Dainobu

Excellent place to drop by for a quick snack or meal while on the go. Sushi seems to be made fresh daily in an abundance of varieties. Our favorite here had to be the spicy tuna rolls, Japanese snacks and cold green tea beverages. Clean environment with ample amounts of hand sanitizer sprinkled throughout. Most of the patrons properly social disanced but the store is super narrow so keep that in mind on your next visit. Great spot to grab some extra firm tofu as well. Great customer service with speedy checkout lines.

Small Japanese mart with various products and fresh food. Decent selection of fresh sushi products to choose from. I would take a look to see if the rice is fresh before picking because one of ours was stale. Special chirashi ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: solid chirashi bowl with a mix of raw fish eel eggs and veggies. Salmon nigiri+roll ⭐️⭐️: probably picked up an old one cause the rice was super clumped together and sticky. Inari ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: grabbed this cause I saw the lady just come out and put it out. Super fresh and tasty especially the scallop. Only thing I would change is remove the cream cheese from the salmon one.

For a small place they have a lot of great groceries to choose from! This place is well stocked. They have pretty much everything you would need. The people that work there are nice and very helpful! Definitely check this place out for your Japanese grocery needs!!

Nice little market with a wide array of Japanese snacks, beverages, and ingredients at their disposal. The lady working the register was very kind and friendly as well. Worth a stop if you’re nearby.

Good selection of Japanese foods, however we were also impressed with the small but diverse array of Japanese kitchenware items such as bowls and tea drinking cups. We bought several items here and the owner was pretty friendly and gave us a free charger, it may have been a local promotion that day.

Dainobu is a small-to-medium sized Japanese grocery that is filled with Japanese grocery items, snacks, and pre-prepared meals and smaller bites. the shop is well-organized, neat, and brightly lit, the prep-prepared eats are in the front and packaged grocery items are arranged via aisles in the back. there are a good number of staff if you can’t find something. i have only bought candy, snacks, and some of the pre-prepared foods. i’ve been pretty happy with all purchases here. the snack and candy selection is good. recently, grabbed a spicy tuna onigiri which was the portable comfort eat I needed after a long cardio session. the tuna and rice tasted fresh and was seasoned well. before that, i grabbed a Japanese boxed meal to heat up at home after a long day of errand-running on the west side. the quality of the curry beef over rice was quite good and tasty even thought it is essentially a microwaved (or stovetop) meal. the curry was flavorful, the beef was thin and tender, and the rice soaked up all those flavors nicely. the price $8.99 + tax is a total value for an easy weekend lunch or dinner when you’re too tired (or in my case too lazy) to cook. there are a variety of these boxed meals from sushi and sashimi to more savory meals that need to be heated.

4.5/5 Spicy Tuna Roll 4.5/5 Spicy Salmon Roll

The lunch box is ok. The store have variety of products and some fresh food. Nice and easy to shop in Manhattan.

Dainobu is a true gem that brings an authentic slice of Japan right to the heart of New York City. Stepping inside feels like embarking on a culinary journey through Japan, with shelves brimming with an impressive variety of authentic Japanese products. From popular snacks and beverages to fresh produce, sushi-grade fish, and deli-style prepared foods, their selection caters to every craving and need. The quality of the products is impeccable, and it's clear that great care goes into curating items that reflect the true essence of Japanese culture and cuisine. The atmosphere of the store is warm and inviting, with an attention to detail that instantly transports me back to my travels in Japan. Whether you're picking up a beautifully crafted bento box for lunch, exploring new Japanese flavors, or simply browsing their range of unique ingredients, Dainobu never disappoints. This market is more than just a grocery store; it's a cultural experience and a must-visit destination for anyone who loves Japanese food or wants to explore its vibrant culinary traditions. Every visit feels like a mini adventure, and I always leave with new discoveries to savor.

Never feel too welcome here. Last time I went in, the elderly woman behind the counter never made eye contact with the dirty gaijin who dared to shop there (me). Selection is standard but honestly, just go to Sunrise mart for better food, more welcoming atmosphere, and a wider selection. The onigiri are usually approaching stale, and the fillings are always scant, scarce, or, dare I say, stingy (you get more for your money at Sunrise or other JPN marts I've reviewed). Plus, no one at the register will judge you for being from another race or culture! That's always nice.

The best place for prepared Japanese snacks drinks and meals + entire Japanese marketplace. The staff here is super friendly, and was able to clarify with me which options in the prepared foods area were vegan or not. A bunch of the rice rolls are accidentally vegan, including the seaweed, and lotus root varieties ! I always stop at a Dainobu when I'm in the city !

I was excited to visit this store with my friend because she raves about their snacks. As we checked out and chatted, the cashier said something to her coworker, and they both laughed. Little did she know that my friend speaks Japanese fluently. The comment was snide, said aggressively, and translated into "They're talking too much!" It was rude of the cashier to make such a statement to her coworker, in front of us, no less. How unenlightened to assume that just because someone doesn't resemble you, that they don't speak the same language as you. I definitely won't support this business again.

Great place to get a wide selection of Japanese groceries. One of the only functional full-service Japanese grocery stores in this part of the city.

A while back, there were nice Japanese ladies at the register. Japanese ladies represent superior customer services. Always So nice when nice Japanese ladies were ringing up my purchase.

Similar to the other Dainobu on 56th. I did feel like this place is bigger/more spacious and has more premade /prepared items / meals. Freezer with ice cream towards the back A whole section of produce in the back as well.

I can't believe I've been to this area so many times and never knew about this place! A great, reasonably priced Japanese deli with bento boxes and other fresh meals to go! I tried the brown rice spicy tuna roll, which was under $10 for 9 pieces, and made the perfect lunch! They have tons of nice grocery items, as well as the most popular hair and skincare Japanese products. Lots of variety for such a little space. Will be back!

I still go to Chinatown to buy Japanese products unless they don't have Japanese food what I'm looking for...reasons...it's cheap and the cashier won't play game as expecting i speak their language. At this location always do. I've noticed this location is everything is expensive except for the sale items.

This was my first time shopping here and I had a very bad experience due to the unhelpful and catty cashiers. Sure, they have an inconvenience policy. But everything depends upon the manner in which one speaks, and not upon the matter (an old English saying). My experience could've changed if the employees handled it differently. I spent $99.16 here and they can't even provide a bag for the items I've purchased. A bag is a convenience that business owners should provide to their customers so we can carry our items home that we purchased from YOUR shop! It is ridiculous that they don't give their customers this convenience. I asked the cashier why can't they give a bag to a customer who spent almost $100 in one shopping and bought 13 items. She answered everyone brings their own bag. Wtf. That is not even true. And that doesn't answer my question of why are YOU, as a business, refusing to provide this type of convenience. I don't usually go grocery shopping so I don't carry any grocery bags on me. I was actually working in the area and came upon this shop. My love for Japanese delicacy brought me in here, which was a mistake. I should've shopped online instead. There was nothing here that I couldn't find online anyway. But I chose to patronize small businesses. And I deeply regret my decision due to Dainobu's lack of customer service, lack of consideration to their customer, and lack of flexibility. I've heard that small businesses are going through a tough time. I wonder if business owners are aware that their shitty employees could be a reason why they're losing sales, not just the economy alone. When I was walking out, I heard one of the cashier's mumble "rude." I wasn't rude. I just ignored her when she said "thank you" because I know she wasn't sincere. And the fact that she accused my silence of being rude when I turned my back makes her extremely unprofessional and shows what a catty person she is. If anyone was rude, that would be the cashiers. As a customer, I regret shopping here. I don't feel appreciated. I walked out as an unhappy customer feeling remorse for patronizing this shop. I stuffed all the items I bought in my work bag which should only carry my professional items.

I'm a big fan of Dainobu. So many good snacks. Very decent bento / onigiri selection. And pretty much any dried or frozen Japanese item you might need. There's also a huge variety of tofu, natto, mochi, and gyoza, which is very exciting to me as a longtime fan of said items. Usually the veggie selection is pretty small. Pretty much Asian veggies only or overpriced non Asian veggies. I don't think they sell any fruit. So this can't really be your only grocery stop (unless you don't eat veggies?! No judgement. Or only some judgement) but you can definitely get a lot do what you need if you cook mostly Asian food. ALSO, given the selection of bento, this is of course also a great spot to pick up lunch or dinner! I often get a bento before going on a long drive or flight (I know it's like 'not cool' to bring fish on a plane or whatever, but I cannot abide airplane food). Btw I recommend any and all snacks here. Japanese snacks are unparalleled. The chocolate covered almonds are like crack. They used to have this Sakura Mochi covered in a perilla leaf that was like the best thing I've ever put in my mouth, but they might not stock it anymore =[ a lot of the Mochi is great though. Also the monaka ice cream (the one that looks like a waffle) is the shit. Big fan of both the chocolate and strawberry variety. TLDR: good stuff

Best little Japanese deli/convenience store, located somewhere between the border of Meatpacking and West Village. They have lots of Japanese snacks, frozen foods and full meals as well, from sushi to bento boxes to onigiri and daifuku. The frozen food (excluding meat) goes on sale every weekend for like 40% off so it is a good place to stop up on gyozas. There is a microwave inside the store to heat up your goodies but they no longer let you eat your meal inside due to COVID. Union Square park is just a 5 min walk away though, so you can just bring your food and eat there if you like! Prices are overall decent for the location, and for more household related goods you can stop by their sister(?) store next door which also has a hot food kitchen inside.

The shop is fine, a good Japanese grocery selection. I don't like the stuff, they are miserable and unhelpful, must be treated badly. Bad energy shop!.

Craving sushi but I didn't want to splurge at a restaurant, so I opted for some prepackaged sushi from Dainobu. They have many options: tuna, salmon, California roll, shrimp tempura... I got the salmon and avocado roll with brown rice ($8.49) and the spicy tuna and avocado roll with brown rice ($8.49). They don't allow you to sit inside and eat, so we sat outside. It was a bit chilly but we had to deal with it. The sushi was yummy and while not the best of the best, we were happy with what we got. The staff was also friendly when we were paying for the food. Definitely a great place to grab a quick convenient lunch with a variety to pick from!

I actually like their selection of takeout sushi and their options if you want to grab fresh seafood to take home. They tend to also have some pretty good sales as well

This is another Dainobu in Manhattan other than the two in Midtown and one in Brooklyn. The place happened to be one block from the 14th St Station and in front of the M55 stop. The inside was quite narrow, similar to the one near the Grand Central terminal. It wasn't busy inside, and I could hear popular music kayokyoku playing in the background. Ordered the mixed chicken and vegetable rice ball and the chicken tantan noodled. The noodles were derived from soupy, nutty Cantonese version instead of the spicy, dry Sichuan version.

***Great authentic Japanese selections, Affordable prices, Covid Compliant*** Highly recommend if you're looking for authentic snacks, food, drinks. I purchased some snacks and the sushi is fresh!

I truly enjoy coming to small Japanese markets and just looking and trying something new. I found a delicious matcha IPA here, a noodle soup base / frozen udon just like how they make in the restaurants, curry in the package, so many different cuts of frozen beef and of course the hot food and sushi to go! They currently have 40% off their frozen items on weekends (excluding the meat, fish) which includes the frozen udon and yakisoba, so I'm excited to grab some my next trip!

Literally obsessed. This branch of Dainobu is one of the best. The product selection as well as the quality of the goods go so far. Their pasta salads are my favorite and love their curry premade meals. For ramen, they carry the curry made in Japan Nissin Ramen which is so different than American ramen. I love getting ongiris from here even though it can get overpriced. Super super healthy for a late night snack. Also, love buying vegetables from here. They carry napa cabbage and okra which are my favs. Also, love the tamago individual slices they carry in the sushi area.

Unfortunately I got the raw sashimi- ate it the same day after storing in cold fridge- food poisoning :( it smelled very fishy (the squid) and I should have known better but the white fish also tasted old - I ate only one piece of each- but it caused gi issues-

The food was cheap and pretty good. The onigiri's had too little protein in there and a LOT of rice. The rice bowl i got was much better. Great to grab and go and they have a good selection of japanese goods. Why I'm giving such a low rating is because of the awful and rude associate that was checking me out, Black short haired, 30s woman, was so rude. I had my noise cancelling earphones in and i didn't hear her as I was just staring at my items getting checked out - she stops scanning and slams the table and i take my earphones out and said "oh i'm sorry!" and she rolls her eyes and she's PISSED for repeating herself " DO YOU NEED A BAG?" I said yes - but normally I would ignore the reaction but she continued to scan my items - shaking her head, rolling her eyes at me all because I didn't hear her the first time. She then brings the card machine out and doesn't even look at me at this point. I felt so disrespected for absolutely no reason. Also - common sense? I had NO bags/purse on me AND i had bought 4 food items that needed a bag. I didn't understand why she continued to shake her head and roll her eyes . I proceeded to leave and let her know she was being rude. I don't care if you had a bad day but to continue to show it on your face and shake your head at me all because I didn't hear you the first time is absurd. I will not be coming back to this location because of her.

This is a really quaint supermarket that I visit frequently when I'm in the city. While they have tons of snacks and other products, I like to come here for the ready-to-go food. From sashimj, to don buri, noodles and my fave- fruit sandwiches. There's many drink choices as well. I think this is a great spot to stop for a quick snack or to grab some lunch as well.

Good store for to go meals, but the Riceball has very little ingredients on it, that was a little disappointing . Felt like I only ate rice, barely taste the spicy tuna

Awesome spot to grab lunch or dinner. I got a shrimp/salmon roll. Reasonably priced (all the rolls were $10-$18. So many options. Onigiri was tasty and there were lots of different options. Sashimi looked good too will have to go back for it. Store itself had a lot of random snacks too. Love this spot

I love this Japanese grocery store. The prepackaged sushi was really good and pretty reasonably priced. The store itself is pretty small but they have the essentials for Japanese cooking. In the back of the store they have a decent selection of sauces, noodles, and other goodies.

Dainobu has options for grocery shopping and pre-made food. We go here to get the salmon roe. The sashimi comes either pre-sliced or whole, and is priced by weight. This means you can get as much or as little as you want, and can purchase all the fish (and rice) to make sushi at home. They have a large drink, snack and candy selection.

Many kind varieties of Japanese food inside this Deli the food and is delicious,sashimi and sushi is fresh

My go-to Japanese market. It's tiny, but packed with all the Japanese essentials you can think of. Right when you walk in they have a ton of different bentos, donburi, onigiri, and side dishes to choose from. You can even get salmon neck! Additionally, they have an entire drink and dessert to-go area too. In the back there are aisles with snacks, pantry staples, veggies, and a freezer section. During the day they have a hot noodle/curry station too. So happy I bought this 7.50 bento. It's a layer of rice and seaweed, topped with pickles, salmon, karrage, tempura squid, and tamago. I am shook how good the karrage is.

Never been to Japan? This is probably the closest you'll get in NYC. So many goodies, but you can probably find them at a Chinese supermarket for cheaper. However, they have imported some of my Japanese favorite drinks such as Suntory and flavored water! I really recommend I LOHAS Peach Flavor Water, it's similar to Suntory's peach flavored water, but with a lighter peach taste and not as sweet. They also have Suntory Green Da-Ka-Ra which is tasty, but a very light fruit flavor.

I love this place so much - you can find so many tasty Japanese snacks, tea, cosmetic products, and drinks. This location is pretty small, but is as good as the Sunrise Mart in East Village. Scratch that - it's as close as you can get to a Japanese conbini outside of Tokyo. You could spend at least 20-30 minutes perusing the aisles. Come for the Kitkat flavor selections (there are always at least 5 to try that aren't regular or matcha-flavored), and stay for the fresh bentos, gyozas and desserts.

Have not been to the other Dainobu locations yet but I can say that this one is on par with Sunrise as far as having a wide selection of groceries and prepared foods from Japan. This location is not large but manages to pack a lot in. Pro tip: on weekends, frozen goods are 40% off! Never be without Edamame again!! Or gyoza or ... Their umeboshi Onigiri is da bomb. The wrapping is such that the nori is kept from touching the rice until you eat it, thus keeping the nori super crispy and delicious. Yay!

It seems like Japanese grocery stores have been popping up in multiple locations of NYC, but I know see this one has been here for four years. Conveniently located near the 14th street station, this location offers more variety of Japanese products (especially beauty products) than other locations. Store is fairy spacious and it's less crowded, probably because of the location. I guess the only downside is that the cashier didn't include eating utensils when bagging the bento box. I feel pretty extra for saying this, but I think the cashier can do better!

(4.5 stars) This place was a pleasant surprise which reminded me of Family Mart in Japan. I was looking for some food with a friend to have a Central Park picnic and this place satisfied all of my cravings for sushi, donburi, and onigiri. Not all of the food items in the picture are from this Japanese store but you can get a sense of how fresh the sashimi was. My favourite dish was the inari puffs with different fillings; one was filled with real Dungeness crab! I also tried a beautiful grape soda which I've never seen anywhere else before. They have a wide variety of Japanese to-go lunch boxes - even uni sashimi, soba noodles and udon noodles. In the back the shop has some Japanese snacks and Japanese-branded supplies, but majority of the place sells food. I paid with cash but I can't remember if card is accepted.

Nori ben quality down. So sad! Rice was so hard and old Pickles was cheaper Price was up. Quality was totally down.

I prefer Dainobu rather than Sunrise Mart for a larger selection and more choices. There are more onigiri (Japanese rice balls) as Teriyaki salmon $2.29, pickled Japanese plum $1.99, a small bakery and prepared pre-cooked meals. There is also a small section of stationery items as Japanese eraser, and refills for mechanical pencils. Staff is friendly but be prepared as the checkout line can quickly form. Price is reasonable. Definitely an alternative to Sunrise Mart.

This little hole-in-the-wall saved my life!! I work close to University Place, and finding a quick lunch can be difficult. Thank goodness for Dainobu. Five stars for 1. Good grab-and-go food 2. Japanese groceries 3. So. Much. POCKY. 4. Friendly employees 5. CREAM PUFFS

The Quick: awesome Japanese grocery to find all those ingredients for your next Pinterest cooking adventure. The Details: If you ever try to make a Japanese dish, you'll be faced with a giant list of ingredients not commonly found in Trader Joe's. The spot has everything at fairly reasonable prices. Huge fan of their sushi grade yellow tale as well as the meat. The Details: Noodles, soy sauce and meat (dinner for 3) was just under $12

This place is great! I love stopping by on the way home and being able to pick up from groceries. Dainobu is great, but this one is more of a quick stop shop. It's pretty small! But stocked full of stuff. They're missing some key items. But there are always always sales. So make sure you step in often.

Have been buying Japanese groceries from here for the past 6-8 months since moving to New York. Plenty of selection for dried goods and snacks, slightly smaller selection for fresh goods - but they have the basics. Cooked food selection for takeaway is not bad. Pleasant experience recently marred by one nasty cashier, who charged me twice for an item (check your receipts!), and when I returned to sort out the matter, she insisted I wait at back of the line instead of having it attended to straightaway - what a waste of time. I also observed how she treated another customer while I was waiting, seemed pretty rude to me. Dainobu, some people are not meant to be cashiers if they are going to be this rude, might want to consider some staff training.

Dainobu is makin' me feel daijoubu. The place is packed, but that just means it's packed full of flavor! There's an endless array of crap you want to try. Maple bread, all types of onigiri, espresso kit kat, takoyaki, itoen milk tea (not as good as sangaria milk tea). I was told there are curry buns, which I've been craving since coming back from Japan, but I've yet to find. The food in the front is prepared in the back, so they're not actually manufactured in a warehouse or whatever fear people have with trying deli foods. It's honestly a refreshing change of pace from everything in the neighborhood. Sometimes I'm looking for something that tastes home-cooked without having to go home and cook. AND it's cheap! A healthy money-saver; no wonder Japanese people live for so long. They lose a star until they have hot drinks. I like my royal milk tea hot. Even during the summers.

I have been coming here in the past few weeks and really appreciate that all employees here wear face masks and gloves. It makes me feel much safer against the threat of Covid-19 than going to Trader Joe's and Whole Foods where no staff member is wearing a mask but restocking the shelves and handling my bags.. so glad I found this place during this crazy time!

If you just want a quick taste of Japanese essentials, and a mix of toys and treats this place will fill the gap, without needed to travel to Jersey City or Brooklyn for larger based stores. This has everything you need for a quick fix, including fresh sushi and other food items for lunch. Very friendly and helpful staff and a quick check out process. Give them a try.

I love this little Japanese grocery store! They also sell nice Japanese home-made dishes to go, you can warm them up in a microwave at the store or take with you, and the store next door which they own sells hot food to go. The prices are very good and the food very tasty.

Dainobu became my go-to place for Japanese foods and one of the cashier calls me "Cool Lady" now. I want to share some items that I usually buy rather than store stocks many Japanese and so on.. "Shiho No Shizuku/紫峰の滴" If you are tired of usual soy sauce, this soy sauce is a great choice to try. The Umami is undeniable, light in color but strong in Umami. Fantastic with fresh sashimi and sushi, and as well as a dressing, with EVOO or sesame oil with fresh squeeze of lemon. Also, excellent to marinate fresh fish or meat with it. It enhances its flavors. Downside to some is it has a high content of salt. Usually this sauce is out of stock so don't hesitate to ask to re-order for more. One staff that has a husky-sexy deep voice for women knows a good knowledge of the items they have. Her recommendations has been on point. She also shares how she likes, add a drop to chicken soup, or noodles and so on. I don't know her name but if you see a mature looking lady, usually on the floor, ask her any question on their items. She is very helpful. She has already introduced me to many new products. Kimichi I've seen Kimchi in a jar everywhere but I can find this particular one only here in my neighborhood; Sunrise or M2M don't have it either. Some like Kimchi to be sweet, spicy, sour, or even garlicky. This Kimchi Pride & Foods has all of that. But nothing closer to a love-infused homemade Kimchi. Organic chemical free seafood granule stocks in a bag are another best picks for me. There are several of them. I mix few different kind, Konbu, Bonito, and a little fishy but amazing Iriko (anchovy), that were all granules, to create my special Umami broth (Dashi). Excellent for miso soup and anything asking for Dashi in a receipt. Weekend frozen food sale is hard to miss, but I don't know how long they have this special. My pick is cool packaged Yoshinoya Beef Don is a must. There are two components, beef, and rice packages. It is a frozen-instant food but it is very tasty, just like any Yoshinoya in Japan. Yoshinoya is one of the Japanese fast food chain restaurants and only offers beef don. Bentos and hot foods; I previously reviewed of Chirashi bowl and sushi to be not good enough but recently when I tried, they aren't so bad, for price. They look small in size but were enough portion for lunch. What I like the most from bento is pork cutlet bento. The cutlet is like Japanese Tonkatsu size, small in a size but it is a thick cut.

The supermarket is small, but it carries a lot of Japanese products that you may need. In addition, there are premade foods (onigiri, rice w/ meat and veggies, tempura, etc). This is a great place to find Japanese things w/in the union square area. If you want to visit an even larger Japanese supermarket, go to Sunrise Market which is in the St. Marks area.

Great little Japanese grocery store and take out. Need to make your own sushi rice and ugly rolls? They have what you need. Also one of the few places to find onigiri.

I really love this Japanese market, it has a small produce section, some premise food one can heat up or take out, and plenty of grocery goods like fresh noodles, pickled vegetables, rice, and all cooking needs. The space looks (and is !) really small but they pack in a lot. It makes getting around a little tight but it's worth it ! The prices for Japanese goods are very cheap but things like eggs are crazy compared to Whole Foods ! Definitely look at what you're buying to make sure you get the best value.

First off, let me say that I really love the food at Dainobu. I've been popping in 2-3 days a week for the past 2 years, and it really is the best option in the area for a quick, healthy* grab-and-go lunch. The food is so good, in fact, that I didn't even bat an eye when my co-workers repeatedly got food poisoning from Dainobu. Nor did I hesitate to reconsider my dining choices when I witnessed them frantically pulling food from the coolers because they had caught wind that a food safety inspector was coming. Well, it turns out I should have reconsidered, because two weeks ago I finally caught a case of the Dainobu Flu. I had a bowl of their vegetable curry over rice on a Friday and subsequently spent my entire weekend feeling ~extremely~ nauseous and forced to stay within 30 seconds of a bathroom. Yay food poisoning! And so ends my love affair with Dainobu. As delicious and convenient as their food is, I refuse to risk wasting another two days of my life imprisoned within a queasy hellscape of sickness. If anyone from Dainobu reads this, please work on improving your food safety procedures and stop poisoning your loyal customers! Do this and maybe one day we can fall in love again.

I came around 11am on a Friday, and the store wasn't as crowded as I feared it might be. I had a really nice shopping experience here. Particularly, I was blown away by the selection of Japanese products and noms! I am a happy camper and will definitely be back the next time I have a craving for some Japanese food.