How to Shop at a Japanese or Korean Grocery Store: A First-Timer's Guide

The first trip to a Japanese or Korean grocery store can be genuinely disorienting. The products are often unlabeled in English, the quantities available are surprising (why are there 15 different kinds of soy sauce?), and without a specific list, it's easy to either leave empty-handed or spend $200 on things you don't know how to use.

This guide is the prep work that makes that first trip productive.

The Stores

H Mart: The largest Korean-American grocery chain, with locations throughout the United States and a few in Canada. Stocks a comprehensive Korean pantry plus a significant Japanese, Chinese, and general Asian food section. The prepared food area at the front of most locations is outstanding. If you're near an H Mart, this is your first stop.

Mitsuwa Marketplace: Japanese grocery chain, primarily California and New Jersey. Focuses specifically on Japanese products with a premium selection and in-store food courts featuring real Japanese restaurant food. More expensive than H Mart, more specialized.

Marukai: Japanese grocery, California primarily. Similar to Mitsuwa but with a somewhat broader product selection.

HEB Central Market / Whole Foods Japanese sections: In areas without dedicated Asian grocery stores, these carry a functional selection of the core ingredients.

99 Ranch Market: Chinese-owned but stocks Japanese and Korean products alongside Chinese groceries. Broad selection, good prices.

Amazon/Weee!/AsianFoodGrocer: Online options for people without a local Asian grocery. Shipping makes some things expensive, but pantry staples ship well.

What to Buy on Your First Visit

Japanese Pantry Essentials (buy these first)

Kombu (昆布): Dried kelp. Sold in sealed bags. Look for thick, wide pieces with a whitish surface bloom (mannitol — a natural sugar, not mold). Brand: Hidaka kombu is widely available. Used for dashi and seasoning.

Katsuobushi (かつお節): Dried bonito flakes. Sold in bags of small packets (convenient) or large bags. The packets are convenient for dashi; the large bag is more economical. Brand: Ninben is a reliable standard.

Soy sauce (醤油 / Shoyu): Multiple options will be available. Standard soy sauce: Kikkoman (dark, all-purpose), Yamasa. Light soy sauce (usukuchi): Higashimaru brand is common. White soy sauce (shiro shoyu): Yamasa makes one. Start with one standard soy sauce.

Mirin (みりん): Sweet rice wine. Look for "hon mirin" (本みりん) — true fermented mirin — rather than "mirin-style seasoning" (mirin-fu chomiryo), which contains sweetener instead of real fermented sugars. Brand: Takaramaru.

Sake for cooking (調理酒): Cooking sake is sold labeled as ryorishu (調理酒) — this contains salt (which makes it non-beverage grade and therefore purchasable without liquor license). Alternatively, buy actual sake from the liquor section.

White miso (白味噌): Look for Saikyo miso or standard white miso. Sold in 1-pound tubs. Keep refrigerated.

Sesame oil (ごま油): Kadoya is the standard brand — dark bottle, gold label. This is roasted sesame oil (dark and fragrant), not light sesame oil.

Japanese short-grain rice: Koshihikari is the premium variety. Calrose is widely available and more affordable. Buy a 5-pound bag to start.

Nori (海苔): Dried seaweed sheets. Sold in packets of 10. Look for the full-size sheets (for sushi and onigiri) or pre-cut pieces. The grade varies — more expensive nori is darker and has a cleaner flavor.

Panko breadcrumbs: Any brand. Panko is panko — the large, light flakes that give katsu and other breaded items their characteristic crunch.

Korean Pantry Essentials (buy these on the same visit)

Gochugaru (고추가루): Sold in 1-pound bags. Look for bright red color, medium grind. Brand: Haechandle is common. Buy a small bag to see if you like the heat level.

Doenjang (된장): Sold in small plastic tubs. Haechandle, CJ, or Sempio brands are all reliable.

Ganjang (간장): Korean soy sauce — Sempio is standard. If you already bought Japanese soy sauce, you can hold off on this until you know you'll use both regularly.

Gochujang (고추장): Sold in small tubs. CJ Haechandle is the most widely available brand. Start with medium heat if the heat level isn't specified.

Sesame seeds (깨): Buy the toasted variety, which comes in a small jar or bag. Ready to use directly.

Korean rice cake (떡/tteok): Sold in the refrigerated section. Cylinder-shaped garae tteok is the type for tteokbokki. Buy fresh or refrigerated — dried tteok requires extended soaking.

Finding Things in the Store

The Dried Goods Aisle

Noodles (soba, udon, ramen, glass noodles), seaweed (kombu, nori, wakame, hijiki), dried mushrooms (shiitake, oyster), rice, panko, and Japanese/Korean dried flakes (katsuobushi, dried anchovy for Korean stock). This is the most overwhelming section — take your time.

The Sauce and Condiment Aisle

Soy sauce variants, mirin, sake, rice vinegar, sesame oil, miso, doenjang, gochujang, gochugaru, ponzu, teriyaki sauce, fish sauce. Read labels — look for the Japanese or Korean name, not just the English label.

The Tofu and Refrigerated Section

Fresh tofu (silken, firm, extra-firm), fresh tteok (Korean rice cakes), fresh noodles, kimchi (often a whole refrigerated kimchi section), prepared banchan, fresh miso, and fresh dashi packets.

The Produce Section

Japanese eggplant (smaller and more tender than Italian), daikon radish (the large white radish used in countless Japanese and Korean dishes), Korean perilla leaves (kkaennip — larger and more assertive than shiso), lotus root (cut cross-sections to reveal the patterned interior), various Asian mushrooms, napa cabbage (essential for kimchi), and seasonal vegetables.

The Frozen Section

Edamame, gyoza (frozen dumplings — convenient and often genuinely good), udon noodles (frozen Sanuki udon is excellent), mochi ice cream, and various frozen Korean and Japanese prepared foods.

How to Read Labels

Most products in Japanese and Korean grocery stores have at least partial English labeling, but key information is often in Japanese or Korean. Things to look for:

Japanese labels:

• 醤油 (shoyu) = soy sauce
• 味噌 (miso) = miso
• 本みりん (hon mirin) = real mirin (vs みりん風調味料, mirin-style)
• だし (dashi) = broth/stock
• 国産 (kokusan) = domestically produced (Japan)

Korean labels:

• 고추장 (gochujang) = Korean chili paste
• 된장 (doenjang) = Korean soybean paste
• 간장 (ganjang) = soy sauce
• 고추가루 (gochugaru) = chili flakes
• 참기름 (chamgireum) = sesame oil
• 김치 (kimchi) = kimchi (obviously, but helpful if you're looking at varieties)

When in doubt: The staff at Japanese and Korean grocery stores are almost always knowledgeable and helpful. Ask — most staff at H Mart and Mitsuwa are experienced with "how do I use this?" questions from new customers.

The Budget Approach

First visit budget with all essentials: approximately $80-120 USD. The major cost is the miso (tubs are priced per size), sesame oil, and specialty items. Rice is usually $10-20 for a 5-pound bag.

The pantry items (kombu, katsuobushi, miso, soy sauce, mirin, sake, gochugaru, doenjang) last months and are used in small quantities. The cost per meal is extremely low once the pantry is stocked.

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A Japanese or Korean grocery store is not a specialty store in the way a cheese shop is a specialty store. It's a full-service grocery store stocked for the specific needs of its community. Walk around. Read labels. Ask questions. Buy one or two things you don't recognize and look them up later. The confusion is temporary; the pantry that comes out of it lasts for years.

Related reading: Japanese Pantry Essentials | Korean Pantry Starter Guide | What Is Doenjang?