Nijiya Market

place to come early for pre-​made bento snacks, fried stuff (curry croquettes), sake, etc. of course expensive for all the mainland stuff like eggs, milk, etc.

Good find as a tourist! They have heaps of bentos and a microwave /​eating area so it can be a bit cheaper than eating at a restaurant. Picked up some fresh Strawberry Daifuku here too and i was very happy with that :)

I love this store! I wandered in after a nice dinner with some friends at Chodang and immediately felt refreshed by the cold air circulating inside.
Aaaaahhhh!!!
The store is located on Piikoi St. In the old Blockbuster Video space, for those of you who are old enough to remember that far back! If not, then it shares a private parking lot with Taiyo Ramen, Payless Shoes, Eggs & Things and Chodang Korean Restaurant.
The open, private parking lot can be tricky, especially on the weekends, but, there are stalls in the mall, behind Payless & E&T. A walkway will get you through to the store. A–
The store is very clean and doesn’t offer any unusual smells upon entering. A
Prepared, refrigerated bentos, musubi, sandwiches, are positioned to be the first thing to be discovered. A
There is a dining section located tot he right, just inside the entrance, equipped with a microwave.
A+
Beep, beep, beep… backing up. Hold tight, and please keep all body parts you are partial to, inside the vehicle at all times.
At the entrance, there are two types of rolling apparatus for your shopping convenience. First, a regular grocery wagon, equipped with the «kid keeper», if the shopping trip is the first in two months and there is absolutely no food in the house. Second is a cart that holds a hand basket, for last minute candy and snack purchases. Both are very clean and without rubbish or sticky gunk all over the push handle. A+
The security guard greets patrons and assists with the hand basket placement. A
Lots of Japanese snacks, arare, and candy to choose from. Nomnom!
Fresh produce, some on the giant side, and dried fruit like persimmons, and some meat products are available. A
Shopping bags for purchase near the checkstands, if you forget yours in the car. A
I don’t have anything neg to say about this store and hope everyone gets a chance to shop here, at least once!
Bye-​ee!

Nijiya always catches me off-​gaurd because it is so small yet surprisingly satisfying.
Like no men I’ve ever known. Though I have known big and disappointing, so there’s that.
WOW. We are off-​track already.
I don’t often walk into Nijiya, but when I do I always feel dubious that it is capable of fulfilling my grocery list. Yet somehow, some way, it has everything I need. I’m not talking about my master family-​of-​six-​sort-​of-​vegan-​hippies-​but-​with-​eggs grocery list, which can only be bested by the combined powers of Costco and Down To Earth, but little lists. Side-​note lists. Someone-​is-​suddenly-​coming-​for-​dinner-​and-​I-​am-​leaving-​the-​mall-​and-​I-​need-​some-​things lists.
So many dashes. I stand by them.
So… yes. If I need a little tofu and some cilantro and green onions and a potato and some natto and a leek, Nijiya has got my back. They are all over that.
Werd.

Love this place. My family and I are on this, wanting Japanese snacks. The best place for anything. I love the pre made Bento’s. They also have an eating area with a microwave, how cool is that ?!?

I had to go to this store due to a power outage that occurred at the University Ave. location this afternoon after 12:20 PM. Although the same selection of Japanese goods and sales were there, the aisles are a bit narrower, so it’s hard to navigate.
I did notice three things that the other location doesn’t have: Japanese toys in small boxes, free food samples near the entrance, and a wider selection of bentos!

Great, small store with fun selection of hard-​to-​find Japanese food items.

So close to our home and the bento boxes are marked down later in the day. It’s not a great selection, but it’s convenient.

I absolutely adore Nijiya! I work just across the way on Kona Street so my coworkers & I come here pretty often. I love their sushi (California roll!) & karaage chicken trays in the front. Super cheap too! I can buy a tray of rice & a tray of karaage chicken for about $ 6. Their food is also ALWAYS super fresh.
I also love their cold beverages; the have the yummy melon & strawberry cream soda that I love as well as marble soda (Ramune) in like 4 or 5 different flavors. I’ve discovered it’s best to stick with the original. They also have regular ol’ Hawaiian Sun juices & Monster. My coworker discovered the Kirin Apple juice a few weeks ago & I am officially HOOKED. The honey one is also great. They also have Calpico which is yummy but it IS yogurt based so fellow lactose-​intolerants: consider yourself warned!
I somehow always wind up in the candy aisle too. LOVE all the varieties of Kit Kat & Oreos. & when I want more simple stuff, they have delicious chocolate covered almonds & milk chocolate bars that, IMO, seriously compare to gourmet chocolates.
But above all, the absolute best part of Nijiya is their employees. Every single one of them are sooooo sweet & polite. Highly, highly recommend!

Your place for Japanese products. Yes I realize the mall’s Shirokiya’s is right there, but you can buy the Kobe beef and where else do you get your green tea everything! Including Kit Kats. I would like to say between 6 – 7 a bag, but if you are wanting Green Tea Kit Kats they will set you up. The prepared meals are wonderful and the place runs seemless and quick. As there are a number of people coming in as in tourists and locals, they have to keep up the pace. They have decent parking but avoid the weekends just in case. Still not difficult on a Sunday, but still easier on weekday. The meats are top notch and look fresh all the time. There is small area of Japanese products for hygene including creams and soaps and masks. Was a really fun time for new local wanting Green Tea everything. Place is clean and cashiers are fast.

Why did I come here? Here’s what happens when I come here: Avoidance: I’ve been purposely avoiding this place for the last 3 years of living near town, because I told myself parking is difficult. Surprised: there’s plenty of parking and I have no other way to avoid it. Excuses: I thought to myself, it’s probably expensive! Denial: it’s not as pricey as what you think, ignore those rumors and get here quick because they do have sales and promotions too. Acceptance: finally I came through and found my favorite Asian «stuffs» (from Bok-​Choys to fancy wild Salmons) that are somewhat affordable and even fresh and clean! Happiness: I’ve realized that I was judging little Nijiya market for its outer self and not what’s inside. Their customer service is awesome, they have a little area to eat your food (like a mini-​food court… if you will) and you have no idea what you’re missing until you come here. Oh please bring your own bag so you won’t get charged for it as you know Hawaii is now charging for those plastic bags.

I needed a quick meal before going out and this place was the closest. I figure I get musubi or something small but ended up getting a chirashi bowl. Not bad for $ 8. The only negative is the parking lot. I need to check out more of this store on my next visit.

I have been going to Nijiya Market over the past few days because an out-​of-​state friend asked me to pick up some candy for her. It is also almost her birthday! So it was hard for me to say no to something so small.
I also come here every so often to pick up candy for my mom. She loves Japanese candy so this is my place to go. It is so convenient. Parking is right on the edge of the mall in a parking lot provided just for this place and a handful of other businesses.
Besides candy, there are many other kinds of food such as organic milk, organic eggs, a variety of meats, bentos, sushi, sake, tea, cleaning supplies, and lots more.

This is a smaller Japanese grocery but I found what I needed. They have mostly frozen food and snacks. A good selection of drinks. The staff was very friendly

Nijiya Market
Foodland has closed in Ala Moana — and I am still upset about that.
So — when I need some prepared food, especially if I am feeling adventurous, there are some wide open choices for bentos and mixed items.
Most things I can see and know what the are– other things are a little harder to tell but it is in Japanese or another Asian language so for me — knowing is better to be on the safe side.
But ohhh– shrimp or other fried fish in the bentos is wonderful and filling after a long day or before going to an event when I know there may not be a full on meal (hint– hint to the people that reached over my arms during other Unilocal events to get food that obviously did not get enough to eat that day or would have remembered manners). Even if I was driving in from Liea or Waianai– I would have somewhere to go to eat already cooked that is not in the food court with huge crowds.
There is a bunch of other different foods in the rice and teas section that would not be in normal Foodlands.
Don’t go looking for Doritos and Salsa or Pizza– cause it really is tailored to a different taste palette.
Go in with an open mind like going into an Asian Market store that really is classier than the stores in deep Chinatown.
Customer service is lacking– but I am white and maybe they assume I am lost, and talk more to Japanese tourists. I won’t fault them on this end– just saying I can understand other negative comments in general regarding customer service– but the bentos are worth the bad service.

Yummy Japanese goodies! I come here for the bentos since a) its a lot closer for me to walk over from my workplace, and b) it tastes a little better than Shirokiya’s bentos. I never have to deal with a crazy amount of people whenever I come here, there’s always a good wave of customers that flow in throughout the day, and I also appreciate that they have a an area to the side where you can sit and enjoy your food. Yes most of their products are a bit pricey but c’mon, it’s shipped from Japan so your not paying any different than you would at any other Japanese store/​market. My favorite thing about this market is their selection of Japanese candies and snacks! :)

I haven’t been shopping at Nijiya as much as I would like to due to the heavy construction going on around this area since I usually just walk it from the mall. To walk it now is a cumbersome task and I don’t even want to bother with their nightmare of a parking lot that they share with other businesses. I for one can’t wait until Ala Moana’s construction is over.
So these days when I shop here I like to slowly make my way around each and every aisle, (sometimes twice for good measure) and look at all the interesting things I can find. I’m totally bummed that they didn’t have my mugi choco (edit: I went back again & they re-​stocked [yay!]) or the little tuna cube snacks, nor the ume (plum) vinegar I once bought from here.
Dear Nijiya, can you please bring in the Eden Foods Ume Vinegar again? That stuff is potently delicious. I use it to make a nice vinaigrette. For it makes a delicious knockoff cucumber appetizer I once had at Shokudo: cucumber sticks topped with hanakatsuo and bomb ume sauce. すごく おいしいですよ。
I really like Niijya’s selection of bottled beverages. I’m really liking the Kirin bottled teas, especially the lemon tea and the honey orange. They also have an acerola one which I haven’t tried yet. Also love the canned Sangaria Royal Milk Tea. It is sweet and creamy. For some reason it tastes better drinking it straight out of the can cold rather than pouring it out into a cup.
They also put things on special so if I see a good price and it’s something I don’t normally buy its an excellent time to try it out.
Nijiya is constantly bringing in new products to keep things interesting, however if you see something you really like, just know it may get discontinued in the future.
My overall rating is 4.5 stars.

Nijaya Market is conveniently located on my way home from the Island Club And Spa. Fortunately, I stopped in around their closing time at 840. I found out that the leftover bentos are frequently marked down 20 percent after 830 because they close at 9 pm.
Just FYI, they are not always marked down. Sometimes they are full price at 8:55 even though they close every night at 9 pm. I asked and was told to call ahead to see if there are markdowns on any given night as it is at the managers discretion. Their bentos are great but even better when they are marked down 20%. I plan to stop in whenever I’m leaving the Island Club after 830 but before 9 p.m. See my picture for a very delicious salmon and ikura bento (and others). I recommend buying one for dinner and the second one for breakfast or lunch the next day! Really yummy!

Every Friday & Saturday Nijiya makes fresh MOCHI !
So I plan my afternoons around this visit every Friday… Why you ask is their mochi different than others… I have had the one that everyone stands in line for (in Kalihi or the craft fairs) and I thought it was seriously over rated.
Nijiya has hit it out of the ballpark when it comes to FRESHHHH. I buy the strawberry mochi that has a whole lot of love in it. Soft, sweet but not overly sweet and just heavenly.
I also get the peanut butter filled mochi at $ 1.29 each (I think). I’m not a peanut butter fan but this one is a piece of heaven too.
Usually I attempt to go there between 2pm and 4pm to beat the crowd and find parking. So far that has worked like a charm each time.
Staff is friendly and you may even get so see a vendor there and try something new.

This is such a convenient place to just grab a small snack or food to eat. Once you walk in, there are a lot of sushi and Japanese food.
I tried the takoyaki here. OMG! It’s way better than the Tako place in Shirokiya. The tako is actually big, and the flour pancake mix is so good. I always come back here for this. I also tried the waffle ice cream. What a delicious dessert on a hot day!
It’s not too expensive and it’s a decent portion. Sometimes, fried food or mochi stuff you can get fresh when they make it that day and time. They have a microwave also, since most food is cold.