Wasn't expecting my grandma to be in this video 🤣 The obaachan that passed you in the fish department! She's been working at this uwajimaya for over 30 years!
Hi Kenji! As a person with celiac disease, I just wanted to mention that a recent study done in Sweden concluded that naturally brewed soy sauce is effectively gluten-free. The fermentation process breaks down proteins, including gluten, to such a degree that it ends up being less gluten then 5ppm, which by EU standards is considered gluten-free😊
More food personalities should do vids like this. Take me shopping, explain the difference between the 74 nori options. Then not only will I be more confident in the store, I can justify to my wife why we needed another pack of nori for this particular dish, lol
You're right, this is brilliant. I tend to have more Japanese & Chinese condiments in my house, but half of them are in languages I don't speak and I picked up on a whim hoping for the best. Explaining what I'm supposed to be looking for and what the best uses for those things is pertinent information that I don't always have.
Well, shoot. I can't remember which channel it is, but there's a series of videos where they go to different grocery stores (Mexican, Japanese, Itallian, etc.) and explain the ingredients.
For seven years I lived a block and a half away from this Uwajimaya. I'm now 3000 miles away and seeing it pop up in my TH-cam feed was a trip. It's such an incredible store, I didn't really appreciate how spoiled I was.
Kenji-San, thank you for sharing this compelling video with us, appreciate. I am from the area (near Sendai) where Tohoku University is located, where your grandfather was a researcher/teacher for a time. I just recently learned that fact. That's how my mystery about your performance over the long term has been solved. The mystery is that your knowledge of Japan and Japanese ingredients is at an astonishing level, and that your explanations to the audience were appropriate. Please continue to stay healthy and happy.
wild to see Kenji shopping at my local Asian grocery store! There is also a really cool bookstore in this Uwajimaya, and a bunch of local vendors in the back selling hot food.
24:30 I knew as Kenji was explaining that he was going to end with an "of course if that's what you like...". I love your attitude, I honestly can't think of a better person to watch for cooking inspiration or learning. Always so thorough in explanations and non-judgemental.
You can bring your own food (but not drinks) to Mariners games, and the stadium is right across the street from Uwajimaya. We always swing by before games and stock up on the prepared food and snacks to bring into the stadium with us.
Uwajimaya has always been a highlight of eating in the Chinatown - International district for my family for forever, being able to get live fish and shellfish is such a treat! One thing Kenji may have left out is Uwajimaya has a pretty awesome selection of kitchenware and tableware, I still have teacups and bowls that we got there when I was a kid 20 years ago
I know I'm not alone on this, but you have single handedly changed my cooking life. You keep coming up with new concepts that increase my food knowledge and comfort in the kitchen. Great video!
amazing how much the production value of your stuff has gone up recently-cool to see you having a second cameraperson, background music, etc even if it makes the vibe less laid back than your cooking videos. thanks for the upload!
The funny thing is that Kenji already _did_ high production value stuff in the past. It simply wasn't worth it. People people really like watching an uncut video of him cooking while explaining for the 54th time how canned tomatoes are actually fresher than "fresh" store-bought. I, for one, like the slow pace so that I can follow in "real time". As you get older, your tolerance for new stuff markedly drops and Kenji's gopro recipes have become a comfortable and familiar fixture in my routine.
@@Gyzome I think the pandemic had a lot to do with the more relaxed vibe doing so well too. Something about the familiarity with which Kenji spoke, and all his little knowledge filled sidetracks and rants really had a comforting effect on myself and I'm sure a lot of other people. His channel is among the best cooking content on youtube imo.
This is by far the most dense video of Japanese cooking and ingredients knowledge I've ever come across. Also doubles up as a great advert for that supermarket! Amazing Kenji I'm definitely saving this for future reference.
Watching Kenji walking around a grocery store this enthusiastic and just really enjoying himself while just talking about what he's planning to cook makes me want to study in culinary school
As the production value and scope of kenji’s content grows, one thing that doesn’t change is his kindness to others, love of sharing delicious food, and love of his family. Refreshing as always. Thank you.
How much I enjoy and trust Kenji: I live in Japan, a short walk from a great supermarket, and I'm watching this whole thing just in case I'm missing out on something good
@@bunhelsingslegacy3549Expat living in Tokyo here. In terms of all the prepared/packaged foods we can get all that and with greater varieties/brands. Personally I miss things like the varied produce from back in Cali. Japan is still a pretty homogenous country, and home-cooking-wise the horizons still don't extend very far in terms of international cuisine, which influences what we can find in our local markets. So things like artichokes, jalapenos, butternut squash, etc., you'd never find in a local market here, though --possibly-- at an international supermarket like National Azabu (think Whole Foods, but for expats and way more expensive). I once spent over $20 on the saddest 2 artichokes there because we hadn't eaten fresh artichokes for years and my wife HAD to have them. I also terribly miss dungeness crab. Most of the crab sold here are snow, horsehair, or king and almost never live, usually pre-cooked and frozen⇒thawed. Also, bacon. Real american bacon. What they call bacon here in Japan... it's not bacon...it's a crime against humanity is what it is.
@@mojojojotokyo OOh yeah I've heard about some of that, I had a roommate who spent some time there, for her the must-have, can't-find was peanut butter
@@bunhelsingslegacy3549 weirdly enough peanut butter nowadays isn’t so much of an issue so long as you’re ok with jif or skippy in terms of familiar brands.
Good lord I hope you're proud as hell of what you do. Just some of the most useful and directly applicable stuff, which seeps into the way people do things everyday. There are things as simple as where I keep my compost bin that are because of your videos. There's so much of you among anyone who follows you that goes beyond just "oh yeah I watch his videos".
kenji is the most innovative internet chef on the planet. we're seeing stuff never before seen. he's walking us through a supermarket educating us on ingredients, while breaking the wall of media by integrating the camera with a grip arm to get great POV shots (and getting the legal permission to do so by evidence of having the camera man wearing a what looks to be a market apron), then he stops in the middle of the market to actually cook and explain the process with bits of chemistry and culture thrown in. And on an induction stove, the future of efficient kitchens. Just amazing. There's the great flow of continuity, with limited reality-breaking cuts that demystifies the process. it's like the equivalent of a mixed-martial-media-culinary artist.
Thanks for the great camerawork, Alfredo! This was an AWESOME tour and I wish more stores would do this! I would be so intimidated to go here alone, but now I know exactly what I need to go for. Thank you, Mr. Lopez-Alt!
From the thin sliced meat, arabiki sausage, shokupan, the same brand of furikake, and even getting tempted by the Una-don... this video is a near perfect facsimile of my Japanese market shopping experiences. It makes me think that growing up Japanese in the U.S. during the late 20th century must have resulted in pretty similar culinary traditions for those of us who fall in that demographic.
I let out an “Oh, nooo” when he grabbed the bottle of Setofumi furikake distributed by JFC Foods. Although appearing to be Japanese, it’s actually made in China (check the label) and is cheaper than the Mishima brand from Japan (Hiroshima), which I prefer, on the shelf below.
Thanks so much Kenji! I have great memories of this store! From the sixth-grade field trip where I bought chopsticks and a puzzle ball and those little ceramic posed horses to my UW days as a student! Great store, lot of fun to see. It's big!
Excellent video Kenji! I live a rural midwest area and my closest asian grocery is much smaller but it's still a great place to shop! As a side note, Kurobuta (black pig) is not a species of pig but a breed. All domestic pigs are the same species but selective breeding gives rise to different, but similar, breeds (e.g. Berkshire, Duroc, Hereford, etc.). Source: am biologist. As always, thanks for making such great content!
@@sstillwell No problem, I'm suprised I didn't see it posted before me. I was hesitant to say anything in the first place because I don't want to come of as acting all "umm, actually". Espescially since Kenji probably knows it's not a species and just had a slip of the tounge while rushing through it.
My Aunt who was stationed in Japan (long time ago- maybe 35 yrs) brought over that Golden Curry and it was always a favorite of mine and we fixed it just like you said - potatoes, carrots, onion, beef or chicken. YUM!!! I still buy it today.
What an awesome video! I have really been trying to learn more about Asian cooking and ingredients and this is super helpful and educational. I saw multiple things I want to try. I love Kenji’s approach to teaching about food and cooking techniques. I’d love to see multiples of him shopping and showcasing different ingredients.
I'm SO glad to see this video. I was thinking about writing you about something like this. I love your recipes and I think your videos about cooking are so accessible and informative. I think, though, that a lot of people think they struggle with recipes or cooking techniques, but in reality, they don't know how to grocery shop. They don't know how to source things from different types of stores or how to stock a pantry. I've been watching Caleb Hammer's videos about budgeting lately and a common thread with people who have out-of-control spending is getting Door Dash/Uber Eats/etc, *all* the time and they have no idea how to shop for themselves. I hope to see more stuff like this from you in the future!!
Just a simple thank you! I’ve been shopping in Asian markets for years with a let’s try this mentality. Been fun but love having some Kenji insights to make it better!
I made a version of gyudon with ground beef a lot when I was stuck at home in 2020. It was based on the gyudon video Kenji made early in 2020. In order to go to the grocery store as little as possible, I'd buy a lot of ground beef, portion it out and freeze it. I could grab one portion of beef, and cook up some gyudon. Kenji's cooking videos were really helpful to me in 2020.
Really love this format! Effort in the camera/editing made it really nice to follow along and I appreciate all the timestamps. I also really appreciate the little hop of enthusiasm when you bit into the onigiri!
LOVE the thinly shaved meats at shops like uwajimaya and h-mart. it's so nice to be able to go in and just grab it without having to have a meat slicer at home. love stocking up on the good breads at the small bakery in h-mart in federal way, and the katsu curry from k-ton there is absolutely irresistible.
This is super helpful! Love that you also talked about how you cook with these products. I live in Seattle and have always liked shopping at Uwajimaya, now my shopping list got bigger :)
Love this, Kenji. I grew up in a very rural part of America and only recently moved to a larger city in the past few years. This is a great introduction for the kinds of things to look for with people like me who have far less experience with different types of markets. Keep up the awesome work.
Oh my god this is such a great video idea can't wait to see! Visit my local asian grocer from time to time and struggle hugely to know what I'm looking for or what certain things are as I'm in a smaller Irish city and amn't really exposed to them though I would love to be. (Also appreciate you shouting out the nb folk at the end of each vid, it's a small thing but warms my heart)
Wrote up a big thing in another similar comment, but the gist is this: find a recipe and making a shopping list out of it. That will help you learn the layout of the store. Do that for a bunch of different recipes and you'll start to get a sense for shared ingredients. Then research those ingredients. Eventually, you'll start seeing something on a recipe and thinking, "Oh, I saw that the last time I went when I got this other similar thing," and you'll be on your way.
I live in a city in germany that has a ton of japanese supermarkets, this was insightful, helpful and extremely fun to watch. Love kenji being so enthusiastic thank you so much :)
Really loved this video. I lived and Japan but wasn't much of a cook at the time, and have always found it daunting to recreate the dishes I loved now (and often don't quite get the flavors right.) It feels like I am missing that magic understanding of how to utilize dashi, and the golden trifecta of sake, mirin, and soy sauce. Seeing you walk through it is a big help, and I love hearing your grocery shopping rationale! It can be overwhelming even in a regular supermarket. Thanks a lot for the videos, and I've been enjoying your books as well.
Omg thanks for this one! I've been to my local Uwajimaya near Portland and was totally out of my element. This is giving me a little more confidence on what to look for.
We frequent the Korean H Mart in our area. We have a Mitsuwa which is a fine Japanese chain grocery store but they usually cost a premium price. Will still go there if H Mart doesn’t have umeboshi or the type of natto my Japanese wife likes.
This couldn't have come at a better time, I'm right in the middle of our Japanese vacation, so these are some excellent suggestions for souveniers to bring home. Brought an extra carry on bag for goodies.
So helpful! I used to live down the road from the Beaverton OR Uwajimaya and I miss it so much! Just might have to make a special trip up there this weekend!
A Seattle institution, my mom said when she moved to Seattle in the 70s in her 20s (from the nearby Everett) with her sister they bought so much of their home-goods from Uwajimaya.
Thank you so much for the info! I love the in depth view because I find the variety I get hit with when I enter a Japanese/East Asian store to be overwhelming. And the flavor descriptions are especially helpful! Also, I totally feel vindicated with the way I make my Golden Curry
What a fantastic video. This will help me next time I go shopping at my local Asian supermarket. Also Gyudon is top 5 favourite meals to make at home of all time!
I love this! It would be a cool idea for any stores like this to offer tours just like this video. I love going to international markets, and having a guide really fast forwards my usual learning process of buying a couple of new ingredients at a time! Also, I love Uwajimaya! What a cool collaboration!
whatttt I would've been so hyped to see you there! I took my Japanese extended family to Uwajimaya for their first time last Christmas, and they loved it. Definitely the best selection in the area for Japanese staples
My favorite place to shop - love the dried wheat noodles that go for $4 for 8 or 10 servings. Thought I’d mostly figured out where everything was in the store but I’ll definitely be watching this again!
Such a wonderful video! I've always wished for a kind of guided tour in Uwajimaya! I love visiting there, but so much of the inventory is a mystery to me. Would love to see more content like this.
This is my favorite video of yours so far! I often go to uwajimaya but feel overwhelmed on how to turn what I get into something tasty. This was such a great intro!
The Calpis (cowpiss) comment brought back memories of having that in the fridge in the 80’s. Wajis has evolved since the cool, kitchy original down the street but still does an awesome job carrying on as the default full Japanese grocery in Seattle.
Wow I loved this video. I love Uwajimaya. The one in Beaverton, OR has a little stationary store in the back that has top notch pens and paper as well.
So excited to watch this! My family has a monthly tradition of taking the ferry in and stocking up at Uwajimaya…my kids would have freaked out seeing you!!!
Man I miss this place. My office used to be right next door and I'd to the food court for poke or get their delicious premade food every day. They had these amazing wrapped Japanese style egg salad sandwiches that I loved.
Such a simple yet informative video! I thought I might see those orange-yolk eggs on the list. I know you've done taste comparisons that show there isn't much of a difference, but it's just so pretty!! Immediately thought of them when you mentioned it as a topping for the gyudon.
I have recently started cooking again for the first time in many decades, and started with more Japanese style delicate soups and this video on the marketing is perfect because today I finally found an Asian market near me and I can’t wait to go there, so thanks so much for this tutorial I’m going to walk out with baskets and baskets of food. 🙏🙏🙏✅✅✅
My Grandma would take me and my sister here as kids but at the older location. When we lived on the other side of the state the Japanese church we went to would visit and we loved going to Uwajimaya.
Foods and timestamps
0:39 Kombucha squash
0:59 Matsutake mushrooms
1:19 Pomelo fruit
1:44 Japanese eggplant
2:25 Ginger, onion, scallions
3:00 Thinly shaved beef
3:26 Arabiki pork sausages
3:40 Kurobuta (black pig)
4:05 Tarako (salted pollock roe)
5:25 Shokupan (milk bread)
7:03 Onigiri (seaweed/nori wrapped rice ball)
8:00 Beni shoga (red pickled ginger, not the light pink one for sushi)
8:35 Golden curry
9:05 Calpis/calpico yogurt drink
9:35 Furikake rice topping
10:15 Seaweed types (nori, wakame, kelp, hijiki) and katsuobushi (bonito flakes)
12:45 Gohan (Rice) Tomaki gold koshihikari (short grain)
13:29 Suyu concentrated soup base
14:05 Ramen and instant noodles
14:57 Shoyu/soy sauce types, tamari (wheat-free)
16:15 Mirin (watch out for the ingredients)
16:50 Snacks: Senbei and arare (rice crackers), pocky
18:26 make your own snacks and candy, popincookin, yoshoku (foreign-influenced cooking)
19:18 Making gyudon
Oh wow thanks for this! Pinning it and adding it to the video descriptions as well. I appreciate it!
Great work! Thanks!
No problem! Thank you for helping me plan my next trip to the Japanese market 😊
@@gingermintlime4884 good deed
Great stuff! Think it is kabocha rather than kombucha though?
Wasn't expecting my grandma to be in this video 🤣 The obaachan that passed you in the fish department! She's been working at this uwajimaya for over 30 years!
Oh wow!! I will say hello next time!
See her all the time at Uwajamia
Granny's... the real OG
4:54 that's awesome
@@JKenjiLopezAlt no you wont
Love watching Kenji walk around the grocery store and say “oh” and slam on the brakes to grab something
You love that?
He's all of us with ADHD in a grocery store (～￣▽￣)～
He just like me for real
I do that all the time in the grocery store.. i tell my dad that i got distracted by shiny objects
TBH, there's a lot of that in Uwajimaya.
Hi Kenji! As a person with celiac disease, I just wanted to mention that a recent study done in Sweden concluded that naturally brewed soy sauce is effectively gluten-free. The fermentation process breaks down proteins, including gluten, to such a degree that it ends up being less gluten then 5ppm, which by EU standards is considered gluten-free😊
Excellent- good to know and thanks for sharing the info!
More food personalities should do vids like this. Take me shopping, explain the difference between the 74 nori options. Then not only will I be more confident in the store, I can justify to my wife why we needed another pack of nori for this particular dish, lol
Yeah, like, I love when these people teach me how to cook, but in order to do that I'm going to need to buy the groceries first.
You're right, this is brilliant. I tend to have more Japanese & Chinese condiments in my house, but half of them are in languages I don't speak and I picked up on a whim hoping for the best. Explaining what I'm supposed to be looking for and what the best uses for those things is pertinent information that I don't always have.
Well, shoot. I can't remember which channel it is, but there's a series of videos where they go to different grocery stores (Mexican, Japanese, Itallian, etc.) and explain the ingredients.
@@CharleneCTX for Korean foods Maangchi has a couple videos solving some Hmart dilemmas.
Kenji is the best food content creator around. So astoundingly knowledgable
For seven years I lived a block and a half away from this Uwajimaya. I'm now 3000 miles away and seeing it pop up in my TH-cam feed was a trip. It's such an incredible store, I didn't really appreciate how spoiled I was.
Kenji-San, thank you for sharing this compelling video with us, appreciate.
I am from the area (near Sendai) where Tohoku University is located, where your grandfather was a researcher/teacher for a time. I just recently learned that fact. That's how my mystery about your performance over the long term has been solved. The mystery is that your knowledge of Japan and Japanese ingredients is at an astonishing level, and that your explanations to the audience were appropriate.
Please continue to stay healthy and happy.
That is fascinating, thanks for the comment!
Love it! Props to the Uwajimaya employee who volunteered (voluntold?) to be the Kenji's camera-person for the afternoon 😂 5:58
Alfredo! He’s their social media manager.
All hail Alfredo!
And a great camera-person
@@JKenjiLopezAltAlfredo did a great job filming!
wild to see Kenji shopping at my local Asian grocery store! There is also a really cool bookstore in this Uwajimaya, and a bunch of local vendors in the back selling hot food.
kinokuniya ftw!
So jealous of this store! Wish I had one here!
24:30 I knew as Kenji was explaining that he was going to end with an "of course if that's what you like...". I love your attitude, I honestly can't think of a better person to watch for cooking inspiration or learning. Always so thorough in explanations and non-judgemental.
Yes, exactly!! Totally agree!
Bingo
You can bring your own food (but not drinks) to Mariners games, and the stadium is right across the street from Uwajimaya. We always swing by before games and stock up on the prepared food and snacks to bring into the stadium with us.
That sounds like a dream. Prepared food in the States is sorely lagging. Americans' standard are just so low compared to Asian markets.
hahah i used to work at the stadium, this video made me miss working there cuz i used to grab lunch or dinner from here on my way back home
Uwajimaya has always been a highlight of eating in the Chinatown - International district for my family for forever, being able to get live fish and shellfish is such a treat! One thing Kenji may have left out is Uwajimaya has a pretty awesome selection of kitchenware and tableware, I still have teacups and bowls that we got there when I was a kid 20 years ago
I know I'm not alone on this, but you have single handedly changed my cooking life. You keep coming up with new concepts that increase my food knowledge and comfort in the kitchen. Great video!
Ditto
Same here! Truly my idol when it comes to cooking.
💯💯💯
Absolutely! He’d probably hate to hear this but he’s an idol
Same here!
amazing how much the production value of your stuff has gone up recently-cool to see you having a second cameraperson, background music, etc even if it makes the vibe less laid back than your cooking videos. thanks for the upload!
The funny thing is that Kenji already _did_ high production value stuff in the past. It simply wasn't worth it. People people really like watching an uncut video of him cooking while explaining for the 54th time how canned tomatoes are actually fresher than "fresh" store-bought. I, for one, like the slow pace so that I can follow in "real time". As you get older, your tolerance for new stuff markedly drops and Kenji's gopro recipes have become a comfortable and familiar fixture in my routine.
@@Gyzome I think the pandemic had a lot to do with the more relaxed vibe doing so well too.
Something about the familiarity with which Kenji spoke, and all his little knowledge filled sidetracks and rants really had a comforting effect on myself and I'm sure a lot of other people. His channel is among the best cooking content on youtube imo.
By "gone up," you mean adding additional Go Pros, right?
This is by far the most dense video of Japanese cooking and ingredients knowledge I've ever come across. Also doubles up as a great advert for that supermarket! Amazing Kenji I'm definitely saving this for future reference.
You gotta make this into a series. Walk into both regular and specialty grocery stores across the nation and give your insight and recommendations.
Agreed, I would pay money for that!!
Watching Kenji walking around a grocery store this enthusiastic and just really enjoying himself while just talking about what he's planning to cook makes me want to study in culinary school
It's also nice to see, reminds me of Adam Savage going around tools or models
It really was a delight.
As the production value and scope of kenji’s content grows, one thing that doesn’t change is his kindness to others, love of sharing delicious food, and love of his family. Refreshing as always. Thank you.
How much I enjoy and trust Kenji: I live in Japan, a short walk from a great supermarket, and I'm watching this whole thing just in case I'm missing out on something good
Well? Were you missing out on anything?? :)
@@bunhelsingslegacy3549Expat living in Tokyo here. In terms of all the prepared/packaged foods we can get all that and with greater varieties/brands.
Personally I miss things like the varied produce from back in Cali. Japan is still a pretty homogenous country, and home-cooking-wise the horizons still don't extend very far in terms of international cuisine, which influences what we can find in our local markets. So things like artichokes, jalapenos, butternut squash, etc., you'd never find in a local market here, though --possibly-- at an international supermarket like National Azabu (think Whole Foods, but for expats and way more expensive). I once spent over $20 on the saddest 2 artichokes there because we hadn't eaten fresh artichokes for years and my wife HAD to have them. I also terribly miss dungeness crab. Most of the crab sold here are snow, horsehair, or king and almost never live, usually pre-cooked and frozen⇒thawed. Also, bacon. Real american bacon. What they call bacon here in Japan... it's not bacon...it's a crime against humanity is what it is.
@@mojojojotokyo OOh yeah I've heard about some of that, I had a roommate who spent some time there, for her the must-have, can't-find was peanut butter
@@bunhelsingslegacy3549 weirdly enough peanut butter nowadays isn’t so much of an issue so long as you’re ok with jif or skippy in terms of familiar brands.
One of the best things about moving to Seattle is all of the great grocery stores, Uwajimaya being one of them. Town & Country is another gem.
Good lord I hope you're proud as hell of what you do. Just some of the most useful and directly applicable stuff, which seeps into the way people do things everyday. There are things as simple as where I keep my compost bin that are because of your videos. There's so much of you among anyone who follows you that goes beyond just "oh yeah I watch his videos".
kenji is the most innovative internet chef on the planet. we're seeing stuff never before seen. he's walking us through a supermarket educating us on ingredients, while breaking the wall of media by integrating the camera with a grip arm to get great POV shots (and getting the legal permission to do so by evidence of having the camera man wearing a what looks to be a market apron), then he stops in the middle of the market to actually cook and explain the process with bits of chemistry and culture thrown in. And on an induction stove, the future of efficient kitchens. Just amazing. There's the great flow of continuity, with limited reality-breaking cuts that demystifies the process. it's like the equivalent of a mixed-martial-media-culinary artist.
I will now blow my entire paycheck on Kenji's shopping list. I
Thanks for the great camerawork, Alfredo! This was an AWESOME tour and I wish more stores would do this! I would be so intimidated to go here alone, but now I know exactly what I need to go for. Thank you, Mr. Lopez-Alt!
Goodness, I love Kenji. I could watch a video of him grocery shop for hours. So kind and knowledgeable.
This was really great. I had no intention to watch a full 30min video but I couldn't turn it off. The pace and amount of info is kind of mesmerizing.
Went straight to Uwajimaya and cooked this dish for dinner tonight. Thanks for all the tips! I see the store in a completely different way.
J. Kenji is the vanguard of the future of groceries and meals. Thank you Kenji. Thank you!
This man is a Culinary Encyclopedia.
From the thin sliced meat, arabiki sausage, shokupan, the same brand of furikake, and even getting tempted by the Una-don... this video is a near perfect facsimile of my Japanese market shopping experiences. It makes me think that growing up Japanese in the U.S. during the late 20th century must have resulted in pretty similar culinary traditions for those of us who fall in that demographic.
I let out an “Oh, nooo” when he grabbed the bottle of Setofumi furikake distributed by JFC Foods. Although appearing to be Japanese, it’s actually made in China (check the label) and is cheaper than the Mishima brand from Japan (Hiroshima), which I prefer, on the shelf below.
Thanks so much Kenji! I have great memories of this store! From the sixth-grade field trip where I bought chopsticks and a puzzle ball and those little ceramic posed horses to my UW days as a student! Great store, lot of fun to see. It's big!
this was splendid, would love to see a tour of your normal grocery shopping and how you plan meals for the week!
Kenji has so much knowledge and is so good at transmiting it
Excellent video Kenji! I live a rural midwest area and my closest asian grocery is much smaller but it's still a great place to shop!
As a side note, Kurobuta (black pig) is not a species of pig but a breed. All domestic pigs are the same species but selective breeding gives rise to different, but similar, breeds (e.g. Berkshire, Duroc, Hereford, etc.). Source: am biologist.
As always, thanks for making such great content!
I knew that would be coming eventually when I heard it in the video....thanks for the clarification!
@@sstillwell No problem, I'm suprised I didn't see it posted before me. I was hesitant to say anything in the first place because I don't want to come of as acting all "umm, actually". Espescially since Kenji probably knows it's not a species and just had a slip of the tounge while rushing through it.
Probably my favorite video of 2023. Great job, Kenji!!!
I love Uwajimaya. We have one in Beaverton that's a bit smaller than the one you showed, but still the only place we can get so many things.
My Aunt who was stationed in Japan (long time ago- maybe 35 yrs) brought over that Golden Curry and it was always a favorite of mine and we fixed it just like you said - potatoes, carrots, onion, beef or chicken. YUM!!! I still buy it today.
Uwajimaya has always been one of my favorite places to shop in Seattle, really fun seeing you give us a tour Kenji!
Thank you for taking us shopping, Kenji!
I worked here when I was in college before the remodel. They have been family owned and a unique grocery growing along with Seattle
I would never leave that store. Thank you so much for inspiring and educating. You're one of THE BEST instructors out there.
My favorite part of any trip into the city as a kid and adult.
What an awesome video! I have really been trying to learn more about Asian cooking and ingredients and this is super helpful and educational. I saw multiple things I want to try. I love Kenji’s approach to teaching about food and cooking techniques. I’d love to see multiples of him shopping and showcasing different ingredients.
I'm SO glad to see this video. I was thinking about writing you about something like this.
I love your recipes and I think your videos about cooking are so accessible and informative. I think, though, that a lot of people think they struggle with recipes or cooking techniques, but in reality, they don't know how to grocery shop. They don't know how to source things from different types of stores or how to stock a pantry. I've been watching Caleb Hammer's videos about budgeting lately and a common thread with people who have out-of-control spending is getting Door Dash/Uber Eats/etc, *all* the time and they have no idea how to shop for themselves.
I hope to see more stuff like this from you in the future!!
What a fun and informative video! The tour was great but the information you gave made it so personal. Thank you for taking your time to educate us!
Just a simple thank you! I’ve been shopping in Asian markets for years with a let’s try this mentality. Been fun but love having some Kenji insights to make it better!
I made a version of gyudon with ground beef a lot when I was stuck at home in 2020. It was based on the gyudon video Kenji made early in 2020. In order to go to the grocery store as little as possible, I'd buy a lot of ground beef, portion it out and freeze it. I could grab one portion of beef, and cook up some gyudon. Kenji's cooking videos were really helpful to me in 2020.
oh i never thought of ground beef thats a smart idea..... ive been doing ground beef bulgogi but i also love the gyodon flavors
Kenji moves really swiftly and elegantly when cooking, a joy to watch.
That milk bread is excellent for lump crab salad and sprouts sandwiches.
Really love this format! Effort in the camera/editing made it really nice to follow along and I appreciate all the timestamps. I also really appreciate the little hop of enthusiasm when you bit into the onigiri!
LOVE the thinly shaved meats at shops like uwajimaya and h-mart. it's so nice to be able to go in and just grab it without having to have a meat slicer at home. love stocking up on the good breads at the small bakery in h-mart in federal way, and the katsu curry from k-ton there is absolutely irresistible.
This is super helpful! Love that you also talked about how you cook with these products. I live in Seattle and have always liked shopping at Uwajimaya, now my shopping list got bigger :)
Thanks Kenji! The video is great! Sort of a general food education video. I’d appreciate more content like this.
Fantastic store tour! I can only dream of having a supermarket like this in rural Oxfordshire.
Love this, Kenji. I grew up in a very rural part of America and only recently moved to a larger city in the past few years. This is a great introduction for the kinds of things to look for with people like me who have far less experience with different types of markets. Keep up the awesome work.
I love how informative this is. It really feels like I'm grocery shopping with a chef friend explaining things on the shelves.
This video inspired me to be more adventurous when I shop at Asian food markets. Thanks Kenji!
So knowledgeable - thank you kenji!
Oh my god this is such a great video idea can't wait to see! Visit my local asian grocer from time to time and struggle hugely to know what I'm looking for or what certain things are as I'm in a smaller Irish city and amn't really exposed to them though I would love to be. (Also appreciate you shouting out the nb folk at the end of each vid, it's a small thing but warms my heart)
Wrote up a big thing in another similar comment, but the gist is this: find a recipe and making a shopping list out of it. That will help you learn the layout of the store. Do that for a bunch of different recipes and you'll start to get a sense for shared ingredients. Then research those ingredients. Eventually, you'll start seeing something on a recipe and thinking, "Oh, I saw that the last time I went when I got this other similar thing," and you'll be on your way.
I live in a city in germany that has a ton of japanese supermarkets, this was insightful, helpful and extremely fun to watch. Love kenji being so enthusiastic thank you so much :)
This is a great video!!! Information like this is SO HELPFUL for people who love to cook but didn't grow up cooking traditional foods.
I love shopping with you. Thank you Kenji
I lived across the street from this place when I lived in Seattle 10 years ago and would shop here almost every day, crazy nostalgia trip
Really loved this video. I lived and Japan but wasn't much of a cook at the time, and have always found it daunting to recreate the dishes I loved now (and often don't quite get the flavors right.) It feels like I am missing that magic understanding of how to utilize dashi, and the golden trifecta of sake, mirin, and soy sauce. Seeing you walk through it is a big help, and I love hearing your grocery shopping rationale! It can be overwhelming even in a regular supermarket. Thanks a lot for the videos, and I've been enjoying your books as well.
Omg thanks for this one! I've been to my local Uwajimaya near Portland and was totally out of my element. This is giving me a little more confidence on what to look for.
We frequent the Korean H Mart in our area. We have a Mitsuwa which is a fine Japanese chain grocery store but they usually cost a premium price. Will still go there if H Mart doesn’t have umeboshi or the type of natto my Japanese wife likes.
@@BigHairyCrank that is a perfect spot to be!
@@BigHairyCrank Pastry House Hippo is SO good. It's almost worth the drive from the city all the way out there...
Really love this Kenji! Please do more videos like this. Very informative
My favorite shopping spot in Seattle when we cross from Bainbridge :) So glad you are showing these wonderful places to your tribe!!!
This couldn't have come at a better time, I'm right in the middle of our Japanese vacation, so these are some excellent suggestions for souveniers to bring home. Brought an extra carry on bag for goodies.
Your videos always make me so happy. Thank you, Kenji!!
This is so awesome. I learned so much here. Please do more of these
So helpful! I used to live down the road from the Beaverton OR Uwajimaya and I miss it so much! Just might have to make a special trip up there this weekend!
A Seattle institution, my mom said when she moved to Seattle in the 70s in her 20s (from the nearby Everett) with her sister they bought so much of their home-goods from Uwajimaya.
Thank you so much for the info! I love the in depth view because I find the variety I get hit with when I enter a Japanese/East Asian store to be overwhelming. And the flavor descriptions are especially helpful!
Also, I totally feel vindicated with the way I make my Golden Curry
Kenji can Riff so impressive how passionate and thoughtful..
What a fantastic video. This will help me next time I go shopping at my local Asian supermarket. Also Gyudon is top 5 favourite meals to make at home of all time!
I love this! It would be a cool idea for any stores like this to offer tours just like this video. I love going to international markets, and having a guide really fast forwards my usual learning process of buying a couple of new ingredients at a time! Also, I love Uwajimaya! What a cool collaboration!
whatttt I would've been so hyped to see you there! I took my Japanese extended family to Uwajimaya for their first time last Christmas, and they loved it. Definitely the best selection in the area for Japanese staples
This was so informative! Would love to see more of these videos. Maybe one at a butcher? Talking about different cuts of meat and good uses for them?
My favorite place to shop - love the dried wheat noodles that go for $4 for 8 or 10 servings. Thought I’d mostly figured out where everything was in the store but I’ll definitely be watching this again!
I adore this format.If you have more chances ,keep them coming
Such a wonderful video! I've always wished for a kind of guided tour in Uwajimaya! I love visiting there, but so much of the inventory is a mystery to me. Would love to see more content like this.
This is my favorite video of yours so far! I often go to uwajimaya but feel overwhelmed on how to turn what I get into something tasty. This was such a great intro!
The Calpis (cowpiss) comment brought back memories of having that in the fridge in the 80’s. Wajis has evolved since the cool, kitchy original down the street but still does an awesome job carrying on as the default full Japanese grocery in Seattle.
Wow I loved this video. I love Uwajimaya. The one in Beaverton, OR has a little stationary store in the back that has top notch pens and paper as well.
Thank you for this! I take drives from Philly to Mitsuwa Market in NJ as often as I can and it’s so worth the trip. Now I’m more informed!
So excited to watch this! My family has a monthly tradition of taking the ferry in and stocking up at Uwajimaya…my kids would have freaked out seeing you!!!
Fantastic idea for a video. You are the GOAT Kenji!
I grew up shopping at this store with my family. Love Uwaji’s! Thanks for the tour!
Man I miss this place. My office used to be right next door and I'd to the food court for poke or get their delicious premade food every day. They had these amazing wrapped Japanese style egg salad sandwiches that I loved.
I got excited for a grocery shopping video...wow, life.
I moved, and I really miss Uwajimaya. I always stop by when I go to Seattle.
Omg Uwajimaya is sooooo amazing. Fav grocery store I've been to
Love the change of pace in the content!
Such a simple yet informative video! I thought I might see those orange-yolk eggs on the list. I know you've done taste comparisons that show there isn't much of a difference, but it's just so pretty!! Immediately thought of them when you mentioned it as a topping for the gyudon.
I have recently started cooking again for the first time in many decades, and started with more Japanese style delicate soups and this video on the marketing is perfect because today I finally found an Asian market near me and I can’t wait to go there, so thanks so much for this tutorial I’m going to walk out with baskets and baskets of food. 🙏🙏🙏✅✅✅
This is very cool (It's also helpful when I'm in the ID and near Uwajimaya). The soy sauce section alone was very daunting
My Grandma would take me and my sister here as kids but at the older location. When we lived on the other side of the state the Japanese church we went to would visit and we loved going to Uwajimaya.
Sparkling Calpis ROCKS!!!