bento.com Tokyo listings - Imported Groceries

Seijo Ishii (Ebisu - Liquor shop). 3448-1070

Imported foods from around the world, including cheeses, spices, and canned and packaged goods. There's also a big stock of mostly European wines. Prices vary from great bargains to inexplicably expensive, so shop carefully.[feedback]

Ebisu-Minami 1-5-5, Atre Ebisu 3F. (next to the upstairs exit from Ebisu station) Open 8am-11pm daily.

National Azabu (Hiroo - Retail). 3442-3186

One of the best of the international supermarkets, with the widest range of imported foods in Tokyo, including an excellent selection of cheeses. They also have a very good wine department. Delivery within about a 20-minute radius of the store.[feedback]

Minami-Azabu 4-5-2. (two minutes east of Hiroo station) Open 9am-8pm daily.

Shinanoya (Meguro - Liquor shop). 3493-0143

This discount liquor shop also sells a fair assortment of imported foods to go with your booze.[feedback]

Kami-Osaki 2-21-13. Open 11am-10pm (11-9 Sundays). Open every day.

Food Magazine (Azabu-Juban - Retail). 5410-5445

Yes, they can be expensive, but we're still glad that Tokyo has at least gourmet grocery store that's open 24 hours a day. Delivery service as far as Toranomon and Minami-Aoyama.[feedback]

Roppongi 6-11-1, Roppongi Keyakizaka-dori. (at the very bottom end of Roppongi Hills, next to Tsutaya) Open 24 hours a day.

Nissin (Azabu-Juban - Retail). 3583-4586

Meat is Nissin's strong point, with over a dozen types of cold cuts, a cornucopia of sausages, and unusual items like pheasant, rabbit, and even kangaroo meat. And the third-floor wine shop is worth a visit in its own right - particularly for its wide choice of Australian and California wines in the under-Y2000 price range. [See FULL REVIEW.][feedback]

Higashi-Azabu 2-34-2. Open 9:30am-8pm daily.

Exotic ingredients

Al Flah Supermarket (Ikebukuro - Retail). 3985-9784, 3985-3015

Al Flah specializes in Halal foods, and sells ingredients for Indian, Pakistani, Middle Eastern and some Southeast Asian cooking -- everything from whole chickens to Basmati rice. They carry a big line-up of packaged and ready-to-eat vegetarian curries.[feedback]

Ikebukuro 2-41-2, 4F. (next to Royal Hotel) Open 11am-11pm daily.

Asian Road (Takadanobaba - Retail). 5155-6528

Thai and Vietnamese groceries and magazines; they also hold cooking and vegetable carving classes.[feedback]

Takadanobaba 1-17-9.

Nikko Market (Okubo - Retail). 3209-0372

A good place to buy ingredients for Chinese and various Southeast Asian cuisines -- they stock canned goods, fresh noodles, Thai curries, and spices, with a freezer full of dumplings, fish and desserts. (Be sure to check the dates on their frozen items.) [feedback]

Okubo 1-15-12. Open 10am-1am daily.

Baharia (Nishi-Shinjuku - Retail). 3320-0340

All kinds of Turkish foodstuffs are for sale here - baklava and Turkish delight, fresh Turkish white cheese and cheddar, olives, pickles, lentils and more.[feedback]

Yoyogi 2-14-3, 2F.

L'Abeille (Marunouchi - Retail). 3201-1778

A retail shop specializing in honey, with many different varieties to choose from.[feedback]

Marunouchi 2-4-1, Marunouchi Bldg. B1F. Open 11am-9pm daily.

Le Jardin Galois (Marunouchi - Retail). 5918-8828

A fantastic selection of French terrines, quiches, tarts and cakes is yours to take home from Le Jardin Galois, the retail arm of the excellent Brin de Muguet restaurant in Ogikubo. [feedback]

Marunouchi 1-5-1, Shin-Marunouchi Bldg B1F. Open 8:30am-10:30pm daily.

Hanamasa (Kojimachi - Retail). 3511-3308

A good selection of meats and produce, and imported Trader Joe's products from the US.[feedback]

Kojimachi 5-4. Open 24 hours a day.

Murachin (Ueno - Retail). 3834-6666

Raw ingredients and packaged goods from China, Korea and southeast Asia, including fresh vegetables from Thailand two or three times a week. They're in the basement of the Ameyoko Center Building, the large triangular building near the northern end of the Ameyoko arcade, under the train tracks south of Ueno station. Next to Murachin in the same basement are two other shops, Arai and Nozawaya, with similar items for sale. [feedback]

Ueno 4-7-8, Ameyoko Center Building B1F. Open 10am-8pm. Closed Wednesdays.

Casa Verde (Otsuka - Brazilian). 3916-0183

Authentic, inexpensive food in a homey atmosphere, including basics like feijoada black bean stew and churrasco, and some more exotic items like alligator and piranha. There's dance music (house rather than samba) for the mostly Brazilian customers, and downstairs there's a Brazilian food store.[feedback]

Kita-Otsuka 2-8-14. Open 6-11pm. Closed Mondays.

Le Jardin Galois (Higashi-Nakano - Retail). 3227-0161

Marvel at the huge selection of authentic French terrines, quiches, tarts and cakes to take out. From the management of Brin de Muguet restaurant in Ogikubo.[feedback]

Higashi-Nakano 3-1-17. Open 8am-midnight. Closed Mondays.