Hello, Panda!

We were finally able to make it out to Marukai's today! All hail to ethnic food markets! These lovely stores brings all of those hard-to-find items from overseas right to our kitchen counters. This place was no exception. Not only were there all kinds of food items you can think of from Japan and other parts of Asia but there's also tons of housewares, clothing, healthcare items, furniture and decors galore! Thanks to Cheryl, bearer of all good food info in the Southland, for guiding us there.

First thing's first...the store in Gardena is membership only. If you live in the area and see yourself going there often, I would opt for the $10 annual membership. If you don't live in the area and don't know how often you'll be there, you can do the $1 month trial membership. Check out their website for their other locations which are nonmembership. Back to Gardena...I loved everything about this store, including the food court. I pictured it to be bigger when she was telling us about it but the portions from the Korean/Hawaiian vendor made up for the lack in size of the space. I kind of felt like I was in a Trader's Joe's, with the huge logs of wood erected for the entrance of the store, as well as the tight and neatly organized aisles with people pushing shopping carts that are smaller than ones you would see in Western markets.

My favorite part of these markets is the fresh fish section. Being a native Northern Cali who lived relatively close to the ocean, and privy to abundant catch-of-the-day fish, I value being so close to fresh seafood these days. Being a Japanese market, of course they had all kinds of different slices of seafood for sashimi and other products to make sushi. I was tempted to get a package of grilled unagi but I was too scared of eating it all in one sitting, considering the sizes that were offered were almost as long as my forearm. I could have spent hours there. If I could eat Japanese food every day of my life, I would be in absolute heaven.

And yes, I did find one of my favorite snacks from my childhood - Hello Panda. This completely topped off our visit.

Another market that would be comparable is Uwajimaya's in Seattle. For those with difficulty pronouncing Japanese words and names, let's try it together: "U-wa-ji-may-a." The main complex is in the International District with smaller stores scattered all over Washington. Apparently, they just recently finished building a whole load of apartments on top of the market complex. It would be too dangerous for me to live there. I'd be in the food court so often, I'd opt for an apartment with no kitchen! Not only is the market huge, there are also attached boutiques selling a vast supply of books, stationary, housewares, clothing, kitchenwares, glasses and whatever else you could think of. During our visit, we were greated by roasted chestnuts that a vendor was making near the entrance. For those who want to check the place out, you get validated parking in their lot so long as you make a purchase. The first 2 hours are free with a $10+ purchase. Check out their website for recipes, as well as the link to Amazon.com to purchase any of their products - EXCUSE ME! That's a great example of enterprising at it's finest.