Comments (0) BEST JAPANESE GROCERY THAT'S ALSO A KOREAN GROCERY - 2009
The Little Tokyo Marketplace
333 S. Alameda St.
Los Angeles, CA 90013
213-617-0040
Despite all the foodie hand-wringing that went on when Korean supermarket giant H Mart took over the Little Tokyo space of Mitsuwa, The Little Tokyo Marketplace (in the Little Tokyo Shopping Center) is a welcome addition to the downtown community. The market carries fresh fish, Korean BBQ cuts, sushi (hand rolls while you wait) and pan-Asian noodles, complete with assorted prepared banchan (Korean side dishes). There's a wide variety of produce, including certified organic, but at these prices, don't expect Gelson's A+ quality: Buy today, eat today is the rule. Organic flour, flax meal and other health-food faves share space with bottled teas, imported and domestic beers and a decent selection of wines and sake, as well as esoteric beverages, like Red Stag — a black cherry–flavored bourbon. The Sakura Noodle Bar offers soba, udon and ramen, at $4 to $5 for largish portions. Personal-care items include cult favorite Naïve from Kanebo, as well as Weleda for less than anywhere around. Park for two hours in the garage, with market validation, and an outdoor lot has entrances off Alameda and 4th; there is a free shuttle bus, too. 333 S. Alameda St., dwntwn. (213) 617-0030. (Closed weekends.)
—Kate Coe
