LAist's Guide To Snacking In the City: My Favorite Little Tokyo Treats

Little Tokyo's five city blocks in Downtown L.A. has origins dating back to 1885, when the first Japanese restaurant in the city opened at the intersection of 1st and Los Angeles.

About this series

Ever been in a market staring at an aisle full of colorful snacks - but have no idea what to choose since you don't speak the language? Our snacking expert, Jason Goble AKA Instagram's Super Snack Supreme, visits different neighborhoods to give us his recommendations.

LAist's Guide To Snacking In the City: My Favorite Koreatown Treats

Today it’s a food-fueled neighborhood, thrumming with folks munching on donburi, shabu-shabu, mochi and so much more. Since this is Snacking In The City: Little Tokyo edition, I'm heading to two markets, my favorite snack destinations.

One is Nijiya Market in Japanese Village Plaza; the other is Marukai Market, just across San Pedro Street. Both are great in their own right — Nijiya is smaller with more unusual and rare items while Marukai is larger and feels a little more like a supermarket.

Hot Chili And Seaweed-flavored Potato Chips By Koikeya

A split screen: on the left side is dark yellowish-orange potato chips seasoned with different spices against a white backdrop. A yellow bag with varying English and Japanese fonts for the chips' names is on the right side. Above the name is the word Karamucho which is surrounded by a fireball. At the bottom of the bags reads the word "Party Bag." A green oval on the bottom right reads "spicy, tasty, hot chill with seaweed.

If I were to pick only one snack to introduce someone to Japanese snacks, this would be it. Featuring the popular Karamucho cartoon character on the package, these thin and crispy potato chips are a flavor bomb of salty umaminess from the seaweed flakes, with hints of sweet and spice from the chili flavor. Don’t be intimidated by the flames on the bag — these are not spicy, more of a savory chili flavor than anything that would burn the house down. They hit every time.

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Pizza Potato Chips by Calbee

A split screen: On the left are yellow ridged potato chips. On the right, a black chip bag with the name Calbee in red letters, Japanese characters in red font with white overlines and pictures of potato chips with a slice of pizza underneath them

Himemaru Japanese Rice Crackers by Amenoya

A split screen: on the left side is a pile of orange-ish yellow crackers that look like tater-tots. On the right side is a bag with yellow-green and black color blocks., with an image of the rice crackers in the middle. There is a small red block of Japanese characters and below it is the word Japanese Rice Cracker in English.

This classic snack is simple, flavorful and delicious, ultra crispy and lightly glazed with a salty and slightly sweet soy-based gloss. At first glance, it looks like a smashed tater tot, and just like a tot, it's a great way to get some crispy saltiness into your life. There’s no denying its greatness once you bite into the cracker and hear its delightful crunch.

Pure Grape-Flavored Gummy Candy by Kanro

A split image: on the left a group of purple gummy hearts covered in sugar sits in a pile. On the right is a bag. The top part is pink with white lettering that reads Karo and Pure with some Japanese characters underneath. Below is the image of purple grapes covered in dew.

Pure is a very popular brand of gummy candies in Japan, and for a good reason: each little heart is a perfect sweet and sour drop on the tongue. The gummies themselves are flavorful and fruity, and in the Goldilocks zone of texture — not too soft, not too firm. They come in various flavors, including white peach, lemon, and lychee. My favorite? Definitely grape.

Seaweed-Flavored Ramen Cubes By GGE

A split screen: on the left is a pile of round yellowish brown cylindrical crackers made of instant ramen noodles. On the right is a green and white bag with GGE Wheat Crackers Seaweed flavor written on it. There's an image of a woman holding a bucket, wearing a diving mask and pink boots.

These are ubiquitous snacks in Asian communities, found in Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Filipino markets, and even recently in Ralph’s. This is the snack that I get from the market to eat in the car on the way home. (Only a few snacks get the car-ride honor, the ones I can’t wait even the the short ride home to devour.) They're a classic combination of Japanese flavors — seaweed, soy sauce, ramen — all combined in a cute, yet utilitarian cube shape, perfect for kids who enjoy eating raw ramen noodles straight from the pack! They have an entirely unique texture that's rare to find in any American snacks. And if you aren’t into seaweed, they come in a plethora of other flavors including spicy chicken, soy sauce, tempura, and BBQ.

Takoyaki Ball by Calbee

A split screen: on the left is a small pile of puffed snack chips that are yellow and speckled with black and green seasoning. On the right is a bag that's colored blue like the night sky. The words Takoyaki Ball appear in English with an image of the puffed chips underneath them.

These little fried corn balls are a take on Takoyaki, the popular dish from Osaka which consists of a fried ball of batter stuffed full of octopus and aromatics, brushed with a sweet and salty sauce and then drizzled with tangy mayo and salty, fishy bonito flakes. This snack version replicates these flavors in a crispy, light corn puff. It's a flavor bomb that transports you to the middle of a night market in Osaka, enjoying a delicious bite of Takoyaki.