Mitsuwa Marketplace

With today's grand opening of Tokyo Center, there are much more choices for the people in Irvine to enjoy the authentic Japanese food and cuisines. Hope Mitsuwa can do well as before. There are a few things only available in Mitsuwa, like Joice Chocolate, which we bought as gifts to our friends in the East Coast. We will wait and see.

Love this small but have all you need Japanese marketplace. The fast foods stalls are amazing.

We used to hit up this great place for cheap, quick eats—ramen and tonkatsu were our faves! It gets super crowded sometimes, though, so you'd have to wait for a table.

Japanese supermarket to serve Asian population in Irvine. Beside the regular grossceries, foods, or household items, there are snack counters, food courts, coffee booth for its customers. There might be limited seating during peak time. Clean and well maintained store.

Smaller Mitsuwa compared with other locations but you can get quick fix of items. There is small food court with a few active stores. Maybe will be room for expansion of more shops or pop up shops. Location is in Plaza with other stores nearby easy in and out. Overall pleasant experience.

This Mitsuwa location is newer and cleaner, but smaller than the others I've visited. As a result, the selection is very limited. While the food court is also small, it wasn't overly crowded during my visit.

One of the best Mitsuwa in Southern California! It has a wide variety of groceries, fresh sushi, fresh seafood and pastries. The food court a good selection of Japanese street food. It even has a Daiso inside!

Very small and expensive, not worth paying a visit. Food Court also very disappointing, not expensive but not a lot of options either.

It's a smaller Mitsuwa location, but they still have some other shops in there (the J. Sweets and Royce), some flowers and bonsai, and a mini food court. I used to go here when Modo Donuts was a thing in SoCal, but alas no longer. Parking can get absolutely disgusting here as it does with lots of places in the OC, especially this plaza since there's so many restaurants, other businesses, and disgustingly, another Japanese market. Other than that, it's a nice Japanese market. There's lots of products here I don't see at other markets. Different snacks, blind boxes, cute goods (keychains, stickers, etc.), a Fist of the North Star energy drink, imported culinary flowers from Japan, cute Zoonuts (animal donuts), and much more. It is quite pricy, but given that they're imported goods, it makes sense. A decent Mitsuwa.

This is a much smaller and grubbier version of Mitsuwa compared to the ones in Torrance or Costa Mesa. Parking is free but very very busy most of the time. I have never found a close parking space no matter when I go -- weekdays, weeknights, all hours of weekends. It doesn't even matter. It's not AS bad compared to Diamond Jamboree but pretty close to it! Watch out for cars coming and going. I swear it's accidents waiting to happen. Once you safely make it to the front door, the whole place is really confusing. The aisles are in very different formations. You get to look at the fridge items that abruptly turns into hot food items that's now BAM! Shampoo aisle and views of people eating in the food court. Check out can be a breeze depending on when you go. My favorite place to swing by.....more like THE ONLY reasons to swing by is to visit Hamada-ya bakery inside. They have wonderful cream stuffed donuts and custard puddings. A must try after eating dinner nearby.

I've lost count how many times I've been here, but I did came here on a recent visit and as usual, a good place to get snacks, groceries, and also the food court. The market itself has a pretty decent selection of groceries, sushi, and things, but the sushi section can be lacking a lot of the times. Their bottled drinks are good and is my go-to here. There's also a bakery adjacent to the market and then there is also the Food Court, which is probably the main reason you would want to come here - for me it is! The food court has a small selection of "shops" that offers ramen and katsu dishes, and also matcha teas and Japanese donuts. There's a fair amount of seating here, though it can get filled-up on peak hours and weekends. The restrooms are usually decent and mostly clean. Some customers or visitors need to be a little more respectful in those restrooms though - my last visit it was pretty gross, but it's usually pretty clean. The parking here is in a huge plaza, so if you don't happen to find parking in front of the marketplace, there's parking a little further that'll maybe take a few minutes to walk to. But good spot for Japanese groceries and food court bites.

I don't know how anyone could give anything but 5 stars to this Irvine gem. How lucky are we to have a Japanese market and food court in our city? My 13 year and old and i come for ramen often and shop. Everyone knows Santouka ramen is fire and one of the best around. Plus the mochi donuts and Japanese chocolate shop are incredible finds. Today i grabbed a bag of authentic Japanese rice, some fresh fermented miso from Japan, curry, veggies and kimchi. I always make sure to grab some fresh shiitake mushrooms one of the healthiest foods you can eat on a weekly basis along with quality miso and kimchi. We're moving to San Clemente soon and the one thing in Irvine I will miss along with the 100 things i won't miss (apartment complexes that have taken over the city and 300,000 people in a city meant for 150,000) is Mitsuwa. PS visit the Costa Mesa location for a larger store.

Mitsuwa in Irvine, is located off of the Culver exit on the 5 freeway. They're in a very busy plaza so parking can be a bit difficult during rush hour. Mitsuwa, is a Japanese marketplace that offers a small food court to the back of their building, and some small vendors off to the side directly in front of the cash registers. This Mitsuwa is tiny. In my honest opinion, they don't offer much but I also don't typically shop at Japanese food stores so I can't compare it to others. I literally go to Mitsuwa to buy some of the cooked eel, some sauces, the food court, and for J Sweets. The kids were happy to find the brand of mochi and other Japanese ice creams they've been gifted in the past. Hubby, excited for the seaweed sprinkles and sauces for cooking. Me for their chips. I don't do a lot of grocery shopping here but let's just say my husband likes that I can't walk out with a giant cart full of food. That's in part due to the fact that they really are a small grocery store and items are limited. Because of this, I can only do 3 out of 5 stars. They're not bad, but not my first choice for grocery shopping.

This is a wonderful quaint Japanese marketplace. I discovered this location years ago when it was my daughter's birthday and she needed some Hello Kitty birthday gifts. Now I realize that there are some wonderfully delicious restaurants, at the location as well. There's a soup place, that seems to be really popular and looks super delicious . There are lots of flowers and fresh orchids, lots of items that one would only find in Japanese grocery stores / Japan.

I haven't been here in a while so stopped by after I checked out that new market, Tokyo Central, in that next shopping center. Such a let down from Mitsuwa. Everything looks dated and the store isn't super clean after seeing the brand new market next door. How sad.

Very clean, well organized and well stocked Japanese store with one of the most friendlies employees! The store itself is quite small in compare to other asian store that I went but They have variety of products and a food court! The quality of products is there but its lil bit overpriced! There is a big parking outside so there is no struggle for parking... I ended up buying huge selection of teas and hard candies that i was looking for them for so long time so if you want something Japanese products and you didnt find in the other asian store dont forget to check this place! Its a gem...Also, they don't accept EBT. They have products that the price is around $1000 which it makes sense! They have hiring with minimum wage of $18.

Love Mitsuwa Marketplaces. The only other one I've been to was the Costa Mesa location. I love the ramen shops that are inside along with the other shops that provide baked goods, chocolate, and other food items. I'll have to come back for their fresh sushi rolls. It's a small but mighty marketplace. Best part is you can do self-check out with apple pay. Highly recommend coming in.

Had to post just bc of the live hairy crab - which is not always here but interesting to see. Ppl are nice. It's less crowded than Tokyo Central but I have to say more expensive. That being said there are things you can't get at Tokyo Central that you can get here and vice versa so naturally, we go to both. Keep on keeping on Mitsuwa we love and support you.

I like the fact when you walk in you felt like you were in a mini mall. The fact you seen the food court was cool. A little pricey for some food products but possibly you couldn't get anywhere else. I like how attentive and friendly the workers are to you as a customer. I like the vibe of place mainly. I liked how there's different kinds of food and products there. I am kind of bummed that's there's no Hokkaido ice cream cone there..But other than that I give the place a 4.8/5

A great market that includes a food court with restaurants, drink shops, shops, and a bakery hidden inside. I usually buy a drink and sushi at the market to bring over to the food court with an entree from there. This time I bought onigiri from the market and a katsu don rice bowl from one of the places. It never disappoints, as it reminds me of my trip to Japan. It's pretty self service and seating at the food court. You order first and they'll call it out loud once it's ready for pick up. The food is always hot and fresh and flavorful! I'm drooling as I'm thinking about it.

Mitsuwa Marketplace is our go-to Japanese supermarket and we like it way better than Tokyo Central due to the quality of the product offerings. Having Hamada-ya inside is certainly very nice too. Sometimes the sashimi is a touch expensive but overall we love the high-quality sashimi from Japan they always have in stock too. The more things from Japan, the better!

Nice Japanese grocery store with food court and other small shops. You can get your Japanese food fix with high quality meats, veggies, Japanese snacks and even some housewares and kitchenware. Prices are a little higher than many other markets but it is usually pretty nice quality. There are several food court restaurants to choose from, so you can grab a quick meal and find your own seat. There is also a small bakery and a Royce chocolate store for delicious but pricey chocolates if you want to treat someone special.

While the store looks large from the outside, it's actually quite small on the inside. About a third of the restaurant is dedicated to the food court, and the rest is maybe the size of two convenience stores. I like that they offer a variety of Asian products, like Pocari and Asian snacks. It seems like they have the more typical/general grocery store items, so it's good for a quick stop to pick up essentials and not be overwhelmed with too many items. The store itself is very clean, and there are regular check out stations and self checkouts. Their food court has a handful of Japanese food-based stands with items like mochi donuts, takoyaki, and yakisoba. Parking was fairly easy, and it looks like there are two lots both facing the store where you could park.

I went here cause I hears there was MOCHI DONUTS!!!! AND MACHA DRINKS! The store itself not to shabby. Fresh veggies and ramen place inside and this incredible MACHA BLUBEERY DRINK and also cant forget my salted Carmel mochi donut. I was in the neighborhood lol. Wanted to pop in A+. I seriously need some stores like this in my neighborhood!! Ok Irvine i see you!!

Japanese grocery store and food court in Heritage Plaza right off the freeway. If you've been to other Mitsuwa Marketplaces, this one can be a bit disappointing. It's a smaller location, which means narrow aisles and limited selection. But they stock all the essential produce, seafood, meats, speciality items, snacks, pantry items, ready-to-eat meals, kitchenware, etc. so you'll most likely find what you need if you're pressed for time. Grocery shopping can be a little pricey, so I buy the essentials elsewhere. But I'll stop by for sushi or onigiri if I'm looking for a quick bite. They also have a decent selection of cold drinks that I'll pick up once in a while. And you can't go wrong with the many sweet and savory snack options! There is a small Shiseido cosmetics store. But no Kinokuniya bookstore or Mai Do stationery shop. Current eateries inside: J.Sweets - confectionary shop. You can buy ROYCE' chocolates here. Hamada-Ya - bakery Santouka - popular ramen chain Misasa- standard Japanese fare Mochill - coffee and mochi doughnuts. I miss MoDo! Plenty of parking in the plaza, but super crowded since they share the lot with other businesses. There are additional spaces in the back if you want to use the food court entrance. Convenient for those in the area. But if you have time to spare, I suggest getting back on the freeway and driving over to the Mitsuwa in Costa Mesa.

My favorite Japanese supermarket chain! I love that they have a food court, bakery, and also a selection of prepared food that goes on sale in the evening.

The prices are overpriced compared to other Japanese stores. They also have a very minimal selection. I visited the foodcourt to have lunch. I went to the right corner of the foodcourt and ordered a grilled fish lunch set. Although it was supposedly "grilled", it came so fast. I bit the first bite and it was disgustingly rubbery and had a weird texture. The thought came crossed my mind to return it but I thought of all of the other food quality and their service wouldn't give me comfort and satisfaction, so I shut my mouth and ate only the things I could tolerate. I will not go back there again.

I was super stoked to pull into the strip mall and find a Japanese Market with sushi and sake and yuzu and tamari! I can't wait to come back here and buy everything! It's very reasonably priced and parking easy too!

For this type of location, Mitsuwa needs to be bigger and more spacious to walk around. Not my favorite one. It's actually much smaller than expected, but this Mitsuwa does have a small food court with limited options too. Don't expect anything better or bigger here. Basics. Mochill donuts/coffee, Santouka, Misasa, etc. It's quite crammed up inside with long lines and lots of people entering or exiting the food court area. Grocery store is typical, but yes, much smaller than most locations. You can still find your favorite Japanese groceries and deli foods inside. The plaza is very appealing and popular, especially to students in the Irvine area. Paris Baguette is just down at end of block and there are many other restaurants there. If you're thinking about Korean foods here, restaurants are extremely overpriced. Daiso is huge on same block. Location for ATMs/banks/service offices/grocery shopping convenience. Looks brand new on outside, but when you step into this Mitsuwa, it feels that it needs some work here. Lots of public parking spaces in the lot which gets tight quick. Working class comes here to hang around. People are nice as usual, but wow, feels like there are more mainland Chinese folks here than Japanese or Korean students/families. Mochill coffee/latte is still worth it though. Huge cup size.

The dining hall was not that busy and fairly easy to get the food, but the food itself nothing special

This was one of the smaller Mitsuwa Markets that I've visited. The food court here was also on the smaller side. However, the item selection here was still good. Although I was able to find what I needed here, I still prefer to shop at the Costa Mesa location. There's plenty of parking, but it can get a bit hairy in the parking lot as there's quite a bit of traffic here at the Heritage Plaza shopping center.

In a great shopping center with so many delicious restaurants and shops. Definitely want to visit Mitsuwa for my favorite Tonkatsu ramen and tuna or salmon onigiris. Very friendly staff and always so helpful if I ask for help.

I had an awesome experience! 100% would recommend coming here! It wasn't too busy and we went on a tuesday! definitely check it out!!

Love to come here and eat ramen or udon. There is also sushi, which is great to eat at the food court, with above. Been going here for years, no complaints here. Customer service is good because the workers here are professional. I like all the Japanese produce which are hard to find elsewhere, especially living in south Orange County. Very clean and maintained well.

Service quick with a wide variety of food options. Can be a challenge for tables, but nice communal food court.

A little overpriced but the convenience of getting my essential Japanese ingredients is more important. Love this place

Worst Mitsuwa ever and surprising in Irvine land of mega chains and McTract homes. No sushi selection and always sold out. What's there looks dated eg brown Avacado in the CARolls. Yuck

I love coming here for the beef tongue set. Tge wait can be pretty long depending what time of day you come. The longest I have waited was 30 minutes but its worth it! You can walk around the market and daiso while you wait.

This is my 1st Mitsuwa grocery store I've only been too. I believe this is a smaller location compared to others. There's also a small food court located in the grocery store. Not too busy here. But prices are a bit higher than any Asian supermarket indeed.

Can't quite believe this is the same grocery store as the one on Paularino, this one is massively more expensive and lower quality. They don't have a butcher shop, they're selling vacuum sealed meat from the distributor and the selection is mediocre. And the prices are just dumb. $20+ for a refrigerated salmon avocado roll. For reference, a salmon avocado roll at Nobu is $14. (note: the roll is 12.99 at the other Mitsuwa on Paularino). Their packaged goods are about the same cost, but those are way cheaper at Tokyo Central, Seiwa, H Mart, so if you're going here for packaged goods go elsewhere. The reason to shop at Mitsuwa is the produce/fish/meat quality in spite of the prices, and this one doesn't have it and they're more expensive. So yeah, one-star.

This is a great Mitsuwa market. I enjoy coming here because they have a wide variety of Japanese groceries,sushi, and snacks. They also have a nice food court with several nice eateries to choose from. I enjoy the selection of sushi that they have. The employees seem very friendly too. The ambiance inside is nice as well. This location is less crowded than the Costa Mesa location. Overall, the Irvine Mitsuwa is a great place to shop for good Japanese groceries, snacks, and food.

Staff: Been coming here for years and didn't realize I have not rated until my visit today. They've always been nice. Quality/Quantity: The store is smaller than the Costa Mesa store but still serves its propose of serving South OC. It is clean, well stocked, organized, and overall I have no complaints. Value: Subjective really but to me it offers fair value. Overall: Been a loyal customer to both the Costa Mesa store and this one for years. Love having a store closer to South OC so I'll be coming back for the foreseeable future. Today I noticed they added self checkout which is a must and great to see.

I will be fast. I love this market! If you want fresh sushi and sashimi, come here. If you are looking for authentic Japanese dishes and ingredients, come here. I have been looking for years for a nori paste (though I did eventually find it onlye at Amazon). I have been to so many asian supermarkets in the area, and none carry it, nor have they heard of it. Of course, they all had assortments of dry nori, but not the paste. Mitsuwa not only has it, but they have 4 (I think) differnent options to choose from! Great sales on sake, too. I certainly will be going back again, and again.

This is the smallest Mitsuwa I have ever seen. I was shocked to see how little stock they carry, compared to other locations. The sushi offerings were very limited and the prices were quite high. The rolls were made sloppily, with the skimpiest circle of rice I've ever seen. There wasn't much selection on the other prepared foods either. I needed to get some tofu and was shocked to see that the expiration date was within a week! It did not fill me with confidence to purchase other products there. Checkout service was fine, which is why I'm giving this three stars. Overall, I was pretty disappointed and will stick to driving further to go to one of their larger markets.

The location is convenient but when compared to other locations, it is not as big. I haven't dealt with the cashiers or bought groceries here much so I can't review that. But I did eat lunch here and it was an ok experience. I was a bit disappointed in the Santouka ramen. The cashier was friendly and service was fast but the food was so so. The noodles were good but the meat was basically 97% fat. I did appreciate they had free water accessible, bathrooms nearby, and it was pretty clean at the tables. There was also plenty of seating and a guy took away the food trays for you to throw away after you finish your meal (that was an unexpected and nice service!). I will say, while you are eating your meal at the table, you will constantly hear, over the loudspeaker, the restaurant name and meal number being called out. I heard it so much, it got stuck in my head after we left. "Misasa 85"

Smaller than the Costa Mesa location, this venerable Japanese market has similar stock, but in a footprint, maybe a quarter the size. Consequently, it's pretty tight in the aisles. We popped in for a look, Saturday evening, the day before the Super Bowl. I found the parking lot a bit of a hassle initially. There are several popular restaurants and a trending Boba place that really affects the tranquility. Once inside, however, it was a fun browse. I noticed that a lot of the choice seafood was gone with corresponding gaps in the display. Nonetheless, the sushi grade options seem like they'd be excellent at home, making your own sushi. The sake selection is also well stocked, something I made a point to scout. The general stock is largely in the middle area of the store, where the aforementioned crowded aisles are, so just know that during peak hours, it's going to be crowded in there. Overall, it is a good market that serves its surrounding demographic very well.

Located in the food court of Mitsuwa, this spot has a great food combo at a great price. This medium size combo is enough to feed a person and a half. The quality was surprisingly better than I expected. Comments: the food came out very quickly and fresh. For the amount of food, the price is very well priced. If you're looking for a quick place to eat for lunch with great food for a great price, I would recommend this place. Order: Combo E

Just wanted to say the worker was really nice to come over and help me out at the customer service desk when smiskis came out. He let me see the different kinds and choose myself the ones I wanted. I didn't realise they'd be sold out so fast now lol. Also they are bigger than I expected.

I want to update my review since I was here recently and enjoyed my experience more than last time. I had lunch at the food court before doing my shopping which was nice, they don't have a lot of options, but I do like the places that they have. I bought some snacks, tea and soba here. It was fairly easy to find what I was looking for and check out was simple.

Amazing Japanese market with an authentic Japanese inspired food court. A must try if you have never been there and can't find Japanese items elsewhere.

One of the smaller Mitsuwa Marketplaces that I've been to (can barely walk shopping carts through the aisles) but still not bad especially if you just need some Japanese ingredient essentials and snacks. I did notice that there are drinks here that I rarely see at Japanese grocery stores (like bottled unsweetened hojicha tea!!) or maybe it's just that it's been a long time since I've been to a Mitsuwa Marketplace. Teeny tiny food court is tucked in the back entrance area. I recommend parking in the back entrance lot as it's much less congested than at the front.

Good if you don't have a Mitsuwa nearby. It's fairly small and doesn't have a lot of variety or stock so come early. Cheap eats on a Friday at the food court for young families.

Local Japanese super market. Freshly made sushi and rolls to take away. Lots of unique imported Japan items for sale. Love coming here and looking for new items. Always go home with their freshly made mochi. Smaller store than the one I'm Costa Mesa but it's good enough to for Irvine! Plenty of parking and staff always friendly!

Great selection of Japanese treats and essentials! The mochi and ice cream here is so good. Always exciting to come here and try the food at the food court. Prices can be a little high for the snacks and candy though.

We were looking to do some authentic holiday shabu shabu at home, and Mitsuwa has a good reputation for both shabu meat and other supplies. Unfortunately just before the holidays they were out of just about everything from the meat to the ponzu sauce, but we were still able to find many interesting things here. The store itself is about half the size of a regular supermarket. It was clean and well organized. They do require masks and seem to be paying attention to proper sanitization practices. There were lots of interesting Japanese specialty food items, including candies, sauces, and many, many different noodles. These types of stores also stock vegetables you won't find a Ralph's. The shelves were full of tons of different exotic brands. We picked up some of the remaining sushi they had, which was super good, as well as some bok choy, 4 or 5 different kinds of mushrooms, and one or two of the few pre-sliced fresh meat packages that were left. Everything we got was super good and our holiday meal was a success. Although it was a bit on the expensive side, I will definitely return here if I'm looking for some good Japanese food products in the future.

This has to be the saddest looking Mitsuwa I've ever seen. What Mitsuwa should have is a big food court with like 5 eateries minimum, and then a giant grocery section because you gotta walk off all of the calories, then there are the fancy treats and gift sets, and perhaps some boutiques with anime or something. This one is in Irvine too, are they expecting no asian customers or even any customers or something? So let's see, I spy with my little eye, 3 actual eateries and 2 snackish spots. The store is so small, it made Marukai in Cupertino look gigantic. I think i forced myself to go through all the aisles and still finished under 10 minutes. Yea, there are quite a few of supermarkets in the same plaza. But baby, know your market. You got the imported goodies i hope i dont need to Google translate. I wish I can say more, but i see why people prefer the Costa Mesa location than this location. Honestly, what is the point of this location when it doesn't carry much items.

I usually think of Mitsuwa as my one-stop shop for Japanese snacks, but I've been expanding more into the grocery aisles. This location is definitely smaller in comparison to the Costa Mesa location, but it hits the spot when I'm in a need of a restock of the Japanese coarse ground sauce (regular and the spicy version), Ajinomoto gyudon frozen meats, and other specialty finds. I personally find everything else a bit more expensive than I'd like, such as their selection of sliced meats, perfectly packaged vegetables, fruits and eggs. I mention eggs since the last time I was there, they only had cage-free organic eggs for about $6, which was more than my budget for eggs haha. Fortunately, the quality of fresh produce is outstanding and don't mind paying a little extra on fruits or veggies, just not eggs. However, I do enjoy picking up a few items such as kiri mochi, curry cubes, yuzu hot sauce, and anything else interesting that may be on sale. One of those items that was on sale that's now a mainstay in our freezer has been those gyudon meet packs found in the frozen aisle from Ajinomoto or Yoshinoya. It's a quick meal when I'm lazy to cook, so a definite win. Although not my one-stop grocer, it does the job when I need a few specialty items for the pantry.