Uwajimaya Spin-Off Launches Next Week in South Lake Union

The wait is nearly over: Kai Market, the Uwajimaya spin-off announced back in August, will open next Wednesday, May 3 in South Lake Union.

The new market joins other food-focused tenants at the 400 Fairview building, including Meat and Bread, Caffe Ladro, Bar Harbor Finestkind Provisions, and Mbar.

Though much smaller than its Uwajimaya sibling, Kai Market will sell a diversity of items, including local and international products and grab-and-go seafood dishes. There will also be a live tank filled with crabs, lobsters, and oysters, plus a fishmonger on hand to provide fillets and sashimi cuts. Grocery items like drinks, sauces, snacks, and condiments will stock the shelves, and you can fill growlers with beer and kombucha.

And yes, there will be a poke bar.

"Kai Market is about options. The lunch crowd can stop in for a hand-crafted bento box in the dining area, while the after-work crowd can take home fresh seafood and a carefully curated selection of quality Asian products for which Uwajimaya is known," said Denise Moriguchi, President of Uwajimaya Inc., in a release. "We were excited to try something new and loved the idea of a store with a smaller, more intimate footprint in a growing, vibrant neighborhood like South Lake Union."

400 Fairview, P001, (206) 957-1060, website. Open Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.