Seiwa Market — Attraction in Houston

On July 18th, my daughter experienced a mild cross-contamination incident involving a shellfish allergen in a salmon onigiri that is supposed to be SHELLFISH FREE. Following this event, I attempted to contact this establishment numerous times via various channels, including Facebook Messenger and voicemail. To date, I have received no response or acknowledgment regarding this critical matter until I came in person driving over 3 hours. I talked to management and they were nice and understandable, but I believe this matter is important for others to be informed of.

This complete lack of communication, combined with the cross-contamination itself, highlights a profound and concerning disregard for public health and food safety protocols, especially regarding food allergies. For individuals with severe allergies, exposure to allergens isn't merely an inconvenience; it can be life-threatening. It's imperative that businesses prioritize the safety of their patrons by implementing rigorous food preparation standards and ensuring effective communication channels for customer concerns.

I urge your establishment to take this incident with the gravity it deserves. This requires:

Immediate Remedial Training: Implement comprehensive and mandatory training for all staff on allergen awareness, cross-contamination prevention, and emergency protocols for allergic reactions. Improved Customer Communication: Establish a reliable system for promptly responding to customer feedback, particularly concerning health and safety incidents. Concerned customers, especially those who have experienced allergic reactions, deserve timely and...

09/13/25 - THEY BROUGHT BACK THE SPICY TUNA BOWLS! Here is my revised review. I really enjoy the bento and kitchen items at Seiwa Market. In particular, I would always go for the Spicy Tuna Bowl which has been absent for seemingly well over a year now. To my surprise it was here today after a very long wait, I'm elated.. but there are caveats.

Seiwa can be pricey. They charge a pretty ungenerous mark-up on a lot of their items, particularly alcohol. A bottle of Sake costs double here compared to other retailers. This extends to some of their food items, mainly the seafood selection (Sushi, Seafood Bowls, Etc). My favorite bowl; the spicy tuna bowl used to contain a lot of toppings like cucumbers, sweet omelette, ginger, roe, and a spicy mayo drizzle.. all for around $12-13. Pretty much all of these have been eliminated while the price has actually increased to $15 for LESS. Despite being very happy to see this bowl again, I can't endorse the price after seeing it being downscaled so heavily. If you were to buy those topping separately now you'd be paying upwards of $25 to recreate what used to be a decent tuna bowl.

Cases like this are store wide, I'm constantly questioning whether these prices are truly worth it and more often than not they aren't. If you shop here just beware of that. Please keep the spicy tuna bowl in the rotation! Despite some frustrations, I was really happy to see it back. It's why I come to Seiwa. I'm hoping they improve their methods for cost efficiency, because at the moment the prices at this store certainly aren't worth it when there are alternatives selling the same...

UPDATE 8/30/22: 😞 •We were super excited to go to Seiwa this year and it turns out they stopped making the egg salad sandwiches! I was genuinely so sad because it's one of the main reasons we loved coming. • we decided to still get the onigiri because we've always loved it. Unfortunately, it was disappointing as well. We got the tuna/mayo onigiri and it was essentially a brick of rice with a very very light painting of tuna/mayo. • I definitely don't hate this place, but the two main reasons I loved to stop by when I come into town are gone. I don't really think I'll be coming back when I can get a better grocery and hot food selection at H-Mart or 99 Ranch.

ORIGINAL • Always clean • Lots of variety. Chips, sweets, drinks, fresh fruits, fresh bread, fresh foods made daily • You MUST try the egg salad sandwich - the bread is so fluffy and the egg salad itself is beautifully flavorful but not heavy. The sashimi is always top notch. The tuna/mayo onigiri is a real treat. The katsudon was alright -a little too sweet for me. The fried squid on a stick was flavorful, but very greasy (probably bc it had been sitting in the Hot&Ready area, which is reasonable) • The customer service is not overly friendly, but they're certainly not rude. It's civil and I'm okay with that. • BEWARE! The food is so good that it sells out quick! You have to be there in the morning if you want your pick of the litter.

In a month's time, we've been back 3 times -- and we live in San Antonio! It's worth the visit whenever you can. I always look forward to making a visit...