I love puttering around in junk shops. The funkier and cheaper the merchandise the better. In Japantown there is a great store called Ichiban Kan filled with tons of cheap stuff. Ichiban means number one or best, I can't say what kan means (there were too many definitions when I looked it up online).
The English name on the sign out front is "different things". How true! They carry everything from Japanese toothpaste to Pocky snacks to sparkly ribbons to plastic storage containers. It's really just a Japanese version of a "dollar store". And I simply can't go in there without finding some treasures I have to buy.
Take for example this mini mandoline slicer. Is it not the most adorable thing you could ever hope to find for your kitchen? I mean who doesn't need this to sliver radishes, garlic and even scallions. It's so cute! I use my standard full size mandoline all the time, but this one comes in handy when making a salad.
Obviously this would be a bad tool for slicing large quantities of just about anything. It would also not work for larger items like a potato. But when you only want to sliver 3 radishes, it's perfect; it takes up no space and is sharp as can be. If all of that wasn't enough reason to buy, how about this, it only cost 99 cents!
I also bought a vegetable peeler and while miniature sized and quaint, it is nowhere near as adorable as my m.m. (mini mandoline). If you find yourself in Japantown do check out Ichiban Kan. I'm sure you will find something that you Ichiban Kan't do without.
Ichiban Kan
22 Peace Plaza #200
San Francisco
415.409.0472
Open everyday 10:30 am - 8 pm
