little tokyo galleria market opens
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Good news on the home front: Little Tokyo Galleria, the new grocery store that has replaced Mitsuwa Market, is now open following a three-week-long opening process.
In addition to undergoing some minor cosmetic enhancements — including new flooring, shopping carts and lighting upgrades — the Korean-owned market is going for a more ethnically diverse selection of foodstuffs while maintaining much of the Japanese drinks, snacks and prepared foods.
One manager came up to me and told me matter-of-factly, “American products — for American people — will arrive this week.” Management is still taking suggestions for items to stock and want to be a destination for the Arts District and Historic Core neighborhoods.
Workers are still installing vegetable sprayers, bakery equipment and signs around the market, so watch your step. Also, though check-out scanners will occasionally display an incorrect price, cashiers have been trained to double-check each item during the opening phase.
Kalbi lovers: There are no meat or dairy products yet, but that should come later this week. I know; I was disappointed too.
Little Tokyo Galleria Market
333 S Alameda St, #100
Los Angeles, CA 90013
One hour free parking (Two hours with market receipt)
Hours and phone number to follow
38 comments
Even thought I will miss Mitsuwa, I think this is a good thing, especially considering it is owner-operated. Ralphs is OK, but corporate grocery stores are depressing.
They had me at “lighting upgrades” whatever that means. I wish Ralphs would switch to recessed mood lighting like their UCLA and Sunset/Virgil locations.
I went in on Sunday night - looks like the store will have longer hours than the old Mitsuwa, which is good. As, I, a caucasian, walk around the store, I still feel what it might like to be illiterate - the majority of labeling is in some sort of Asian writing. Subtle changes are present in the store - OB beer instead of Kirin, more packaging with the Korean alphabet, etc.
The produce section is quite nice, and the manager gave me a free instant soup for showing up. Quite a pleasant experience.
H-Mart played hardball and lost. I wonder who will be the long term losers though.
I don’t think the fact that H-Mart didn’t sign a lease at the mall is necessarily a bad thing. Just look to other independent grocery stores (like Koreatown’s own Galleria Market) that have done well and been assets to the community.
It’s all about management and how they will respond to the needs of the neighborhood.
As for me, I’ll be back later this week to check it out again. I can see adding it to my rotation once they get more shipments of produce, meat and bread. It’s exciting to say the least.
Do they have good fish? Sashimi grade like Mitsuwa?
The biggest problem with small retailers, including grocery stores, is they can’t buy in the bulk that allows them to equal, much less outflank, the pricing of their bigger competitors. But that’s also assuming the Galleria Market isn’t planning to go head-to-head with, or believes its main rival is, Whole Foods or Gelson’s.
The whole price thing is overrated. I’d rather have a local source that costs more but that sells what I need than a large chain that doesn’t care.
The “whole price thing” ?!! You mean.. MONEY? Are you serious?! Does this seem like the silliest comment ever to anyone else?
I had some free time on Sunday so I walked over to check out the new market. Like Rich mentioned, no meat or dairy, but, like Francis mentioned, the produce section was very nice. They also had a huge section of eggs (1 dozen for $0.99). I walked around to the back and they were giving out free coffee (the vanilla one was really good) and free sampling of their bakery goods.
The staff was very friendly and most were hard at work stocking up some of the empty ailes. Overall, I’m excited for the new change and very happy with them being open until 10 pm.
I will check it out again in a few weeks after they had more time to settle in and get more products on the shelves. I’ll try to post another comment after that.
I was so sad that Mitsuwa closed before I got a chance to visit, but Little Tokyo Market sounds like it’ll be a great place.
Now if only a Ranch 99 would open near downtown…
larissa
try A-Grocery on sunset in echo park. its not 99 ranch, but its a great market that is comparable.
I went in for the first time today and got to tell you how impressed I was. While only a limited selection right now, the produce was all top notch and super cheap- at least 20-30% cheaper than TJ’s. Great Asian items of course, but I think it will be a diverse market when they are done. Def going to be my main shopping site!
is it true that the owners of the mall are the ones operating this market?
RE: “The Whole Price Thing”…
No, Bert’s comment #8 doesn’t seem like “the silliest comment ever.” Geez…cut him some slack. I don’t mean to put words in his mouth but my take on his view was that price is A factor - not the ONLY factor. Selection and freshness count for something. Convenience counts, as well. Maybe a place in your neighborhood you can walk to (even it it costs, say, 5% more) may trump one you have to drive to. Makes total sense to me.
Thanks, Bruce. BTW, Mitsuwa was not cheap either. If cheap was all that mattered, a lot of places would be out of business. There are a lot of other factors that make a business appealing.
Why isn’t there any more posts.
Finally took a look today. It’s cleaner and nicer than Mitsua. I like the wood flooring. The produce selection was great - everything looked very fresh and was very inexpensive. 50¢ for a bag of Enoki mushrooms. I doubt anything is organic. The garlic is from China, which is becoming more common in most markets. When you live in one of the biggest garlic-producing states, it sucks to have to buy chinese.
There is no fish or meat yet. There are some prepared foods. There’s about 20 different kinds of Kimchi at about $1.60/lb. They gave me a free instant ramyon (Korean) at checkout.
I’m very happy that switch from Mitsua happened so fast.
I went back yesterday. They now have fish and meat. $1.99 for a bag of frozen oysters. Ginger 99¢/lb. I’m just saying…
Hope they restock the Hawaiian foods! Their closeness kept me from having to make trips down to Gardena, etc., to get Hawaiian kine foods, since I live in La Crescenta. Have to go check them out!
I was there two days ago. WOW! It was great. Meat and produces were cheap and fresh. Much better than Mitsuwa.
Another loss for the Japanese culture in Los Angeles but the Koreans tend to be pushing other Asian cultures out all over the place. It was tough enough to see the Yaohan store go away and this is the final blow. Might as well make it a 99 Ranch Market and be done with it.
Pictures of Little Tokyo Galleria Market. Look at the signs in front in both Korean and Japanese.
Wow, those Koreans sure are pushing out other cultures! Putting up signs in both Korean and Japanese. Who do they think they are huh?
http://elittletokyo.com/gallery/ltgalleria/IMG_5233
Japanese and Koreans learn to live together in harmony in L.A.’s Little Tokyo (LA Times): http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-korjapan23-2009feb23,0,370360,full.story
Well said, Edward!
I definitelly agree with you.
Thanks a lot!
Edward - you need to quit with the racism. Just quit.
Malayala,
You totally misunderstood my last post! I was countering allegations that Koreas were making the new store unwelcoming to Japanese and unfriendly to the community.
Edward - I stand corrected. Please excuse my post-racial lack of humor. My ire is actually directed toward Jar - please stop with the racial conquer and divide. The right wing is eating its own right now; they don’t need help.
ALSO Bert Green with your privileged whiteness to bear: please don’t assume that “PRICE” does not matter (as in comment 8). ITE ITE ITE (It’s the Economia) - hello? Second world here we come!
You misunderstood me too. Where in my post did I say price does not matter?
Oh, and “privileged whiteness?” Maybe YOU need to quit with the racism. Just quit.
Hello, anyone know if they have sushi-grade fish? we only went to mitsuwa for fish, and now that they’ve closed, we’ve gained like 10 lbs eating chicken and beef. we need our fish fix…!!!!
They can do whatever they want—open a sushi joint, supermarket in Little “Tokyo”.. just please label it as so. Name it Kim Sushi.. I don’t care. But giving it a Japanese name is weak. I’ll just be blunt and as un-PC as possible. They know white’s don’t know the difference or care. They’re trying to pass as Japanese. I seen some try to mimic Japanese accents.. like the “ehhh”. I gave them a weird stare-being Japanese which I’m not sure they realized but I’m sure once they saw my credit card and last name they must.
Unfortunately we’re pretty small in size and population so can’t do much.. but I can tell ya.. despite pretending to not care because it’s deemed racist and makes us seem childish.. everyone I know.. when walking into a restaurant we’re trying for the first time, feeling the suspicion this place is owned by Koreans.. to hear the distinctive Koreanglish from the hostess.. we just look at each other knowing we been tricked. And we’re in for some bad sushi.
That’s the part that gets me.. feeling tricked or conned into coming here by their distinctively Japanese signage. Or giving it a Japanese sounding name. I feel like whites who don’t know are really getting conned too, but ironically they like it anyway.
Cultural rapage is always a thing only felt by the culture itself. If a Guatemalan passes off as Mexican, I don’t really care. But I’m not Mexican, or any hispanic race, so I can’t relate or care or feel it. But I can say.. I can see WHY you feel that way.
Mr. Smiley I think you need to chill a little bit. I went to a French restaurant once and the waiter faked a French accent. I knew it was fake but it didn’t bother me. Although I don’t know if that would bother any native French person in Los Angeles. Maybe we should rename “spaghetti” to “noodles in tomato sauce”? Maybe rename AMERICAN OWNED Outback Steakhouse to “Tampa Florida Steakhouse”?
Also, as a Korean, I’m not bothered by the fact that the Japanese have appropriated Korean bbq into “yakiniku.” Most Japanese don’t like to admit that yakiniku originated from Koreans. I went to a yakiniku place in Fountain Valley called Tsuruhashi. I asked the owner if he’s a Zanichi (a Korean-Japanese) and he said that yakiniku is in no way affiliated with Korean bbq (but how does one explain away distinct Korean dishes like kimchi, chapjae and pahjon in the menu?). However, I thought that was kind of ironic given that Tsuruhashi is the district in Osaka known for being Osaka’s Koreatown and known for it’s distinctive Korean bbq.
http://japan-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/tsuruhashi_is_koreatown
Someone (not going to name names Mr. Smiley) is a tad too ethnically self conscious.
Hi Edward, It’s Mr. Smiley.. glad to hear from a Korean on this issue. I say this to Korean friends, and most of them half-assly (sp?) agree, abeit with a “so what, you guys raped us”. But they know.. that there’s a ton of these “designer” sushi joints popping up like crazy, mostly Korean owned. And you can debate all you want, but the sushi is highly americanized crappy, decorated, “fusion” sushi that isn’t even sushi. “Fried spicy Colorado tuna rolls” isn’t sushi. They cater to people who’d rather drink Lipton mango green tea over genma-cha. That’s fine, but market it as so. John Kim’s Cali Style Sushi.. instead of Sushi Sen.. or whatever.
I’m just pissed cause I took my date (who’s Korean ironically) to a place I spotted and was like.. we gotta go here, it’s right by me.. and we went in, and I started getting this funny feeling.. my date looked and me and started laughing, cause she knew what I was thinking. She asked in a smart ass tone.. so do you want to leave?? I just said, fine, we’ll stay. All I gotta ask is.. why must you gouze with sauce?? That is just wrong!! White people love “sauces”. That’s not no stereotype.. just like they got to put shoyu (soy sauce) on rice. They need ‘flavor’ for everything, which is why you never see straight up green tea. It’s always flavored. Sushi was meant to be— fish. rice. wasabi.
Ok I’m done ranting. I love Kim chee.
Smiley. Get yourself some milk and cookies, grab a chair and read my blog entry about Korean and Japanese food.
It might cheer you up.
http://wangkon936.xanga.com/621757090/japanese-galbi-korean-sushi-and-the-globalization-of-food-culture/
fun place to grocery shop. great prices too.
If you want Japanese food from Japanese, then ask your Japanese friends to open more Japanese shops. Unfortunately, most Japanese are broke. Look at the Japan. It’s been in the recession forever. Just be thankful that the Korean with money is opening up Japanese shops to celebrate your culture before it fades away.