Sanko Trading located along Queen St. W. and Claremont St. is my go to Japanese grocery store downtown. I've been to this grocery store throughout the years purchasing Japanese products, usually ramen, snacks, pasta sauce, and freshly made onigiri. The store has plenty of Japanese sauces, teas, snacks, noodles, condiments, and a small section of frozen foods and produce. Half of the store also has Japanese porcelain - bowls, plates, cups, etc. The staff are always super friendly and if you want to use visa there is a $10 minimum spend (which is hard not to do). Sometimes in the summer Sanko also has a clearance sale where you can get discounted Japanese porcelain for cheap (sometimes the bowls and cups have some imperfections but they are not that noticeable). Overall, my fave Japanese grocery store in the Trinity Bellwoods are! A must visit if you want to find some Japanese groceries or porcelain. read more

I was shopping around for an authentic Japanese Donabe and went to Sanko since they specialize in Japanese imported items. In the end, I decided to buy elsewhere since the prices here are heavily marked up by 2 times or more compared to other stores. They sell Onigiri but it's overpriced and too much rice with very little filling. This store also doesn't accept cash if your purchase is less than 10 bucks. Location is closer to me but I'd rather go to other Asian stores selling way cheaper alternatives for Japanese good/pantry staples. read more

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I spotted Sanko Trading last Saturday. I had parked on a side street and was running late getting to a restaurant. On my way over, I saw the side of this building and I was intrigued. After having a late lunch, I headed over to Sanko to check it out. I was so happy to walk in and see origami on the wall and huge ramen bowls on a small table. It made me want to do origami again because Hello Kitty was there. The ramen bowls looked so impressive. Mine are far smaller in comparison. If you like Japanese food or gifts, you should drop by. I saw everything from kewpie mayo, to impressive knife sets. I like small appliances. I found takoyaki makers and rice cookers. I loved them. The tea sets and housewares were enjoyable to browse. From traditional versions for adults, to cute versions for kids (and big kids like me), there's really everything for everyone. I ended up getting a Doremon egg mould. You basically boil an egg, peel it, place it in the mould, and submerge the whole thing in cold water for ten minutes. Afterwards, you get an imprint of Doremon on your hard-boiled egg. I was so happy with this mould and having a cute Doremon egg. I got Japanese snacks. I saw these sweet potato chips. They looked like candy when I took them out of the bag. They seemed to glisten. However, they weren't all that sweet. They tasted like sweet potatoes with a crunch. You can get ramen galore here. I bought a package of long ramen noodles that I had never had. I look forward to using them this weekend. Sadly, when I was there, all onigiri were sold out. Ugh! Next time. I had two nice women at the checkout. One ran my items through and gave me the grand total. The other placed my items in a plastic bag, followed by a paper bag. You do pay for the paper bag. I don't know why I got a plastic bag. I paid with a credit card. I tapped and the transaction was done. I thanked both women and left the store with my items. I loved being here. It's a decent Japanese grocery store with housewares and gift ideas. I look forward to returning. (472) read more

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Fabulous little Japanese grocery on west queen Something for everyone from snacks to rice pots to fresh fish ! Staff is friendly- aisles are tight read more

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I had a very bad experience with their mochi ice cream and their overall customer service. I returned to the store in hopes that i could receive a refund or exchange but the staff refused and gaslighted me saying that I am returning it because i didn't like the taste. Even though I complained that the mochi itself has gone bad, supposed to be soft and chewy but this one has a gummy and almost cardboard like texture (even after waiting for it to defrost or thaw a bit before eating). The saleslady even said that i should complain to the manufacturer instead. Their customer service does not reflect either Canadian or Japanese values. read more

Sanko Trading - Don't buy their mochi ice cream. This place has a very bad customer service. - Grocery Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Upon my arrival it was closed, even though it was supposed to be open. So a bit of a disappointment, especially after seeing what was inside. Looked like a Japanese store that was once near my home, so was hoping to go inside. read more

Sanko Trading - From across the way, checking out that mural - Grocery Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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The store is easy to miss among all of the other stores on the block. But when you walk right in, it's Japan galore! Because there is a higher Japanese population in Toronto, they have more grocery and supermarket-type products than the typical touristy confection snacks. They have everything from ceremonial matcha to ceramics to yuzy fruit. Most of the products are imported and there are many things that I have never seen before. I got a salmon onigiri (it was just okay), a huge box of grape-flavored Pocky, a ceramic cup, and a plate. The price points are definitely a little higher than other Japanese supermarkets I've been to but the rarity of some of the products make it worth it. All of the staff are super energetic and friendly and I would definitely come again! read more

Sanko Trading - This 100% yuzu juice was pretty expensive... - Grocery Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Are you a lover of all things Japanese culture then Sanko might be your little oasis on Queen St. This cute shop maybe small but it is a bright fun place to browse even if you're not familiar with Japanese pop culture or trends. The bright bold colour facade is obvious on Queen St. It just catches your eye. As you step inside, you realize they crammed as much items into this tiny spot. With only 2 tiny aisles, you can find everything from imported house wares, frozen Japanese fishes, fresh fish from the famed Tsukiji, lots of snacks, ramen options, and sweets. I wouldn't say they have a vast amount of variety compared to J-Town or other Asian markets but for being away from an Asian centre, this was a fair amount of items. I did like the cute ceramics that were pandas, cats, and other cute Japanese influence cartoons. What was surprising was the sticker shock. What I would have been maybe $12 for a bowl was actually $20. I understand it's made and imported from Japan but ... hm, you have to be careful on what you pick up. I did spy a lot of mochi in the refrigerated section and my other favourite Kasugai gummies. They had a lot of flavours. The only pause I had was the price tag. Like the bowls, these had a pretty big mark up. I know these are nearly $1 cheaper at T&T but a T&T isnt really convenient to the heart of Toronto. Even if you dont intend to purchase, this is an interesting place to browse and learn a bit more of the different foods available in other spots. If you do want to get something, the Kasugai gummies are honestly one of the best in the world. Get the lychee or some other flavour you dont get normally in Canada! read more

Sanko Trading - Special Kit kats from Japan! - Grocery Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Sanko Trading looks so out of place in this part of Queen Street West! I was so surprise to see a store that devoted to all Japanese culture and items in this area of town! The high standard and quality of Japanese goods and kitchenwares does reflect in the pricing at Sanko. I kind of used to the idea of Made in Japan VS Made in China, Expensive VS Cheap, Imported VS local... I would never have guess the cute little teacups I have at Sushi Tei (http://www.yelp.ca/biz_photos/jWrnT-VNIsTKjHCTyj2hdw?select=e3lP3Js2gX8k9WOF9ieslg) cost $16 each!! But they sure are cute and good quality! Love the noodle selections here!! Some of them I cannot get in the usual Chinese grocery stores I been too... Maybe one day I have to try cooking some real Japanese food with the help of some of the premade ingredients in Sanko Trading! read more

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Super cute small Japanese store. It has a bunch of things from tiny dishes to Japanese snacks and groceries. They carry matcha and seasme powder and let me tell you, it's the real stuff. A little bit of it and its strong enough! Super bomb (put it in almond milk, milk tea, ice cream etc and it's amazing!) The owners are really sweet. The son is really friendly as well The green tea package is similar to the seasme one I have attached below read more

Sanko Trading - Seasme powder - Grocery Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

First things first: This is not the cheapest import store in the city. With that in mind, carry on. This is the most robust import store in the city. It has everything you'd need from Creme Brulee flavoured Kit Kat, to authentic Pocky. They have tasty rice triangles, and beautiful tea sets. If you're looking for Udon, or other noodles (and have nearly given up out of frustration) this is where you want to go. Finally - they have Pocari Sweat. A personal favourite of mine! read more

Sanko Trading - Grocery Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Such a great little Japanese grocery store, many people that came in kept complaining the prices but don't even realize how much of a pain it is too import into Canada. Especially the fact, Canada wants to charge so much to bring it in. Anyway, the customer service was super friendly we even talk about plane jets and gundams. I was able to buy this extremely popular Japanese treat called Tokyo Banana the texture is soft and sweet to eat. I can see why people in Japan love this so much. read more

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Place has been around forever and has a huge selection of Japanese goods. Their onigiri is great, always worth grabbing a few. Massive selection of dinnerware. Friendly staff... what more can you ask for? read more

I visited this spot after a long long time. Things haven't changed much the place offers a decent range of Japanese goodies. Prices are OK but not the greatest. Decent selection of snacks and other Japanese groceries and cooking utensils etc. However this place is by no means an alternate to J-Town or even T&T supermarket for that matter. Location is accessible by TTC when comparing the competition in downtown. They also are a receiving depot for Nippon Express which is one of the cheapest way to mail items to Japan I wouldn't mind coming here to get my fix of Japanese stuff if I can't make it to the other bigger stores. read more

At the end of the block before you cross the street in front of Ben Sherman, this Japanese food store is a nice spot to pick up Asian essentials for your dinner that day. The staff is friendly and warm. I've only been a handful of times and they always recognize me and greet me warmly when I walk in and cash out. There's ramen, fresh ramen, and a large selection of frozen foods plus a nice assortment of Kit Kat from around Asia and cookies as well. The only things I'd say I don't like as much about this store are the dishes and drinkware. They're definitely much nicer than your average, but they are also significantly more expensive than those. A ramen bowl I looked at was I believe $24.95 or $39.99 which is pricey compared to Chinatown where you could pick up something that would serve the same purpose for $7-10. But otherwise, I love this place. Cool ideas for food, favorites and candy, how can you not like that? The only reason it doesn't get 4 stars is there isn't enough food selection to do a real grocery order, but there are the go-to reliables. Check it out! read more

Love this place! It has everything you could ask for. As a Japanese-American I am very impressed and grateful for this place. I brought my (Japanese) Mom here and she liked it, she was able to make authentic Japanese from the food we brought home from here and it was sooooo good. My daughter really likes this place and the people here as they are sweet. She always asks me for Ramune soda in the bottle as I did growing up so it's nice :) The Miso, Shoyu, Tan-Tan ramen and Osembe Crackers are all delicious as well :D read more

BOTTOM LINE: This is THE place for Japanese groceries on the west side. (3.5 STARS) Other Yelpers have written about how Sanko doesn't offer more than J-town or T&T in terms of selection or prices, but the fact remains it's still one of the only places in the downtown core that sell some of the rarer Japanese ingredients. Until there's more competition, Sanko gets 3.5 stars. I would still recommend going to China Town for the common stuff like the noodles, snacks and bowls - it's WAY cheaper there; however, if you want some high quality miso paste and some coveted yuzu, this is where you want to be! An old Japanese couple own the store and haven't given me bad advice yet! Their recommendations for which miso paste and yuzu to use with my miso black cod and miso soup recipes were spot on, and now it's hard for me to imagine shelling out the big bucks for miso black cod in restaurants when it's so easy to make at home! read more

Sanko has been around forever and serves a good purpose: selling imported Japanese items in the heart of the city. Half the store is dedicated to foodstuff, while the other half is dedicated to refrigerated and non-refrigerated Japanese items. There are a couple of disappointments here: many of the items are available at other stores that sell East Asian foods. The store is small and there is not much room for a bigger selection. The prices are likely justified given the imported and specialty nature of the items, but they are high. Otherwise, it is mostly positive. From sauces to syrups, to cakes and cookies, noodles and canned food it is all here. They are really proud of their citrus hi-chews here for some reason. I typically buy noodles, sauce and of course mochi here - not too much though because I don't want to become like the fat bastard. Service is good. There is a funny guy usually at the cash who takes turns with his mother. This time there was a cute girl at the cash who bowed and smiled. I went to a supermarket near my house recently where a lumberjack was standing at the door (correctly) enforcing a mask and gloves' rule. As I stood by the door ready to pull out my mask and gloves he glared, raised his voice and insisted 'you are not entering like that you are not!' Dude, take a shower, dress cleaner to gain some respect, look up the word 'politeness' on the interwebs (I know you don't have a dictionary at home) and give it a second for me to get my mask out. With you there sure as heck I am not approaching without a triple layer mask! Compare that to Sanko: a nice looking girl in a clean white medical coat approached me, smiled, bowed and pointed at the gloves' station having noticed that I am already wearing my own mask. See the difference? read more

What a bevy of products! This place has both a wide and small variety of items, but I've found everything to be quality and fresh. If you need fish, you have arrived at the spot. I recently bought sushi grade salmon and albacore tuna for a gravlax-esque recipe. The salmon was fresh and from Ireland, and the tuna came frozen and vacuum sealed in various sizes. There are fridges and freezers lining the right and back walls, and you can always ask someone what else they have in the back. I'd love to explore this a bit more and one day, just blow a paycheck on all the expensive fish. That's my version of, "when you know you've made it". Other items that tickled my fancy were the beautiful plates, bowls and tea sets. The prices seemed pretty reasonable for such pretty pieces. Also! I once bought a large block of pink Himalayan salt as part of a wedding gift. What fun! read more

Great place to find your groceries from japan. Lots of treats and knick knacks. Service is always great. Owner is very friendly and kind.

Many is the day that I've gone to my cupboard, opened it, and uttered the phrase "Dammit! Out of seaweed again!" So, that's when I get to take a trip to Sanko. And then I'm happy. Sanko is a family-run Japanese food and accessory store that is renowned not only in the Japanese community but across the GTA as the place to go for any and all things Japanese. The shop is small, but carries a large variety of items. Ingredients are the chief items that are sold such as rice, seaweed, ginger and the like, but there is a good variety of already prepared foods for you to take home or on the road for some snacking. If you speak or read Japanese there is a large variety of books and videos available. I don't speak or read Japanese so I can't vouch for the quality of either. The cookware and dinnerware is also good and varied, providing some very nice sets for rice, sushi rolling, and teas. Enjoy. read more

Sanko Trading - Sanko - Grocery Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Excellent if jumbled selection of Japanese food fresh, frozen and packaged,chinaware, knives etc

I love this store. I haven't been there recently, but as a former Japanophile (who lived in Japan for 2 years) - I love it. I love that I can find an authentic assortment of Japanese products. There was a miso-based? dip that was always paired with cucumber. Delightful, and hard to find elsewhere. Gobou (burdock root), thin mushrooms that can be pan-fried with butter and soy. They have a community billboard if you are a good person looking for some compatible roomates. I love the main person who works there, who is consistently genuine and nice. I wanted to pass by recently, but didn't want to haul little kids out of the car with me. I would rather go there solo, and be in my own world. Reminiscing a bit, perhaps. The have nice Japanese ware, chopsticks, bento boxes. For all things Japanese, and good quality, this is a place you should go!! read more

I looked forward to getting some very exclusive japanese imports but this was not the case. Firstly, the store is extremely small -convenient store sized actually. I saw other reviews and had hoped their prep'd food would be amazing, but their sad and expensive looking onigiri and mochi were much more inferior to the ones you can get at an asian grocery store such as T&T. Then there was the actual selection of imported food and goods. While I did see some japanese snacks such as the cone-shaped chocolate bamboo cookies, the vast majority of snacks can, again, be bought at regular asian stores for much less. I personally bought two pottles of pocari sweats, which set me back an insane amount of $8 (FYI, T&T now carries pocari sweat) I came in looking to see if I can find some KAGOME brand ketchup, but sadly were none, and I also noticed that all the spices were unreasonably expensive -like $8 for a small box of dashi. Then came the most ridiculous part of the store. The sake flavored kit-kats that they have imported from japan was being sold for a whopping $40 FOR ONE BAG! Overall, the store is small, has poor selection, and is extremely overpriced. read more

It's a very small store, so selection is very limited. The price is higher than other grocery stores or amazon for most of the items they carry, but for a small portion, the price is ok or even cheaper. They do carry some stuff that's hard to find in other places, like some snacks/desserts imported from Japan. I bought a box of Royce chocolate. read more

I love Sanko. Yes, their prices can be high, but I'm happy to support a local family-owned store over Loblaws-owned T&T. I often go at least once a week and buy most of my Japanese groceries there. I especially like the Japanese vegetables and the Saturday morning fresh tofu. read more

Small but cute, they have a few basic food items/Japanese staples. But more they really shine with their pottery and tea things. Solid shop.

Went in looking for a good knife, as an Xmas gift. Got talked down to by the fat/balding guy behind the counter (son of the owners?), saying the good knives (which were fully within my expressed budget) were for "higher class people", even mentioning every few minutes that all the kitchen stuff was final sale and he didn't want me thinking about a refund. This literally happened a few hours ago. I've been there in the past, but unfortunately never had the pleasure of interacting with the lovable son. read more

Source of many Japanese products I have not found anywhere else, and everything seems to be of nice quality. The price is expensive but not unexpected, as quality Japanese products usually are and they are in a downtown location. So it is fair, all considered. read more

I have no idea what I was doing in this store but I spent some time browsing the shelves while my buddy (who knew what he was doing) bought some meats. The owners who I believe were the old couple were super nice. The chappy started asking me about my winter coat and we had a conversation of some sorts. I believe it was their son or grandson who helped my buddy out with his requests. The old chap told me that everything is direct from Japan, all legit stuff. That explains the real high prices. I guess being on Queen St West it has no competition, then again I have never seen Japanese people around here so curious to whether this place will stick around for the long run. read more

Being Japanese and with my parents back in Japan, the easiest way for me to get a home cooked Japanese meal (unfortunately) is to make it myself. For a very long time, Sanko was the only place downtown to get Japanese grocery products (now with T&T on Cherry Street, Korean markets on Bloor W. and many of the other Asian markets carrying products, it has made things easier). Sanko carries traditional dishes (they are a regular dealer to my bowl-collecting habit), video/dvds of Japanese TV shows and movies, magazines and a nice stock of imported grocery products. They also carry rice balls with assorted fillings and other ready-to-eat products. They also used to have some baked goods from Nakamura Bakery, but I don't think I've seen any there in a while. It's certainly not the cheapest around. For example, they carry the instant single-portion rice which they sell for around $3.50. There are grocery stores on Bloor & Christie where the same brand and product are available for $2. It's convenient for me where we live and Sanko has helped me countless times when I have that craving for a home-made Japanese meal. Wah! I miss you mom and dad!! haha! read more

The outside is SO CUTE! Perfect for photos! There are a wide variety of authentic Japanese foods and gifts inside, though you can get many of the foods and gifts at other Asian gift shops (and even from T&T) for a lower price. The staff was very friendly. Will I come back again? Most likely, but I'll probably be more interested in taking pictures of their wall mural. read more

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The store is a lot smaller than what I was expecting. The selection is minimal... Was disappointed by the incense selection which is poor and very much overpriced. A few interesting snacks but nothing exceptional. The cashier was rude and that convinced me not to go back. read more

Although I am not Japanese (or any kind of Asian for that matter), I wish I was because of all the cute things that exist in Japan. Plus they have a really cool language, and it's a good culture to belong to if you're a germaphobe like me. So when I'm feeling like I REALLY REALLY want to go to Japan, I go to Sanko instead and it's like I'm there. They import all sorts of Japanese grocery products as well as cookies, candies, magazines, kitchen supplies, and everything else. In the realm of downtown Toronto, this is probably one of your best bets for this kind of stuff, and because they have little competition, their prices aren't the cheapest. But I am from the north, and up in Scarborough we have many other options for these types of products -- usually in the Kennedy & Steeles area. They have all sorts of places with this stuff in Pacific Mall, and especially if you're just looking for trinkets or food basics like Pocky or seaweed, they'll have them for way cheaper. Plus, Japanese magazines are totally cheaper in Chinatown. But hey, if you're on Queen West, and you're craving some individually packaged seaweed, Sanko's the place to get it. And if you're willing to pay a dollar more for convenience, then you'll be fine with it too. Note to anyone with strollers/wheelchairs/anything: The place is SO SMALL and really narrow. Don't try bringing even a backpack in here. There is literally no room, just like the subway in Japan. read more

Coming from the suburbs, I guess I have been desensitized to the whole Japanese Grocery scene specifically with Heisei(J-Town). Similarities except that Heisei has co-existing shops next to it that can support a wider variety of items(i.e. Bakery, Meats, Fish). On it's own in this area of town, it is a breath of fresh air especially for me. It stands out from all the Dog Boutiques, Art Gallery, Menswear, Patisserie of western origins and all needing a healthy wallet or at least look proper to go in without being questioned. I would still go inside and browse/shop however my value-conscious mind wouldn't let me get some items. At the same time, there might be a few items of value to me that caught my eye but the selection is limited. There's a couple Tomago Pan that I saw one was roughly $30 while the other was upwards of $70 I believe. I noticed a Oshizushi Box as well. Maybe when I go into Yelp retirement, I will slow down and have time to focus on mastering those items. read more

This store is taking advantage of queen street location by boosting up the prices. Here's my story.. I'm trying to eat healthy so I went to Sanko store on 730 queen st west to buy Zojirushi- teflon free rice cooker size 3 cups made in Japan because it has good reviews. I ended up paying $410 taxes in. To my surprise I found 5.5 cups size at T&T for $380 made in Japan. I checked it very carefully, it was 100% very high quality inside out, exactly like the one I bought from Sanko. They have the one made in China Zojirushi which was selling for half the price, looked and felt really cheap. I went back to return it and they said sorry it's a final sale! What a ripoff !!!! I could've paid the same amount of money for the bigger Zojirushi rice cooker. STAY AWAY FROM THIS STORE. read more

So I was looking for a particular Japanese grocery vegetable and called in before I came by. The man on the phone was so helpful, trying to figure out the exact vegetable I was looking for because I didn't know the Japanese name of it. So when I finally dropped by, it was interesting to see there are dishes, kitchen ware, dry foods, Japanese knives, snacks and some grocery too. So random and yet perfect - pretty good to have all these Japanese products all packed somehow into this tiny shop. It is good Even just to walk in and browse. The dishware is pretty great though yes it's a bit on the high side. I've seen similar dishes being sold at lower costs elsewhere. But the overall selection itself is large and pretty, The variety and fact that it may be hard to find similar dishes / tea sets etc else where can explain the cost of some of them. This place was so busy and the people working here are very friendly. Only reason I knocked off one star was the prices of some of their dishware. read more

Excellent shop for Japanese products. It's second-best to J-Town which is really OUT THERE and very East of Finch Station by bus, so the location can't be beat. They do have higher prices here but it's due to their location. This is THE PLACE for Japanese stuff, but specific Japanese stuff that you can't find in Chinatown that is. read more

This place is amazing. I've recently started making poke bowls at home and this place is amazing for getting sashimi grade fish. I've gotten salmon, albacore tuna and skip jack tuna and it's all delicious and reasonably priced. Blue fin tuna comes from Tsukiji fish market and it priced accordingly - but they have it, along with other essential Japanese seafood items such as bbq eel. As long as the store is not full, they're genuinely happy to have even a lengthy conversation about what you're looking for and educate and make recommendations. I simply love this place and the service is second to none. I bought a sashimi knife and I was told I can bring it back anytime to get it sharpened, free of charge. It's rare to get this level of customer service anywhere. read more

A family runs this place, and has for 50 years. As I've been shopping there for years, I've come to know the family, and feel welcome. A wide range of Japanese products, a mix of those directed towards Japanese customers who miss home, and those of us who just love certain products and a wide range of choice in things such as rice, tea, sea weed, and charming ceramics. The only place I've found the wonderful Japanese bath salts which make the ending of my day extremely pleasant! A real treasure, in fact, downtown, transit accessible, walkable, with Trinity Bellwoods park so close by. read more