Best Place to Spice Up Your Kitchen

Stocked to the eaves, Kamei Household Wares is the store to go to when you're looking to add color, grace, and a little bit of kitsch to your kitchen. The shop's narrow aisles are packed with gorgeous but inexpensive Japanese ceramic rice and soup bowls decorated with exquisite cherry blossom patterns, simple stripes, or solid colors. Kamei also carries rice makers of all makes and models, clay pots, gigantic woks, steamers, and traditional Japanese tea sets. But the best part about wandering through the cramped store is discovering the kitchen gadgets you didn't even know you needed: crocodile-shaped hot water bottles, turtle-shaped chopstick holders, tuna can strainers, pink pig ceramic spoon caddies, and other treasures.