Japanese Grocery Stores

I usually have a Japanese meal for my breakfast and dinner at home. I cook Japanese cuisine myself. I often use an American supermarket. There are some Japanese foods, so I get most of the ingredients at an American supermarket. As for some ingredients such as tofu, rice and soup stock made from dried bonito fish, I can’t get authentic ones at an American supermarket, so I sometimes go shopping to get these ingredients at a Japanese supermarket. There are three Japanese grocery store chains in the Bay Area: Mitsuwa, Nijiya and Marukai. I like Marukai the most because Marukai has a nice store brand tofu. This tofu is good for pan-fried cooking and it tastes like the traditional tofu in Okinawa. One more reason I like Marukai is that they not only have Japanese food but also Hawaiian foods. I can get Lion coffee, Minato dressing and Alaea Red Sea Salt at Marukai. I really love Hawaii. When I stand at the Hawaiian food corner, I feel as if I were in Hawaii.

Here is what I always get at Marukai: Marukai Tofu (store brand tofu), Yakult (Japanese probiotic drink) and Spam. I think that the price of Spam at Marukai is lower than at American supermarkets. The price is less than $3. I often cook “Goya Chanpuru” at home. Goya is a bitter gourd. Chanpuru means stir-fried dishes which are regional specialties in Okinawa. Goya Chanpuru is stir-fried bitter gourd, tofu, egg and luncheon meat. So I cook Goya Chanpuru with Marukai tofu and Spam which I get at Marukai. Unfortunately, there is no goya in Marukai, and Nijiya is the only store which sells goya. I have to go to at least two Japanese supermarkets when I cook Goya Chanpuru.