Since 2014, San Jose's Santo Market, located in Japantown, has been serving up delicious poké bowls, attracting both locals and visitors to their small family-owned grocery store and giving the market a refreshing identity, according to a Nichi Bei Weekly article.

(Yelp: Hyun Yung L. )

Several reviews such as the ones mentioned in a Tiktok video by BayAreaFoodies and a YouTube video (Dining with Derick) by Bay Area food enthusiasts compared the taste and quality of Santo Market's poké bowls to those found in Hawaii. The delicious poké bowls seem to have struck a chord with the community as seen by its lines, luring both the adventurous and the regulars with their irresistible taste and quality. 

 

@bayareafoodies #poke #sanjose #bayareafoodies #hawaiianfood #hawaiianpokebowl ♬ 2516 - Luna Li

In addition to poké bowls, the market sells a variety of dishes including strawberry mochi, pork buns, and Portuguese sausage and eggs – a delightful mix of Japanese and Asian-American flavors. Third-generation owner Mark Santo believes that these poké bowls have helped the market to gain popularity during the ongoing pandemic and have become a staple offering for both regulars and newcomers, as covered in the same Nichi Bei Weekly article.

Mark Santo revealed that the nutritious and delicious poké bowls became a bestseller for the market after it started making the dish in 2014, changing the trajectory of the business amidst the pandemic. Besides being a tantalizing meal option, the market's strawberry mochi has also become a popular confectionery among customers after Mark Santo's parents introduced it to the store following a trip to Hawai'i, as highlighted in the Nichi Bei Weekly article.

Undeniably, the market has come a long way since its inception in 1946 by Mark Santo's great-uncle George Santo. The store has evolved and adapted to the changing times throughout its existence, shifting its original location from Jackson Street to its current location at the corner of North Sixth Street and East Taylor Street in 1957. Mark Santo joined the business after graduating from San Jose State University, following the footsteps of his father Earl Santo, who previously took over the business from his uncle George Santo.