Same here. I’m still working through stuff I bought at Kalustyan’s in Dec 2018.
I also am using some spice blends I bought in Munich in March 2019 and in Japan in Jan 2020.
Ooh, fish stock! I used to make it from the salmon that my commercial salmon fishing neighbors sold me, but they retired. I do need some.
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Bubu Lubu candy bars from a nearby Mercado. I also like Tamarind candy.
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I like the De La Rosa peanut mazapán from Mexican shops.
In the Bay Area I simply refer to the store by their branded name, H Mart, 99 Ranch, Chavez Market. Most everyone will know what the focus and base market is, yet you see every ethnicities in there shopping. These markets can help in food deserts or just another option. especially for produce, seafood, meat. No need to call it ethnic. And places can eventually outgrow their ethnic roots, like Zebar’s, or Berkeley Bowl.
One thing I’ve noticed are “ethnic” supermarkets taking over abandoned or underperforming “mainstream” supermarkets/retail in large “mainstream” shopping complexes. Jon’s in LA is a classic…use to be Von’s, but they changed the V to J. They’re based in Glendale, with a large Armenian population. Prices the same or better on produce…and crazy inexpensive on MIddle East/Mediterranean items like grape seed oil.
Of course there’s simple growth, like H Mart buying a shopping center in SF’s Oceanview area, and having 3 stores in Irvine, riding the Korean food wave. And there’s the new Mercado González in Costa Mesa, CA. Sells all the traditional or usual Mexican groceries and food, just in a new design from the ground up store. At all of these places you can get standard “American” staples like milk, eggs, junk food. beer.
Berkeley Bowl had ethnic roots? I didn’t know that!
Started by a Japanese American family, but always offered general goods and of course specialized in produce. They still have a Japanese section. I see Japanese Kit Kat bars there.
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I see a field trip to the Bowl in my future!
My parents are old Cal alumni, and every time I talk about shopping there, I hear, “I remember when you could BOWL at Berkeley Bowl…”
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I wasn’t around for the bowling alley but remember when the store was in the old bowling alley. It was kind of crazy, no parking. A friend worked as a fish monger PT. I uaully go to the older place on Shattuck, but the new store near Ashby and San Pablo is absolutely HUGE.
If you are looking for unusual Kit Kat bars Osaka Marketplace in Fremont tends to have a better selection
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Good to know, but it so happens that Spawn2 lives less than two blocks from BB (and almost equidistant from Whole Paycheck, too) and we’ll be visiting next weekend anyway, so we may walk there to stock up on Kit Kats.
Not to mislead you, the Japanese selection of Kit Kat bars is limited and might be disappointing. I saw three types, green tea, something called coffee break and another…fun sized in a bag. There isn’t a big selection like you see on youtube videos or individual bars. The Japanese section at the new store (Heinz St.) is larger. 20 years ago I lived 2 blocks away from the Shattuck store and I chose the apartment partly because it was so close. It was great walking over and just buying 3 pieces of fruit because the huge selection of produce makes you want to stock up….and then it rots. Should be a fun trip none the less.
The new one has great products but it’s so busy that it stresses me out. I can’t enjoy shopping in that store.
Good to know. Thanks.
Yeah, it can be a complete zoo, especially weekends with shopping cart collisions and every checkout open with a line of ten or more. I go during weekday afternoons. Now the older one is less crowded and I can usually get a parking space, even on weekends. All I can say is avoid both during Thanksgiving.
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You know what I like about my local international market? At checkout, no one asks if I found everything. Tough shopping love!
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Hopefully a picture is worth a thousand words, in which case, this is like a billion words!
Ooooo! I didn’t get to Oto’s !
Something I have learned about Oto’s:
If you want sushi from their case you best get there EARLY (like before 10am) or you’ll be lucky to be left with anything at all. The bento meals last til lunchtime.
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Take a picture of a few things, and I can try to help out.
