind of snacks are very delicious. The seafood selection is amazing, too. You can see various kinds of seafood and some of them have strange shapes and color that you might not even know they are fish or not. You always can find something new and interesting to try.
Secondly, if you feel tired or hungry, the small food section can provide some chairs that you can sit and the delicious food you can eat such like chao mian, mi xian, dim sum and so on.

Finally, parking here is convenient. You don’t need to worry that there is no place to park.
Uwajimaya is the best Asian market around, a fun place to kill the time, a must-​see destination for the Asians who miss the food from their hometown.

As I enjoyed their location at Bellevue, I had to stop here and make a comparison. Parking situation a little challenging but not overly terrible. The convenient option was to street park. The offerings here are as exactly the same as Bellevue’s, but for some reason it seemed more gloomy. It could be the lighting. One thing that did like was the price on my favorite beer. It was significantly lower than at Bellevue. I’m a fan of Uwajimaya and we definitely need more locations especially in California.

The collection of markets known as Uwajimaya bring out a sentimental feeling. There are many stalls selling all kinds of Asian-​inspired food, some Korean, some Chinese, some Japanese and even Hawaiian. Then, at the end of the hall, is a Japanese bookstore and an all-​encompassing Asian fusion supermarket. Aisles upon aisle are there. Their selections of things they make is huge and definetly good for school field trip lunches or quick bites at work.
This was something I had read about. I was pleased to be sufficiently near it. This is just fun and culturally enriching. It is a well executed concept and I hope to further explore Uwajimaya in the future.
We need many more of these places to make the world go round.

Super fun place to kill time and convenient (not free) parking right outside! With a purchase of $ 15 or more you get two hours of free parking!
This place is a cave of wonder! It’s like the whole foods of Asian markets! They have EVERYTHING! From blood oranges to dried anchovies in a bag, you name it… They have it.
There is also a really fun section of the store (in front of the cash registers) that is full of super fun things like bowls, clocks, and even beauty supplies! Super fun time killer! Make sure you grab a cart though, with their selection you are bound to find something you want!
Their meat selection was incredible with tons of different beautiful cuts of meat, poultry and fish. They even have live crab and lobsters cooped up in glass tanks with stickers that say go Seahawks. (I’m sure that’s exactly what they are saying)
The only thing this place was missing was customer service, no one engaged us and when I asked a question, I got a very short answer.
Oh well! Fun adventure!
Ps… They have Ellenos yogurt! Mmmmmmmmm

If you have not stopped into Uwajimaya, what are you waiting for? I could literally spend hours in here perusing the aisles and sampling all the delicious offerings.
Uwajimaya is the perfect place to stop if you’re looking to pick up an already prepared meal to-​go. They have every kind of Asian food under the sun, from Thai to Korean to Chinese to Japanese. The udon from the Japanese food stall in particular is superb.
If you’re in the mood for something sweet, look no further! They have a Unicone Crepes with all types of yummy crêpe concoctions, a Beard Papa with tons of sweet puff pastries, and even a newly-​added case with Ellenos Real Greek Yogurt! There are options for everybody here!
Of course, their grocery section cannot be beat. Their seafood is amazing – we love picking up ultra-​fresh squid, fish, shrimp, and shellfish from their seafood section! And, if you are looking for a hard-​to-​find Asian ingredient, chances are, Uwajimaya has it.
In addition to having an unparalleled Asian food and grocery selection, there is a large bookstore with plenty of Asian-​language books and comics located inside Uwajimaya, if that’s your thing. At the front of the store, there are also a lot of fun cooking utensils and knick-​knacks to browse. Everything is reasonably priced to boot!
Next time you’re in the Central/​International District, Uwajimaya needs to be on your list of places to stop into!

This is my holy grail grocery store, and now I live just minutes away. This has been my dream since childhood, so I am one happy camper! I lived in Japan in high school and college, so I learned to cook a lot of traditional Japanese food, and this is where I come to stock up.
I love the variety Uwaji’s has, especially when it comes to produce and meat — can’t beat their selection! And of course if you need pretty much anything to cook Japanese food, it’s gonna be here, in addition to other East and South Asian delicacies. The produce prices are really reasonable considering how much is available for purchase — where else are you going to find persimmons, Buddha’s Hand citrons, and daikon, among others? And their butcher can’t be beat for specialty meat cuts for sukiyaki, shabu shabu, and barbecue.
Their prepared foods are also solid bets for nights when you don’t feel like cooking (as is the food court)! I’ve also picked up some great desserts and side dishes for parties when I was short on time.
Stay away from American/​European stuff — you’re better off purchasing that from a traditional Western grocery store. Come here for the stuff you can’t find elsewhere!
The best part of this location is that it has a large gift/​home section, so if you need chopsticks, a rice cooker, or cooking items specific to Asian food (sukiyaki pan, takoyaki machine, etc.), you’ll find it here. And the food court and Kinokuniya bookstore make this a one stop shop for anything you need!
My only gripe with this location is the parking lot — it can be a little harrowing at times. If you come on an off day/​time, this usually isn’t an issue! Just make sure to be extra careful/​slow when pulling in and out of spots!
Uwaji’s, I love you. You make my homesickness for Japan a little more bearable!

Stopped by the Uwajimaya in Intl. District while waiting for a friend. I was a little worried because I’d never been in there before, but was secretly glad I had a reason to stop in because I’ve alwaysss wanted to explore.
I’m not sure if it’s like this at each location, but I like how this one has a food court! They have lots of food options to choose from and everything smelled bomb. I had to fight myself and make sure I didn’t end up «accidentally» picking up some sushi or some phở. Mmm.
They also have a little book store with lots of different gifts and such, but I thought it was weird that they didn’t have seating… In a bookstore…
I walked around the entirety of the grocery store too, and found lots of cool products. They have some American stuff here, but of course, being an Asian market, it’s mostly Asian products. There’s a lot of stuff that looked really good and really interesting, and their candy selection is insane… Tried to find matcha Kit Kats and couldn’t find any, sadly. :(
Seeing how I’m white as they come, being in here is a little overwhelming because some shit I just could not read (obviously) and I couldn’t figure out what some things were. Oh well. Stores like this aren’t for white people so I’m not sure why I’m shocked that there are some things I couldn’t read LOL.
I want to go to the one near my home in Renton to do a little bit more exploring and maybe pick up a few things to try! I think it’d be worth it.
P. S. They do cash back!

The grand daddy of all Japanese grocery stores, if not the main Japanese grocery stores that we have here in the Seattle. It is on the more expensive side of the Asian market, but Japan is one of the most expensive places in the world so I assume their products shouldn’t be cheap either. It’s a pleasant experience shopping here with a book store full of other goodies, a couple restaurants instead for a quick bit, and clean aisles with a lot of variety that you won’t find in your typical Safeway or QFC. All the produce and meat are probably the freshest quality I’ve every seen in any market. It’s an experience, a culture experience shopping here. There’s a huge parking lot in case you are having difficulties finding parking, keep your receipt because if you spend a certain amount, your parking is validated.
Tell me how your experience here was if you’ve been here or is going to after reading this review:)

Uwajimaya is a huge Asian grocery store located in the International District. My friend and I came through to grab some ingredients for dinner, but primarily to cop the AMAZING ube cheesecake by Hood Famous Bakery. I was actually just visiting for the weekend and got 2 of those bad boys to bring back to the Bay Area for my family to try. The grocery store also featured a small bookstore with a ton of books and manga as well as neat little toys and trinkets. In true Seattle fashion, the store also had a small section with Seahawk memorabilia.

Uwajimaya = yes
I come here at least twice a month. It is certainly a staple in my monthly routine. I like the Seattle location better than the Bellevue location only because Kinokuniya is smack dab in the middle of the grocery store.
Food and kitchen stuff can be a bit expensive but being that most of it is imported, you know why. A good deal of the snacks and candies have English written on them (whether in the aisle or on a new tag slapped to the back) so you’ll at least know what it is if you’re not familiar with it. Take your time and explore new things if you’re not familiar with Japanese culture or food. I always buy something I’ve never had each time I come in despite me growing up around asian culture.
If you get food or buy anything at the stores (inside the mall), you can get your parking validated for a few hours so you don’t have to pay. Parking can be chaotic during the weekends so there’s a low chance you won’t be able to find a spot for your car at all to take advantage of this deal. Regardless, there’s (paid) street parking all around the vicinity.
I’ve tried about every restaurant’s food in the food court and never had any problems nor got sick. I fancy the Korean food joint only because the owner is very charismatic, helpful (as in, taught me about which kimchi to mix with other things), and very down to Earth.

I love this uwajimaya! Free parking if you validate it here, a small eating area in the back corner, a bookstore with lots of cute knick-​knacks to fulfill the cute Asian within you, a corner full of chocolates and candies, matcha for days, and of course… an ELLENOS GREEK YOGURT STAND *quivers*.
Some of my favorite purchases here BESIDES ELLENOS GREEK YOGURT are the li hing gummy worms by the candies/​chocolate, and the cranberry black tea bags in the tea aisle.
I like coming here to use their parking garage when I go eat at boiling point, and then I stroll around uwajimaya while waiting for our number to be called. A nice way to spend a weekend afternoon.

When I first walked in, all I saw were eateries in a food court. I thought «oh gee, is this it?!» I walked further in and boy, was I wrong. It’s a full on Asian food market with things for the kitchen and books and magazines. There’s even a butcher, fish monger, and something else but I’m too overwhelmed by everything to remember currently.
Vegetables and meats looked very fresh. The fish were swimming so you just go there and point to your dinner. Incredible.
I definitely don’t know if I’d eat at the food court but I’d definitely shop there if I lived in Seattle.

The best Asian market around, parking is convenient for something that’s located in international district. They have a huge variety of Asian food and snacks. Their produce selection is vast and fresh along with their meat department.
They also carry seasonal Asian holiday merchandise and food wether if it lunar new year, moon festival, etc. They also sell good quality Asian pots and pans next to the hello kitty merchandises.

This place is huge and the selection is top notch. They also offer a giftshop which is a fun place to explore, optical, cosmetics and much more. There is also a big Kinokuniya, the Japanese bookstore.
Pro tip — it’s always busy because it’s awesome, be prepared for crowds. In addition to food goodness they have an excellent selection of other items, like chopsticks and bowls and other cool stuff. Also, there is an Asian «food court» with lots of quick food options. There is a Beard Papa Stand (the famous Tokyo cream puffs), heaven! Always good for quick and cheap and tasty Asian food. A great place to shop!
There is parking there; when you drive in, you get a parking ticket and as you check out with your items, the cashier will validate your parking ticket so that your parking is free (free parking if you spend over $ 10.00).
Five minutes from downtown Seattle and walking distance to Safeco Field and Century Link Field. Even if you do not plan to purchase anything, it is worth taking a stroll through. This is a Seattle hidden jem.
A Great Place To Shop, Eat Or Just Browse.

The only reason we stopped in here because I am Asian and I need my scrubby cloth! And if you are Asian, you know what the heck I am talking about. I thought I packed the Almighty Nylon scrubby that keeps Asian skin glowing like a nuclear radioactive reactor but unfortunately I forgot to pack it for our trip out to Washington from Hawaii — and a regular wash cloth will not do!
This store totally reminds me of a place in Hawaii called «Marukai» — an Asian bulk warehouse with retail prices.
If I knew there was a location in Renton we would have went there, but instead, went here (we also wanted to hit up Ikea). It appeared after hours as the «Chinatown» this was located was a bit empty and bare. Confusing as to where to park and street signs were even more confusing. Do you have to pay for street parking or not? I went to college, and I STILL couldn’t figure it out so we just left the car on the side of the street and went shopping. Come to find out, you still need to pay for street parking after hours.
Because of the uncertainty of whether I had to pay for parking or not coupled with the fact that I had to pee really speeded things up in the store. Even taking the pics of Uwajimaya was an act in concentration!
Speaking of bathrooms, the nearest stall was a long ways off in the café area. WAIT what! Get the Code! You can’t use it without the CODE. Oh geeze. Walking around and around trying to find someone who knows the CODE. Sheesh.
I did end up buying The Scrubby Cloth. I also bought some Japanese yogurt drink for my son and looked at my credit card charge online after the fact… a little over $ 13…hmmm. Guess we pay for convenience.
Funny thing, I found the real Scrubby in my suitcase upon landing home. Oh well, the hunt was half the fun!