Good Japanese/Asian Store in Berkeley, San Jose or Santa Clara?

[FishTales]

We'll be looking for a good Asian store when we visit your fine state in a few weeks. We won't be to that much of the Bay area, but will be briefly in Berkeley, San Jose & Santa Clara.

Specifically we broke one of our little dishes for soy sauce for sushi &, not too surprisingly, can't find any good ones here in the desert southwest. Any ideas?

Cheers!

[Bunson]

+1 to Daiso - very affordable where you can buy a stack they're so cheap. Just be sure to check the back and make sure the sticker says Made in Japan instead of Made in China.

[FishTales]

The Union City Daiso is just close enough to 880 that we may be able to fit it in, thanks.

Cheers!

[Scrapironchef]

Daiso in Union City might be worth a stop if you are diving from Berkeley to SJC. The store is huge and has quite an assortment of dishes and cookware. Most items are $1.50,

There are also a dozen restos worth eating at in the center.

1785 Decoto Road Union City, CA 94587
[phone]

Ichiban Kan is a Japanese store just up San Pablo Ave from Tokyo Fish Market and also has a lot of dishware in a "Yen Store" format.

10562 San Pablo Ave
El Cerrito, CA 94530
[phone]

[shanghaikid]

daiso is in almost every city now. already mentioned their berkeley and san jose stores already.

[Scrapironchef]

The Berkeley one is smaller and more difficult to park at than the UC one, I haven't been to the Saratoga location.

Just trying to offer more options, sorry if I stepped on your toes.

[shanghaikid]

never mind my toes, i was addressing the request re the original specs: san jose, santa clara, berkeley.

[Scrapironchef]

I'm sorry for thinking that the UC one was between those places, I'm sure the OP wasn't looking any other altermnatives.

[anyhow]

San Jose Japantown has a half dozen gifts / arts / housewares shops + many small restaurants for a wide range of Japanese food styles. 10 minute drive from SJC and loads of parking (unless you go on a festival day). Very informative historical markers make the community accessible to visitors.

[FishTales]

Thank you, yes, just found out about Japantown yesterday when looking at the Saratoga Avenue recommendations above. Looks really good & it's now on the itinerary.

Cheers!

[Bigshadetree]

It sounds like your time will be limited and since you will be in Berkeley, another vote for Tokyo Fish - the gift shop located in the smaller building in front of the market has a lot of Japanese dishes, bento bako's etc. It is very easy to find - on San Pablo a block north of Gilman which is one of the main streets leading back to Interstate 80. Also check out the market - they have a prepared food section - very good bento lunches for $7.25 - cook is Ken-san, the original owner/chef of Yokohama restaurant in Richmond. I believe the sushi they sell is made on site by Mifune restaurant.

[drewskiSF]

the sushi at Tokyo Fish is made by Musashi on Dwight in Berkeley.
http://www.musashiofberkeley.com/

they re-started their lunch service last week. they'd previously stopped it saying they couldn't handle both that and the prep for Tokyo Fish.

[shanghaikid]

berkeley
-tokyo fish gift shop, 1220 san pablo ave. berkeley,, high end
-daiso, 2309 telegraph, (near u.c. berkeley) low end $1.5 specialist

san jose
-daiso, 651 saratoga ave
-mistsuwa marketplace, 675 saratoga,, everything japanese here.

[FishTales]

Most amazing, within hours there are 6+ possibilities. Many thanks...

Cheers!

[Stephanie Wong]

If you go to Tokyo Fish's gift shop, they have an adjoining parking lot with an entrance on 10th street:

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&...

I love giving their dishware as gifts. . . lots of bang for my buck.

[Robert Lauriston]

Which parking lot? I never knew there was any parking besides what surrounds the gift shop.

[wolfe]

Click on New Parking Available link.
http://www.tokyofish.net/

[Glencora]

Never would have noticed it.

The vegetable plants have arrived.

[Stephanie Wong]

It's the defunct bingo parlor & donut shop lot just on the other side of the former automotive service shop. . . parking's much easier and more civilized now!

[Robert Lauriston]

Second on Mitsuwa. Worth the drive from SF if you're into Japanese stuff. Tokyo Fish is great but much smaller, though they'd probably have a good selection of what you're looking for.

Soko Hardware, SF.

[FishTales]

We're flying into & out of SJC so that's not out of the way at all. Thanks.

Cheers!

[wolfe]

Ranch99.
http://www.99ranch.com/store_locator_...

[goldangl95]

There are Nijiyas all over the Bay Area. You could try there?