Japanese grocery in NoVa?

[spoon99]

Are there any?

I used to make regular pilgrimages to Daruma before it closed, and I know places like Hinata and Maruichi have taken its place, but was hoping to find something closer. There a lots of Asian groceries in my area (Falls Church), but the few that I've checked out seem a bit scattershot, in terms of Japanese food.

Also, can anyone recommend a replacement for "Hime" brand dashi-no-moto? It's the one that had real bonito flakes and kombu in what were essentially over-sized teabags. Much more flavorful than the hon-dashi "crystals" that seem to be available now.

Thx,
-R

[Russel Shank]

Hana might be your best bet. their selection is tiny, but they keep japanese produce and maybe fresh specialty items. In the least, the really friendly and helpful woman who runs it can point you in the right direction.

here's a map of area asian markets, if you want to try hunting..

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF...

[Dennis S]

Fresh World in Herndon used to have quite a lot of Japanese specific items. A former coworker who was Japanese liked the solution.

That location is closed now, but I think there's one in Springfield.

[Bob W]

I would check out Lotte Plaza. I was at the new one in Chantilly yesterday, and while I wasn't looking for any Japanese items, I noticed that the grocery aisles were nicely labeled by country, so there might be a Japanese aisle.

[monkeyrotica]

Fresh World/El Grande in Springfield has a fair selection of Japanese products; nori, snacks, soba noodles, etc. They also carry a few refrigerated goods, like pickled giner and several different brands of natto. But the aisles are predominately Chinese and Korean.

[Lori D]

H mart (Merrifield and Fairfax in Virginia) also has a fair amount of Japanese items.

The Korean-owned stores tend to have a fairly decent selection of Japanese groceries. The Vietnamese/Chinese/South Asian-owned stores generally do not.

[spoon99]

I guess the answer is "no" :)

I was more specifically looking for some place that didn't just have the basic Japanese ingredients, but also things like fresh shiso and mitsuba.

I hope I didn't sound dismissive...I appreciate the suggestions and will check them out!

-R

[monkeyrotica]

There used to be a Japanese-only grocer in Mclean, but it closed. The closest thing to what you're looking for is Hana at 2004 17th St NW in DC.