Safe & Save Japanese Market

:(Most depressing store closing ever. It’s not surprising — the entire area’s probably had rent raised ever since becoming trendy a few years back, but it’s a shame.
I wish the former owners of Safe & Save the best, and I hope they and their family are doing well, whether in LA, Hawaii or Japan. You will be missed.

So sad to see this store go. It closed for good yesterday, 5÷22÷11. They had great fish, cool snacks, decent prices, and were good people. My girlfriend and I loved walking down here for ice cream and soda on a hot summer Sunday afternoon.
Safe and Save will be missed.

ahh FRESH FRESH SASHIMI!
I came here in rush hour traffic cause I was CRAVING salmon sashimi and didn’t wanna pay top dollar for it. About $ 4 for 7 pieces of rich, buttery salmon. DROOL. Totally worth it. you won’t find a better price for that ANYWHERE. Unless your dad owns a sushi joint or something.
Anyway, not much to say, I came here solely for the salmon sashimi and it definitely did not disappoint.
It’s a shame they’re closing down soon. and its a bigger shame that I didn’t find out about this mom and pop shop til about a week ago D:

S&S a cute little market with that Hawaiian feel (minus the humidity). They have a great selection of fishes — if only I knew what they were. Friendly people.
They have a huge selection of snacks & candy. I even saw some Hawaiian Mac-​Choc candies. If only they had Wasabi Mac-​Nuts. :D

ALL the good things said here about this cozy little japanese market is true!!! i had driven by it the past 13 yrs on my way to Nijiya /​OlympicXSawtelle, and ignored it. Now that I know about their lower prices and convenience I will keep revisiting.

Do you like hard-​to-​find Hawaiian snacks and candies? How about lots of fresh seafood and Japanese food items? Then you should stop by Safe & Save! This is such a cute little local joint, with a friendly owner (Bobby always greets you with a smile and «hi, how are you?») and a fun selection of Japanese and Hawaiian foods. The selection is not huge, but the prices are very reasonable. My favorite items? I absolutely love the Original Sweetened Iced Green Tea Mix by Yamamotoyama, the Mugicha (Barley) Tea by House, and the Harusame Noodle Soup in Japanese Soup flavor and Spicy Miso flavor by Hikari. I almost live on soup sometimes and those noodles hit the spot. I also love Li Hing powder and now I know an inexpensive and convenient place to buy it (Great on pieces of fresh fruit by the way. And margaritas). Cold cans of soda are only $ 0.55 and they also carry my fave Mandarin Orange drink. They always have a nice-​looking selection of fresh sashimi, which I have yet to try. Parking can be a hassle during busy hours, so I recommend going during weekdays and early. So if you’re in the neighborhood, be sure to stop by!
(Photos coming soon)

OK i’m giving Vinny’s highest food supplier rating, 4 garlic cloves, to Safe and Save Fish market on Sawtelle West LA.
This Mom and Pop store is run by none other than Ricky Tsushima. (His name has the word «sushi’ in it!)The fish is sent in every day except Sunday! The prices are the best in town! Look at all those exclamation points!
Say «Vinny sent me». And he’ll probably say. «Who’s Vinny.» 2020 Sawtelle is you next stop for the freshest badass fish.

Nothing amuses me more than a leisurely stroll through a japanese supermarket, and I don’t get enough opportunities on the eastside. But this Sunday I did a little westside safari with my friend who resides on that side of town.
After stuffing our faces at Yogurtland (for a change), we were driving up Sawtelle and noticed this little place and had to make a stop.
The snack/​candy aisle is not to be missed and this market has those wonderful maple-​leaf-​shaped mini cakes with that indescribable filling which remind me of my childhood trips to Miami with my cousin.
Thank you Safe & Save for the trip down memory lane. Now, if only I could have the self-​control not to eat the whole package of mini cakes in one day. Oh well, I guess it’s a good thing that I don’t live too close.

The super nice people that work here will distract you from the outdated small space. I found Safe and Save here on Unilocal!I frequent Nijiya and Hurry Curry but have never really ventured further down the street to see what else Sawtelle had to offer. I then found Safe and Save.
My Mom remembers coming to this tiny location when I was a wee tot some 20+ years ago because it was near my preschool. It was pretty much the only place you could get Japanese groceries back then in the LA area (of course now you can find some Japanese groceries at your local Ralphs!) Obviously they’re a great business and much loved as they remain after all these many years.
While I do shop Nijya, Safe and Save tends to have some lower prices (sometimes even lower than Marukai!). They have a small selection of Hawaiian foods (my Dad loves that they have Purity brand portugese sausage and kalua pig) and a nice selection of fresh seafoods and produce.
Great little store, clean, organized and always super friendly!!!

This is a mom and pop shop. I first came here to try the famous meiji tofu from Gardena. I ended coming out with a bunch of groceries =) lots of people came in buying sashimi.
The market is small but its packed with everything and its cheaper than Mitsuwa and Nijiya. Cheap groceries, free parking, and friendly staff… what is there to dislike about this place?

Where can one get a Miko-​brand Portuguese sausage in West LA? Say it with me, now: Safe and Save. Very good.
This place has been around since the good ol’ 70s, at least. All I know is I don’t remember any part of my life in which I can remember Safe & Save NOT being right there, where I needed it. Fresh foods, prepped lunches, frozen treats, snacks, candy… And cheap sodas. A great place to spend some time, if you’re braving the Hide lunch line.
Bobby, aside from his stunning attendance record at Obon, is a really nice guy and makes shopping here more like a visit with the family. I adore this store (yeah, and you KNOW that just rhymed) and I highly suggest it… especially if you need a sausage for your Portuguese Bean Soup. ;)
**Next door to Hide sushi.

I’ve known about this place since my days at UCLA. They are Bruin-​friendly. This place has FRESH fish and a variety of Japanese treats like mochi. Part of their charm is that they are a small «mom & pop» place and they have been a part of the westside community for years. The staff is SUPER friendly and helpful. Look for Ricky, Bobby, or Walter. Their prices are reasonable and their selection is comparable to some of the other Japanese markets in the area. If I am ever in town, I try to make a trip to this little known gem in West LA.

great prices, friendly service — when we used to live a few blocks away we’d stop by to pick up random items (i especially love the FREE PARKING lot they share with hide sushi instead of fighting for a spot at the nijiya center). however, when it was time to celebrate my sashimi-​loving sister’s birthday, i swung by here to get the goods. they were really helpful, gave me the freshest, most buttery salmon and fatty tuna (the fish offered at the counter). i was also able to grab some yellowtail, squid, mackerel, bean curd, and unagi to create a huge sashimi dinner for 5!
although my husband and i are sometimes surprised by the amount of costco food offered here, it actually makes this spot that much more family-​owned friendly.

This is THE place to come for Japanese groceries on the westside. I have been coming here with my family since I was born and I can safely say that, having been to several different Japanese markets over time, you will not find a more friendly and helpful staff than the one that works at this market. Bobby is always a delight to talk to when you check out.
One of the highlights of Safe & Save is the fresh fish display in the back. The fish is always fresh and they clean it right there for you. Pablo is extremely knowledgeable about the fish.
In terms of all of the other groceries, Safe & Save delivers! They’ve got some of the more obscure Japanese food items including a lot of Japanese-​Hawaiian things that you won’t be able to find elsewhere. Sometimes, I’ll just go through and get random things to try. It’s always a lot of fun.
Seriously, Nijiya may be a familiar name to many, but you just can’t beat Safe & Save in terms of great quality. Plus, it’s family owned and run, so you really can’t go wrong!
Also, because it’s New Years, Shin Nen Omedetou!

For those of you who are slaves to Mitsuwa and Nijiya markets for your basic Japanese groceries…
GO HERE INSTEAD!!!
Prices are up to 20% cheaper (really, I did the math) and the parking lot is a lot friendlier than that weird complex where Nijiya is on Sawtelle and Olympic. The owner is very nice and helpful as well and one time even special ordered something for me at no cost!
And their tofu… is magic. So fresh. I could just rip open a package, drizzle with soy sauce and green onions and have a feast.
Yay for supporting Mom-n-Pop’s over franchises!

it’s a super local market on sawtelle.
looks like many go for the fish, but i go there b/​c they have great tofu from meiji tofu, a gardena tofu place that makes fresh tofu daily. TRY IT!!!

Like many reviewers noted, this quaint, yet well-​reasonable priced grocery store is one to shop consistently. I have known Ricky and Bobby for over twenty years, and they have always been there when I needed something. In addition, the guys at the store really know what they’re selling at absolutely decent prices. For example, if you shop at Mitsuwa or Nijiya and purchase their sashimi, one might overlook at the little packaged sashimi at $ 5.99 or something, but pay attention to those stores, in terms of PRICE per POUND… both Mitsuwa and Nijiya will sell those items at approxmate $ 25 per pound, where as Safe & Save will price their fish at about $ 15/​$ 17 a pound, a huge savings. Their fish is ALWAYS fresh, and it’s so hard to find these stores in today’s world.
Take my word… this is the place to go if you want great service, and honest prices.

Outside of going to the downtown fish market yourself and enduring the crazy smell for some fresh fish, Safe & Save is the place to go… especially if you’re a resident of the Westside!
Their deli items are always tasty, their produce fresh and they have all the basic Japanese condiments, cookies and cooking necessities you’ll ever need.
But the highlight of this place is their fish. FRESH FISH! If you’re ever hosting a sashimi or sushi party at home, make this place your one-​stop for your fish! From their buttery hamachi, to their every so bright orange salmon to the tasty tuna, you can’t go wrong with their fish selection, which changes daily only because it’s so fresh!
OK, I’ve used «fresh» too many times already, but you get the point!

It’s an olé skool joint folks. And that’s a good thing. Every hood deserves one.
Greg and Bobby are my homies, and they aim to please. This is one of Sawtelle’s legacy Nisei institutions, and is a perfect embodiment of the «small is beautiful» philosophy as opposed to the impersonal, comparatively glitzy styles of Nijiya or Mitsuwa.
Best prices, great customer service and a down home no bullshit atmosphere = a keeper.

Small neighborhood Japanese grocery store. Nice if you live in the area, but for those of us who need a big shop, this ain’t the place for you. It doesn’t stock nearly as much stuff as the chains.
They however do sell a bit of everything including sundries, produce, fish, non-​perishables et al.
3.5 stars.