Uwajimaya is a fantastic, Japanese-focused superstore located at the mouth of Beaverton, just east of the 217 on Beaverton-Hillsdale highway.

Like many places in Beaverton, they have a parking lot.

A bookstore features a wide selection of manga, thus ensuring that at some point you will encounter a skinny white guy with a goatee. Or a perv exploring the possibility of satisfying his J-Girl, Lolita fetish.

Uwajimaya features a bunch of Japanese electronic cooking appliances that no doubtedy showcase advanced, fuzzy logical capabilities. Factoring in Moore’s Law, combined with Kurzweil’s prediction of Singularity, soon these rice cookers will subjugate humans to make rice for them.

Lots of twee kitchen gadgets are here to sate your predilections for mindless consumerism.

A wonderful, colorful selection of instant ramen beckons you. The usual Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Indonesian, Thai, Taiwanese, Thai, Malaysian, Singaporan, Laotion suspects.

And an unrivaled selection of instant bowl noodles, including a few Japanese import brands that—at as much as $4+ for a single serving—are a bit rich for my MSG-laden blood.

This Korean permutation was created by a person who obviously has never seen Soylent Green (R.I.P Charleston Heston - “…cold dead hands”? You made good on your promise).

Fresh (non-fried) ramen is also well represented here. I eat these often.

Uwajimaya has your prepared Asian sauce fix. It’s a bit more pricey than other Asian markets in town, but the selection is superlative and the shelving aesthetics are worth at least 10-20 cents.

One thing no other Asian market in Portland can touch is the selection and quality of Uwajimaya’s produce. In this photo alone you’re looking at pea shoots, Japanese eggplants, bitter melons, lemongrass, long beans, turnips, assorted exotic greens, etc. They selection of choys is only rivaled by Fubonn.

Buddha’s hands. If you stare too long, you might have an acid flashback.

In the fridgerated aisles, you’ll find an excellent variety pickled vegetables, including cucumbers WITH MSG, kimchis, menma, radishes, and assorted mountain roots.

The deli features many pre-made Asian/Hawaiian specialties, available in combo and plate form.

You’ll also find grilled and lacquered meats and seafood, ready for you to take home to construct your own donburri.

The meat section features Carlton Farms pork, and many thin, pre-sliced cuts in case you want to bust out a shabu shabu or Korean BBQ party at your own home.

Live seafood waiting to be mercilessly slaughtered is availble in case you wish to indulge your macabre fetish.

The fish counter. What more can you say? Impeccably fresh, with a nice variety. That’s 3 types of pokes you’ll see there, including a spicy tako (octopus) salad, and a delicious wakame seafood salad.

Blocks of pre-cut, sashimi-grade protein is available for carry-out.

Including sashimi-ready portions chiseled for immediate consumption.

Here are the pokes in case you didn’t believe me earlier, you fucking bastard.

This is a typical take for me when I leave Uwajimaya. Notice the European beer. They feature a few key German, Belgian, and Baltic brands on top of the Asahi Extra Drys and Kirin. They even have the 375ml versions of Unibroue’s La Fin du Monde and Maudite, which I haven’t seen elsewhere, and the 750ml Don de Dieu which is a beer that makes me happy and stuff.

Connected to Uwajimaya’s hip is the wonderful Hakatamon. This is the subject of a future post.

Most of the time, I just grab a pair of chopsticks from the deli register and eat the tako in the parking loft.

Back at home, I like to generously sprinkle poke with togarashi and eat it.

Same with the chuka wakame salad (I’m still trying to figure how to make this stuff).

Hmm, this also gives me an idea.

I’ve got some of this…

…and some Japanese cucumber.

Uwajimaya Salad

• 3.2 ounces (or $2.40 worth) Albacore tataki
• 1/3 pound (or $2.64 worth) hiyasi wakama chuka salad
• 1/2 japanese cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced wafer thin
• One, singular green onion “pole”, minced
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons tamari
• Ground white pepper

Combine.

Uwajimaya

10500 SW Beaverton Hillsdale
Beaverton, OR 97005
(503) 643-4512
Directions