Uwajimaya

Lonely Planet review

Dried squid? Check. Sheets of seaweed? Check. Dumpling steamers, teapots, chopsticks? Check, check, check. The enormous Uwajimaya, anchoring an eponymous shopping center, has everything needed to prepare Thai, Japanese, Chinese and other Asian foods. You'll find fresh and frozen meat and fish, canned and dried produce, and intriguingly labeled treats of all kinds, as well as cooking tools, spices, cookbooks, toiletries and gift items.

It also has a deli and bakery.

Founded by Fujimatsu Moriguchi, one of the few Japanese to return here from the WWII internment camps, this large department and grocery store - a cornerstone of Seattle's Asian community - has everything from fresh fish and exotic fruits and vegetables to cooking utensils, and you'll come face-to-face with those dim sum ingredients you've always wondered about. The current location is a brand-new 'community' that includes living quarters and occupies a whole block. There's a food court in addition to the grocery store. It's a great place to browse. Sharing the same building as Uwajimaya, the giant Kinokuniya bookstore has an excellent collection of books about Asia and by Asian writers as well as import CDs and DVDs.