Yama Sushi and Marketplace in Alhambra CA

 Located at 911 W Las Tunas Dr San Gabriel, CA 91776, this is the original Yama Sushi and Marketplace, I believe, that the family owned for decades before selling and it becoming a franchise, hence the new location in Koreatown and the Westside.

However, the new places look new. This place has lovely character and roots and it brought me great joy to walk through the door (which is in the back parking lot and not off of Las Tunas Dr). It was Sunday and the place was packed.

I have been to many Japanese markets up and down California and in NY but this place had items I had never seen before so I sort of lost it and spent a lot of money.

Of course, sushi. Fresh and delicious. Naturally.

The vibe of this bustling shop was so positive and fun. I highly recommend it.

In terms of my bounty. The curry was awesome. In the future, adding some chuks of steak or chicken might be a good idea. lately I've been making tonkatsu with my curry rice when friends come over. Which is very nice.

The seaweed snack was surprisngly delicious. The box to the right of the pack of curry turned out to me matcha chocolates in tiny tiny tiny bricks. The salad flavor chips were excellent. I've used that sesame oil before, it's exceptional. The Yuzu Salt i've been using a lot in my cooking and I am still not sure if I get the uniqueness of it yet. Maybe it's too subtle for my pallete. I have yet to try the ume nori. Lastly, the mochidoki from NY. The black sesame was fabulouse. The vegan mochi not so much. The difference between the fluffy fresh mochi of the black sesame and the thin and crusty mochi of the vegan was too steep.