Top quality, hard-to-find Japanese ingredients available here. Excellent, friendly service, very helpful with suggestions for best brands and how to cook with them. read more

Madison is loaded with Asian markets, but Oriental Shop caters to the Japanese market. The couple there are quite kind, and they are honest and truly care about you and making sure their goods are top quality. I trust them so much I only buy my seafood for sushi and sashimi from them. Here I made a chirashi bowl with just some of the seafood they had to offer. I even bought a ramen style bowl from them. She buys fish larger, to cut down on costs. She then cuts them in smaller sections and those savings are in sure given to you. If you want something special, you can ask her to order it for you sometimes. Every time I go I am surprised by something new they will have, and know she will know about the products they sell. This is really my most favorite shop in Madison. I would give it 10 stars if I could. read more

Oriental Shop - Home made Chirashi bowl, with fresh sushi grade fish - International Grocery Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I had the best experience here. I went to buy ingredients to make homemade sushi and the woman working there was so helpful. Her name is Tamaki and she spent 45 min with my friend and I explaining step by step how to make sushi and helped pick out all the ingredients we needed. She also made us sauce to try - so sweet. Highly recommend! Cash only! read more

Oriental Shop - shelves of food and condiments - International Grocery Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

This is a very small store and cash only, but if you're in need of something Japanese and can't find it at the other Asian grocery stores in town, look here. I rarely go because it's very much out of the way for me, but I couldn't find dashi elsewhere, surprisingly, and Oriental Shop came to the rescue. They also had a number of Japanese Kit Kat flavors (Uji matcha and iyokan, among others) on this visit which, yes, are expensive but they are in Japan too! If you're looking for sashimi, this is probably the only place I'd really trust. read more

This was amazing. Being asian in Wisconsin is hard. Even though there's a lot of asian shops this one is super special. This food is amazing and it brings back good memories. They have a lot of asian snacks you can't get anywhere else! read more

Great little Japanese grocery and goods store tucked in between La Taquiera Guadalajara and Asian Sweet Bakery that carries fresh, authentic products and produce. Don't let the size fool you, they are jam packed with hundreds of hard to find items and your traditional produce found in typical Japanese grocery stores, just as if you were in Japan. On this particular day, I found shabu shabu grade meat and other ingredients to make Sukiyaki. They also have famous Hippo House bakery items delivered fresh and fresh, sushi grade fish shipped in weekly. The proprietor is always nice and helpful. Parking in the back! Cash only. read more

Oriental Shop - They have freshly made Mochi and Dango! - International Grocery Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Best Asian food shop in Wisconsin. We drive a hour to shop here for Japanese speciality food.

Sashimi graded fish!! Just defrost the last bit and made a plate of yellowtail sashimi for breakfast....Mmm two weeks later still so super fresh!! I like to buy a bunch different cut,put them in the freezer.The fattier cuts are delicious eaten raw,seared or baked.Simply rest the frozen fish in room temp to slowly defrost them and you are in for a treat! The owners are warm hearted people; eating food we bought from this place make us grateful and happy; we enjoy every bit so much more beyond the food itself;my husband and I just can't stop talking about how much we adore them! read more

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This place is great. The man and woman in front were so welcoming. I was there with my sister and son who love everything about the Asian culture and they were so excited to see all the goodies they have. We got so many different items. I would definitely recommend this cute little shop. Feels like home, they are so nice!! read more

On Sundays, the shop is open at noon. On New Year's Eve, we went early so we stopped in at the Asian bakery nearby. When we walked over at noon on the dot, the closed sign was up and we began to panic since this was probably one of the last places for us to get fish and bamboo sushi rollers. We were walking away when I heard the door unlocking and the owner telling us they were open. There's a back door with parking lot that was also inundated with three other shoppers. With my husband and I, there were five shoppers and it was starting to feel like a tight squeeze in there. It's about a 400 sq ft store (in other words, tiny!). Turn one way and you are looking at freezers with fresh fish cuts, roe, and miso paste. Turn the other way, you 'll see noodles, teas, sauces, and candies. It works for this tiny space though. The products are unique enough that whatever Japanese product you are looking for, you will most likely find it! For example, we found shiso leaves neatly banded together in their small, but sufficient product rack. The lady took such care of placing them into a paper bag and insisting that I carry it against me in my purse in case the cold discolored the herb. Funny thing is, I don't even know how much I paid for it but it was a great addition to our sushi rolls later that evening. I definitely got a sense that the people who shop here are regulars and there's almost a family feel to it. It took a while to get checked out, but with each patron, she didn't rush them and took care to answer questions and/or to go over purchase prices. I'd definitely recommend shopping here. read more

I recently went to three other Asian shops/markets in the area, and I can say that I had the most success in finding what I was looking for, as well as had the best time when shopping here. I must say, I'm biased, in that I was mostly looking for Japanese products, but nevertheless this store left me with a lasting positive impression. The store-co owner who was working at the time was very nice, and was still nice after I asked to buy a loaf of bread after checking out - oops! I forgot. The look and feel of the store is really cute and nice, being that its so jam packed and well-decorated. You really get the feeling that everything was selected with care. I was a little shocked when I picked up a bag of korokke and there was a dead house centipede on it, but with my luck I probably found the one bug in the whole store - a fluke. I will certainly be coming back to this gem of a store. read more

This is a much beloved mom and pop Japanese store. Tamaki has always taken good care of us and has an amazing wealth of items available. From rice to bakery, from frozen sushi makings to pottery, they have a bit of everything... Your are not going to do better and this is the only dedicated Japanese store in Madison that I know of....They don't accept credit cards, cash and checks only... read more

I've been stopping here for my sushi-grade fish and other asian necessities for over 16 years. The selection and customer service is excellent. Fresh sushi-grade fish comes in every other Saturday (frozen is available all the time), and the owner can special-order items for you if you let her know what you need. If you become a regular, she'll even occasionally throw in samples of new products or other items she thinks you might enjoy. (I went home with an octopus head once.) Point of note: you might have to defensively elbow-shop the silver-haired ladies out of the way if you want to get top choice of some of the fish; their elbow jabs can be wicked! There's also a nice selection of noodles, sauces, frozen goods, Japanese sweets and candies, loose leaf and bagged teas, as well as glazed ceramic teacups/pots and some minor household goods. The only con, if you can call it that, is the size of the store. She intentionally keeps it small (the first floor of an old house), and it's organized really well, but when it's busy, there's an element of O-Shop Customer Jenga that takes place to move people around and ring up the sales. read more

Unique items, if you like Japanese food or are looking for something besides mac-n-cheese/wonder bread, then a stop here is a must. Its easy to miss on Park st, in a house next to (I believe) a Mexican restaurant and by whatever that carnival thing is. also before you go- remember cash only, so hit up an atm (there might be a couple on/near campus); but dont let that put you off, everything is very reasonably priced. I'd add this opinion comes from a guy who wont buy clothes (or much else) retail due to guilt over markup- when youve been to china and realize what things actallly cost, you too may find yourself confused and upset over a minimum 30-800x price hike... But now back to the review: The inside is a tad cramped by US standards, but the use of pace is so remarkable I always wonder how they manage to possibly have such a wide variety (minus tons of produce, as mentioned elsewhere) of items, from my favourite brand of iced green tea, to the Exact anpanman rice-milk biscuits I had in mind-but expecting to find- for a teething 2yr old, to a nifty onigiri press for lazy, busy me that eliminates mishapen crumbling rice blobs. Even fresh sakura-mochi, ready-made sweets to go with tea, etc. I could go on forever- its like a Lawsons or Japanese 7-11; I spent some time in Japan and quickly found the 24hr place- it had Everything I could want and then more- eventually my budget was drasticly impacted by a addiction to Japanese junk-food: esp canned IceCoffee(I had several fav brands, 6-12cans/day, inc. a BossSuper7 at the kiosk down the train platform, running, 34sec to toss exact change on counter, point/grab, run & just make it as train dooors closed), & Japanese flan/pudding- available to my delight @ this store. My host family actually became concerned over my food splurging, but it was worth every yen. Now this isnt a 7-11, in fact I'd say the variety is much wider and (excepting 'my' brand of icecoffee), they stock things that I ve never seen anywhere else in the states, certainly madison, and I always end up finding some obscure product I'd not realisticly expect to find each time I go there. So yeah- they probably have what youre looking for, how? magic I suppose, I dont question with puddig placed in front of me. The owners seem to be a Japanese couple-very nice; and the customer service here beats anywhere I can recall. If you're overwhelmed by the array of goods & looking for calpis (...guilty)- the lady at the desk knew right where everything I wanted was, reccomended alternatives that I actually liked better, and answered every one of my questions, explaned details and differences in various products, reccomended how to prepare what needed preparing, with patience and genuine helpfullness that showed no sign of annoyance or frustation that one might reasonably expect asking so many questions at any other store. Again, If you dont know what youre looking for or you have a huge list, dont forget to ask the kind lady working there, youll probably learn something & definately save time scanning the shelves. In addition, I must point out just how good the service is; I had a question (technical issuse that my rusty ability to understand the Kanji on the package resuluted in), called the store days later, left voicemail, & figured "oh well Ill ask next time I go, no one bothers calling back ...". within a couple days I recieved a call, sure enough It was the lady from Oriental Shop, ready to answer my likely-absurd question and also even appologized for the delay in responding as they had been out-of-town! Now, I was impressed I actually got my call returned; and I never felt there was a delay to begin with so They must take carefull attention to detail. In a time when incresinly I find even places I'm a regular at treating me like a very unwelcome nuisance for no reason, such great customer service really sets this place apart. Oh, that and the food and other items that I, at least, can't find anywhere else not near Kansai provice. Sorry for the double negative, forget that, and go and support your local small bussiness! read more

New hours. Closed Tuesdays. Opens at noon on all other days. Only Japanese primary Asian food store.

From the outside this place looks like a gift shop or something like that, but this is the place to go for sashimi-grade fish in Madison if you want to make sushi at home (if you're in Madison, you can make better sushi at home than you can get at a restaurant, for a lot cheaper!) They get in fresh fish every other Saturday but aside from that they have plenty of frozen on-hand. I'd give them 5 stars but this place is really small, really crowded, and the couple of times I've been there, really busy. The people working there are very nice and friendly which is good because you will need their help to find what you want without randomly digging through the freezers! Probably the only place in town where you might find Anpanman pastries by the checkout or Pocari Sweat powder... Cash only. read more

Somebody messaged me at Yelp after I posted some pics of the Oriental Shop and sez, where's the review? They're right, since we've been coming here since forever, I should say something about the Oriental Shop on Park. In a word, it's the best in the area for just about anything from spices and flavorings, several different varieties of rice (including new crop when available), fresh and frozen fish, a nice selection of Japanese sweets (for the kids) and chocolate (for you) - The list could go on forever. Although not large, by any means, It seems like they always have just what a person needs. Besides foods, they have rice cookers, teapots and tea, chopsticks and a Japanese film rental section with a number of the latest K Dramas! I believe they take their truck down to Mitsuwa in Arlington Heights every week for fresh supplies, so everything's up to date. There's only one place to go for Asian and esp. Japanese foods in Mad City, that's the Oriental Shop. An interesting sidelight - The owner told us once that the the former owners, an Italian family, made their own wine. A rather large grape arbor can still be seen at the rear of the store, with healthy vines kept nicely trimmed, and still producing. There was the suggestion that the old family distilled grappa during prohibition for sale to fellow grappa fanciers in town. Those familiar with Madison history will know that this part of town was a large Italian neighborhood and was indeed, a local source of shine and home made wines. So, visit a piece of local history and get the latest new crop rice at the same time. A win-win! read more

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SO GLAD we found this amazing place! I had been unable to find a few key ingredients that I needed to make some of my favorite Asian dishes.. When my man & I were in Madison, my search on Yelp lead me to investigate & I was SO glad we did! The shop is deceptively understated from the street view- they pack an incredible array of everything & anything one would expect from even the grandest of Asian markets. Bottom line, if you're a foodie & decide to take my advice and that of many other Yelp reviewers) GO VISIT this shop! The owner lady, is THE quintessential, small, home-town-shop owner, putting customers first & absolutely going above & beyond! My fiancée couldn't even stop talking about how helpful, personable, and friendly she was! We will most DEFINITELY visit again whenever the area!!!! read more

Great little Japanese market! Tamaki is extremely helpful and friendly. It's not a large store, but they have a lot of special items I can't find at other Asian markets in the area. read more

Having lived in NJ I previously had access to H-Mart (and on occasion, Mitsuwa) for hard-to-find Asian items, so when we first moved to Madison I was afraid I would have to drive down to the Mitsuwa in Chicago or ask friends to mail Japanese items. But I couldn't have asked for better -- the Oriental Shop is a cozy, family-owned shop that carries most of the basics and for the first time, all the Japanese items on my shopping list. Not much produce as another reviewer pointed out, and it's a little non-descript/tucked away from the outside, but the owners are very friendly and helpful. When I asked about umeboshi (I'd only seen umezuke on the shelf, which isn't quite the same), the owner pointed me to 3 different kinds and explained the pros/cons of each before letting me decide what I wanted. I love this place already and will definitely be a frequent customer! read more

This is a small Japanese grocery store and they are open every day but Tuesday. As far as I know, this is the only Japanese grocery in Madison. They have a small selection of produce, a good amt of refrigerated/frozen stuff (miso, frozen fish, etc) and a wide variety of Japanese food products. They also sell other random stuff like Hello Kitty goods, some beauty goods, etc. One unique thing is that they get sushi grade fish every other Saturday (I have not yet tried it). They accept cash & check. read more

what an interesting place for Japanese groceries. It looks kinda suspicious from outside, but the inside is surprisingly very clean and well organized. I found most of items to be fresh and reasonably priced. But when I went in, thigs were a little chaotic just for a small sashimi platter that some getleman was waiting for. (didn't know they could do this kind of service) Other than that, everythign is excellent. read more

This place is wonderful. I shopped here today for the first time. I came in 10 minutes before closing yet the woman who helped me was incredibly friendly and helpful. She answered all of my questions and showed me all around the shop. They have a great selection of sashimi grade fish that comes in every other Saturday. She said they are more than happy to fill special orders as well. When I went to check out, I found out that it was a cash/check only place which I didn't have. Even though it was past closing time, she offered to stay open while I went to get cash. So nice! I will definitely be a frequent customer! read more

Nice place to get Japanese food. They have sashimi-grade fish on Saturday every two weeks, but otherwise have frozen fish too. You can also find all kinds of Japanese rice/noodles/snacks/miso paste/etc. that you won't find in other Asian markets in Madison. As other reviewers have said, what makes this place awesome is the customer service--the lady who owns the store is so nice and helpful, and will be more than willing to explain any questions you might have about Japanese food. She even gave me a free chunk of cooking salmon one day when I was going to buy sashimi! And yes, they only accept cash, and since there aren't many people running the store (only the lady and her husband sometimes) and she is constantly answering people's questions, it can be a little slow sometimes. Still, Oriental Shop's the only place in Madison I know where you can get sashimi-grade fish, and coupled with the excellent customer service (I haven't had better from any other shop, really), this place is a must-know for those into Japanese cuisine. read more

Since moving to Milwaukee, this is one of the businesses I miss most. Sure we've got like 3-4 Asian food stores and even one that is family owned like Oriental Shop, but there are definitely Japanese items I can't find -- even at Pacific Produce. Next time I'm in Madison I'm picking up the goods! Two things of Otafuku Yakisoba Sauce for sure! read more

This is the cutest little Japanese grocery store! It is in a little house on Park Street.... the owner is really nice; she even made sushi rice for me so I could bring to my pre-school class once, about 10 years ago. If you are looking for bento supplies, frozen goods, sashimi fish, Japanese candy, or anything Japanese, really, you should check this place out! Itadekimasu! :) read more

The Oriental Shop has everything you need. The owners are very knowledgeable and helpful. We have been here on numerous occasions and keep coming back because of their attentive and helpful customer service and great selections! :) read more

CASH ONLY!! NO PLASTIC!! I was looking for ingredients to make chankonabe. I needed enoki mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, miso paste, sake, mirin, and a few other items. They had everything I needed except the sake and mirin. explained to me that it would be too expensive for them to acquire a liquor license so they only had the cooking wine available. The store is small but had great variety and will most likely have what you're looking for. They get fresh pastries every week. Sweet stuff comes on Tuesday and savory stuff on Friday. The lady was super helpful and very friendly. She asked me what I was cooking and gave me very helpful tips on how to prepare my ingredients. It's the small stuff like that you can't pay for. I must have chatted with her for 15 mins before I left with my groceries. She was such a sweet person. She even gave me a card with her email on it and offered to help with my recipe. She also told me to call any time I wanted to get tips on how to improve my recipe. This kind of stuff never happens at your typical grocery store. I felt like she was my grandma. You can tell that she was very passionate about Japanese cooking and wanted to share part of her culture with me. The hospitality alone is worth the trip. I'm so glad I found this place. REMEMBER TO BRING CASH!! They've been in business since '79 and have been doing things the same since. No plastic allowed!! read more

I was here yesterday for the first time. I moved to Madison from NYC so I was really missing my Japanese goods. It's a small place, but it has all the essentials. Plus, to my delight, there was sushi fish here. I readily bought a pack and went home to try it. It was sublime. Definitely coming back for more. read more

For the best Japanese groceries in Madison, go here! I have never bought something here that I did not like, and although it is a little more expensive here than at other Asian grocery stores, you get very good quality products. Be aware that they do not sell very much produce - the most I have seen in the way of produce is a small amount of seasonal fruit. However, it is the one place in Madison that I have found rice of the caliber I ate during my days as a foreign exchange student living with a Japanese host family. They are also the only place I know that sells sushi/sashimi grade fish (it is delivered every other Saturday), and they have an awesome selection of Japanese candy. The place is run by a Japanese family and they are pleasant and helpful. It's a great store any way you look at it. read more

I'm multiracial Japanese and grew up eating mostly Japanese food and also traveled to Japan multiple times. THIS GROCERY IS AMAZING. It's like having a little taste of Japan in the middle of madison. It's one of the reasons living here has been made easier! We make/eat Japanese foods all the time now and enjoy the snack section a lot . Best little Japanese grocery in the USA I've been to yet! read more

Excellent food and adequate (Japanese-style) service. Fresh fish and Japanese goods! If you're looking for either of those, then this is a good place to go. read more