Uwajimaya

Reviews 5

CL

clarisse zayas

A few days ago on 8/5/15 my boyfriend MJ Green was attacked after being racially profiled at Uwajimaya Seattle. As a resident of the International District he has attended numerous events in the area and truly takes pride in his community. Uwajimaya is a specialty store for Asian food and Gifts and typically charges more for groceries but because Michael John has always been the type to support local businesses he still regularly turned to them for a majority of his needs. But unfortunately because of yesterday that is no longer the case. Below is a description that a friend of his wrote describing the situation. "So yesterday a good buddy of mine gets racially profiled at a local grocery store in the international district. First of all this friend works as a finance broker for a reputable finance firm downtown Seattle which doesnt even matter at this point. As hes walking out of the store heading toward the corner hes approached by a plain clothes "security guard" that demands for him to turn over his grocery bag. My friend declines because he has no clue who this guy is and why hes demanding the groceries that he JUST BOUGHT mind you, so he keeps walking away. At this point another uniformed security guard proceeds to tackle him down to the street which subsequently injures his leg and shoulder and ruins his new shoes that cost more then they would make in one shift. They then take his grocery bag and begin looking through it all the while the receipt is on top with every item hed purchased. They realized their mistake and begin to try and back off from my friend but hes irate and calls the cops. When the cops show up they initially approach my friend like hes the aggressor and only back off of him once they realize that hes the victim. When the manager comes out hes completely unapologetic and doesnt even tell my friend sorry but grudgingly refunds him per being instructed by the cops. I say that to say this, black men no matter where they live in this country are not treated as equals. Even here in Seattle where we pride ourselves on being "diverse" and "inclusive" to other races. Thankfully another friend was with him...oh and hes a IT admin for a major tech company downtown also and is black. Needless to say my friend is taking legal action." I have known him for a number of years and have never know him to take anything. It kills me to see someone that I care so much about being treated so unfairly. He is such a strong and determined man, to see him so shaken up breaks my heart. Please join me and help get his story out there. We need to take a stand and make sure no one else is treated this way.

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NO

Norlaila Toulas

I love Uwajimaya and this place almost has everything! Its a complete grocery store and you can find all your Japanese grocery needs here. This is the place to shop when you are cooking up a Japanese meal. They have a full service seafood section. They have a gift shop towards the front where you can buy traditional Japanese dishes, utensils, and other cookware. There is a Chase bank attached. I believe theres a salon or some other type of store that sells hair products adjacent to the Chase bank. Theres also a food court with Japanese, Chinese, Korean and even Thai food. There are a lot of choices to choose from and even dessert. Its also connected to the Kinokuniya bookstore where you can find any Japanese comic book or manga and anime too. A lot of stationary, anime collectibles, stuffed animals, toys, accessories, and even a Japanese music section. The bathrooms are locked but open to customers with a code on their receipt. There is a lot of parking for customers but you have to get it validated when you check out. You get one hour if you buy something $5 and 2 hours for $20 worth. Its very close to the International District light rail station and other public transportation. The only thing is that they only had two varieties of poke as opposed to the larger variety offered in their Renton location. But all in all this is my favorite location. Its also very convenient if you live in the apartments upstairs.

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JO

Jon Conley

A bit spendy for an Asian grocery, but they do have a tremendous variety. I prefer HT Oaktree Market on 99, as their prices are much more competitive (I can buy all of the sauce ingredients I need there for under $20, which will last a year). Uwajimaya is an experience; and if youre into Asian cuisine, its sort of like a Whole Foods in that it has a large prepared foods section and a wide variety of produce, spices, sauces, and snacks. I wouldnt ever shop here for _anything_ that isnt specific to Asian cooking. The general grocery items are comically overpriced, and they lack a variety for household supplies, pet food, and whatever else one typically buys at a Fred Meyer-style store. But if you are into cooking, this is one of the best places to go to stock up on sauces. And if you dont have a Costco card, this is where you can buy giant bags of delicious rice. Parking is validated once you spend over $10 (I believe?). The parking lot is tiny, but there is a garage. Otherwise, its crowded street parking. Definitely visit this place at least once, if youve never been to an Asian grocery / market. Just dont hover around the checkout / general store area (where they have the rice cookers and such); its not uncommon that someone will accuse you of shoplifting and give you a hard time. I suppose the rudeness is sometimes part of the experience.

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DE

Derek Jeffries

This place is amazing. If you are in to any part of Asian culture, youll likely find something here to enjoy. The food court is full of amazing restaurants. The Korean BBQ joint is my overall favorite, but the bakery has fan-freaking-tastic delites, and the humbau from the deli is superb. Uwajimaya also has a medium to large sized book store. While it is nowhere near the size of a Barnes and Noble, most of the selection wont be found in Barnes and Noble either. As for the store itself, walking dowj tge aisles is like being transported half way around the world. Only a portion of the products have any English on them, and the ones that do still usually only have a minimal amount. That being said, Uwajimaya posts nutrition info on everything so you need not worry about trying something new and discovering you are allergic. The produce is fresh and varied, the meat department is even more fresh as most of the seafood is live when you select it. They have a home goods department full of fun things, and the service is always friendly and cheerful. I have been here many times and never had anything to complain about... except the single instance where they ran out of soap in the restroom... but Ill let that slide.

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PI

Pierre Pierregothomes

Great selection of vegetables and fruits in a clean and presentable manner. For comparison, visit the other groceries within a one mile radius that sell the similar greens. Buy a durian and bring it on light rail. Just kidding. The staff can often be brief with customers, as I have witnessed in the past. Knowing what you need beforehand will be useful in making this a pleasant attraction. From a touristy point-of-view, Uwajis is a great place to bring friends, clients, and out-of-towners for a taste of the International District. The adjacent bookstore has a great selection of Nihongo language books. The surrounding neighborhood is experiencing a notable spike in infrastructure growth during the past years. It continues as the installation of the First Hill Street Car project is currently being built. If you like living near an internationally-classed grocery, let me know and I can find some properties for rent or purchase.

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