Mitsuwa Marketplace

Mitsuwa the Japanese Mega Market chains' San Diego branch resides on the busy corner of  a strip mall located on Kearny Mesa Road.

Though the Marketplace facade is quite large, the interior of Mitsuwa in San Diego is not quite as grand as the other locations in Los Angeles. In fact, whenever a special "event" is going on, it can get quite cramped.

The variety of products is quite large with all the usual "suspects" from the variety of produce, to meats, and so on.

For this post I thought I'd just stick to a few of my favorite things about Mitsuwa, because frankly, I do most of my shopping at Nijiya. Nothing wrong with Mitsuwa, but I prefer Nijiya. My favorite "department" within Mitsuwa is the great selection of tsukemono at Niitakaya's little "alcove":

Niitakaya is producer of Tsukemono and other Japanese Food items. The main office is located in Montebello, and many branches of Mitsuwa feature the wonderful varities of tsukemono from Niitakaya. There is an abundance of Umeboshi(pickled plum) in all sizes.

As well as a huge selection of pickled cucumbers(kyuri), gari (pickled ginger), and the list goes on and on:

Here are  a few photos, just for the heck of it.

Another of my favorite vendors within Mitsuwa is the outlet of Utsuwa No Yakata toward the back end of Mitsuwa:

Utsuwa No Yakata is one of the largest tableware chains in Japan, and my "go to" place for gifts.

Right  past Utsuwa is the small Houseware section of Mitsuwa. Though small there's a good variety of appliances, and other items, though I think prices are kind of steep.

Of course along with the "wall of snacks" there's the Sake alcove.

But the most popular area is Mitsuwa is probably the bentos and sushi from Daikichi Sushi.

There are times during the weekend where the Ladies can't keep up with demand.

On this day I purchased the Unagi Chirashi($6.50) and the Kara-age Bento($4.75):

Today, they weren't quite as good as usual. The Missus said the unagi was really fishy, and made her feel queasy, and the Chicken Karaage was cold and greasy. Most people I've spoken to like the variety from Mitsuwa, but for me Nijiya is much more consistent.

As a whole Mitsuwa has a better variety of Japanese products, and Nijiya has better produce. The prices at Mitsuwa used to be much higher, but they've lowered their prices in recent years. The bentos? My advice is to try both and come up with your own decision. My one real problem with Mitsuwa is during check out. On most days there are lines down the isles of people waiting for check-out, as Mitsuwa will only have two registers open. I mean Mitsuwa only has three registers total, so get ready for a wait. But still, if you haven't visited Mitsuwa, it's worth a visit.

Mitsuwa is also home to a little Ramen Shop which I'll post on in the near future.

Mitsuwa Marketplace
4240 Kearny Mesa Rd Ste 119
San Diego, CA 92111

Comments

[Cathy]

Oh you were too busy making lamb stew!

[Lee]

Thanks for putting up these pictures! I'm a fairly new transplant to the area... I just found out on Yelp that there is such a place as a Japanese grocery store in San Diego! Oh joy!

[AVI]

HI THERE...
WHERE CAN I FIND MITSUWA MARKET IN ORANGE OR ANEHIM HILLS AREA? EMAIL ME @ AVIRACRGET@YAHOO.COM PLEASE..

THANKS!

[Kirk]

Hi AVI - I sent you an email with the info.

[Kyle]

Hello,
Here on the east coast we have a Mitsuwa in New Jersey. I would like to know, does your Mitsuwa in San Diego sell Kao Asience, Shiseido Tsubaki shampoo and conditioner? Does it also sell Kose Sekkisei or Seikisho skincare?
Please e-mail me at:
audiboy2006@aim.com

Thanks!
-Kyle

[Kirk]

Hi Kyle - Well this is a new one for me...I will make a note of it, and try and find it.

[Pandachan]

Besides food and appliances, does Mitsuwa have any alcove for anime fans? Any books, clothing, artwork, DVDs, posters or anything related to Naruto, Manga Anime? Thanks in advance for any information. PandaChan would love any anime related items! Have a super day.

[Elda Kerena Misaki]

Hello people!!
Well today my whole family went there it is awesome... i love it.. teh magazines the food... everything..
I truly recoo=mended..