Kochi Fair at Mitsuwa Market
I live in Southern California and have always been surrounded by a variety of grocery stores and fresh produce. There are three Japanese grocers over in the city of Costa Mesa: Seiya, Marukai, and Mitsuwa Market, which has been there the longest. Last weekend my daughter and I drove to Mitsuwa for their Kochi Fair.
We have always had a particular fondness for Kochi. The employees were surprised when we said we had visited twice and asked us what made us travel there. I mentioned the Taiga Drama "Komyo ga Tsuji" and the travelogue shown at the end of each episode. Then one employee burst out with "Ryomaden!" Yes, that one too! We saw all sites connected to Ryoma and visited the beautiful beach at Katsurahama.
We sampled several products with yuzu as the primary ingredient. We already knew we were going to buy a lot, but we enjoyed tasting the samples. It's funny, in the US presently, yuzu is getting a big blow up. Yuzu is being promoted for all sorts of reasons. Even as a fruit to grow and eat! Many years ago I learned that it's not really that kind of fruit - but adding it to foods was something special. And it is. I hope the people who try to cultivate the tree will figure that out.
When we had finished looking at the Kochi Fair we entered the grocery section of Mitsuwa and shopped a little. It has been remodeled in the last few years and it carries a very generous supply of Japanese foods and goods. It's a nice, interesting, and fun place to shop. I imagine it's an oasis for anyone missing Japan.
We were ready for lunch and stood in line at Sanukiseimen for a freshly prepared dish of udon. I had beef udon and my daughter had beef curry udon. We bought a slice of tempura pumpkin to share. It had been a long time since we'd eaten here and it was totally worth it. Afterward we chose soft ice cream with strawberry sauce from the sweets shop. A rarity in our everyday life for sure.
Next I picked up the current issue of my magazine subscription to Liniere from Maido, and then we visited the gashapon shop to crank out a kitty. It was the gray one.
We had a great time and it made me look forward to our trip in May. And as we headed to the car I beckoned to a waiting truck that we were leaving. They waited patiently as I backed out and left a much sought after space.
What prefecture will Mitsuwa Costa Mesa celebrate next? We will be happy with whatever choice they make.
Address: Mitsuwa Market, 665 Paularino Ave, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Text & Photos by Diane
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