Shiga's Imports

★★★★☆ 4.2 (48) • $

"My first review in Seattle!I was interested in getting a Japanese futon for its portability. I had checked out some prices in Seattle and was prepared to pay more for a futon than a traditional mattress. Shiga's Imports was my first stop for a shikibuton and I got a queen sized futon for a great price. Granted, it was made in the US and not Japan, but the friendly associate told me that the "western" ones are made of cotton and foam, and are firmer, which was what I was looking for. I am not sure how much more the traditional Japanese ones cost but I am really happy with this futon.Quick, painless, and it fit in the car."

Coffeemind

★★★★★ 4.7 (62) • $$

"Nice location with plenty of free street parking. Laid back atmosphere with many fun things to shop for while you sip. The good part--- the coffee. Coffeemind has Rich and velvety smooth cold brew (it is my favorite) as well as a really nice hot bev selection. They will make any sort of coffee drink you would like. Plenty of seating indoors as well as a couple of small tables for Two out front on the sidewalk. The service is friendly and helpful in guiding you to the right beverage. Highly recommend Coffeemind."

LUCCA Great Finds

★★★★☆ 4.4 (75) • $$

"The most beautiful and dreamy smelling gift store in Ballard! Amazing array of items, from perfumes to candles to out from heaven soaps to the most intricate adornments for your house. I was more and more amazed as I was discovering more and more the store and for a moment I thought I was back to elementary school times with those old fashioned German made inks in purple, lavender and indigo blue, so pretty!Plenty of old school note books with travel memorabilia, especially portraying creative images of London, Paris and Seattle. Their patio is gorgeous and everything there is on sale too. Lots of kitsch objects and atmosphere. Friendly service that allows you to browse and touch without being on top of you. And oh, again, that smell on the way out, you will never forget that magic smell of Lucca's candles."

D Unik Gift Shoppe & Oriental Foods

★★★★☆ 3.8 (5)

"Kind of a cross between a gift shop and a very small grocery....a "grift shop" perhaps? The emphasis is on Filapino foods and gifts. This store is tucked along a strip in the North City area of Shoreline so its not too easy to find."

Sunshine Drip

★★★★★ 4.6 (131)

"What a cute place here in Coupville.Had to get a couple drinks hazelnut Breve and a chai apple cider tea. Yum... Great drinks on this cool morning.We ordered bagel sandwiches for breakfast.My hubby got the Mountain. This bagel was a meat lovers dream with bacon, ham and sausage. His cheese of choice was cheddar. My breakfast was a meaty bagel with provolone. The ham was yummy and not too salty either. I loved the every thing bagel.Glad we popped in on our last morning here"

The Souk

★★★★☆ 4.3 (41)

"Awesome to find the Turkish sahlab and apple tea I have been missing and craving since visiting Turkey at this grocery store at pike market, located right next to the original Starbucks. 2 items perfect for this cold rainy day in Seattle. They also have so many interesting Turkish groceries. Also saw an interesting mint potato fries to try. Very helpful friendly owner helped me to quickly find the item I was seeking."

The Picnic Pantry

★★★★★ 4.8 (11)

"This charming pantry and parlor is a great spot to check out as you're out shopping, or visiting the Stanwood area.The merchandise is high quality, and the local owner is very involved with the community. It's located in the heart of downtown Stanwood."

Pacific Northwest Shop

★★★★★ 5 (9) • $$

"I didn't have much interest in this store until I visited and realized how cool it is! Its way beyond a tourist shop but, instead, is a gift shop with well curated gifts from local artists and companies. I've found beautiful gifts for a variety of people here and the staff are always extremely kind and helpful!"

Sfingiday Gallery and Gifts

★★★★★ 4.9 (11)

"The owner, Christine is absolutely wonderful. She goes out of her way to make sure her customers are taken care of. It's not your typical gift shop. It's filled with all sorts of gifts and art that you can't find anywhere else. Trust me, pay them (or their website) a visit and you will not leave empty handed."

Hawaii General Store & Gallery

★★★★★ 4.6 (91) • $$

"My home away from home :'')Right outside of University District is this humble store with a super cute Golden named Ellie and two friendly aunties. It has all of the essential Hawaiian snacks and fresh flower lei (orchids, plumeria, ginger, AND haku lei). Yes, it's more expensive than it would be back home, but it *is* cheaper than a plane ticket. I thought that street parking in front of the store wasn't so bad, either.PRO TIPS:- fresh orchid leis are shipped to the store on Tuesdays- fresh plumeria and ginger lei are shipped to the store on Wednesdays- fresh haku are shipped to the store on Thursdays, but place a preorder by Tuesday."

Ugly Baby

★★★★★ 4.7 (70) • $$

"I always worry when I find a cool little gem like Ugly Baby that they will go the way of other cool spots and disappear.Tiny store filled with fun, unusual and original gift/craft ideas. I found a brilliant card and sticker for a friend, was contemplating a needlepoint (hip and funny) for another.Service is great, friendly but not in your mug, which I so appreciate. Prices are reasonable and who doesn't love an ugly baby?"

Fil-Am Oriental Food & Gifts

★★★★★ 4.6 (32)

"This family run indie shop has been in business for 25 years. Obviously, I've been under a rock since I've been a Shoreline resident for over 18.5 years. Always a good sign when there's a giant sardine ad on the storefront. I've often wondered where are the Filipinos/Filipino Americans in the north end. Found them - they're all lined up at Fil-Am Oriental Food and Gifts! The Homie and I did nearby Starbucks and Arcane Comics stops on Friday 11/6/20. I wandered in to check for chicharron, perfect for football game snacking. I walked in and was amazed at the available selection of a wide variety of items, plus brightness, cleanliness, and organization observed. Sometimes other Asian stores are a bit lacking in any of these aspects, but not here. Plus masks are required and appropriate social distancing for pandemic precautions are in place. Another bonus, so close to home!This reminded me of several shops I visited with my family growing up in Bremerton/Kitsap County. Nostalgia! But then I started wandering and scrutinizing each aisle...fresh produce, snacks, canned goods, frozen goods, seasonings and condiments, fresh baked goods, and other stuff and things. Need a barong? Need some religious statues? For all I know, they probably ship balikbayan boxes too. Goodness these folks have it all in this classic strip mall hole in the wall. But my eyes honed in and stomach growled when I saw the kare kare in the hot food case. Thank goodness I had steamed rice at home at the ready. Omg, tender oxtail, copious sitaw, bok choy, and eggplant in a savory peanut sauce accompanied with a small amount of bagoong. Yes, in addition purchased two kinds of chicharron. The Homie was so happy to try boba in a can and find Asian Ovaltine and peanut polvoron. The friendly guy working the register gave me a pro tip and said to come back tomorrow when his mom has more Filipino cuisine available. They open at 11am, but best time is at 12:30pm. So guess who was back again promptly on Saturday 11/7/20...yes, this person who didn't have breakfast or lunch yet. Grabbed some ube bread from Delite and Valerio to have a taste comparison. And eyes on the prize, I immediately lined up on social distancing dots on the floor. Tempted to buy mungo guisado in the refrigerated case, but waited patiently in line. The woman in front of me seemed to shop while at the register, however, the same friendly guy at the front counter wasn't freaked out at the growing line in the store. Focused customer service clearly is the norm. I had plenty of time to ogle the hot food case which during my second visit contained dinuguan, lumpia, fried fish and pancit. I also bought fresh puto! The elderly couple behind me were impatiently wanting me to move forward and later thrilled to know there was balut available. Yes, the available Filipino cuisine here is that eagerly awaited. The dinuguan, puto, pancit, and ube bread varieties were spot on. Filipino cuisine here is homemade with extra care and love. I am so appreciative of this indie culinary gem so close to home. Goodness knows with how my 2020 has been going, this is just as good as a reassuring hug letting me know all is good in the world."

Sweetie's Candy

★★★★☆ 3.5 (13) • $$$

"Every market needs a candy store for diversity. This is sugar heaven of your favorites, your forgotten favorites and your new favorites. My eyes went into a sugar coma when I saw 2 lb pucks of Reese PB Cups...I am NOT kidding. 2 f-ing pounds. It would take me weeks to eat that (and I love my Cups). The selection when all put together looks visually intriguing, however, it's candy that you can get anywhere else. I am just a sucker for candy (pun totally intended)."

Elger Bay Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.4 (12) • $$

"Very rarely can I walk into Elger Bay and NOT find what I'm looking for! They have everything from fishing licenses to frozen lumpias! A great beer selection, non ethanol gas, friendly faces and decent prices for a store on an island. If you're heading out to the state park be sure to stop by and get a little something on the way..."

Kinokuniya Bookstore - Seattle

★★★★☆ 4.4 (257) • $$

"If you love anime and manga, you need to come here! As soon as a stepped in, I saw Totoro and I was so happy :D they had so many cute products!! I saw Pusheen products, some smaller business products, Smiski, and more. Downstairs would have to be more of the stationary goods, home goods and clothing but upstairs is heaven to a anime/manga fan like me haha. Upstairs you can see cut outs of characters, manga, funko pops, and figurines. I really enjoyed walking through every aisle. They have so much! They also have full sets of manga. There were some deals as well that I saw regarding buying a certain amount to get a discount which was neat. The people working here were also kinda and efficient at helping people check out :) I would definitely come here again if I'm ever back in the area!"

The Handmade Showroom

★★★★★ 4.9 (16) • $$

"Still loving this spot for fun plant shopping in Pacific Place! I came back recently when we stopped at PP and I snagged a variegated elephant food plant, and a N'Joy pothos plant that I'm super jazzed about! Both plants were about $25 each or less. And they were packed up perfectly safe in a bag, which was way easier to manage than any box. I'm happy to see that this has improved. Lastly, I wanted to clear up that the plants here are actually from an Urban Plant Shop pop-up/partnership with The Handmade Showroom. I messaged the owner about it and found out it will be there through September now, which is super cool! I honestly hope it's a lasting relationship, since I told her I'd visit at least once a week for plants if so, haha. I have a plant addiction, so... ;D"

The Star Store

★★★★☆ 4.4 (55)

"Star Store is quite the destination grocery store and mercantile while visiting Langley. The kiddo and I wandered through - definitely has a little bit of this and that, nice selection, and historical background. It was good to see a lot of locally sourced items on the shelves.BTW - Useless Bay Coffee Company beans were the same price here as the café a block over. That's nice to see no additional markup."

Bainbridge Apothecary and Tea Shop

★★★★★ 4.6 (56)

"So fun!! The most fun I've ever had in a high tea. And it's all thanks to the owner Erica!Erica, you're the nicest human being I've met in a long time. So genuine, exciting, passionate about your delicious tea, your amazing food ( that mushroom soup was soul warming even on 100 degrees day) and literally everything!! You made us felt so welcome and loved. Came here for a friends going away/ we had a Bainbridge island day with high tea, wine and dinner planned. Ferry was a little delayed but our gracious host/ owner Erica kept track of the ferry time. So no food or tea was left cold. First: the tea decor! Straight out of a look book! So beautiful. Tea chinas are just gorgeous, delicate and stunning. We felt like princesses for a day! And Erica is beyond generous/ gave us extras treats, extra mushroom soup which was vegan and to die for! Her amazing cheesy scones. Everything was wonderful! We came peak heat wave time and sat outside. For a good 2.5 hours! Time flew by!All her teas were delicious too but the best part/ we added her delicious frozen sangrias! Perfect on heat wave! We sipped, savor and ate so much food for an afternoon tea! Never ate so much food! Or such delicious food. Did I mention it was like 99 -101 degrees day?? Didn't stop me from pots of tea or that piping hot mushroom soup. Thanks, Erica for your amazing hospitality!! Your energy, your shop and your love for tea, the food you make just outshine that sun!! :) Looking forward to coming back!"

Portage Bay Goods

★★★★★ 4.5 (65) • $$

"An adorable little store in Fremont that offers unique gifts and Seattle-centric merchandise for people of all ages.We originally stopped in after perusing their window displays that featured creative puzzles of Seattle, and we knew we had to buy one. While in there, we were awestruck with the pins, stickers, and other tchotchke items that were available, but it was probably good that we had limited room in our luggage, or we might have gone a little crazy.The holidays are right around the corner, and in an effort to support great local spots this season, friends and family are gonna be receiving quite a few gifts from this place! The business is taking COVID procedures seriously, enforcing the mask rule, has lots of hand sanitizer, and encourages social distancing.Will for sure be back!"

Osara Commissary

★★★★★ 4.6 (13)

"With a rich Japanese culture in the Seattle, it's always great to find a store providing a rich variety of Japanese accoutrements. Glad to see it's alive and well, after my visit during their grand opening in the late summer of 2017!"Osara" is Japanese for dishes/plates, which explains the prominence of these items in the Commissary. So many colors, so many sizes, and made out of glass, ceramics, bamboo, plastic, etc.. Also, don't forget to check out their Bento boxes! To me, if you want a Sake Set, I'd start at Osara: Beautiful, colorful, intricate, and reasonably priced (some sets of four were priced at $27). Same goes for chopsticks: A rainbow of colors, many wood and bamboo, all of a high quality. There's also plenty of art. I would best describe the majority of Osara's art as "kawaii," the Japanese culture of cuteness. In the end, it IS a commissary, so you'll find a little of everything: candy, biscuit sticks, post and greeting cards, kimonos, hats, cutesy dolls, bags, books, anime, sumo stuff, rock & pop records (Japanese imports, of course), and about a million other little things. Since it's smack-dab in the middle of Pike Place Market, you have no excuse to miss it!"

Salt House Mercantile

★★★★★ 4.5 (10)

"We wondered in this store while visiting Bainbridge on a nice fall afternoon. When you walk in you're greeted by the smells of many amazing things. They have lots of candles, and bath treats, food, and baby toys, but the coolest thig they carry is the salt. So many flavors with a unique story. Definitely stop in here if you can. We left with so many goodies."