MY HANKERING FOR GREAT JAPANESE FOOD can’t always be sated by Royal Izakaya (sometimes I feel the need to cook my own food at home). For great Japanese pantry staples, I always hit up Essene Market. They have koji and natto cultures on hand (so I can make my own miso and natto with basically no preparation) and they carry agar flakes, kudzu, umeboshi plums and vinegar, great rice and a wide variety of organic seaweeds, just to name a few odds and ends that I can pop in and grab for at-home, Japanese organic meals on the fly.
Essene Market and Cafe
719 S 4th St.
215.922.1146
essenemarket.com
