Tokyo Central is a specialty Japanese grocery store in California and one of my go-to markets. It offers various imported Japanese goods, fresh produce, beauty products, and prepared Japanese food. They opened a second Torrance location on Pacific Coast Hwy and Hawthorne Blvd, next to Best Buy.
Tokyo Central’s newest location opened on the weekend of December 14- 15. I was lucky to find a parking spot because the lot was full. In grand Japanese tradition, launch flowers lined the entrance and storefront. Suppliers use this tradition to send a congratulatory present.
Home cooks will appreciate the large number of fresh vegetables and fruits. In addition to the typical grocery store vegetables, you’ll find popular Asian vegetables like napa cabbage, komatsuna (mustard), renkon (lotus root), daikon (radish), and hard-to-find items like fresh ginkgo and nagaimo (mountain yam). Convenience items such as bagged lettuce or packaged salads are available.
Handing out samples of unagi
The meat and seafood selection includes many recipe-ready portions of Kobe, wagyu beef, and kurobuta pork. Cured meats are well presented, and multiple kurobuta and Portuguese sausage brands are available. Be sure to check the frozen fish case—a rep introduced me to precooked unagi that only requires reheating.
Bakery Goods from MamMoth Bakery
After perusing all the aisles, I found a sizeable selection of non-alcoholic beverages, including popular drinks such as ramune and calico, instant coffee, and tea. The instant noodle aisle also has yakisoba, Korean ramen, and Jjajangmen. The bakery has many goods from nearby MamMoth Bakery and cookies from Tres Brothers.
Self-serve hot buffet
They have a welcome selection of Japanese-prepared food, including sushi, rice bowls, tempura, bento, ramen, and side dishes. I was delighted to see freshly cooked hot fare. A self-serve buffet with kakiage, tonkatsu, takoyaki, yakisoba, chashu fried rice, and a fresh salad bar. Be sure to check the other side of the store for sando sandwiches.
Onsite eateries include Vanshow by Waka Sakura, a sister restaurant to Wakarakura that operates in Tokyo Central’s Gardena location. Don’t expect conveyor belt sushi as they are a full-service restaurant featuring nigiri, carpaccio, tartare, udon, and tempura.
Osanji Sweets and Cafe
The food court vendors include:
- Fresh Rice Yasuda – rice balls and spam musubi
- Osanji – taiyaki (fish-shaped cake) and soft-serve ice cream
- Wagyukushi – wagyu beef kushi skewers
According to a Tokyo Central spokesperson, the location on the corner of Hawthorne and Sepulveda Blvds will remain open. I’m surprised, given that the new location is only 1.5 miles south. Because the new location offers so much more, it will become my new default go-to.
Tokyo Central is owned by the Japanese corporation Don Quijote. Its other locations are West LA, Gardena, Little Tokyo, West Covina, Costa Mesa, Yorba Linda, and San Diego.
Tokyo Central, 3665 Pacific Coast Highway, Torrance; tokyocentral.com