Sandown Market West

I was excited to find Sandown in Etobicoke! In a small space this place has an amazing selection of basic Japanese food items such as miso, nori, all sorts of noodles, seafood, mochi, pickled everything, multiple types of curry, and bonito flakes. They also carry what looks to be Japanese DVD rentals. The man behind the counter was super friendly… I hope to return again soon! PS I’m not sure if I didn’t look hard enough, but I couldn’t seem to find the refrigerated beverages!

I really really love Asian noodle soups, but recently I moved away from Kinton/​Sansotei. Luckily, a friend sent me a recipe for a quick Japanese noodle soup that called for a kombu (kelp) broth, a boiled egg, somen noodles, broccoli, mushrooms and togarashi seven spice.
I drove to the weird little plaza where Sandown is located and told the owner all about my soup plans. He guided me through the packed aisles and helped me select the best ingredients for my purpose. Aside from fresh vegetables, which would have to be purchased elsewhere, this place has everything. I was also surprised by how inexpensive everything was. Not that I know a lot about how much Japanese groceries should cost, but $ 3.50 for a 600g container of restaurant-​grade miso paste seems inexpensive to me.
In any event, my soup turned out to be amazing and I will definitely go back soon to amp up my noodle game with some add-​ons for the soup. I will certainly ask the owner for some recommendations when I return.

Japanese cuisine lovers only have a few choices in this great city to pick up basic cooking staples.
Japantown in Markham, Sanko downtown and Sandown in Etobicoke
This store is a new one for me but they have been around forever it seems. It is what I enjoy best and that is to buy local and support the small business owner.
They have a great selection of items for making japanese food (sushi but hey the recipe book includes lots of stuff like Tonkatsu for example) and a great freezer section as well.
The owners are an awesome couple and were so helpful in explaining to me the merits of Kelp and finding the coloured Mochi ice cream I was craving.
For 2015 I suggest you visit Muji for household items, drop by the Japanese Cultural Center for art and make your last stop Sandown. Watch Seven Samurai and be a better gaijin because of it.

I’ve been to this small Japanese store and just love it.

I LOVE supporting the little guy… and Sandown is exactly that… a tiny little Japanese store that has been around forever operated by a cute japanese couple. The store is small, but you can find everything you need in Japanese staples here, minus fresh veggies and fruit. We go to Sandown to buy sukiyaki meat, all of our japanese spices, fresh tofu, and kamaboko and other refrigerated goods.
It’s a great little asian find in the south of Etobicoke!