Shimaya Shoten Ltd

In the old Waiakamilo business district, on the side of the Kapalama canal, across from Honolulu Community College, in colorful Kalihi, is a warehouse that has practically all your Asian dried, and canned needs. Not to mention assorted rice brands, and some ingredients that aren’t dried or canned.
When you enter the warehouse, you’re reminded of the old mom and pop Asian stores, to where you get bombarded by all the familiar smells and aromas of Asia. Things like dried seafood, fish, shrimp, squid, abalone, and seaweeds come to mind. Then you get the fruit smell of dried plums, and packaged seeds. Then we’re reminded of the ever popular Asian staple like Anise, and 5 spice.
In the front, and off to the side of the warehouse is a small package store where they sell their wares wholesale, which could save you a little bit of money. I like where I can buy dried shrimp (Ebi) by the pound.
They have large containers of different sized dried shrimp with the price per pound on the side of the barrel. You let the lady there know how much you want, and she scoops it into a bag on a scale to the weight you want. Or even for the raw peanuts, two different types sold the same way.
So as the New Year is right around the corner (at this writing) the traditional dish «Ozoni» with all it’s complexities comes to mind. Just remember a lot of it’s ingredients can be purchased at Shimaya’s for a little cheaper price.
Shimaya’s looks and smells like an old mom and pop Asian market in China Town, except they’re a small package store doing wholesale in a warehouse, in the warehouse business district in Kalihi.
Pretty cool, in an old fashioned kinda way!

I think they’re better known as a wholesale company, but they have a little store that anyone can buy from. It’s really cute. I buy raw peanuts to make boiled peanuts.
Virginia & valencia peanuts sold by the lb. $ 2.39÷2.49