It’s been a while since Mitsuwa was on my list of places to visit here in New York. It is a Japanese marketplace, with restaurants, supermarket and other stores – all Japanese. Some friends had already told me about it – including one from a Japanese family. I was curious to check, since, if the Japanese go there, it’s because the place should be good. Mitsuwa is not exactly in New York but in Edgewater, a city in New Jersey.
First, let’s talk about food: in the main building of Mitsuwa, you will find a large food court, with restaurants serving classics like ramen and sushi. All of them have like a window with a kind of sample of each dish – it’s strange, I confess, but it helps a lot to get an idea of what each of the options is. Our choices were a plate of rice, dumplings and beef and also a bowl of ramen, both around $ 8 each and in generous portions. It is not a super luxurious gastronomic concept, but the food is very tasty and well prepared. It is simple: you order, you pay, you get a number and wait for your dish to be ready. In addition to the various lunch options, there is also a bakery with sweet delicacies such as cakes and also a location of Matcha Love, a place that offers tea, coffee, shakes and ice cream based on matcha – green tea. Royce, a luxury brand of Japanese chocolates, also has room in Mitsuwa – try their refrigerated chocolate, it has a creamy consistency and is one of the best chocolates I’ve ever eaten! You will also find a supermarket with, of course, a lot of Japanese products!
At the second building of Mitsuwa, you will find some shops: there is a toy’s store and even a Shiseido. But the highlight is the bookstore / stationery place with countless Japanese titles – including books and magazines – and the true paradise for fans of anime and manga. I was impressed with the collection, even though I am not a fan or understanding anything about this world.
Mitsuwa also has locations in other US states – like California and Texas – and you can check all the addresses here. I think it’s an interesting program for people who live here in New York or for those who are not visiting the city for the first time.
To get there, you have to take the New Jersey Transit bus from the Port Authority. It’s line 158 and the round trip ticket costs $ 9. The bus stops in front of Mitsuwa – follow Google Maps to know when to request the stop. The journey takes about 30 minutes.
Laura Peruchi é jornalista, autora e empreendedora. Mora em Nova York com seu marido desde 2014, e, desde então, divide em seu blog um conteúdo variado sobre a Big Apple. Com dicas de turismo, compras, restaurantes e muito mais, sua plataforma online tornou-se referência em conteúdo em português para quem está planejando uma viagem a Nova York. Acompanhe Laura também no Instagram, Youtube, Facebook e Spotify.
