Hana Market — Attraction in Washington

Amazing! The only authentic Japanese grocery store in the DC area that I know of. Walking into this place is like being transported to Kanagawa. Although it is small, it is packed with authentic, traditional Japanese food. Their Japanese produce includes gobo (burdock root), shishito (sesame leaf), maitake, eryngi, and shimeji mushrooms, tsukemono (pickles), etc. In the frozen section, you can find fish for sushi, squid and cuttlefish, dried fish, natto (fermented soy beans), prepared foods like dumplings, you can even get tobiko and the elusive uni (sea urchin roe). Their dry stores yield perhaps the most rewarding of treasures. While they have a variety of rice, a staple of Japanese cuisine, a variety of ramen, soba and udon noodles can also be found. No Japanese meal would be complete without miso soup. They carry an assortment of prepackaged soup mixes and ingredients to make it from scratch (kombu, bonito flakes and miso). They also have almost everything you need to make nabe, oden and Japanese curry. Soy sauce, spices, mirin, vinegar and yuzu juice round out their merchandise for the cooking enthusiast. Otsumami (pub snacks) occupy an entire shelf and they have another shelf dedicated to non-japanese Asian food, and also have Japanese yakimono (pottery) including cooking pots and serving dishes. I cannot enthuse enough about this place. And, of course, it's a small business so I highly endorse it! Check it out....

Literally the best place to go for Japanese groceries. From soup bases to snacks to tableware to shower products to non-alcoholic beverages to frozen imported meats/fish.

Prices can sometimes (emphasis on sometimes) seem inflated, but I assure you, it's almost always worth it. For the things that do seem on the expensive side, take into account how much they cost in actual stores in Japan and add the fact that everything is imported here.

I've been going to this store since they opened and the man who owns/runs it is the sweetest and hardest working dude. Which translates well to his staff, as they're also all awesome.

For more recent information you're probably here for: yes, they take into account safety and follow regulations and procedures related to COVID-19. It is a very small store, so if you are more wary than I am (and lemme tell you, I am VERY wary), maybe go here during off hours to avoid being close to anyone.

Photo shows just some of the things they carry (they rotate a good number of snacks and drinks so sometimes you won't find some things again) and how much I end up buying whenever I go in thinking I just want a couple drinks or a...

This is the best place in DC to get Japanese groceries, hands down. They regularly get local produce (including daikon, shitake, bok choy, napa cabbage, and shiso leaf), baked goods, and mochi. They're always chalk full of ingredients that will allow amateur and pro chefs alike to prepare awesome traditional Japanese fare. I've found okonomiyaki mix, frozen chashu pork (for ramen), renkon, pickled ginger, everything! It's a tiny shop, but somehow they keep their prices lower than their closest geographic competition in Bethesda. I would recommend that everyone check this place out at least once. You can even just pop in for a snack - Especially if you're hankering for Pocky or Meiji Chocolate or a bottle of Ramune. The staff will always help if you ask them a question, so don't hesitate if you have a question, or want to know more about a particular product - they don't often offer information (probably just trying to be polite and let you shop), so if you need anything you'll have to speak up. In every regard this place is awesome. I'm so happy that...