Uoki K. Sakai Company

I miss you Uoki. You were the best.

rip sakai & company.
i’ve learned long ago that nothing is ever permanent or long-​lasting.
you’ve served the community extremely well.
may i see you once again in the next life!

Good bye Uoki.
It was love hate relation between Uoki and I.
I was once working at Maruwa market, later it became Nijiya now, many years ago.
The Maruwa market changed the whole culture of Japantown.
It was 100% up dated version of Japanese/​Japanese market, 80’s Japanese, per say.
It seemed for me that Uoki was still in 50’s mentality. I really felt like time warp to 50’s when I walked into Uoki for 1^st time.
It was 1979. Back then, Japantown was very small.
I remember that there was no Sashimi cut in the fish area.
Sake selection was very limited.
They didn’t have fresh noodle instant Ramen.
Hardly any Sozai were there.
And most of all, price was always high.
Uoki was the only one Japanese market in Japan town in SF when I came here.
Uoki haven’t had any competition for many years.
If you don’t have any competition, you don’t get things call «creativity», «imaginations», and getting a new idea for marketing, etc.
It seemed like they didn’t like any latest Japanese products.
I don’t know.
General speaking, I feel sorry for Japantown though. It is very strange for me to see Japo-​Manga-​costume kids.
Japantown seems never had energized– power of people like Chinatown does.
Well, more people in Chinatown, that’s for sure but, be in the Chinatown is giving me a message like … «Life is not so easy thing as you think!».
I always learn and find something new every time I went Chinatown.
I like Chinatown because of it.
Chinatown has powerful people living in there.
Especially elder people.
Elder Chinese women could beat any one in second even though she says as «Fahyoo!»
I don’t know.
I still like that such a low-​key Japantown.
But, It is so sad seeing Uoki go.
So long Uoki, Nice knowing you.

I have been coming to this SF Japantown grocery store for a long time with my elderly auntie. And when my parents lived in SF in the 1950’s, they came to this grocery store. And my grandparents shopped here too.
So very, very sad that this 105 year old San Francisco Japantown institution had decided to close. My aunt and I went shopping on the last day to ‘pay our respects’ in a way and it felt very sad. Many long time shoppers were coming in to say their goodbyes and wish the family well. This store first opened in 1906 after the Great Earthquake and the family were able to restart their business after the WWII Japanese American incarceration. Amazing history. I noticed on the back wall a framed Japanese newspaper from 1913 and also awards the store has received over the years for their service to the Japantown community. There were also old pictures of the Issei pioneers of this family. This is a huge loss to the SF Japantown community. Even though it is not my own family, I felt a certain amount of sadness at their closing. Maybe it is that connection to a place I know all four generations of our family has shopped here… or maybe it is because a business that is 105 years old started by the hardworking Issei pioneers has closed.
Goodbye Uoki K. Sakai Co Grocery Store.
Good luck to the family in their new ventures in the 21^st century.
And Thank You for your wonderful store and service to the community.

SO SAD THEY ARE CLOSING
Will miss you and your tuna poke.
Godspeed Uoki!

I personally like this store alot more than Nijiya, and the prices seem to be better, plus it’s a small mom and pop store that has the essentials as well as a Rainbow Roll to die for.

This place is fairly modest in size — but manages to still carry all of the essentials. Their produce selection isn’t huge, but everything is fresh, delicious, and very reasonably priced.
Today I bought an asian pear and two large sweet potatoes for just a little over two dollars. That’s a killer deal. I just finished the asian pear and it was wonderful. I can’t wait to dive into the sweet potatoes later on this weekend.
The guy who works the counter here isn’t necessarily the friendliest, but — their exceptional fish choices, to-​go sushi boxes, and formidable Asian sweets aisle more than makes up for it.
I highly recommend this gem.
Trust.

I went there to get the stuff I needed for a sushi party. The staff was very friendly. The guy behind the fish counter knew it was my first sashimi making experience, but was very patient and helpful. The store is a bit on the small side, but the prices were pretty good, I was able to find what I needed and I felt very welcomed there (neighborhood feel).

JAPANESE GROCERIES FOR PEOPLE ON A BUDGET
In comparing this market with the other Japanese market close-​by, Uoki is like Albertsons and Nijiya is like Whole Foods. Selction-​wise, Uoki is not as varied as Nijiya, but price-​wise, they are hands down way cheaper than Nijiya, particularly on the fish and meat prices.

I had the best Salmon Rice Ball there!
The rice bowl dish was amazing as well (forgot the name but it’s rice with chicken, onions and eggs).
The «deli» part is a tiny but the food is great and cheap.
This is my automatic stop when I’m in the area!

Extremely fresh seafood and meats.
Although offering less of a variety than Nijiya, the quality of the produce is unquestionable.
Whenever my family hotpots, we get our shabu-​shabu here.
You can taste the freshness!

Cute store with lots of sake and Japanese things. Didn’t get groceries or ramen stuff, but instead got a bunch of Japanese candies. They have those fruit jellies, which cost $ 3.90 for the bag. And they have li hing mui treats from Hawaii!!!

Just to be clear, I have never been to this store.
But it gets good reviews and i think one day i may stop in to look at their seafood. It sounds good.
«Would you please be kind enough to pass the tofu?»
–Colonel Sanders

I love Japanese snacks. There are so many Japanese snacks, it’s incredible that they are not overweight undernourished beasties like Americans.
American snacks are inferior to Japanese snacks. Soy sauce crackers, nori, bonito flakes, hi-​CHEW, mochi, all can be found here. If you had a wheat allergy, you could still snack and not need an epi shot.
I love Asian snacks that don’t contain wheat. I love rice. I love soy.
I need a lot of self restraint when I walk in here. Japanese snacks, though plentiful, are not cheap. 99 cents will not get you 500 calories.
I have not yet tried the fish (because I’ve found my mermaid and she’s a really convincing sales woman).
I love small grocery markets. They really help provide variety and those hard to find ingredients.

It’s A-​okay. Nice and clean family owned local grocery store. There’s a very limited variety of Japanese snacks and candies compared to other grocery stores, hence my 3-​stars rating. I occasionally come here just to buy drinks and maybe some snacks. Also one of the few places I’ve seen that stocks shishito peppers — a favorite item I usually order at Izakaya places.
I guess that I’d come here more often if I needed to get some good sushi-​grade fish, imported from Japan — cannot rate it since I’ve never bought any of the raw fish. Friendly service.
They validate 1 hr. Japantown garage parking.

gotta show love for the local markets (takahashi market holla!)
Uoki has the selection you need at the prices you expect, that is to say sort of high but good fish and goods sent from japan are never cheap
and it’s part of the JCCCNC’s historical tour. apparently the name means «Fish Happy» which as far as i’m concerned is a great name for a market

Some of your favorite sushi restaurants– some of the 4– and 4.5-star places on Unilocal– shop for (some of) their fish at this place. I’m not going to say who, because I know it is a bit of a secret, but talk to John (Jon?) next time you are in the store. He is quite knowledgeable, as is the rest of the staff. Where else in the USA can you find tuna, halibut and other delicacies laid out on ice with a willing helper weighing hunks of the freshest sushi-​grade fish for to make at home? I’ll tell you now: no where else! I’ve searched high and low in LA and SF Bay for places like this. Please support this place, this is what makes SF so special…

Just a regular day visiting J-​town in my pursuit for mochi. Went to Benkyodo for the normal mochi, and ended up running into this market due to the rain. Looking around, too my amazement I find Nisshodo Chichi Dango (from Hawaii). Hot damn, my love for Nisshodo mochi, especially chichi dango, is of no other. You cannot find mochi like this anywhere, except for Hawaii. I would give up my first child for Nisshodo chichi dango. It is kind of pricey, but so damn worth it.
This market is my new little diamond in the rough.

The seafood here is FRESH beyond belief.
Takoyaki, my favorite comfort food, was the order of the day.
Usually, my octopus default spot is Nijiya since they’re open late, until 8PM. But that’s just ‘cuz of my schedule.
BUT, on this particular occasion, I was in j-​town in the afternoon & Uoki Sakai was open.
The Takoyaki turned out better than usual, even if I humbly say so, myself.
My only regret is that I did not pick up a big ol’ chunk of their raw tuna… it looked sooo tasty…
Oh! and I failed to mention last time, they also have a hawaiian section, which includes TARO chips, which are just oh-​so-​tasty!
Fascinating and interesting info from the plaque against the wall outside:
Although the Sakai family was interned during WWII, the family was able to return to their shop and pick up their business as they had left it. COOL soybeans!

A old school Japanese grocery store with similar feel to Super Mira (
). Now the debate, which of the three Japanese grocery stores in the area — Nijiya (
), Super Mira, or Uoki — is the best? They all have their unique qualities and shortcomings that makes it very difficult to rank. It’s kind of like chestnuts comparing heights… that analogy came out awkward.
All I know is that Uoki had fresh Okara (tofu product) when others were out.