Houston boasts quite a few Asian markets, most of them in Chinatown, as well as the hugely popular H Mart and 99 Ranch Market stores just three blocks apart on Blalock off I-10. Now another grocery store has joined the local squad – Seiwa Market, an authentic resource for Japanese foods and products. Its soft opening was August 5.
Houston has had a dedicated Japanese grocery of long-standing – Nippan Daido on Westheimer at Wilcrest – but this new spot is far larger and more comprehensive. Seiwa Market is located on Dairy Ashford between Briar Forest and Westheimer and stretches quite far amid a series of strip mall stores. Inside, there are sections dedicated to curry powder, sake, Japanese toiletry items, cookware, panko breadcrumbs, seaweed and rice vinegar.
As you enter, you’ll note an area on the right that’s filled with fresh produce and an unassuming glass fridge in the back that’s harboring mochi ice cream, red bean popsicles and cold ramen noodles. To the left are the cashier stations. Seiwa even offers an area for bagging your own groceries, just like it’s done in Japan. The similarity to the motherland is striking, as the bagging area even includes damp sponges for unsticking the plastic bags.
Ready to shop? Start in the produce station and meander counterclockwise. There’s a whole array of cold drinks featuring an ample stock of Japan’s favorite beverage, green tea. Iced green tea is a perfect thirst-quencher, and the countless brands available will make your eyes pop. Keep going, and there’s a wall of meat, poultry and seafood on the right. Seiwa sells famed Berkshire pork and plenty of sashimi plates. Pick up fresh tuna and salmon, delicately laid together, for a taste of the sea at home.
Opposite the meat are dry goods and household utensils. One aisle is stocked with delicate Japanese ceramics and kitchenware, such as intricately painted bowls and cups. There’s a hodgepodge of goods, from rice cookers to sushi rolling mats to famous snacks such as Pocky, green tea KitKats and Meiji chocolates.
What really caught my eye were the prepared foods. In the produce section there’s a small frozen-food area where I unearthed frozen takoyaki balls (think “meatballs” of batter and octopus). These are the same snacks that I loved in Osaka. In the hot food area, there are also ready-to-eat packs of takoyaki, eight in each ($3.99). The ones I tried were not particularly fresh, but their texture and generous portions of octopus hidden inside were partially redeeming. Also, the Japanese mayo drizzled on top was a nice touch.
The hot food area also boasts chicken karaage (Japanese fried chicken), onigiri (rice triangles filled with things like tuna and salmon) and gyoza (dumplings). I saw lots of ladies in line at the cashier with stacks of chicken karaage and takoyaki in their baskets, so I figured these were worth it. In addition, you can buy bentos, bowls of steaming noodles, curry and sushi and sashimi to eat on the spot.
I left Seiwa Market with two different brands of iced green tea ($0.89 and $1.49, respectively), a pack of takoyaki, two onigiri ($1.69 each) and a few KitKats. The onigiri’s delicate seaweed exterior proved difficult to unravel, but otherwise I was very much pleased. I had just bought myself enough food to last two meals.
The low prices, good quality and availability of so many diverse goods strongly reminded me why I miss Japan so much. It embraces such a different, fascinating world of food. Despite some overlap in the goods that Asian stores like H Mart and Chinatown’s Hong Kong Market sell, Seiwa Market stands out as a place that invites customers to explore what it might be like to live a Japanese lifestyle.
Seiwa Market, 1801 S Dairy Ashford, seiwamarket.com