An Arm Full of Groceries

korean supermarket serves more than just groceries

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H Mart uses their slogan, “Better Food, Better Life!” to attract customers to their store.

H Mart is an Asian supermarket headquartered in New Jersey but can also be found all across the whole United States, Canada and even London.  The H stands for “Hanareum,” which translates to “one arm full of groceries.” It is also the name of the financial group that owns H Mart. The market focuses mainly on Korean specialty items such as buckwheat noodles, rice cakes, pepper pastes and powders, a wide selection of house appliances, K-pop items, facial products, makeup and much more.

It may seem like any other generic Asian market from this description, however, many H Marts also contain food courts that sell selections include soft tofu soup, kimchi stew, fried pork cutlets, spicy rice cakes and even an iconic Korean classic: Korean fried chicken.

Not many people are aware of the existence of H Marts and their diverse food courts, and they these locations are the closest to authentic Korean dishes one could possibly obtain outside of South Korea. All of the stores within the food court are owned and run by Koreans themselves who are fluent and well-cultured in the ways of food. Most of the items are priced at around ten dollars, and the portion sizes are usually enough for two. Similar to other dining locations, each store allows for take-out. However, if you are dining in at the market, you are presented with a tray containing the meal, a separate bowl of rice, side dishes, utensils, a napkin, and they also give you the option to retrieve more side dishes if you so wish.

H Mart opens at 8 a.m and closes at 10 p.m., however, the food court closes at 9 p.m. The nearest location is approximately 16.8 miles away on Blalock Road.