Just Hungry

(Updated October 2009)

This page lists stores in New York, North New Jersey and Connecticut - the NYC Tristate area, plus upstate New York. South NJ area stores are listed on the main USA page.

General New York area notes: The Japanese-American population of the area is quite small, but there is a fairly big expat commmunity. The main areas where they live are in some suburbs of Westchester and Northen New Jersey, in lower Manhattan around the East Village, and near Columbia University. (There used to be a fairly big expat community in Queens around Flushing, but no longer.)

I’ve also included some bakeries and takeout places (since this is New York after all) and bookstores.

Also see this post which reviews some NYC area groceries.

Note: The stores that I (Maki) have personally visited and recommend are bolded.

Is your favorite grocery store missing? Leave the details in the comments! (Once the info in a comment is incorporated into the main article, the comment will be deleted.)

Statewide chains

Banzai 99 Cent Store

English web site

An Asian dollar store modelled after 100 yen shops in Japan. Several stores around the state, mostly at the moment in Queens.

Beard Papa

English web site

Actually nationwide at this point. A Japanese cream puff (shuu kureemu) chain. 4 locations in the NYC area.

H Mart

English/Korean web site

There are several branches of this nationwide Korean grocery store in the New York-New Jersey area. Listings on their web site.

New York City

Brooklyn

(work in progress…)

Bronx

No Japanese stores in the Bronx that I know of. Try Manhattan or Westchester.

Manhattan

Manhattan eating tip: Japanese restaurants abound in the Midtown area around 41st street up to about 55th Street, in all price ranges. Look for the lunch specials aimed lure in the Japanese businessmen who work in the area. There is also a fairly concentrated Japanese expat population (mostly students and other young people) around Columbia University and the East Village. You’ll find Japanese bookstores and hair salons and the like besides grocery stores and restaurants.

Asahiya Bookstore

360 Madison Ave. (Midtown East)

New York, NY 10017

Tel: 212-883-0011 Fax: 212-883-1011

Japanese web site

Japanese bookstore. Usually not as crowded as Kinokuniya (maki).

Asia Market Corporation

71 1／2 Mulberry St. (bet. Canal & Bayard Sts., Chinatown)

Tel: 212-962-2028／2020

8:00am〜7:00pm (Mon - Sat), 8:15am〜7:00pm (Sun)

General Asian (Chinese focus) grocery store.

Beard Papa

Astor Place (NYU/East Village)

740 Broadway

New York, NY 10003

(212) 353-8888

Also at

2167 Broadway (Upper West Side)

New York, NY 10024

(212) 799-3770

Also at

5 Carmine St. (West Village)

New York, NY 10014

(212) 255-4675

Beard Papa sells Japanese-style cream puffs. I am not a big fan but many people love them (maki)

Book Off

14 East 41st Street (Midtown East)

New York, NY 10017

10:00 - 20:00 7 days

Tel. 212-685-1410

English part of the site

New York branch of a Japanese used bookstore chain. Book bargains abound here, though the selection varies.

Cafe Zaiya

18 E 41st St (bet. 5th and 6th Aves. Midtown East)

New York, NY 10003

Tel: (212) 779-0600

Also at

69 Cooper Square (bet. St. Marks Pl & 7th St., East Village)

New York, NY 10079

Tel. 212-253-9700

Also a branch at Kinokuniya (see below)

A Japanese-style bread bakery and cafeteria and takeout place with a mainly Japanese menu of fare. Get your Melon pan, curry pan and other Japanese baked goodies here. Midtown location is larger, and also has Beard Papa cream puffs. But East Village location has items not available at the midtown store. (maki)

Chez Noah

600 Washington St. (at Leroy St., Meatpacking district)

Tel: 212-675-2649

8:00am〜8:00pm (Mon - Sat)

English web site

The web site makes it looks like just another multi-cultural boutique-style food store (a la Dean & DeLuca) but it is listed on a Japanese page as being a Japanese grocery. Maybe worth a look if you’re in the neighborhood.

JAS Mart

35 St. Marks Pl. (bet. 2nd and 3rd Aves., East Village)

New York, NY 10003

Tel: 212-420-6370

11:00am〜11:00pm (Sun - Thu), 11:00am〜12:00am (Fri and Sat)

Japanese-style coffee shop upstairs, grocery downstairs.

Other branches are closed as of Oct. 2009.

Mini-chain of grocery stores around Manhattan. The grocery part is a fairly typical small Japanese grocery. UWS store was very friendly when I visited back in 2006 - it didn’t have a coffee shop. See my review here (maki)

Katagiri

224 E. 59th St. (bet. 2nd and 3rd Aves., Midtown East)

New York, NY

Tel: 212-755-3566

10:00am〜8:00pm (7 Days) (groceries part); 10:00am〜7:00pm (7 Days) (housewares part)

English and Japanese website

The oldest Japanese grocery store in New York - in business since 1939. Has fresh and packaged foods, housewares, takeout bentos, etc. The place where a Japanese food novice is most likely to get friendly help from Japanese shoppers in NY. Website says they ship worldwide (maki).

Kinokuniya Bookstore New York

1073 Avenue of the Americas (next to Bryant Park)

New York, NY 10018

212-869-1700, 212-869-1703

New location for Kinokuniya. Has a Cafe Zaiya inside. Besides books stocks giftwares and the like. A must-stop if you are a Japanophile and can’t get to Tokyo (maki).

Korin

57 Warren Street

New York, NY 10007

800-626-2172 / 212-587-7021

Hours: 10am-6pm Monday through Saturday

www.korin.com

Showroom and store for a restaurant supply company. Restaurant-quality tableware and knives. If you buy a Korin brand knife here you can get them sharpened here. Also does mail order; ships internationally. Note that the bento boxes they carry are restaurant-type ones suitable as tableware, not lightweight portables.

M2M／M2M

55 3rd Ave. (bet. 10th and 11th Sts.)

Tel: 212-353-2698

8:00am〜12:00am (7 Days

Korean grocery store with a lot of Japanese products. If you’re in the area you might as well hit JAS Mart, Sunrise and here (maki).

Oms/b

56 E 45th St (between Lexington and Third Aves., Midtown East)

Tel: 212-922-9788

Mon–Fri 8am–7:30pm; Sat 11:30am–5pm

English web site

A tiny onigiri (omusubi) takeout place, with about 4 tables should you want to eat there (maki).

Sunrise Mart

494 Broome Street (SoHo)

New York, NY 10012

(212) 219-0033

also at

29 3rd Ave - 2nd floor (East Village)

(between 10th St & 2nd Ave)

New York, NY 10003

(212) 598-3040

See my review here (maki)

Comments: “Both have a good selection of food stuff (vegetables, frozen foods, staples, fish), kitchen ware, cosmetics, etc. All Japanese goods. The Bro ome Street location has a fresh hot food counter as well and more selection of lunch goods.” - (Clarice) A bit scruffy sometimes, but well stocked and a must-stop for Japanese people and Japanophiles if you are in the area (maki).

Tongin Market

91 Mulberry St. (bet. Walker & Bayard Sts., Civic Center area)

Tel: 212-962-6622

9:00am〜8:00pm (7 Days)

Chinese/general Asian grocieries, gifts and sundries, medicines; takeout sushi

Comments: “A nifty place to shop for packaged and frozen foods, as well as some Japanese dishware and candy.” -(Ami) (See also Ami’s review here)

Yagura

24 E. 41st St. (bet. Madison & 5th Aves., Midtown East)

Tel: 212-679-3777

11:00am〜8:00pm (Mon - Sun)

Hole in the wall restaurant with takeout bentos, onigiri, and such, plus a small grocery store.

See also Ami’s reviews of bento suppliers and some groceries in the NYC area.

Queens

Family Market

29-15 Broadway, Astoria (Queens)

Tel: 718-956-7925

10:00am- 1:00am (7 Days)

General Asian store. Fresh and packaged foods, some housewares, video rentals

Long Island

Nara Japanese Foods (actually formally Shin Nara Japanese Foods but everyone calls it Nara)

169A Main St.

Port Washington, NY (Nassau County, North Shore)

Tel: 516-883-1836

10:00am〜7:00pm (Sun, Tue - Fri), 9:00am〜7:00pm (Sat)

Small but well stocked Japanese grocery store. The store is cramped but impeccable. Food including fresh fish and meat, fresh vegetables, housewares, video rentals. Friendly lady runs the place.(maki)

Shin Nippon-Do Corp

63 Mineola Ave.

Roslyn Heights, NY (Nassau County, North Shore)

Tel: 516-625-1814

Japanese web site

Tue-Sun 10:00 - 19:00 or 18:30, depending on the time of year

Another small yet well stocked Japanese grocery store. A bit bigger and a bit better selection than Nara (maki).

Note: This store is now part of the Fuji Mart group.

Westchester/Rockland Counties

Fujimart

816 White Plains Rd. Scarsdale NY 10583

Tel: (914)472-1468

Fax: (914)472-1459

Japanese web site

Tue-Sun 10:00 - 19:00 or 18:30, depending on the time of year

Small yet comprehensive Japanese grocery store. Mini-chain of three stores (in Scarsdale, NY, Greenwich, CT and Shin Nippondo in Roslyn Heights, Long Island.)

Kinokuniya Bookstore

3360 Palisades Center Dr (inside the Palisades Center mall)

Third level (floor plan)

West Nyack,NY 10994

Tel 845）353-6600 Fax: 845）353-0407

Nijiya Hartsdale

18 North Central Ave.

Hartsdale, NY 10530

(914) 949-2178

Mon - Sun 10:00am- 7:00pm

English/Japanese website

Part of chain of Japanese grocery stores mostly in California.

Nippan Daido, Inc

522 Mamaroneck Avenue

White Plains, NY 10605

Tel: 914-683-6735 Fax: 914-683-6737

English and Japanese web site

Japanese mini-chain with stores in White Plains NY and Houston TX. Food, housewares, kitchen appliances, video rentals. White Plains store also carries alcohol. Daido is an old store that has moved around a bit over the years (they used to have a store in Flushing, Queens, once a major Japanese enclave. Their Fort Lee, NJ store has also closed.)

Connecticut

Fujimart

1212 Putnum Ave. Old Greenwich CT 06878

Tel: (203)698-2107

Fax: (203)698-2105

Japanese web site

Tue-Sun 10:00 - 19:00 or 18:30, depending on the time of year

Small yet comprehensive Japanese grocery store.

Northern New Jersey

Mitsuwa New Jersey

595 River Road

Edgewater, NJ 07020

Tel: (201) 941-9113; Fax: (201) 941-5437

E-mail: newjersey [at] mitsuwa [dot] com

English website; Japanese website

Mitsuwa in Edgewater NJ is about 30 minutes to an hour, depending on traffic, from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan. The fare is $3 per adult, less for kids. Shuttle bus schedule from Feb. 1 2008. Large supermarket, mostly Japanese products, small regular American products section. Indoor side mall (food stalls, cafeteria style restaurant) plus outdoor side mall.
In the side mall: Sanseido bookstore is smaller than Kinokuniya but well stocked, has loyalty program (buy $200 worth of stuff, get stamps on card, get gift certificate). Utsuwaya tableware and gift store and Mars NY toy, housewares and gift store are connected (not sure if they are related or if it’s just a convenience thing). If you are looking for bento boxes, Mars has a limited selection of the cute/kawaii kind. Utsuwaya only has restaurant-type or shokado bento boxes. There is also a Japanese run beauty salon.

My review from 2006.

“Over 2 hours from Philadelphia, so it’s not really close, but my parents and I will often make the excursion to this Mitsuwa because of its wide selection of goods.” - (yoko)

Nippan Daido, Inc

Fort Lee store is no longer, but the White Plains, NY store remains. (See above.)