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77 reviews for Seafood City
Review Highlights
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"...so clean looking unlike other Asian markets I have been to." In 3 reviews -
"Store is very clean AND it's in the mall." In 8 reviews -
"...closer to southcenter to be able to get fresh fish daily." In 7 reviews
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77 reviews in English
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Review from Camille C.
King, WA
1/18/2012
Oh, Seafood City. Haven't seen you since visiting my cousins in Vallejo, CA. Glad one finally opened here in WA but it's oh so very far =[ waaaaaah. My mom & her friends make a trip every 3 weeks here to get stuff they can't get at Ranch 99 or at the local "my friend" store. lol.
I went here almost after all the hype had died down. Oh, the horror stories that I heard, the endless lines, the crazy Filipinos! lol. Don't get me wrong, I am Filipino. Not hatin' but when Filipinos want their fried fish, nothings stopping them. lol.
I would say Seafood City is to Filipinos what HMart is to Koreans & what Ranch 99 is to Chinese people. They have the biggest selection of Filipino snacks, desserts, & food all around.
They have a TON of seafood. I guess if you refer to the name of the store (Seafood City) it makes sense. If you are looking for some sort of fish, THEY WILL HAVE IT.
Oh! They have frozen already made turons you can buy so that all you need to do is fry it. Awesomeness!
The rice selection will make you dizzy. There is just sooo much rice to choose from, lol.
This store is super clean compared to most Asian/International grocery stores. It helps that it's in the mall, I think. Parking is sometimes a pain in the butt but you'll find one eventually. Again, it comes with th territory of sharing a parking lot with the mall.Listed in: AZN
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Review from reyz a.
4/22/2012
This Filipino / Asian marketplace is a one-stop shopping destination for this nick of the Northwest. Having grown up in B.C./Canada and the Northwest, this place is something not too far off from what I'd see in the California, but I've not seen in these parts. I have to admit that it's increased the foot traffic in this part of Southcenter.
There are
* Bakeries
* Drugstore / Pharmacy
* General Merchandise
* Services
If you like lumpia, penakbet, pork or chicken BBQ on a stick Filipino style; or if you like a taste of Tokyo or Chinese food (OK mall-style food); or you want to grocery shop like you were in downtown Makati, then this is the place for you. -
Review from Charlene I.
Seattle, WA
4/9/2012
I always wondered why we didn't have any Filipino business chains in Seattle since we have a pretty big community out here. Then one day, out of no where we get a whole corner of the mall infested with Filipino-ness haha... It's shockingly surprising how authentic it feels in this spot! It's like you take a quick trip to the PI every time you visit! LOL
-1 star for issues with parking though! This place is always packed unless you come on like a Monday at 8:30pm.
First off, Seafood City is hella cheap! Come here for meat and definitely seafood! They have staff that stand by the fresh sea creatures and bag whatever you want up for you. A good way for these employees to double as security(lol). They have a nice little section of kitchenware & bath products that are interesting to look at as well. Gotta love the fact that there is not just one, but two bakeries located next to eachother...lmao carb feast for real, but Valerio's has some bomb ass pandesal and Red Ribbon has the best mamon!
The Grill City restaurant inside is also pretty good... their crisp pata & fried tilapia is bomb.
All in all, I recommend Seafood City as your supplier for asian food & goods! Super cheap and always interesting...lol -
Review from Katy H.
3/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
Yay for huge Asian markets! I came here to shop for some food and loved the amazing variety (and cheap prices) on seafood and produce.
I don't usually find myself in Tukwila but will make it a point to stop in here whenever I'm south of Seattle. Canned goods, baked goods, salty snacks, basically whatever you need or want, it's here. In fact, I think this store is event bigger (or the same size as) Uwajimaya in downtown Seattle. -
Review from Ajit S.
Seattle, WA
5/15/2012
Great selection of live seafood (and they roast on site). Reasonable, but not great, prices on fruits and vegetables. If you like jackfruits and durians, they often carry them.
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Review from Carlo V.
Seattle, WA
2/23/2012 2 Check-ins Here
I'm glad to see that I'll have a place to go buy all my ingredients for my Pilipino soul food. It is so on & crackin' now.
Checking out Lil Manila. LOL -
Review from J D.
Renton, WA
Extensive selection if Asian food, fresh fish and produce.
Reasonable prices, clean and easy layout unlike 99 Ranch.
Good for rice and hard to find Asian produce, I prefer this store to Iwajimaya, though the emphasis is on Filipino food. -
Review from Ninette C.
Seattle, WA
11/27/2011
My mom, friend and I were in Southcenter wondering what the heck Seafood City was. I thought it was a restaurant. My mom thought it was a grocery store. My mom won.
So umm...what is a grocery store doing in a mall!? Either way, we were happy to find it since my mom wanted to get some fish and Asian products before heading home anyway. The prices are good here. I didn't know it was a Fillipino grocery store until I read the reviews. This is mostly because I don't know much about Fillipino cuisine, but either way, we found ingredients which worked for other cuisines as well!Listed in: Buy Your Food Here!
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Review from David C.
Philadelphia, PA
1/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
At first, I was a little skeptical about finding an Asian supermarket inside a mall, especially a mall the size of Westfield Southcenter. Usually Asian supermarkets tend to have a very fishy smell from all the seafood for sale. Just as I expected, when I walked in for the first time, I was hit with a strong whiff of the fishy smell. Now I'm normally used to the smell as I have shopped in Asian supermarkets all the time. But after walking around the mall for quite a bit, my smell was sensitized from all the fragrances from the stores in the mall. So going from a perfume/cologne smell to fish smell can play quite a game on your nose.
Enough with the smells! I've heard great things about this chain supermarket. I was easily able to locate most of my goods that I had planned to purchase in addition to a few other treats. Seafood City offers a great selection of Filipino and other Asian groceries. From my personal shopping experience, it is nothing to revel at. It's a convenient supermarket located in busy shopping center.
If you are familiar with the fishy smell of typical Asian supermarkets, the smell here may not phase you. However, I would highly recommend shopping here last if you plan on shopping around the mall. Nobody wants to smell like fish inside a clothing store! -
Review from Michelle T.
Seattle, WA
12/8/2011
Great varieties of Asian & Filipino foods!!... But ... DAAAAANNNNGGGG, I think it's one of the worse smelling groceries store (no offense) .... I cannot stand the seafood smell for a long time so I usually know what I'm buying so I could get in & get out as fast as possible to avoid that smell...
And also, no offense to anyone but...... Man do they stare at you like they've never seen another Asian before or something.... Come on, please mind your own & little do they know that I DO understand some of the stuff they're saying =) ... UGH UGH UGH!
PLUS, they need to keep their workers in checked... An old lady was ringing me up and she was sick.... & Did not bother to cover her mouth and she coughed or sneezed... & Just did it on my stuff... LIKE HELLO?!?!?!?!?! GERMS you ****.... Please excuse my language. Just angry that she had no manners considering her age. -
Review from Jeff H.
12/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
Wow, what a crazy selection of seafood! Many other items as well, with a heavy and dedicated focus to all things Asian. If you're hunting for that odd item or fish to add to your wok at home, then Seafood City is one of the best places you'll find outside of the International District.
Be warned however, if you've got an aversion to the smell of seafood, you'll have to see how long you can hold your breath to shop here. -
Review from Michael M.
Seattle, WA
10/3/2011 4 Check-ins Here
Being Filipino I feel obligated to shop here... haha just kidding, where else are you gonna buy tocino or the pork butt for your adobo???
This really is the Filipino capitol of the Pacific Northwest and for good reason. They stock everything we need from mang thomas sauce to calimansi juice. There's also a Valero's bakery if you are running low on pan de sal.
In all honesty I only buy the filipino necessities here. Other things like cereal and milk have better prices at Safeway or QFC.
The only thing I was disappointed in was that they didn't have the Debut in stock in the DVD section... -
Review from Winnie F.
10/2/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Seafood selection is awesome! Perfect for finding the right ingredients for a homemade Asian meal. Prices are good too, some would even consider their price on the cheaper side. However, quality is consistence and it's pretty fresh!
The interior design of Seafood City is really clean and nothing is broken, unlike some other stores around the city. Although it is Filipino focused, you can also find most Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese and Korean stuff. Located inside the mall is also a bonus! -
Review from Christine S.
Tacoma, WA
3/12/2012
Very convenient to where I live. One stop shopping for groceries, baked goods and cooked meals. The only negative thing is that the customer service (at the grocery checkout stands) is HORRIBLE. The cashiers don't say a word to the customers the entire time they are being checked out.
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Review from M N.
Sammamish, WA
8/15/2011
Since Seafood City has opened in the Puget Sound area, it has made me feel proud to know that there is finally a one-stop-shop Filipino grocery store somewhat nearby. I have never seen so many Filipinos and other curious folks flock this area in various times of the day having visited this place several times since it opened. (It's worth circling around the parking lot to find parking!)
My family and I make a special trip to Seafood City at least once a month to make a one-stop shop for all Filipino and some other Asian and even western food product needs.
Going to this place is like a Wal-Mart of Filipino food products. I leave with more than what I intended to buy due to the great value of the food products. It also satisfies the longing for foods I haven't had since childhood growing up in my home country. It's comforting to know that those products are now within reach. "Mabuhay", Seafood City! Yeah! -
Review from Steve D.
Seattle, WA
8/17/2011
This is the Filipino hub of the entire Pacific Northwest. Yeah, I think it 's safe to say the entire PacNW will agree that if it weren't for Seafood City to bring us together, we'd all be wishing there was. This place is not your typical asian grocery store, it's got a definite Pinoy soul to the place. From the Flip gear you can cop at the door to the long buffet style line inside to Valerio's Baked Goods, this place is teeming with Filipino flavor (pun intended). They are located in what was once the least populous corner of Southcenter, easily now one of the most populous. This area also includes ChowKing and Jollibee, two top favorites for legit pinoy fast food. Odd how this grocery chain is attached to a mall, I wonder how their neighbors feel about the smell of fried fish and pandesal?
Come here for must have pinoy ingredients. -
Review from Jeff G.
4/17/2011
I really need to stop watching Top Chef, Iron Chef and Next Iron Chef before I go shopping at stores with exotic ingredients. Every aisle is like a quickfire challenge for me. Here's 3 pounds of beef shank for five bucks, make something delicious. Challenge accepted. Sliced pork belly strips for 3 bucks I can make awesome bacon with that. Balut...okay I'll pass.
This store is spotlessly clean, the seafood is so pretty and fresh it almost brings a tear to my eyes and the freezer cases are chalk full of delcious treats like Tocino, longanisa and lumpia. This is a great asian market.
By the way, the beef shanks made an outstanding beef Papricach and the bacon strips are curing in my fridge right now. -
Review from Kim P.
5/31/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I will definately be back to take advantage of the full experience!!!
The parking lot smelled like straight "fried fish" and as you walk in, the hustle and bustle of it all made me smile:)
This was just a stop through unfortunately as we ventured to Jollibee for some Halo Halo!!! -
Review from CeCe O.
Bothell, WA
6/19/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I like Seafood City but not enough to make it standout from the other Asian grocery store around the area. The price is relatively the same albeit slightly higher due to the premium location.
The food court dishes tasted very Filipino but I was disappointed of what I got. The classic combo allows you to only get non-seafood group but determining which one is not easy. I thought the pinakbet that I got was one until I got charged extra for it later I found one half inch squid amongst my veggies...ah that made it seafood! But why was it under the classic table (there's a sign that said so.) The pansit that I got was dry, tasteless and my accompanying pork adobo entree was 80% bone and peppercorns, not much edible meat.
I probably got the bad end of the batch and that's probably just my luck. I've had great whole squid from them from another time so I won't discount my entire experience all together but I'm reluctant to try the food cafe again. -
Review from Toni D.
10/22/2011 4 Check-ins Here
Wow what a selection of Asian food! I've never been to Asia but everytime I stop in here I feel like I'm in China or Japan. They must sell every possible rice made. I actually got a great deal on Lobster claws...which are usually even just hard to find
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Review from Maricris F.
Renton, WA
6/6/2011 6 Check-ins Here
Finally they opened up a market for Filipinos. LOL.
But on the serious note I love going to this place because I can find everything I need to cook up some delicious filipino cuisine instead of always going out to eat.
Watch out in the parking area because it's always packed unless you park elsewhere and walk. Only downfall is that this market is right next to the mall so you would occasionally see shopping carts inside the mall and smell life fish when you go in a clothing store. Meat/fish shopping is not the same as clothes or shoe shopping. Stay away!
Other than Ranch 99 another asian market Seafood City has a variety of fishes. You were able to pick your own but due to health issues there's an employee that will do the work for you all you have to do is point what you want and they will bag it and tag it for you all said and done. You even have the option to have it cleaned and cooked deep fried at the spot for FREE!
Great place I go grocery shopping here as much as I can since I live close. -
Review from Joe B.
5/12/2011
I love it when a name is an accurate description of what you have or do. This IS Seafood City! This Filipino grocery has more variety of fish than I have found anywhere in this area and the quality looks fantastic. All you do is point to what you want and someone will grab your order, clean it if you want and wrap it up. They even offer deep frying of your order on the spot! And I was very pleased to see nice looking pork belly in the meat section. Time to make bacon again!!
Everything is so clean looking unlike other Asian markets I have been to. The grocery sections have as good of a variety as they can considering the size of the place. The veggie section had your basics including a good selection of tofu and fresh noodles.
I will be haunting Seafood City more often! -
Review from Leigh C.
1/19/2011 7 Check-ins Here
I love how this place is SO clean, especially in comparison the the other Asian markets that I have encountered in Seattle. Great fish selection, but the meats are definitely lacking. Also, the selection of veggies kind of sucks. I was on a mission for some okra and could not find any to save my life. How do you not have okra at a FILIPINO supermarket?
Anyway, the imported snack items like chips and icecream are way cheaper here than at other Asian grocery stores. And again, it's super duper clean so I'll keep coming back (not like I have a choice if I'm running errands with my nanay). Hopefully next time they'll have okra lol. -
Review from Jen F.
Seattle, WA
6/3/2011
I love this supermarket! Huge selection. Also, much of the produce and fresh meats are priced far below what you pay at the large grocery chains.
The seafood section is the largest I've seen anywhere! Very clean and amazing assortment. There were fish I had never heard of or thought I could get in a store (like pompano, although it's farm raised).
They also sell bakery items (even though there is a small bakery hooked onto the store as well). I bought a flaky pastry that was sweet but had onions in it and it was delish! Also bought their fried tofu with onions, quite tasty as well.
I will most definitely shop here whenever I have the opportunity (since it's a tiny bit of a drive from West Seattle). -
Review from Akili P.
8/22/2011 6 Check-ins Here
You looking for the best Filipino food then PLEASE come here, you aren't really going to find any other place in the Northwest that comes close to getting what you want, or exactly what you want except for here.
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Review from Le M.
If there's one nationality that got the shopping mall culture cornered, it's the Filipinos. I just came back from the Philippines, where the biggest congregation of Filipinos found outside a church is in the shopping mall.
It's not surprising therefore to find that Seafood City, which claimed the corner of defunct Mervyn's in Southcenter Mall, attracts foot traffic like what you'll find in Manila. It feels like Manila (people shop in group or family), it sounds like Manila (there was karaoke contest on Saturday). The produce variety looks like what you'll find in Manila: from durian and mangosteen to chicharonnes, from pig blood for dinuguan to milk fish from Pangasinan.
What to check out? The produce section offers a good variety of fresh vegetables you won't find in Safeway -- from ongchoy or kangkung to patola and bittermelon. I like the fresh fish section as well. The time I was there, they offer scad, salmon, pampano, bangus, etc. All can be cleaned while you wait. As for pig blood, yes it's a cultural and acquired taste way ahead of Alan Ball's True Blood. Dinuguan is the closest dish an aspiring vampire can legally get. Yum :)
This marketplace, clustered with bakeshops (Valerio's and Red Ribbon) and Filipino fast food restaurants (Chowking, Tokyo Tokyo, Grill City and Jollibee), is a great addition to Puget Sound's diverse Asian American market. -
Review from Sharon S.
Seattle, WA
5/31/2011 1 photo
The only thing about this place I didn't like was that there was always a long line every time my family and I would order food. Thought I must say, it's definitely worth the wait. You won't be disappointed with the result and flavor Seafood City has to offer.
Recommendations: BBQ -
Review from Daren D.
7/19/2010 2 photos
Holy crap! I've not seen so many Filipinos in one spot in a LONG time, probably since my last big family cousin gathering how many years ago.
I came here briefly the 2nd day of opening and the place was packed. They need to add a 3RD garage over here pronto! Inside was packed. The parking lot was packed---gone are the days of a dead-corner box retailer and semi-ghosttown hallway connection. Just did some browsing and checking stuff out. I'll be coming back shortly for some rice cake fixin's and other munchies... and once the other Filipino chains (think Jollibee, Chowking, Tokyo Tokyo, Red Ribbon....) open up-----ohhhh maannn! -
Review from Rowena M.
Des Moines, WA
9/3/2010
Finally! A Seafood City in the PNW! Filipinos rejoice!!!
I love this place. Where else can you get shelves stacked with a mind numbing variety of chicharron? There are the ones with a layer of buttery fat fried up crisp and melt in your mouth, and there are the ones that we jokingly call "low-fat" simply because they are only the pieces of skin fried to a crisp, lightness without the decadence of the fat strip. Mmmm, makes my mouth water.
Each time I've been here it's been packed, but that's ok with me. I want this place to stick around, so people, please, keep packing it in! Oh, I've been longing for the Filipino market. I've finally been able to find a polovoron mold so I can make the delicious crumbly candies. And I now have access to the delicious sweet cakes that I've yet to master in my own kitchen. It's one stop shopping there, and can get dangerous on an empty stomach. The bakery and the deli/restaurants inside will make you want to indulge so be prepared to spend. -
Review from Cherene R.
King, WA
7/20/2010
I don't know if you know, but having a Seafood City location in Washington is a big deal for the Filipino community here. A REALLY, REALLY, REALLY big deal. I mean - they have been going ape-crazy since they found out it was being constructed and have been following updates via Facebook or the Internet, while waiting in anticipation for their opening. And why? Because this is probably your best bet to find a wide variety of products from the Philippines. The closest Seafood City used to be a long drive or fly down to Cali, but now that we have one at such close proximity, they would not have to make that long trek anymore.
Honestly, I didn't look through the place thoroughly enough during opening weekend since the place was packed, but the prices for produce and snacks weren't too bad. Maybe the personal hygiene products may be a little overpriced. I remember debating whether or not I could have probably gotten it for cheaper if I ordered it straight from the PI. But I guess some of these products being overpriced here is to be expected since products such as Eskinol (mainly whitening soaps and lotions) cater to Filipino wants and needs since over there, you are found to be attractive if you have fair skin.
Another reason why people are looking forward to having a Seafood City here is that with Seafood City, there are also chain stores like Red Ribbon, Chowking, and Jollibee that are right next door. And just like the California locations, Washington's is no different. Although these other restaurants haven't opened yet, I am one of many that are looking forward to it!
Southcenter - as if it isn't bad enough already, get ready for even more traffic! More likely because of the influx of souped up Honda and Acura cars that will probably be boasting (and sometimes obnoxiously) of Pinoy pride as they flood and congregate in what Filipino-Americans would probably call one of the closest things to getting a taste of their homeland. -
Review from Richard U.
Seattle, WA
7/31/2010
Its like I died and woke up in Manila!
Oh joy! a large chain grocery store dedicated to the pinoys of puget sound. I keep hearing that filipino's make up the largest asian contingent in the Seattle area. After coming here I finally see it! Where else can you get Mangolia cheeze whiz, pigs blood, beef bile and 10 kinds of chicharron flavors? This place is clean and brand new. No strange fishy odors even in the fresh fish section. Oh, and the hot food take out area is REALLY GOOD!
stuff I had:
BBQ chicken skewers: Tasty! sweet flavor but a bit on the rare side.
chicken adobo: Not like my mom's but still good. This version was more vinegary than I am used to. Big uncrushed peppercorns also was a new twist for me.
pork lumpia: okay. not great. Kind of like the stuff you buy frozen and fry up for parties, but 12 for $5 is not a bad deal.
pancit bihon- decent not much dried shrimpy flavor.
Crispy pata: EXCELLENT. Huge Gi-Normous hocks. They are gracious enough to break it up for you so you know its cooked nice and crispy on the outside skin and nice succulent meat! I will be feasting for days.
Unfortunately they were out of lechon kawali! Noooo!!!! I will be back so we will see if it is as good as everyone says it is.
Prices here seem fairly reasonable. The crowds are CRAZY! This is especially true since Chow king is next door and the lines there are ridiculous! I will be back for sure.Listed in: Filipino eats
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Review from Alvin N.
Finally! =D
Check out this place for Filipino Goods!
YES Please! Its YelpTastic.
Seafood City and it feels so good
Seafood City 'cause we understood
There's one perfect fit
And, sugar, this one is it
We both are so excited
'Cause of Seafood City, hey, hey
****NEWS BREAK****
This is the Center of the Filipino Universe at the moment!!! :D -
Review from Jon L.
8/1/2010
Seafood City's opening in Tuwkila has created an Asian supermarket mecca on the south end. Seafood City, Uwajimaya and Viet Wah in Renton and 99 Ranch in Kent are within short driving distance. If only H Mart or Paldo would open a shop in this area and you would have essentially all of your East Asian grocery needs taken care of.
There are a lot of Filipino restaurants in Hawaii, but I actually can not think of any Filipino supermarkets I have visited, so I was not sure what to expect. However it turns out Seafood City is not all that different from 99 Ranch. Yes, there is a wide selection of Filipino goods here as there should be. But you will also find many other Asian and Western goods here as well.
The produce selection is decent. There is a good selection of Chinese produce here including yu choy, baby bok choy and swamp cabbage. A few were missing like A-choy, but overall pretty pleased. I would shop here if the prices were good, which for the most part they were. It is a good thing that product selection is diversified because it will help to draw in a diverse group of customers. Being located in Southcenter certainly helps too.
Did not really dive too much into the meat and fish selection. Though i did pick up some frozen mussels. I do not what it is, but I always question where the meat and seafood is sourced from at Asian markets. Well, except for Uwajimaya. I do have to say the meat and fish section is very clean looking. As opposed to 99 Ranch which just seems to always have a stink about it when I enter that part of the store.
Did not experience any issues with hectic lines here, perhaps it was because I was shopping early Saturday morning. It appears though that it is really an issue with Chow King and Tokyo Tokyo instead and not the store itself. The line was slow moving though as the cashier was still getting the hang of the checkout.
Overall, I like Seafood City. It gives me another good option in shopping for Asian groceries.Listed in: The Grocery List
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Review from Nerick M.
7/25/2010 4 Check-ins Here
You know, I was wondering where all the Filipinos congregated.....they're all at Seafood City in Southcenter Mall. Yeah, I couldn't believe I was surrounded by that many fellow Filpinos. I guess that's what happens when the only supermarket (with an eating area) that caters to Filipinos opens up near Seattle.
This place is like a Filipino H-Mart or Ranch 99. It has a ton of Asian/Filpino-influenced food items. I've never been to the Philippines, but I hear it's like being in Manila. My favorite part is the eating area. They serve up a delicious breakfast and an even better lunch. All the Filipino favorites are there, like pancit (noodles), longanisa (sweet sausage), lechon (roast pork), etc. They also have a mini side store in the corner where they sell non-perishable items, like clothing and toiletries/housewares.
This is a fairly new store, so parking is a bit insane for now. I also think they just need to develop a faster, more efficient serving plan. This new wave of patrons is good for Southcenter because before this area was vacant for a long time. It's nice to see more traffic flooding into the mall. AND, they're opening up a Jollibee's right next door to Seafood City soon (that'll be another review).
Go check it out and see for yourself. The snack aisle is sure to please, if you like Asian snacks.. I'll be back....maybe tomorrow already. -
Review from Winnie S.
9/23/2011
Seafood City is a Filipino-based grocery store situated in the "Asian" corner of the Southcenter Mall. It's like a Little Manila on the weekends, where HUNDREDS of Filipino families come out to eat, socialize, and get their groceries for the week. I got in line to get my super-cheap shrimp weighed and labeled, but ditched the line cuz I'm Americanized and spoiled and refuse to wait over two minutes for food service. *slaps herself in the face*. Their produce is super cheap, quality is okkkayyy and there is a huge seafood section and meat counter (mostly pork and chicken).
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Review from Philip K.
Renton, WA
7/16/2010 2 photos
I have to admit that it's a little odd seeing a supermarket connected to a mall here in the States. It's very common to see it over in Asia but I don't think I've ever seen it on the East Coast or here in Washington. But I kind of like it. Now I won't need to make an extra stop at Ranch 99 or Fred Meyer on the way home.
I didn't buy anything today as it's their soft opening but just wanted to check it out. Prices are what you'd expect - reasonable for a market but you can find some good deals on things, you just need to know what the going rate is for items.
They only had one of the five restaurants open and the line was pretty long. This is probably what you'll have to expect for the next few months. Right now, it definitely is going to be a prime destination for a lot of Filipinos and other Asians. I expect the huge crowds to hit when Jollibee and Red Ribbon open in August. Chowking and Tokyo are up in the next two weeks. So, even though I'm disappointed that I can't get my Jollibee fix for another month, I'm really happy to have a decently priced Asian market in the area. Easily outdoes Ranch 99 in terms of cleanliness and definitely beats the Uwajimaya "lite" that is located in Renton Village in terms of selection and prices. Can't wait to go back for some serious grocery shopping later this weekend. -
Review from Tiffany B.
Seattle, WA
9/8/2010
Soo many Filipinos!
I'm pretty impressed with the seafood selection, and surprised that most of it was very affordable! 4 lbs of fresh whole tilapia for $2! And if you know filipinos, we just love our tilapia...
What I like most about SC is that its clean and organized. Its very rare to find an asian grocery like that, with the exception of HMart. Don't get me wrong, I love the small mom & pop stores, but its nice to go to a clean store every now and then. -
Review from Jessica N.
Portland, OR
Okay, what? Seafood City finally broke free from it's California chain to Washington?! Wow! Too bad they skipped a state (that being Oregon) - my drive here is less than 3 hours long, but hey! It's closer than California and now I don't have to stuff San Miguel beer into my check-in luggage.
The place it's busy! Especially having only, 3 of the popular restaurants open: Chow King, Tokyo-Tokyo, and Grill City... I can't wait until Jollibee and the bakery shops are open; then damn... It's going to be thrice the business than it is now!
However, the costs of goods can be overly priced and I suppose shopping here is more of a novelty of an experience being that it's the first location in the Northwest. I'm not complaining though, I'm glad fresh jackfruit is on the cheap, they've got tinapang bangus, and a whole lot of awesomely fresh cut meats perfect for Filipino dishes.
Would I be a regular if I was around the area? Hell yeah! But the most I can do now is make this a definite stop on my drive to/from Seattle. Now most of my Filipino shopping goods are all in one location! It's too bad it's connected to South Center though... The hole in my wallet will not become an endless abyss. -
Review from Mark H.
Port Orchard, WA
9/12/2010 1 Check-in Here
I'm Filipino so I'm going into this review with a bias so there's my general disclaimer. This place is brand spanking new and this shopping center has everything a Filipino would need - at least for this Filipino.
It has your lumpias, longonisas (I'm sure I got the name wrong), purple ice cream, chicharons, pandisal, fresh fish, etc. This is NOT your small mom and pops Filipino store. It felt like a Filipino Safeway. The place was crowded since its a new place and all.
What really caught my eye was the fact that there is a Jollibees nearby at the mall entrance. Unfortunately, it was closed since they are still training their staff. I can't wait to see how it tastes compared to the last time I had Jollibees when I was in the Philippines. I went to chowking instead close-by - I did a review on that. -
Review from Nick V.
Los Angeles, CA
7/27/2010 3 Check-ins Here
5 Stars?
Not yet.
Came here amidst all the hype on a Monday evening to find many shelves empty, a produce section that was lacking, and very limited selection of chilled drinks, besides beer.
Seafood City is popular in SoCal, but they also have a much better selection.
The items I purchased were cheap, but they need to figure out the demand, and keep shelves stocked. 2 out of 5 items weren't ringing up and had to be price checked, even though I told her the price posted.
They have a large selection of meats (not my choice cuts, mostly for making soups) and fish (not my favorite types, trout, tilapia, catfish).
Offering a fish cleaning/frying service, I will try that soon. Having just come from H-Mart in Lynnwood, I can't say I'm that impressed, as most of the items here I can easily find at other grocery stores.
This is definitely exciting and good for the Filipino community of Seattle and the South King County area. What took so long?
I will note that nearly every Filipino here had a smile on their face wandering the aisles and the friendly titas at the checkout asked me if I was Filipino and married. LOL! She then gave me tips on how best to cook some of the items I purchased. Hahaha
Overall, go and check it out for yourself. I'm a fan, because I'm happy to see growth at Southcenter Mall, and there's a huge demand for Asian foods/groceries in this area.
I'll update once I try their fresh, fried fish.
